Origins of Heavy Metal
The biggest part about the 70s when it comes to rock music is the bands that started using techniques and styles that would eventually help create the genre known as heavy metal, my personal favorite. Heavy metal is a genre that is characterized by a thick sound, highly amplified distortion, long guitar solos, present beats, and a generally loud and energetic feel. Heavy metal brought around a big change in the image of both the musicians and the fans of the music. Although at this time they weren't called heavy metal bands, the early pioneers today are referred to as hard rock bands. This is where the image came around where people began doing things like wearing studs and spikes, ripped jeans, and having long hair as a male. As most might assume, many people did not approve of this look and they thought of it as a type of social rebellion.
The Energy
Up until this point, many of the bands had been pretty mild in terms of the music that they played and the 70s changed that. Bands in this time period became a lot more energetic alongside their music. It brought a newfound energy to rock music and to the performances. Live shows got a lot more chaotic and the music got a lot more epic. The bands that would revolutionize this change were the ones that would become hall of famers. The music also started to move away from the typical lyrics of love and peace and more into the style of enjoying life and having a good time. The 70s is considered by many people to be the prime time of rock music. During this time you were generally one of two types of people, disco fans or rock fans. The performance of this time also started to become more about the show on stage. Before it would just be the band up on stage with their instruments where now they began to use lights, fireworks, and even stage props to enhance the performance. Many, if not the majority of todays "classic rock" songs come from the 70s.
Influential Bands and People
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin is an English rock band that is the go to band when it comes to classic rock for most people. The band had so many hit songs and album sales that they quickly grew in popularity. Their fourth album Led Zeppelin IV is widely regarded as one of the most influential pieces of music ever written in the rock genre. It is also one of the highest selling albums of all time. If you listen to interviews with famous rock bands, a great number of them will regard Led Zeppelin as one of their influences.
Led Zeppelin's lyrical content focused more on love and romance. In their later albums they began to implement themes and stories from mythology into their lyrics. This is a main focal point for heavy metal music is to include stories and epic tails in the songwriting. Led Zeppelin is one of the biggest legacies in rock with rock critic Mikal Gilmore saying "Led Zeppelin - talented, complex, grasping, beautiful, and dangerous - made one of the most enduring bodies of composition and performance in twentieth-century music, despite everything they had to overpower, including themselves".
Led Zeppelin is an English rock band that is the go to band when it comes to classic rock for most people. The band had so many hit songs and album sales that they quickly grew in popularity. Their fourth album Led Zeppelin IV is widely regarded as one of the most influential pieces of music ever written in the rock genre. It is also one of the highest selling albums of all time. If you listen to interviews with famous rock bands, a great number of them will regard Led Zeppelin as one of their influences.
Led Zeppelin's lyrical content focused more on love and romance. In their later albums they began to implement themes and stories from mythology into their lyrics. This is a main focal point for heavy metal music is to include stories and epic tails in the songwriting. Led Zeppelin is one of the biggest legacies in rock with rock critic Mikal Gilmore saying "Led Zeppelin - talented, complex, grasping, beautiful, and dangerous - made one of the most enduring bodies of composition and performance in twentieth-century music, despite everything they had to overpower, including themselves".
AC/DC
When someone wants to know exactly what hard rock is or what it sounds like, AC/DC is the band to point them to. When AC/DC plays shows, the crowds roar with singing and cheers. AC/DC is a band that was founded in Australia in 1973. They are energetic, they are talented, and they are the very definition of hard rock. They have written many memorable songs that you can identify almost as soon as you hear them.
Many of AC/DC's songs deal with sex, drugs, and partying. Hard rock is pretty much characterized by this type of lifestyle. AC/DC is a very energetic band with very unique songwriters and musicians. One of the biggest defining moments for AC/DC is the death of their first lead singer Bon Scott. Bon Scott died due to drug overdose and led the band to almost splitting up. However, the band was encouraged to continue and released their album Back in Black which became the fourth best selling album of all time.
When someone wants to know exactly what hard rock is or what it sounds like, AC/DC is the band to point them to. When AC/DC plays shows, the crowds roar with singing and cheers. AC/DC is a band that was founded in Australia in 1973. They are energetic, they are talented, and they are the very definition of hard rock. They have written many memorable songs that you can identify almost as soon as you hear them.
Many of AC/DC's songs deal with sex, drugs, and partying. Hard rock is pretty much characterized by this type of lifestyle. AC/DC is a very energetic band with very unique songwriters and musicians. One of the biggest defining moments for AC/DC is the death of their first lead singer Bon Scott. Bon Scott died due to drug overdose and led the band to almost splitting up. However, the band was encouraged to continue and released their album Back in Black which became the fourth best selling album of all time.
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath was what many consider as the original heavy metal band. This British rock band has made big influences since there first album in 1970. Black Sabbath created a very dark and heavy tone by using tuned-down guitars and occult and horror inspired lyrics. Some of their songs dealt with religion which led to their albums being immediately criticized by them.
Black Sabbath has a unique songwriting style. None of their songs are particularly complicated, yet they are all unique in their own way. Even though Black Sabbath may have gained a dark or negative image, many of their songs are about things like social instability, political corruption, dangers involving drug use, and the horrors of war and apocalypse. Not to mention the fact that the singer Ozzy Osbourne would go on to become one of the most famous musicians ever.
Black Sabbath was what many consider as the original heavy metal band. This British rock band has made big influences since there first album in 1970. Black Sabbath created a very dark and heavy tone by using tuned-down guitars and occult and horror inspired lyrics. Some of their songs dealt with religion which led to their albums being immediately criticized by them.
Black Sabbath has a unique songwriting style. None of their songs are particularly complicated, yet they are all unique in their own way. Even though Black Sabbath may have gained a dark or negative image, many of their songs are about things like social instability, political corruption, dangers involving drug use, and the horrors of war and apocalypse. Not to mention the fact that the singer Ozzy Osbourne would go on to become one of the most famous musicians ever.
Judas Priest
Nobody had ever seen anything like Judas Priest when they came around. People didn't know what to think of a band all dressed in black leather, spikes, and studs. They really helped bring the show to live rock performances. They used techniques such as smoke, lights, and fireworks to enhance the experience of their shows. Judas Priest has some of the fastest and most intricate guitar solos which led to some truly energetic live shows.
Judas Priest brought the heavy to the metal in the emerging genre. The singer for the band, Rob Halford, brought a new operatic singing style to rock which influenced many to come. Many of Judas Priest's songs incorporated poetic, epic, and controversial lyrics. They really did have some of the heaviest music of the time and have been regarded by MTV as the second greatest metal band of all time.
Nobody had ever seen anything like Judas Priest when they came around. People didn't know what to think of a band all dressed in black leather, spikes, and studs. They really helped bring the show to live rock performances. They used techniques such as smoke, lights, and fireworks to enhance the experience of their shows. Judas Priest has some of the fastest and most intricate guitar solos which led to some truly energetic live shows.
Judas Priest brought the heavy to the metal in the emerging genre. The singer for the band, Rob Halford, brought a new operatic singing style to rock which influenced many to come. Many of Judas Priest's songs incorporated poetic, epic, and controversial lyrics. They really did have some of the heaviest music of the time and have been regarded by MTV as the second greatest metal band of all time.
Aerosmith
This band from Boston, Massachusetts is one of the most famous and well-known bands to ever exist. You aren't around for long before you've heard at least one of their songs. They are one of the main pioneers of the hard rock style with a heavy influence of blues in their music. Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". In fact, Aerosmith is the only band on this page so far that is even from the United States.
Aerosmith has a very unique style that infuses hard rock with jazz and blues. The band also had a unique and flamboyant sense of fashion, wearing some pretty unique things during live performances, especially lead singer Steven Tyler. Aerosmith also did something truly unique during their career, they performed a song with Hip-Hop group Run DMC. During this time, rock and hip-hop didn't associate with each other. Aerosmith and Run DMC changed that with their unique remix of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". Aerosmith even has a roller coaster dedicated to them in Disney World called the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
This band from Boston, Massachusetts is one of the most famous and well-known bands to ever exist. You aren't around for long before you've heard at least one of their songs. They are one of the main pioneers of the hard rock style with a heavy influence of blues in their music. Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". In fact, Aerosmith is the only band on this page so far that is even from the United States.
Aerosmith has a very unique style that infuses hard rock with jazz and blues. The band also had a unique and flamboyant sense of fashion, wearing some pretty unique things during live performances, especially lead singer Steven Tyler. Aerosmith also did something truly unique during their career, they performed a song with Hip-Hop group Run DMC. During this time, rock and hip-hop didn't associate with each other. Aerosmith and Run DMC changed that with their unique remix of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way". Aerosmith even has a roller coaster dedicated to them in Disney World called the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.
Pink Floyd
This British rock band were some of the earliest pioneers and adopters of the progressive rock genre. Progressive rock is a subgenre that is defined by changing tempos, unique and uncommon instrumentals, electronic sound effects and keyboard instrumentals, and the lack of a danceable beat. It is not unheard of for a Pink Floyd song to span between 20 - 40 minutes in length.
This new genre of progressive rock, along with music composed of multiple different genres, Pink Floyd became one ot the most commercially successful rock bands in history. Many progressive rock bands have learned from their style and list Pink Floyd as one of their major influences.
This British rock band were some of the earliest pioneers and adopters of the progressive rock genre. Progressive rock is a subgenre that is defined by changing tempos, unique and uncommon instrumentals, electronic sound effects and keyboard instrumentals, and the lack of a danceable beat. It is not unheard of for a Pink Floyd song to span between 20 - 40 minutes in length.
This new genre of progressive rock, along with music composed of multiple different genres, Pink Floyd became one ot the most commercially successful rock bands in history. Many progressive rock bands have learned from their style and list Pink Floyd as one of their major influences.
Queen
Queen was yet another British rock band that achieved mainstream success. Queen drew influence from many of the other bands on this page. The main thing that Queen is known for is most likely their unique songwriting. Queen used techniques and styles of music not even associated with rock to write songs such as opera, ragtime, gospel and folk.
One other major thing that Queen proved was the tolerance of the rock fanbase. This was proven by the fact that the lead singer, Freddy Mercury was openly homosexual. However, even though this was common knowledge, he was not criticized and reprimanded for it. People didn't care what gender, race, or sexuality you were, they only cared if you made good music or not and this was definitely proven by Queen.
Queen was yet another British rock band that achieved mainstream success. Queen drew influence from many of the other bands on this page. The main thing that Queen is known for is most likely their unique songwriting. Queen used techniques and styles of music not even associated with rock to write songs such as opera, ragtime, gospel and folk.
One other major thing that Queen proved was the tolerance of the rock fanbase. This was proven by the fact that the lead singer, Freddy Mercury was openly homosexual. However, even though this was common knowledge, he was not criticized and reprimanded for it. People didn't care what gender, race, or sexuality you were, they only cared if you made good music or not and this was definitely proven by Queen.