Hard Rock
A loud, riff-first branch of rock that hardened out of mid-1960s blues and psychedelia, then found its classic form in the 1970s through bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and AC/DC.
Origins and context
Documented histories place hard rock’s formation in the mid-1960s British blues-rock and psychedelic scene, before the style spread internationally in the 1970s.
The sound
Instrument palette
The voices and tools most associated with this sound.
- Distorted electric guitar
- Bass guitar
- Drums
- Vocals
- Keyboards
Characteristics
- Riff-driven songs
- Loud, aggressive delivery
- Anthemic choruses
- Stomping backbeats
- Extended guitar solos
History
Hard rock took shape in the mid-1960s from the overlap of blues-rock and psychedelia, with artists such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and the Jeff Beck Group helping to push electric amplification and riff-driven songcraft into heavier territory. By the early 1970s, bands including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, the Who, the Rolling Stones, and later AC/DC helped define the style’s big-riff template and carried it into arena-sized rock.
Notable artists
- AAC/DC
- DPDeep Purple
- LZLed Zeppelin
- CCream
- JHJimi Hendrix
- TWThe Who
Essential listening
- 1
- 2
- 3
AC/DC
- 4
Deep Purple
Explore connected genres
Sources and further reading
- Hard Rock Music Genre Overview
- Spotify
AC/DC is presented by Spotify as one of the most important and lasting forces in hard rock.
- Apple Music
Deep Purple’s Machine Head is described by Apple Music as helping create the blueprint for early heavy metal, while reflecting hard rock’s turn toward slower tempos and brutish delivery.
- AC/DC artist page
- Deep Purple artist page
- Led Zeppelin artist page