The History of Rock

 

Glam Rock

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Also sometimes referred to as glitter rock, glam rock is a genre that emerged in the 1970s which combined outrageous costumes with theatrical stage shows to create rock with an element of spectacle. Its foundation lies in the music and presentation of Alice Cooper whose shows were meant to shock and outrage a public more comfortable with the Age of Aquarius and the theme of brotherhood being espoused by many bands during the so-called summer of love in 1967.

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The New York Dolls

 

Most glam artists came from England and the artists that were foremost were T-Rex, Slade, Sweet, Mott the Hoople, Gary Glitter, Queen, Roxy Music, and David Bowie. In the United States, The New York Dolls and Kiss were artists that came after Alice Cooper and drew inspiration from his model. Costumes used by many glam rockers often featured an element of androgeny and this was particularly true of David Bowie in his persona as Ziggy Stardust. Glam also found its way into cinema with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) as its most famous example. Although some might dispute this, glam rock does not really possess any unique musical characteristics. However, there was a desire on the part of some glam artists to produce concept albums similar to some of the progressive rock groups.

 

David Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was released in 1972 and is a perfect model of glam rock in its most ambitious form. It revolves around the person of Ziggy Stardust, a musician from Mars who has come to earth during its last five years of existence. Ziggy’s fame is his undoing and he becomes a victim of his own success.

 

Bowie had considerable success with his albums in the early 1970s; they included Alladdin Sane (1973), Pin-Ups (1973), and Young Americans (1975). He was unquestionably the most influential of the glam rockers and he remains active today. During his heyday he was backed by a strong trio of musicians that included guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Mick Woodmansey. Ronson created some especially powerful riffs in songs like “Rebel Rebel.”