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A Brief History Through Decades Past

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 The 60’s
The British Invasion
The starting point, influenced by the American rock n’ roll of the late 50’s and early
60’s. By the mid 60’s British bands were finding success across the Atlantic in the
US. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Kinks were the most prolific of these
initial bands. They combined proactive fashions, rebel appeal, and catchy melodies
into an ultimately influential exterior.

British Psychedelic
Although similar in concept and design, British Psychedelic was somewhat different from its
American neighbor. Combining more experimentation within the pop structure of The British
Invasion aesthetic, such bands as Pink Floyd and later day Beatles stretched the sonic
possibilities within their songs and albums.

Prog-Rock
Progressive rock. Emerging out of the Psychedelic scene, Prog took
the ideals of rock experimentation and brought it to another level,
technically and conceptually. Combining elements of jazz and
electronics (synthesizers first foray) bands such as Yes, Genesis,
and King Crimson found niches in performing grand and complex
music.
Visual Timeline
The 70’s
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Punk
A faster, rawer, and more temperamental approach to the early influences of the rock n’ roll. A
full scale phenomenon in the UK, Punk would define the second coming of British music just as
The British Invasion had 15 years earlier. The Sex Pistols and The Clash would revolutionize
the youth of England in ways that have not been seen since.

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Glam
An exclusively British music craze of the early 70’s. Glam was structured around simplistic
guitar riffs accompanied by theatrically dynamic melodies, reminiscent of early American rock n’ roll.
What set Glam apart was “sexual ambiguity”, portrayed in part through their popular stars: David Bowie
with his Ziggy Stardust persona and Marc Bolan of T.REX.

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Metal
The most extreme in terms of volume and masculinity, Metal found its first roots in England during the
late 60’s. Beginning with heavy guitar bands such as The Who and Cream, it would develop an even
moodier exterior with the likes of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Heavy Metal would find a much
greater audience in North America.
The UK’s 10 best selling UK albums of all time (The Official UK Charts Company)
 1

The 80’s
New Wave
Directly following Punk, New Wave was accompanied with a softer approach all the while maintaining
the unnerving edginess. Artists like Elvis Costello, XTC, and The Police we’re stylistically diverse in
their approach marking New Wave as one of the more groundbreaking genres of the 80’s.

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New Romantic
Created upon a sleek, danceable approach to
2 pop- the New Romantics took their3 influences from
New Wave but also Glam of the early 70’s. With make-up and stylish cloths, bands such as
Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls set about the pathway for synthesized pop of the 1980’s.

Madchester
Catchy choruses, psychedelic nuances and danceable grooves is what Madchester
(dubbed ecstasy music) was all about in the late 80’s and early 90’s. An extremely popular
genre for its time, Madchester’s two most popular bands, The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses
would be cited by Blur and Oasis as major influences.
 The 90’s 2

Brit-pop 1

The definition of English music in the 90’s. Dominated by such bands as Oasis, Blur,
The Verve, and early Radiohead. Brit-pop kept up with The British Invasion approach,
guitar driven songs accompanied by irresistible melodies. Brit-pop was mainstream in
the truest sense -it was big, fun and all about rock n’ roll.

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Trip-hop
The dance music of England circa 1995. Trip-hop was a term coined by the musical press to
describe the bands that incorporated detached electronic beats with flourishes of jazz and R&B.
Bands such as Portishead, Massive Attack, and Prodigy would lead the pack.

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THE END
 References
Title Page
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Visual Timeline
http://rateyourmusic.com/

The 70’s
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The 80’s
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The 90’s
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Graph Information
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http://www.q4music.com/