Hard rock

Hard rock is a variation of rock music with roots in early 1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock. The term "hard rock" may be used several genres such as punk rock and grunge in order to distinguish them from the more radio-friendly pop rock genre.

Hard rock
Stylistic origins	Blues-rock Psychedelic rock Rock
Cultural origins	Mid 1960s, United Kingdom and United States
Typical instruments	Guitar bass vocals drums keyboards
Subgenres
Heavy metal Progressive rock
Other topics
Back beat Rock opera Rock band Performers Hall of Fame Social impact

Notable Artists

• The Beatles (such as Helter Skelter, I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
• Status Quo
• The Who
• AC/DC
• Aerosmith
• Black Sabbath
• Deep Purple
• Grand Funk Railroad
• Guns N' Roses
• Kiss
• Led Zeppelin
• Mountain
• Thin Lizzy
• Van Halen

Hard Rock Media

• 

  Drum notation for a back beat

• 

  Baker, Bruce and Clapton of Cream, whose blues rock improvisation was a major factor in the development of the genre

• 

  Led Zeppelin live at Chicago Stadium, January 1975

• 

  The Who on stage in 1975

• 

  Kiss onstage in Boston in 2004

• 

  Rush on stage in Milan, Italy, 2004

• 

  Golden Earring receives a gold record in 1970.

• 

  Poison, seen here in 2008, were among the most successful acts of the 1980s glam metal era.

• 

  Original member Izzy Stradlin' on stage with Guns N' Roses in 2006

• 

  Nirvana were at the forefront of the 1990s grunge era.