Artists & Styles
By Dave White, About.com Guide to Classic Rock
There are the many musical styles that roll up under the classic rock banner. Here's your menu of musical flavors and your guide to the artists who created them.
- Progressive Rock
- Psychedelic Rock
- Punk Rock / New Wave
- Singer-Songwriters
- Soft Rock
- Southern Rock / Country Rock
Arena Rock
Think big. Larger than life -- the sound, the venues, the performers, the pyrotechnics.
Blues Rock
When rock meets blues, the electric guitars come out and the tempo goes up.
British Invasion
Between 1964 and 1967, the Brits changed the way we rocked.
Folk Rock
When the music has a message, it's probably folk rock.
Glam Rock
Makeup, costumes, and songs about sex, drugs and sci-fi.
Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
Where power chords reign and distortion is a good thing.
Progressive Rock
Bring on the strings, woodwinds, and esoteric themes.
Psychedelic Rock
Tie-dyed homage to the gospel of turn on, tune in, drop out.
Punk Rock / New Wave
Lyrically anti-establishment, musically experimental.
Singer-Songwriters
A breed born in the '60s and '70s who wrote, sang and played their own music their own way.
Soft Rock
It's rock, but with softer lyrics, softer instruments, and minimal controversy.
Southern Rock / Country Rock
Hard rock guitar, boogie rhythm, and lyrics with a Southern flavor.
