The best foreign hard rock bands. Hard rock music

Over the long years of the existence of hard rock, many bands have appeared that can be considered the best of the best. The main creators of the style who created the modern look of the hard rock style can be considered the following. It is advisable to divide them into two groups, founders and heirs.

Classic hard rock bands

The former include Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and deep purple, recognized by the three pillars of hard rock. They are the ones.

Led Zeppelin. The group is recognized as the best hard rock band and is the founder and pioneer of heavy metal. It was the "zeppelins" that laid the foundation and developed the basic principles of sound for future generations. Also, it was the zeppelins who first began to write, which became hallmark hard rock in the 80s.

Black Sabbath. The musicians are considered the founders of heavy metal and many other styles of heavy music. They also had an influence on the formation of punk rock. Early albums Black Sabbath, and especially Tony Iommi's riffs, had a great influence on the way guitarists played in the late 70s.

deep purple. Another significant group Albums of the third composition (Mark III) are considered classics of the genre, which is still recognized among best rock songs. This is especially true for Machine Head and In Rock albums, which take 2nd and 3rd places in the list of the best hard rock albums in the Classic Rock edition list.

Uriah Heep. This group is often forgotten, because even in Britain they are considered only the 4th hard rock group. However, the work of the "hips" of the early 70s brought a lot to the development of music. David Byron's high vocals soon became the benchmark for some heavy styles, and the songs seem to be considered no less classic by connoisseurs than Child in Time or Stairway to Heaven.

Def Leppard. The British team is prominent representative era new wave heavy metal. However, they soon moved away from heavy music towards a more commercial sound, which subsequently developed in the Americas in special genre Glammetal.

Post-classic hard rock bands

The teams that continued to popularize and develop the genre, which is symbolic, are not the British. Raised in the mists of London, the genre has evolved under the hot American sun. It is advisable to include all of the following among the leading teams of American hard rock.

Kiss. The main merit of the collective is the formation of the atmosphere of the show at concerts, which is now characteristic of all groups of heavy genres. Incendiary in every sense Kiss concerts and bright make-up contributed to the popularization of the group, and their work in the 70s is recognized as one of the best to this day.

Aerosmith. The team, which for the United States became a counterbalance to the British hard rock invasion. Their work went through a decline in the 80s, but in the 90s they returned to the top along with the famous ballads - Crazy and Cryin".

Bon Jovi is one of cult groups era of hard and heavy. It was Jon Bon Jovi who became the progenitor of the direction of melodic hard rock. The main achievement of the hard rock group is the album Slippery When Wet, which sold more than 25 million copies and is considered the best-selling record among American hard rock bands of the 80s.

By the way, John often plays poker and likes to visit American casinos, preferring Atlantic City.

Van Halen. It was Eddie van Halen who happened to make a revolution in the sound of the guitar in heavy music. His two-handed tapping technique, invented early in his career, became especially popular in the eighties, changing the sound of all the bands of the new generation. The first attempts to light up Van Halen made back in 1976 with the help of Gene Simmons, but bassist Kiss turned out to be a poor assistant.

Guns n "Roses. In fact, they became the last significant group in the history of hard rock. Their song Welcome to the Jungle was even recognized as the most popular by VH1, and their debut album Appetite for Destruction is considered the most successful debut, as evidenced by its sales, which almost reached record Bon Jovi.It is symbolic that the same Jon Bon Jovi gave them a start in life.

Simply the best hard rock bands

But there are two more bands that every music fan knows about. They did a lot for the formation of the genre - some gave it enthusiasm, while others gave it soul. It's about about with Australian and German roots, which successfully took root first in England and then in the USA.

Incendiary Australians presented the world with a completely different kind of hard rock. Instead of long compositions with an abundance of solo parts and high vocals, they offered perky three chords and Bon Scott's husky voice, which became a trademark early works team. It is AC / DC, together with Led Zeppelin, that is considered the most commercially successful hard rock group, and their album Back in Black is the best-selling hard rock record, second only to the works of Michael Jackson.

The German pioneers continued the work of the Zeppelins. It is their love lyrics that are considered the reference on the world stage. They were the first to lift the curtain on commercial success for bands from continental Europe.

Hard rock in the USSR

In the USSR, hard rock began to develop only in the late 80s and the most prominent representative is Gorky Park, who also took custody of the ubiquitous Bon Jovi. The group released two groovy albums Bang and Moscow Calling (which is remarkable with different vocalists - Nikolai Noskov and Alexander Marshal, who now perform not rock at all), but then changed direction and soon disbanded.

In addition to these groups, there are many other groups that have not achieved such popularity. They can be distinguished into a special:

• Grand Funk Railroad - the first USA;
• Motorhead is an influential but commercially unsuccessful band that plays a wondrous mixture of hard, heavy and speed metal;
• Rainbow - in fact, is a continuation of the traditions of Deep Purple in the version of Ritchie Blackmore;
• Whitesnake - similar, but applied to ;
• Dio is a solo project of an ex-Rainbow and Black Sabbath member;
• Alice Cooper is best known for his shock rock affiliation, being the first to put on a real show on stage.

Music history hard rock style(hard rock) has its roots in the distant 1960s. Literally, the name of the genre should be understood as "hard", "heavy" rock. The concept includes a wide variety of different branches of rock music, which exist separately in the form of unique directions. "Heavy" for the listener are the guitar riffs with the overdrive effect, as well as the accented connection of the bass guitar with the drum kit.

History of the genre

The mid-60s was precisely the period when the search for new directions began, a tendency to weight appeared. in a significant way this was facilitated by the development of electric guitar amplifiers, which allowed a pronounced and colored "overdrive" to be achieved. Bands from the USA and Great Britain constantly experimented with their sound. The foundations of hard rock in that period were laid by the bands The Beatles, The Rolling Stones , The Yardbirds , The Who, as well as virtuoso guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

The Rolling Stones

Rapid development

The early and mid-70s are considered to be the most important periods when the first full-fledged hard rock bands appeared. The pioneers, who then became real monsters of hard rock, are considered to be the teams of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.

deep purple

The creativity of the followers was based on the imitation of these collectives. There was a global reorientation of the musical orientation towards "weighting". Based " classical school» hard rock, a whole galaxy of bands appeared, some of which became full-fledged world-class stars: Nazareth, Uriah Heep, Queen, UFO and many others.

Features of hard rock

The compositions of this unique genre are built on heavy overdriven guitar riffs. Psychedelia is widespread in hard rock. The usual and easily perceived by the listener four-quarters became the standard size of the hard. The bass guitar duplicated the beat on the bass drum, creating a certain density and low frequency in the overall sound. Guitars that used tube overdrive emphasized the low-mids and highs as much as possible. characteristic feature of that period can be called “knocking out” the sound from the strings for maximum heaviness, which required guitarists to actively work with a pick and apply considerable effort while playing. This feature was dictated by the fact that the sustain of the first amplifiers did not have a significant margin, and the duration of the sound of a taken note was very limited.

The vocals tended to tend to sing in the highest possible mid and upper range. It is worth noting the characteristic hoarseness of the voice and slight negligence in the manner of performance, especially in early period the formation of the genre. The sudden use of high falsetto notes often sets off a hard rock style of singing.

The widespread use of keyboard electric instruments has become an integral part of any hard rock composition. The keys had an almost equivalent role compared to the rhythm and solo electric guitar, occupying the status of not only a background, but also a solo instrument. The Hammond organ was very popular among musicians.

Hammond organ

Significant contribution to further general development genre, especially during concerts, played improvisation. This approach provided hard rock with a constant modernization, which was fueled by live concert energy. Hard rock artists drew inspiration from the crowd and the general atmosphere, and sparkling long solos were played on almost all instruments, including drums. These features have become an integral part of any concert.

hard n heavy

Hard rock music received another round of its development in the 1980s. The extremely popular direction called hard and heavy has taken a kind of intermediate position between hard rock and heavy metal, which is gaining popularity. Commercial success amazed. huge fame all over the planet, both new generation groups, heavy Guns N "Roses, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and well-deserved "classics" from the 1970s, who presented their new creations to the world in a then new style, were used. Ozzy Osbourne, who became a cult performer, the Whitesnake group as well as many other musicians old school"Successfully continued creativity in a developing genre. The groups that appeared closer to the mid-1970s also had considerable popularity: Aerosmith,

Hard Rock This is music for the ages. The origins of the creation of such heavy rhythms were rock, rock and roll, grunge rock and other styles. Although they were initially somewhat far from the rhythmic sections of bass guitars and drums, however, they still served for the good. Initially, hard rock began its ascent to the minds and ears of people starting around the sixties of the last century. The founders of hard rock can be called such groups as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and others, a special contribution to the creation of heavy music was made by Jimi Hendrix. As an incredible guitarist, he practically became the father of hard rock. However, if the sixties could be called the time of the birth and the first attempts at the formation of a new style, then full-fledged hard rock showed itself a decade later. It was in the seventies that the peak of its development falls. So most of the bands founded during this period of time just belong to hard rock. However, there are so many that it would be impossible to list them all completely. If you are a fan of hard rock or want to trace the origins of glam, progressive rock or heavy metal, then below you can see the hard rock bands, the list of which is divided into several categories.

Let's start with foreign performers whose history spans more than a decade. Although, some of them left the stage a long time ago, leaving at the peak of their fame, but many still decided to continue their careers and not to no avail. So the founders of hard rock can be called such legends as AC/DC, Guns N" Roses, Scorpions, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Van Halen, Aerosmith and many others. Each of these groups is place of honor on the musical Olympus. Whatever happens, they have already become legends.

Among those groups that are still performing, it is worth noting the team Bon Jovi. The team can be safely attributed to the best groups world. At that time it was Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres and Hugh Macdonald. This is how the composition has reached our time. Quite unusual considering the group has been around for over three decades. But now is not about that. worldwide fame joined the group three years after its founding. A bunch of studio albums, concerts and just recordings allowed the musicians to advance on career ladder and make yourself big name. In particular, I would like to note their most famous track - "It's My Life". Throughout the formation of their career, musicians have experienced many ups and downs. They released more than eleven studio albums, played more than two and a half thousand concerts around the world and already in 2006 received a place in the UK Rock Hall of Fame, but composers Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora even managed to get into the Composers Hall of Fame, although this is not marvelous. Throughout their history, musicians have remained true to their originally chosen style, although they tried to combine it with glam and heavy metal, soft rock, but one way or another, hard rock has remained and remains with them throughout for long years creativity.

Another of the legends of hard rock can be called a group deep purple. It was these Britons who conquered all the world's stages in the early seventies. Their songs were everywhere. On this moment musicians are considered the most influential stars in the world of heavy music. This becomes especially clear in the example of the contribution of musicians to the development of not only hard rock, but also progressive rock and heavy metal. So, this group can also be safely ranked among the founders of hard rock.

Guns N' Roses. One of the most successful rock bands in the world. And if we consider that they perform in the style of hard rock and do not change their preferences for a long time, then they can also be considered among the founding fathers of the genre. Almost thirty years on stage without interruption - it's not just.

One of the most popular old-school bands performing in the genre of hard rock can safely be called a group Kiss. Exactly these american boys in the distant 73 turned rock not just into a genre of music, but made it a full-fledged art for music lovers all over the world. Creating their incredible image, makeup, stage costumes, special effects for the show, hardly any of them thought that all this would remain an indicator of high-quality rock music for centuries.

In addition to the above groups, the real kings of hard rock can be called British group Led Zeppelin. It was they who, starting from 68, were recognized as the most successful rock project in history. Heavy guitar drive, piercing vocals and a loud rhythm section allowed the band to become one of the leaders in the hard rock style. Although, the musicians did not stop at one style and continued to experiment and develop other genres, which were just beginning to develop during the formation and development of their career. It was this musical four that laid the concept of album rock for future generations. Led Zeppelin currently occupies a leading position in the list of the hundred greatest artists of hard rock, but what about the fact that the group is recognized as the best musical project seventies, not even worth talking about. Since 1995, the musicians have received an honorary place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It is impossible not to appreciate their musical contribution for all twelve years of their career.

Another legend of hard rock can be called the band Aerosmith. Having started their career in the distant seventies, the musicians continue it to this day and without obvious breaks. Their albums have sold over one hundred and fifty million. And this is a record for American bands performing in the hard rock genre. Although, the legendary AC / DC remain in the first place. In addition, the group is the highest paid in the world. Well, their contribution to the formation of musical groups of our time and just hard rock cannot be overestimated. It was they who developed rock by combining various directions such as hard rock, heavy metal, pop, glam and blues. Like most famous musicians, the group is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in the list of one hundred the greatest musicians of all time.

Speaking about old-school bands performing in the hard rock genre, one cannot fail to mention such american legends, How Warrant. Warrant, though not as legendary as Aerosmith, have made a huge contribution to the development of hard rock. And there is not a single person who has not heard their famous track "Cherry Pie". The founders of glam metal and hard rock are still performing today.

The legends of American hard rock can safely be attributed to such a group as Motley Crue. It is this team that is considered the most scandalous hard rock band in the world. However, all their adventures imprisonment and other scandals did not prevent them from becoming widely famous rock performers.

As you can see from the above list, most of the hard rock bands that have ascended the Olympus of hard rock are American or British, but Europe also boasts great performers. These include the popular group Scorpions. It is these German guys that still excite the minds of millions and torment listeners with their compositions. Successful combination classic rock, which eventually turned into hard rock, became a winning one for the team. Thus, Scorpions are still considered legends of the world rock scene and the hard rock scene in particular.

However, even now the hard rock industry does not stand still. One of clear examples steel group Lordi. Performers from Finland became not only the first musicians performing in the hard rock genre who performed at the world Eurovision Song Contest, but also took first place there. Even such a seemingly political contest could not resist the charm and heavy sound of real hard rock. The group itself was founded in the mid-nineties in Helsinki. The music they have chosen for themselves is a combination of heavy rock sound with metal elements. Well, if you combine such an image with the compositions themselves, then Lordi is often referred to as shock rock, although they are not. Musicians are often compared in sound to such legends as Kiss, Twisted Sister, Accept and U.D.O. So, based on such reviews, there is no need to talk about the quality of music.

In addition to such bright world stars to contemporary groups, performing in the style of hard rock should include such a group as Nickelback. Although successful career the team did not start for quite a long time, but they were able to climb big stage and win for yourself not a bad piece of public attention. And if initially their work did not go beyond the creation of cover versions for popular rock songs, now there is not a single person who has not heard of Nickelback. Although musicians perform in currently in the alternative genre, but they started, just from hard rock. It was he who allowed them to stand on their feet and establish themselves on the world stage.

Another group playing in the style of hard rock is currently considered Black Stone Cherry. Formed in the early 2000s, the band has already become quite popular on the world stage. Despite the fact that hard rock is not already considered the most popular destination, passing the primacy to alternative rock, however, the musicians prove that even now hard rock is developing. At the moment, the group has released three albums and is not going to stop their path to fame. In their work, the guys use not only hard rock, but also combine it with such areas as southern rock and heavy metal. But in general, they are not going to change their direction yet.

Sixx:A.M. is an American rock band founded most recently by Nikki Sixx, the guitarist of Mötley Crüe. The project was originally recorded as an add-on to The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star. After the release of two albums, the musicians realized that such successful project should not be missed, and now there is a formation of a new rock band, performing in a slightly modified old style, although they still perform in the hard rock genre, except with the addition of alternative metal in the spirit of modernity.

The group should also be attributed to modern hard rockers. The Darkness. Formed in England in 2000, the band decided to revive the style of hard rock combined with glam rock and glam metal. The team decided to create music based on the sound of such legends as Queen, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy and others. Currently, the musicians have recorded three albums, but their career is just beginning.

Quite quickly, popularity in the world is gaining and Japanese bands. Among them, the Nightmare team is especially worth highlighting. It is this group that currently does not act as a standard for such bands in the style of the type glam rock or alternatives, but combine blues-rock with hard rock in their work. So they can be safely ranked as performing hard rock. Moreover, over the thirteen years of their career, the musicians have recorded 8 full-length albums, two mini-albums, and their soundtracks for Japanese TV series and anime are known to all lovers of this art.

However, don't forget about Russian hard rock bands. Although he did not become particularly popular in Russia and most of the groups in this direction are known only in a narrow circle, the most popular and old school include Gorky Park. The group was created only in 1987. However, she managed to gain popularity not only at home, but also in America. The group is the first Soviet musical group which appeared on MTV. In different periods of the formation of their work, musicians turned to such genres as hard rock, heavy metal, glam metal and progressive rock. The band has released four albums throughout their career. Although the musicians' careers are not at their peak at the moment, they still continue to release albums and participate in concerts. We will count on their next career rise and the revival of former glory.

Among modern teams speakers in hard rock groups such as Demon of Illusions, Voice of the Prophet, Moby Dick and the like.