User:OnBeyondZebrax/sandbox/Hard rock

Hard rock emphasizes the distorted electric guitar, driving rhythms, and growling, raspy, screaming or wailing, vocals Hard rock and heavy metal bands frequently standing on the boundary of, or crossing between, the genres.

In the mid-1960s, American and in particular British rock bands began to modify rock and roll by adding harder sounds, heavier guitar riffs, bombastic drumming, and louder vocals. By the end of the decade a distinct genre of hard rock was emerging.

During the 1980s some hard rock bands moved away from their hard rock roots and more towards pop rock, while others began to return to a hard rock sound. Established bands made a comeback in the mid-1980s and hard rock entered the 1990s as one of the dominant forms of commercial music. While few hard rock bands managed to maintain success and popularity in the early part of the 2000s, alternative forms of hard rock achieved mainstream success. In the 2000s, only a few hard rock bands from the 1970s and 1980s managed to sustain highly successful recording careers.