Celtic Rock
tagStarted 1970Peak 1985-1996Last big hit still activeFrom Ireland / Scotland
Located in 2 routes
Irish, Scottish, and Breton traditional music charged with rock energy: tin whistle, fiddle, accordion, uilleann pipes, and bouzouki traded against driving electric guitars and a hard backbeat. Reels and jigs accelerate into rock dynamics; vocals, sometimes in Gaelic, carry ballads of homeland, emigration, and revelry with raucous, anthemic lift.
History
Took off in 1970s Ireland when Horslips wedded Celtic mythology to rock on concept albums like 'The Táin.' Scotland's Runrig sang rock in Gaelic; in the 80s The Pogues fused the tradition with punk, and Boston's Dropkick Murphys carried that Celtic-punk torch worldwide, broadening the genre well beyond its Irish roots.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_rock
- https://www.irishpost.com/entertainment/the-top-ten-celtic-rock-tracks-that-came-out-of-ireland-285652
- https://www.anrfactory.com/what-is-the-celtic-rock-music-genre/