Garage Rock / Revival Rock
familyStarted 1963Peak 1965-1967, 2001-2006Last big hit still active
The raw, fuzzy, primitive end of rock: cheap amps cranked to distortion, three-chord riffs, snotty teenage vocals, organ stabs and Farfisa whine, simple stomping drums. Recorded fast and loud, prizing energy over polish. Spans 60s amateurs, 80s-90s revivalists and the 2000s 'The'-band explosion that put fuzz back on the radio.
History
Born in 60s American basements and garages chasing the British Invasion and surf, codified by 1972's Nuggets comp. Punk inherited its three-chord rage; 80s-90s undergrounds (Crypt, Estrus, In the Red labels) kept it alive. The early-2000s revival, led by The Strokes and The White Stripes, returned it to the mainstream.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_rock
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garage_rock_revival
- https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/garage-rock/the-50-best-garage-rock-albums-of-all-time
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/garage-rock-ma0000002632