Instrumental Rock
tagStarted 1958Peak 1959-1963Last big hit 1969
Located in 1 route
Rock built without vocals, where the electric guitar (or saxophone) carries the melody. Clean twangy leads, walking bass, simple backbeats, and tight band arrangements. Ranges from Duane Eddy's deep-string twang to The Ventures' precise clean lines and Booker T's organ-driven grooves. Hook-driven, danceable, voice-free.
History
Flourished in the late 1950s as Duane Eddy's twang and The Ventures' clean precision proved a rock band could chart without a singer. 'Tequila' (1958) and 'Walk, Don't Run' (1960) were massive hits; the form fed directly into surf rock and Stax soul instrumentals before the British Invasion's vocal pop pushed it aside by the late 1960s.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Instrumental rock
- AllMusic: Instrumental Rock
- Duane Eddy / Wikipedia