Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Glam Rock (or glitter rock) is a rock n' roll sub-genre that began in the post-psychedelic rock hippie hangover of the early 1970s.
Characterized primarily by the gender-bending androgyny of artists like Alice Cooper, T. Rex, and David Bowie, the music was a stripped down, back to basics version of the hard rock of the late sixties that added the new twist of theatrics, sex and danger to the mix.
As the genre gained popularity throughout the seventies, newer bands like America's New York Dolls, Kiss, and Aerosmith and Britain's Slade, Sweet, and Roxy Music continued to raise the bar of Glam's outrageousness.
By the end of the seventies, Glam Rock had all but died in order to make room for punk-rock and disco. But with the eighties introducing the newly visual medium of MTV, Glam made a comeback, especially in Los Angeles with a new generation of glam-rockers including Motley Crue, Poison, and Cinderella.
Today, Glam is largely a nostalgic reminder of an era in rock long since past. But the music stays alive in the blogosphere at fansites like Glam Rock Junkie and Hair Metal Glam Rock.
