Having emerged in the 1950s with artists such as Chuck Berry and come of age in the '60s with the Beatles and the Beach Boys, rock and roll music redefined itself again in the 1970s. Now known as classic rock, this period in rock is epitomized by a dichotomy. While some hard-hitting bands were focused on making audiences bang their heads, other bands were experimenting, resulting in psychedelic rock.Metal-heavy classic rock acts include Bad Company, Aerosmith, and Black Sabbath. These bands continue to be influential, both in their music and in their stage shows. Of all of the genres in the '70s, classic rock and roll is one of the most enduring, as Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones are all still performing.
Less enduring was the psychedelic rock phenomenon. While the influence of artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison is undeniable, their musical careers were short-lived. This genre also spawned a number of classic one-hit wonders, including the anthemic, 17-minute long "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Characterized by rambling solos and indecipherable lyrics, this music epitomizes the freewheeling era that birthed it.
Later in the '70s, a new type of rock and roll music emerged: punk. A backlash to the airy sounds of psychedelic rock, punk relied on aggressive three-chord songs and an extremely liberal political view. Typified by the Sex Pistols in the UK and the Ramones in the US, punk earned a loyal following and continues to this day in bands like Green Day.
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