The 70s and 80s

Heavy Metal music which is a genre of rock music was developed in England and the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Originating from blue rock and psychedelic rock, heavy metal developed a loud and a thick massive sound, which was characterized by highly amplified distortion, emphatic beats and guitar solos. Performance styles and lyrics are usually with machismo and masculine sexuality.

Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath which were some of the early heavy metal bands, attracted large audiences. Judas Priest discarded much of the blues influence on heavy metal. Motorhead introduced a punk rock. Heavy metal attracted a worldwide following of fans known as metalheads or headbangers. Heavy metal fans usually wore blue jeans, black t.shirts generally with emblems of other favorite metal bands, black leather or jeans jackets and boots. Performers wore long dyed hair spray-teased hair, lipstick and eyeliner, gaudy clothing, leopard skin or printed shirts or vests, tight denim, leather or spandex pants, head bands and jewelry and long hair. When performing live the musicians engage in head banging, such as rhythmically beating time with the head,

Music era of the 1980s was known as New Wave and Synthpop, which was more a less a continuation of popular Punk Rock genre of the 1970s, with a different characteristics. Punk Rock was a retaliation against the government and the 'establishment' while the New Wave and Synthpop were meant to be anti corporation, melodically and lyrically. This poppy sound and intricate lyrics was a great influence on music fans. Bands that became popular with this type of music is The Police, Duran Duran and the B-52s.

The 1980s also enjoyed the Good ol' Rock 'n Roll. Bands such as Van Halen, Aerosmith and Def Leppard. Glam Rock was yet another form or rock music which became popular in this era by bands such as Motley Crue, Poison and many others that were known for wild hair, flashy stage outfits and tons of hairspray. Some bands such as Twisted Sister wore makeup. 1980s was also popular for a harder type of rock and metal called Thrash Metal. Bands like Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth created electrifying guitar riffs and headbanging beats which could be enoyed only at maximum volume.

Though music of 1980s did not continue to dominate the world, artists in the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson and Phil Collins who gained popularity in the 1980s still continue to have their share of popularity. Bruce Springtsteen, Bon Jovi and John Mellencamp are still performing to packed audiences and creating best selling albums.

Heav metal music has been a target of criticism for a long time. Parents Music Resource Center made petitions during 1980s to the U.S. Congress to regulate the pop music industry due to objectionable lyrics found especially in heavy metal sounds. Judas Priest was sued by parents in 1990, when two young men had shot themselves five years earlier reportedly after listening to a Priest song which stated 'do it'. Though the case was dismissed it attracted a great deal of media attention. Many artists were also reported to be on drugs, though the music became popular it had its own share of resistance from concerned about the negative influence and impact it had on their children. Though rock music of every form took control of the music industry in the 1970s and 1980s, it was certainly not considered the best social influence of that era.