Genre story · Rock
Art Rock
Rock musicians treating the recording and the performance as places to test ideas from the wider arts.
Art rock became recognizable around the late 1960s and early 1970s when musicians drew on theater, visual art, experimental composition and sophisticated studio techniques. The Velvet Underground had already made a bridge to New York's art scene, while Roxy Music and David Bowie developed highly distinctive approaches in Britain. These performers were not part of one unified style, and the term often describes an artistic ambition rather than a single rhythm or guitar sound.
Music with another medium in mind
Songs can work through unusual arrangements, fragmented forms, elaborate character voices or production methods that challenge the familiar Rock band. Some art rock is loud and dissonant; some is meticulously tuneful. Visual presentation can become part of the experience, but the musical substance still matters more than a stage costume.
A label with blurry borders
Art Rock overlaps with Progressive Rock, Glam Rock, Post-Punk and Experimental Rock. Progressive rock often developed particular long-form structures, while art rock can be concise and pop-oriented.
Essential recordings
- 1967The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground & NicoEarly art-world confrontation and musical experimentation.
- 1973Roxy MusicFor Your PleasureElaborate textures and theatrical pop instincts.
- 1977David BowieLowRock songwriting changing shape through electronic and instrumental experiments.