Rockpedia

Compare

Two genres, side by side. The ratings are editorial judgements on a ten-point scale, not measurements. Where they come out level, the difference is in the prose underneath them.

First genre

Blues rock1963

Second genre

Hard rock1968

Head to headBlues rock vs Hard rock
Blues rock: heaviness 4, melody 8, speed 5. Hard rock: heaviness 6, melody 8, speed 6.Heaviness4 / 6Melody8 / 8Speed5 / 6
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Hard rock is blues rock with the blues squeezed out: riffs written as riffs rather than as figures around a twelve-bar, and a rhythm section that stops swinging.

Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 140 bpm. To hear the difference, play Cream next to Led Zeppelin. Hard rock grew out of blues rock, five years later.

Put together from each genre's vocals, tempo, song length, key acts and place in the tree.

In figures

Heaviness
Blues rock4
Hard rock6
+2
Speed
Blues rock5
Hard rock6
+1
Melody
Blues rock8
Hard rock8
level

Blues rock

1963 · London / Chicago · 7 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Blues rock

In short

Electric blues played louder, longer and with improvised solos. The direct bridge between Muddy Waters and Black Sabbath.

How it sounds

  • Pentatonic scales and long bends inherited straight from B.B. King and Buddy Guy.
  • Amplifiers driven into natural saturation - the distortion comes from volume, not a pedal.
  • Long songs with room for live improvisation.

Key acts

  • Cream
  • The Yardbirds
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Fleetwood Mac

Start here

The pickCream - Sunshine of Your Love. The riff that showed how thick a trio could sound.

Full page →

Hard rock

1968 · UK / USA · 4 subgenres

Where it sits

Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock

In short

Louder volume, thicker riffs, vocals pushed to the edge. Heavy metal splits off from it, but hard rock stays closer to the blues and to the chorus.

How it sounds

  • Riffs built on power chords, with palm muting and constant distortion.
  • Vocals pushed into the high register, often right at the edge of a rasp.
  • A heavy rhythm section that still grooves - the bass stays melodic rather than doubling the guitar.

Key acts

  • Led Zeppelin
  • Deep Purple
  • AC/DC
  • Guns N' Roses

Start here

The pickDeep Purple - Machine Head. Six songs, all essential.

Full page →