The difference, by ear
Southern rock shares the shuffle and adds three guitars, country harmony and long arrangements. Boogie is deliberately simpler.
Both are sung cleanly, but Southern rock is a little slower: 90 to 140 bpm against 120 to 160. Songs run longer in Southern rock: usually 4 to 12 minutes, against 3 to 6 minutes in boogie rock. To hear the difference, play Status Quo next to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Both grew out of blues rock, Southern rock first and boogie rock a year after.
In figures
Boogie rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Boogie rock
In short
One shuffle riff held until exhaustion. Simple by design and impossible to sit still to.
How it sounds
- A shuffle rhythm in dotted eighths, held identically from start to finish.
- A short guitar riff in open position, with no modulation.
- No pretensions whatsoever: the songs exist to be played live.
Key acts
- Status Quo
- Canned Heat
- AC/DC
Start here
The pickAC/DC - Riff Raff. Boogie rock at melting point.
Full page →Southern rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Southern rock
In short
Blues rock with a Southern accent: two or three lead guitars, slide playing and songs as long as a Georgia highway.
How it sounds
- Two or three lead guitars playing harmony at once - the Allman Brothers signature.
- Slide guitar in open tuning with a Hammond organ underneath everything.
- Long songs that end in a jam, and lyrics about specific Southern places.
Key acts
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- The Allman Brothers Band
- ZZ Top
Start here
The pickThe Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East. The best live rock album there is.
Full page →