The difference, by ear
Several punk musicians came directly from this audience, and the persona, the brevity and the refusal of virtuosity all carry over.
Punk rock is shouted where glam rock is sung cleanly, and faster: 160 to 200 bpm against 110 to 150. To hear the difference, play T. Rex next to Ramones. They share a root in rock, and glam rock came first, by three years.
In figures
Glam rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock › Glam rock
In short
Rock in glitter, platform boots and calculated ambiguity. The spectacle is half the music.
How it sounds
- A simple stomping beat with handclaps and drums up front - music built for singing along.
- Thick guitar tone but short, single-length songs.
- The sound is inseparable from the look: costumes, make-up, invented personas.
Key acts
- T. Rex
- David Bowie
- Slade
- Roxy Music
Start here
The pickT. Rex - Electric Warrior. The simplest and most effective record in the genre.
Full page →Punk rock
Where it sits
In short
Three chords, two minutes and zero patience for solos. A full reset of rock, and the second major source of extreme metal.
How it sounds
- Three or four chords, open position or power chords, strummed in eighths.
- Songs of ninety seconds to two and a half minutes, with no long intro and no guitar solo.
- Fast, cheap production with the vocals up front and simple drums on two and four.
Key acts
- Ramones
- Sex Pistols
- The Clash
- Buzzcocks
Start here
The pickRamones - Ramones. Fourteen songs in twenty-nine minutes, not a wasted note.
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