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

Southern rock1969

Second genre

Hard rock1968

Head to headSouthern rock vs Hard rock
Southern rock: heaviness 4, melody 9, speed 5. Hard rock: heaviness 6, melody 8, speed 6.Heaviness4 / 6Melody9 / 8Speed5 / 6
Each corner is a ten-point rating. The further out, the higher.

The difference, by ear

Both are loud guitar bands of the same era. Southern rock swings harder, uses three guitars and takes its harmony from country.

Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 140 bpm. To hear the difference, play Lynyrd Skynyrd next to Led Zeppelin. Both grew out of blues rock, hard rock first and Southern rock a year after.

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

In figures

Heaviness
Southern rock4
Hard rock6
+2
Speed
Southern rock5
Hard rock6
+1
Melody
Southern rock9
Hard rock8
−1

Southern rock

1969 · Southern USA

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.

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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.

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