Classic rock revival, also known as new wave of classic rock, is a style of rock music that is meant to emulate the sound of earlier rock acts, particularly those of the 1960s and 1970s. The genre emerged as a commercial force during the mid-to-late 2010s as a form of mainstream rock music that deviated from the contemporary sounds of pop rock and alternative rock by looking back to the musical style of legacy acts popular on classic rock radio.

Characteristics

Classic rock revival bands perform in a style that is very similar to commercial 1960s and 1970s rock—the mainstay of classic rock radio. The style takes elements from the most recognizable rock genres, such as hard rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, progressive rock and glam rock, among others. Revival bands aim to emulate earlier sounds as opposed to building upon them. Brad Angle of Revolver has described the sound as "hard-hitting, swaggering, riff-driven rock ‘n’ roll built around a core vocal-guitar-bass-drum configuration". ^[1]

History

The genre first emerged as a commercial force within mainstream rock during the early 2010s with groups such as Rival Sons, which formed in 2009. By the mid-2010s the immense success of Greta Van Fleet saw a slew of other rock bands performing in a classic rock-influenced sound gain prominence. Other groups identified as part of this movement include The Struts, Dirty Honey, Dorothy, Crown Lands, Goodbye June, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, White Reaper, Joyous Wolf, Thunderpussy, Nick Perri, and Larkin Poe. ^{[1] [2]}

In 2017 Adam Slack of the Struts founded the New Wave of Classic Rock label, which has since released two compilation albums of groups performing in the titular style. ^[3]

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