Glam Rock Research Paper

Glam rock, also known as glitter rock is a subgenre of rock from the 1970s. This particular style of rock music movement began in Britain. Glam rock is characterized as male musicians dappled in glitter, women’s makeup and clothing that took upon theatrical personas and mounted glamorous musical productions which resembled space-age futurism. The flamboyant clothing style of the artist was often camp and androgynous. Glam rock was created as a backlash to rock mainstream of the 1960s. Glam rocker were, “rebelling against the rebellion.” Glam rock artist gained ideas from diverse sources across music and throwaway culture. Throwaway culture is strongly influenced by consumerism such as bubblegum pope and 1950s rock and roll to cabaret, science fiction and complex art of rock. T. Rex’s Marc Bolan appearance on BBC’s Top of the Pops wearing glitter and satin is after marked as the beginning of the glam movement in 1971. Some of the glam rock artist include David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Sweet Slade, Mud, Roxy Music, and Gary Glitter.

Glam rock music was very diverse ranging from simple rock and roll like Alvin Stardust to complex rock of Roxy Music. Influence of music was drawn from bubblegum pop, guitar riffs of hard rock, stomping rhythms, and 1950s rock and roll. Glam rock was a bunch of styles mashed together such as Hollywood glam from 1930a, pin-up sex appeal from the 1950s, pre-war cabaret theatrics, Victorian style, science fiction, mysticism, and mythology. These styles came through in various ways such as music, clothing, makeup, hairstyle, and infamous platform boots. Sexuality and gender ambiguity, and the unification of masculine and feminine characteristics, androgyny, are what defines the characteristics of Glam