hard rock
what it is
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage, blues rock and psychedelic rock. It is typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, pianos, and keyboards. One of the major influences of hard rock is blues music.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make hard rock a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is hard rock?
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage, blues rock and psychedelic rock. It is typified by a heavy use of distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, pianos, and keyboards. One of the major influences of hard rock is blues music.
What are good hard rock albums to start with?
Try Highway to Hell by AC/DC, Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold, Love at First Sting by Scorpions, and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow by Rainbow.
Who are some women making hard rock?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/hard-rock/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making hard rock, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20