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melodic rock

what it is

Until mid-1990s, "rock" and "heavy metal" music were generally songs (usually anthems or ballads) with an "in-tro", a first verse, chorus (usually in 2 or 3 part harmonies), a second verse, a solo, perhaps a third verse, a final chorus with, sometimes, a reprise for the "out-tro," or song ending, which either ended cold or would fade out, running around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes. Speaking in terms of composition, arrangements range from a relaxed to energetic tempo of about 80 to 160 BPM (beats per minute) in 4/4 or "common" time signature with the emphasis on the downbeat (i. e.

✦ meet the girls making melodic rock →
women, non-binary artists, and bands with women, level by level

✦ start here: albums

Last Of The Runaways by Giant
Last Of The Runaways
Giant
open this album: apple music · spotify
Night of the Crime by Icon
Night of the Crime
Icon
open this album: apple music · spotify
Domino Effect by Gotthard
Domino Effect
Gotthard
open this album: apple music · spotify
Head Games by Foreigner
Head Games
Foreigner
open this album: apple music · spotify
Mood Swings by Harem Scarem
Mood Swings
Harem Scarem
open this album: apple music · spotify
Lillian Axe by Lillian Axe
Lillian Axe
Lillian Axe
open this album: apple music · spotify

✦ who's making it, level by level

level 3 · one step out

cult favorites and indie darlings

Ten
329k listeners
Crush 40
268k listeners

level 4 · further

art pop, hyperpop, and the underground

Rio
218k listeners
Ted Poley
151k listeners
Tony Harnell
46k listeners
H.E.A.T
75k listeners
Harem Scarem
59k listeners
Talisman
66k listeners
Treat
42k listeners
Dare
60k listeners
House of Lords
75k listeners
Fury
45k listeners

level 5 · all the way

deep experimental

Jimi Jamison
33k listeners
Boulevard
9k listeners
W.E.T.
22k listeners
Van Stephenson
5k listeners
Rob Moratti
7k listeners
Jaded Heart
28k listeners
Lillian Axe
35k listeners
On the Rise
4k listeners
Danny Vaughn
3k listeners
Overland
6k listeners
Diving For Pearls
2k listeners
Charade
6k listeners

✦ make melodic rock a playlist

turn these 24 artists into something you can press play on.

each artist's most played song, easing from level 1 out to 5

✦ nearby genres

hard rockaorrockmelodic hard rockhair metalpop rockhardcorevideo game musicheavy metal

questions

What is melodic rock?

Until mid-1990s, "rock" and "heavy metal" music were generally songs (usually anthems or ballads) with an "in-tro", a first verse, chorus (usually in 2 or 3 part harmonies), a second verse, a solo, perhaps a third verse, a final chorus with, sometimes, a reprise for the "out-tro," or song ending, which either ended cold or would fade out, running around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 minutes. Speaking in terms of composition, arrangements range from a relaxed to energetic tempo of about 80 to 160 BPM (beats per minute) in 4/4 or "common" time signature with the emphasis on the downbeat (i. e.

What are good melodic rock albums to start with?

Try Last Of The Runaways by Giant, Night of the Crime by Icon, Domino Effect by Gotthard, and Head Games by Foreigner.

Who are some women making melodic rock?

musicisforgirls.com/genres/melodic-rock/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making melodic rock, from mainstream to underground.

genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20