Space rock is a type of music. It has long songs and uses instruments to create a dreamy, space-like sound. This music often includes echo-heavy guitars, simple drum beats, slow singing, electronic instruments, and lyrics about space and science fiction.
This genre began in the late 1960s with bands that played psychedelic and progressive rock, such as Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and Gong. These groups explored a "cosmic" sound. Similar music was also made in the early 1970s by West German artists in the kosmische Musik ("cosmic music") scene. In the 1980s and 1990s, the "drone-heavy" sound of the band Spacemen 3 helped bring space rock back into popularity. This revival later influenced other music styles, such as shoegaze and post-rock.
History
Humanity's journey into outer space influenced many rock and roll and R&B songs between the mid-1950s and early 1960s. This theme also led to new musical styles and effects. One early example of space rock is the 1959 album I Hear a New World by British producer Joe Meek. The album was inspired by the space race and imagined humanity’s first meeting with alien life. In 1961, Meek had a top-selling song in the UK and US called "Telstar," named after a new communications satellite. The song used a clavioline, an early electronic keyboard that was a precursor to synthesizers.
Pink Floyd’s early albums included space rock songs such as "Astronomy Domine," "Pow R. Toc H.," and "Interstellar Overdrive" from their 1967 debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. These songs featured improvised guitar parts by lead guitarist Syd Barrett. Their 1968 album A Saucerful of Secrets included tracks like "Let There Be More Light" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun," which had science fiction themes. Their 1969 album More included the song "Cirrus Minor."
Jimi Hendrix also helped shape space rock with songs like "Third Stone from the Sun" and "1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)."
In the early 1970s, a German music scene called kosmische Musik ("cosmic music") developed. This style used electronic music, synthesizers, and themes about space or otherworldly ideas. Artists like Ash Ra Tempel, Tangerine Dream, Popol Vuh, and Klaus Schulze were part of this movement.
In 1971, Pink Floyd began writing the song "Echoes," which later appeared on their Meddle album. The song was performed with different lyrics that described two planets meeting in space.
A major space rock album was Space Ritual (1973) by Hawkwind. This two-disc live album, called "88 minutes of brain-damage," documented a 1972 tour with special effects like lasers, nude dancers, and psychedelic visuals. Science fiction writer Michael Moorcock helped create lyrics for parts of the album.
In Europe, the Hungarian band Omega released albums like Time Robber (1976) and Gammapolis (1979). Other European bands included Eloy and Nektar, who used light shows at their concerts. The French band Rockets formed in 1974 and later moved to Italy.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, space rock returned in new forms, influenced by genres like shoegaze, dream pop, and post-rock. Bands in the UK and US, such as Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, and My Bloody Valentine, helped revive the style.
By the mid-1990s, bands inspired by Hawkwind and Gong began appearing in the US. Some were signed to Cleopatra Records, which released space rock collections. In 1997, Daevid Allen of Gong and members of Hawkwind and other bands started performing together as Spirits Burning, a group dedicated to celebrating space rock.
From 1997 to 2001, the Strange Daze festivals highlighted the American space rock scene. A space rock scene in Michigan included record labels like Burnt Hair Records and bands such as Windy & Carl and Sweet Trip. This movement was called "Detroit Space Rock" and updated the traditional space rock sound for modern times.