Glam rock, also called glitter rock, is a type of rock music that began in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It was known for the hairstyles, makeup, and showy clothing worn by its musicians, including platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists used ideas from many different styles, such as bubblegum pop, 1950s rock and roll, cabaret, science fiction, and complex art rock. The clothing and looks of performers were often exaggerated or blended male and female features, and they sometimes challenged traditional ideas about gender roles.

From 1971 to 1975, many glam rock artists appeared in the UK music charts. A famous moment that helped start the movement was when Marc Bolan, the leader of the band T. Rex, performed the song "Hot Love" on the BBC's Top of the Pops in March 1971. He wore glitter and satin clothing during the performance. Other British glam rock musicians included David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Sweet, Slade, Mud, Roxy Music, Alvin Stardust, Wizzard, and Gary Glitter. In the United States, glam rock was less common, but artists like New York Dolls, Sparks, Suzi Quatro, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Jobriath had success in the UK or the US. Glam rock became less popular after the mid-1970s but influenced later music styles such as punk rock, post-punk, gothic rock, and glam metal. The new romantic movement, which began as a fashion trend in nightclubs in the late 1970s and became popular in the early 1980s, was also inspired by the looks of glam rock.

Characteristics

Glam rock is both a fashion style and a type of music. It began in the 1970s and was known for the bright, colorful clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, including platform shoes and glitter. Glam rock artists avoided the serious messages of rock music from the late 1960s. Instead, they focused on luxury, simple pop music styles, and appearances. Scholars like I.Taylor and D. Wall described glam rock as "offensive, commercial, and a loss of cultural strength."

Musicians combined influences from bubblegum pop, hard rock guitar sounds, 1950s rock and roll rhythms, and late 1960s recording techniques. Glam rock became very varied, ranging from simple rock and roll styles, like those of Alvin Stardust, to more complex art pop, such as Roxy Music. It started as a youth movement that opposed the growing popularity of progressive rock and concept albums, which some called "a deadly boring, prematurely matured music scene."

Visually, glam rock mixed many styles, including 1930s Hollywood glamour, 1950s pin-up looks, pre-war theater performances, Victorian art styles, science fiction themes, and ancient or mystical symbols. This was shown through bold clothing, makeup, hairstyles, and platform boots. Glam rock is best known for its mix of male and female traits and its use of dramatic performances.

Glam rock was influenced by the flamboyant English composer Noël Coward, especially his 1931 song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." Music writer Daryl Easlea said Coward’s style inspired artists like David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Cockney Rebel. Coward’s mix of confidence and elegance was compared to a "glam manifesto" by Time magazine. Performers such as the Cockettes and Alice Cooper used showmanship and gender expression in their acts. Alice Cooper combined glam rock with shock rock.

History

Glam rock began in the late 1960s from English psychedelic and art rock scenes. It was both a continuation and a reaction against those trends. Marc Bolan, who renamed his acoustic group T. Rex and began using electric instruments by the late 1960s, is often called the person who started glam rock. A key moment was Bolan’s appearance on the BBC show Top of the Pops in March 1971, wearing glitter and satin, to perform his hit song “Hot Love.” This event allowed young fans to explore blending masculine and feminine styles. The genre was briefly called “glitter rock,” but “glam rock” became more popular. T. Rex’s 1971 album Electric Warrior was praised as a groundbreaking glam rock album. In 1973, Bolan declared on Melody Maker magazine, “Glam rock is dead!”

Around 1971, David Bowie created his Ziggy Stardust persona, using makeup, mime, and performance in his acts. Bowie said in a 1972 interview that glam rock was a good way to describe him and that he was one of its leaders. Soon, other artists like Roxy Music, Sweet, Slade, Mott the Hoople, Mud, and Alvin Stardust adopted glam rock styles. Glam rock was very popular in the UK, with three glam bands having major Christmas hits: Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody,” Wizzard’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday,” and Mud’s “Lonely This Christmas.” Glam rock influenced not only music but also other parts of British culture in the 1970s.

A heavier version of glam rock, focusing on guitar riffs, strong rhythms, and live performances, was shown by bands like Slade and Mott the Hoople. Later bands, such as Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Poison, Kiss, and Quiet Riot, followed. Some of these bands covered Slade’s songs or created new ones inspired by Slade. While successful in the UK charts, few made a big impact in the US, except for David Bowie, who became an international star. Bowie’s success influenced artists like Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, New York Dolls, and Jobriath, who were sometimes called “glitter rock” and had darker themes than British glam bands.

In the UK, “glitter rock” was often used to describe the extreme glam style of Gary Glitter and his band, the Glitter Band. Together, they had 18 top-ten singles in the UK from 1972 to 1975. A second wave of glam acts, including Suzi Quatro, Roy Wood’s Wizzard, and Sparks, had chart success in 1973 and 1974. Quatro and T. Rex inspired the all-girl group the Runaways. Other musicians, like Rod Stewart, Elton John, Queen, and the Rolling Stones, also used glam styles. Freddie Mercury hired Zandra Rhodes to design Queen’s costumes after seeing Bolan wear her designs. Punk rock, which partly reacted against glam rock’s artifice but used some of its elements, helped end the glam trend around 1976.

Influence and legacy

Glam rock was mainly a British cultural movement. Steven Wells of The Guardian noted that Americans first learned about glam rock through David Bowie's version. Today, covers of British glam rock songs are often played as background music at American sports events. Glam rock influenced Richard O'Brien, who wrote the 1973 London musical The Rocky Horror Show. Although glam rock lost popularity in the UK during the second half of the 1970s, it directly inspired later artists, including the band Kiss and American glam metal groups like Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Mötley Crüe, and Ratt.

In the UK, New Romantic acts such as Adam and the Ants and A Flock of Seagulls continued the glam rock style. The themes of gender expression and relationships in glam rock influenced groups like Culture Club, Bronski Beat, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Gothic rock was shaped by glam rock's use of makeup, clothing, performance style, and music. Punk rock also adopted some aspects of glam, such as its focus on pop-art qualities and simple but powerful musical arrangements.

Glam rock has had a global influence. In Japan during the 1980s, the visual kei music scene was strongly inspired by glam rock's appearance. Later, glam rock's style appeared in the work of R&B artist Prince and bands like Marilyn Manson, Suede, Placebo, Chainsaw Kittens, Spacehog, and the Darkness. Pop artists such as Lady Gaga have also been influenced by glam rock.

— Judy Berman, writing for Pitchfork in 2016, From Bowie to Gaga: How Glam Rock Lives On

Relationship to the LGBT community

In the early 1970s, the glam rock scene in London included many artists who were bisexual or later became openly bisexual, such as Queen's Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and David Bowie. Claudia Perry of Medium said, "Glam rock was a place where LGBTQ+ people felt accepted. Watching performers like Mick Ronson and David Bowie perform gave hope to many LGBTQ+ young people. Elton John's bold style also helped others feel supported. Marc Bolan of T. Rex was often the subject of discussion, as some people claimed he was friendly with many people during his time in Detroit, though this is not certain." Glam rock also helped make androgynous fashion more common. Jobriath, the first openly gay rock star, was also part of the glam rock scene.

Songs like "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed and "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie brought attention to non-heteronormative experiences in rock music. Tim Bowers of The New York Times noted that "glam rock music had a theatrical sound, with lyrics that described someone who was neither clearly male nor female. Glam rock mixed masculine and feminine elements, showing bisexuality in music."

The Rocky Horror Show, which used glam rock music, was an important part of LGBTQ+ media in the 1970s. A song from the show, "Sweet Transvestite," was called "the first major glam rock song in the musical." A book titled Trans Representations in Contemporary, Popular Cinema said glam rock "made rock music more queer (or campy)." The musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch (1998) also used glam rock to tell the story of a gender-affirming surgery. The article explained that "glam rock artists like David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Freddie Mercury became important figures for the LGBTQ+ community by showing more flexible ideas about gender. They helped make it easier for people to accept and understand diverse gender identities."

Film

Movies that show the style of glam rock include:

• A film about T. Rex called Born to Boogie (1972)
• A BBC film about The Sweet called All That Glitters (1973)
• A movie directed by Brian De Palma called Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
• A film about Gary Glitter called Remember Me This Way (1974)
• A movie called The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• A film about Slade called Slade in Flame (1975)
• A movie called Never Too Young to Rock (1975)
• A film directed by Bruce Beresford called Side by Side (1975)
• A movie about David Bowie called Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture (1979)
• A film directed by Todd Haynes called Velvet Goldmine (1998)
• A movie directed by John Cameron Mitchell called Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
• A film called Jobriath A.D., directed by Kieran Turner (2012)