What is Hard Rock?

Hard rock is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-to-late 1960s, characterized by aggressive vocals, heavy guitar riffs, powerful drumming, and a generally louder, more forceful sound. Influenced by blues rock and psychedelic rock, early pioneers like The Who, Cream, and Led Zeppelin helped shape its foundations, later expanded by bands such as AC/DC, Deep Purple, and Aerosmith. With its emphasis on raw energy, distorted guitars, and often rebellious themes, hard rock became a dominant force in the 1970s and laid the groundwork for heavy metal and other intense rock styles that followed.