27.01 Introduction

Overview

In the 1970s, the genre of glam rock embraced showmanship, theatricality, and gender and sexual ambiguity. As we will see, glam rock is not definable by its musical characteristics because glam rockers recorded in many different styles and genres. Instead, glam rock values theatricality and showmanship. Glam rock artists embraced the performance above all else, often wearing extravagant costumes, elaborate makeup, and acting provocatively onstage. In this lesson, we will survey several artists who were part of the glam rock movement or were associated with the glam rock movement at one point during their careers.

Objectives

Identify the aesthetics of glam rock
Identify several important figures in the early glam rock movement
Examine how the artists in this lesson exhibited glam rock aesthetics in their performances

Introduction

David Bowie

Largely a British phenomenon, glam rock was a genre of music that embraced ambiguity and showmanship. The ambiguity of glam rock was one of genre, gender, sexuality, and even musical style. Glam rock could have a heavy metal edge, or it could be a piano-based pop ballad. Artists were openly gay, closeted, bisexual, heterosexual, or, in the case of David Bowie, all and none of those labels at the same time. In this lesson, we will survey several artists who were part of the glam rock movement or were associated with the glam rock movement at one point during their careers. For the most part, glam rock is not definable by a certain sound or style of music. Instead, glam rock is all about the performers’ embrace of the performance and theatricality.

“David Bowie is kind of the pioneer of glam rock. Not just for music, but just his overall, how he incorporates fashion and other arts into music. And he does a really amazing job about being fearless and that kind of stuff.”

-BØRNS

“That's what Kiss is all about - not just music, but entertainment, y'know? We're there to take you away from your problems, and rock and roll all night and party every day for those two hours you're at the concert.”

-Ace Frehley

"David Bowie drew, sculpted and painted in his spare time. His favorite artists included Tintoretto, John Bellany, Erich Heckel and Picasso."

Songfacts