Glam rock facts for kids

Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by male musicians who wore flamboyant and feminine clothing, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter, and female musicians who wore masculine clothing.

The UK charts were inundated with glam rock acts from 1971 to 1975. Some British glam rock artists included David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Sweet, Slade, Mud, Roxy Music and Gary Glitter. Though not central to the genre, artists such as Elton John, Rod Stewart and Freddie Mercury of Queen, also adopted glam styles. In the United States, the scene was much less prevalent, with Alice Cooper and Lou Reed the only American artists to score a hit in the UK. Other American glam artists include New York Dolls, Sparks, Suzi Quatro, Iggy Pop and Jobriath. Glam rock declined after the mid-1970s, but influenced other musical genres including punk rock, glam metal, death rock and gothic rock. The New Romantic movement, which began as an underground fashion subculture movement in nightclubs in the late 1970s before becoming mainstream in the early 80s, was also inspired by the visuals of the glam rock era.

Notable artists

• T.Rex
• David Bowie
• Gary Glitter
• Roxy Music
• Mot The Hoople
• Alice Cooper
• Mud
• Wizzard
• Suzi Quarto
• Slade
• Sweet
• Rolling Stones

Images for kids

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  David Bowie as his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust during the 1972–73 Ziggy Stardust Tour

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  Marc Bolan of T. Rex performing on ABC's In Concert, 1973

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  Noddy Holder (right) and Dave Hill (left) of Slade, near the height of their fame in 1973, showing some of the more extreme glam rock fashions

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  A figure in the new romantic movement, Boy George of Culture Club (performing in 2001) was influenced by glam rock icons Bolan and Bowie.

See also

In Spanish: Glam rock para niños