Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock & roll created by a
number of American bands in the mid-'60s. Since they were usually young and amateurish,
the results were much cruder than their inspirations, but that is what made the sound
exciting. Most of the band emphasized their amateurishness, playing the same three chords,
bashing their guitars and growling their vocals. In many ways, the garage bands were the
first wave of do-it-yourself punk rockers. Hundreds of garage bands popped up around
America and a handful of them had hits, but most were destined for obscurity. In fact,
nearly all of the bands were forgotten in the early '70s. In the '80s, there was a garage
rock revival that saw a number of bands earnestly trying to replicate the sound, style and
look of the '60s garage bands.
Definition of Garage Rock: Basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, often with aggressive lyrics and delivery.
Characteristics of Garage Rock
Focus on energy rather than ability
Based on popular styles of the era
Simple repetitive hooks
