The best rock bands in Russia: list, names

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Russian rock is an ambiguous cultural phenomenon, but at the same time this genre remains interesting, rich in talents. In addition, it is dynamic. Fans are delighted with new and already loved songs by numerous rock bands in Russia. The list of them is constantly updated. Let's talk about the most talented and popular musicians. Let's remember the best rock bands in Russia, trace the main milestones of their work, and also deal with the genre.

The birth of Russian rock

It all started in the 60s of the twentieth century. Then domestic bands began to appear, playing in the manner of the foreign Beatles, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys. Rock-n-roll was born, albeit different from the canonical one, adjusted to Soviet realities, but already real, our own, domestic.

Rock was banned. But the first alternative musical groups tried by all means to convey to the fans the motives of their work. These were the groups "Slavs", "Buffoons", "Falcon". A little later, the Integral team arose, which became widely known in the 70s. In 1968 it was formedThe Kids is the future famous Time Machine.

1970s: rock under pressure

This decade was perhaps the most difficult in the history of the genre. Officially, heavy music was banned; the leadership of the Soviet Union did not favor it. During this period, creative teams tried in every possible way not to stand out, many chose the path of least resistance - the formation of vocal-instrumental ensembles (VIA) and work within the permitted.

But even then, many bands were not afraid to work according to the canons of the chosen genre, although they had to be in the "underground". "Time Machine" during these years records music on the sly, at night, in the speech studio of GITIS. But the new group "Resurrection", due to its lighter sound, sometimes performs at concerts, and "Leap Summer" is working on recording the first magnetic album.

Aquarium appeared in the early 70s. At the end of the decade, such groups as the Magnetic Band, Picnic and Autograph emerged.

Thaw and persecution in the 80s

In 1981, the first rock club opened in St. Petersburg. This event meant a lot for the music of those years, because now alternative bands could come out of the "underground". However, freedom did not last long: two years later, heavy music was again banned. This time the rockers were called parasites, real persecution began.

After another two years, rock became legal again. A rock laboratory was then opened in Moscow - a special organization designed to regulateactivities of groups and performers playing heavy music. By this time, "Kino", "Alisa", "Auktyon", "Bravo", "Nautilus Pompilius", "DDT" were formed.

90s: true Russian rock

The last decade of the twentieth century was the beginning of freedom. In the 90s, the first rock bands in Russia entered the scene. The list of bands of the new state playing exceptionally heavy music was truly impressive: Agatha Christie, Nogu cramped!, Semantic hallucinations, Mumiy Troll, 7B, Spleen, Zemfira and many others.

This decade was also significant in terms of freedom of choice of style. Russian music has been enriched by punk, alternative, power and symphonic metal, grunge, emo and rapcore. Representatives of each of these trends worked within the framework of the chosen style, their music was typical in many respects, and new trends always came to Russia from the West.

Heavy music in the new millennium

Almost all the styles that existed in the 90s of the last century have passed into the current century. Many bands that formed already in the new millennium returned to the sound of metal and the alternative of the 80s. This does not mean that they play outdated music, it can only be regarded as nostalgia for the lost romance of a bygone era. Perhaps the desire of the musicians to return to rock the ability to protest, to make it as rebellious as it was at the very beginning of its history, also plays a role.

Today, there are a huge number of bands and performers who have chosen the pathheavy music. The modern public likes Jane Air, Animal Jazz, Murakami, Pilot, Louna and other Russian rock bands. This list can be replenished indefinitely, because each fan of the genre has his own favorites. In addition, mastodons, masters of the Russian alternative movement, still exist, to this day they delight fans with new albums. And we can only wish them longevity, strength and creative inspiration.

The best rock bands in Russia: list

Rating objectively is always very difficult. And it's not even that one fan of the genre likes one thing, and another - completely different. Just how to evaluate the contribution of a particular group to the musical heritage? How to determine that one has done more and the other less? What is considered the standard?

That's why we made a simple list, not a ranking or top 10. It lists the most famous rock bands in Russia. These musicians have done a lot for the development of alternative culture, which earned them the love of their devoted listeners. There are no best ones on this list, and no one squeezed into it with a scratch. Everyone here really matters. And if someone is not mentioned in it, you can sin on the limited time, volume of the article and the resources of human memory.

So, the most popular rock bands in Russia, list:

• "Time Machine";
• Picnic;
• "Nautilus Pompilius";
• "Agatha Christie";
• "Alice";
• "B-2";
• "Spleen";
• "Mumiy Troll";
• "DDT";
• “Civil Defense”;
• "Kino";
• "Leningrad";
• "Crematorium";
• Gaza Strip;
• King and Jester;
• "Code of Morality";
• "Aria";
• "Naive";
• "The leg cramped!";
• Kipelov;
• Kukryniksy;
• Gorky Park;
• Night Snipers;
• "Pilot";
• "Earring";
• "Cockroaches!";
• "Chizh and Co";
• Chayf;
• "Lyapis Trubetskoy".

We remembered the best teams. Now let's briefly characterize their genre.

Good old heavy metal

The genre originally split off from heavy rock in Britain. It happened in the 1970s, and the well-known band Black Sabbath stood at the origins of the style. Heavy entered the USSR a decade later, but due to the illegality of the rock movement in the 80s, it began to develop actively only a few years later. Pioneers were groups such as Black Coffee, Legion, Black Obelisk and Aria. And it was thanks to the last band that heavy metal remained popular for a very long time.

How did the ascent of "Aria" to the star Olympus begin? The idea of creating a team that would play serious heavy music came to Vladimir Kholstinin, who originally played in the Alfa group. The musician found a like-minded person in the person of bass guitarist Alik Granovsky. In fact, the material for recording the album was already ready, but the new band did not have a vocalist. They became a member of the former VIA "Leysya, song" Valery Kipelov. Name "Aria"It was proposed spontaneously, but all the members of the group liked it very much. But, as the musicians' managers noted at one time, there was simply no hidden subtext.

The history of the team was in many ways difficult. Like many other well-known rock bands in Russia and abroad, Aria has experienced splits, upheavals and moments of glory. But at the same time, as the song of their famous colleagues Manowar sings, its members were ready to give their lives for metal and always remained devoted to music.

The most famous punks

Punk split from rock and roll and garage rock. In the USA and Great Britain, its first representatives were The Ramones and Sex Pistols, and in Russia - the group "Automatic Satisfiers", formed in 1979 in St. Petersburg. By the way, the name appeared precisely under the impression of the work of the British team Sex Pistols and was a simple free translation. It is also interesting that at different times the future members of Kino performed at St. And even Viktor Tsoi himself.

Later, other prominent representatives appeared on the punk scene - Yegor Letov's Civil Defense and Yuri Klinsky's Gaza Strip. These bands have gone through a lot and have remained popular to this day. Today the style is represented by "Cockroaches!", "Naive", "Elysium" and many other famous Russian punk rock bands.

Russian alternatives

Alternative direction of rock music is a kind of synthesis of post-punk and garage rock. However, talking about certainstyle affiliation is difficult, because during the formation of the genre in America in the 80s, each band expressed itself as best it could, which is why there are great differences in the sound of modern bands playing an alternative.

In Russia, the first groups belonging to this genre were Oak Gaai, Chimera and Kirpichi. The soloist of the first mentioned group is Dolphin. In the future, it was his solo project that gained great popularity, which, by the way, did not change its musical style.

An alternative is still played by many rock bands in Russia. Popular among them are Slot, Psyche, Tractor Bowling, Lumen.

Folk rock: folk motifs in the work of Russian rock bands

Inspiration for many well-known bands playing heavy music comes from a folk song. And then there is folk rock. Representatives of the genre in the US and UK are Simon & Garfunkel, Gentle Giant and Death In June. In Russia, folk rock is played by Melnitsa, Troll oppresses the spruce, Solstice, White Owl.

It is interesting that in fact the same Soviet VIA that existed in the 70-80s of the last century can be attributed to this genre. These are Pesnyary, Trio Linnik, Good fellows. It is also noteworthy that sometimes folk as a style is attributed to the famous group "Korol i Shut". This is not entirely true, since the “terrible tales” that Mikhail Gorshenev and Andrey Knyazev set to music, although they contain some folk motifs, still have nothing to do with folk art. Rather, to characterize the stylistic orientation of the group canthe following genres: horror punk, punk rock and probably some folk punk.

Metalcore on the contemporary Russian music scene

This genre originated in the 90s of the last century in American music, and its heyday came in the 2000s. Its origins were Bullet For My Valentine, Killswitch Engage and All That Remains. Metalcore came to Russia at the beginning of this century, and it was represented by Rashamba, Stigmata and Access Denied.

Today many young Russian rock bands play metalcore. These are Party Animal, Francis, VIA My Turn, Lost World and some others.

And finally

Russian rock music is multifaceted. She has an interesting history, she has many faces, and these are talented people who have decided to express their position in creativity. And this is their lifestyle - free and open, one that the fans of these artists are trying to choose for themselves.

The best rock bands in Russia create more than just music for their fans. Their songs help to find inspiration in simple things, learn to look at life more simply and appreciate the beauty of the world around. And this Russian rock is original and amazing. Well, we wish creative success to the best and novice bands and performers. And may Muse be their faithful companion.