From the very beginning of rock’n’roll, Britain had been a major influence on American music. The “British Invasion” was the turning point in American music where the lifestyles of other people influenced another genre of artists to produce a style of their own. This is evident in such times and places as the underground scene, the pop era, the ‘80s, and the currant ‘90s. The frequent change in music has produced the music we listen to now and will continue to change as the times grow and develop. The influence of Britain upon America is evident in many areas of music history.

The underground scene is where the unknown shine. Here in this culture the inhabitant’s lifestyle is more extravagant and shies away from the mainstream circle. In every time there is an underground scene where the artists get less airplay and more criticism from the more conservative adults. Those such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones made the “fringe” seem like the place to be. This was the place where you found true love, broke the rules, and got the first view of America’s rotting core.

Strict programming controls in radio and distribution made it difficult for rock bands to grow. Prior to the ‘60s a number of influences combined to lift rock out of the, then bland, sentimental, and mechanical format. The Beatles and Bob Dylan were able to combine melodic gifts with an ability to write complex and significant lyrics; this allowed them to transform boring popular music to a giant field of creativity. The appearance of the Beatles and Bob Dylan became known as the Beat Generation breaking into what is know as the swinging ‘60s. However, hippie bands such as the Doors, Cream, Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin added to the confusion of the ‘hippie’ era. The Who was based on experimentation and showmanship as opposed to the quality of material. They displayed on-stage antics of ‘ferocious’ performing and referred to music changing, and how it doesn’t look to pretty.

In the ‘70s soul rock introduced Jamaican reggae and produced pop rock, jazz-rock, and punk rock. The ‘70s produced a term of music referred to as metal. This hard rock was a kick in the pants when British bands Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd show up with their music pumping. When reggae comes to London, Bob Marley is at the spot. This was the arrival of reggae as a bonna fide rock style with Marley as the genre’s superstar. In the United Kingdom during the ‘70s punk and reggae created an odd alliance; punks claimed a brotherhood to black youths as fellow inner-city warriors. Punk rock is a type of American rock that was a reaction to the British Invasion. The term now refers to British rock of the ‘70s characterized by outrageous clothing, behavior, and raw simplistic musical style. Punk bands like the Sex Pistols chose to express their views of the current politics in their music. Punk had veered in a more hard core direction, and the post-punk underground had split off into dozens of sub-genres; ska, industrial, goth, and synth pop.

The ‘80s were a time of confusion. MTV brought the thirst of new music as well as style. Metal music had changed as well as seen in such bands as Iron Maiden, KISS, and Def Leopard known as ‘hair bands’. Post-punk bands were high in the scene with such performers as Culture Club and Cyndi Lauper. Rap was formally introduced in the ‘80s with groups like the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, the ‘black panthers’ of rap. At the close of the ‘80s post-punk, metal, glam rock, and hip hop created the time of non-structural music that has been labeled as the ‘crazy era of the ‘80s.'

It is evident that the curiosity of the ‘80s spewed into the early makings of the ‘90s in such growing interests in modern metal, rap, hip hop, grunge, alternative, and punk. Bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam made the glam rock ‘hair bands’ look outdated and absurd. At the same time dance music is climbing its way to the top. British group EMF top U.S. charts despite the use of a four-letter word in the chorus. Bands such as the Clash, Sham 69, Orbital, and Prodigy work on such beginnings come to be known as new-school punk. Hence the popular bands NOFX, Bad Religion, and the Descendents. The most notable band of the ‘90s is Oasis whose success is as overwhelming as their on-stage performance. Sadly, they followed the stereotypical rock ‘n’ roll antics of trashing hotel rooms and getting in fights. A definite in all genres of music is the role of illegal drugs. It was the downfall for many, as if not only divided the best of musicians, but also took the lives of many others.

Britain has been part of our music for years. It is impossible to go on with out the ears or voices of the mighty island. As years went by America has watched, one after another, the experience of music. This will be the dream of many to continue.