Southern Rock

Southern rock is a style of Rock music from the American South which is strongly associated with Blues Rock. Southern rock additionally takes influences from Country and Contemporary Folk, as well as early Rock & Roll, giving Southern rock a 'rootsy' feel. Southern rock is also known to take influence from Hard Rock; later iterations of the style would take from other contemporary forms of rock. While stylistically varied, Southern rock is known for long bluesy jam sections, boogie grooves (often overlapping with Boogie Rock), and a lyrical focus on regional pride for the American South. The status of Southern rock as a genre is contentious due to arguably being a regionally specific signifier first and foremost, though artists from outside of the South have been labelled as Southern rock. Southern rock originated in the late 1960s and the early 1970s with pioneers such as The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd popularizing the style, the latter becoming the most popular Southern rock group of the era. The development of Southern rock is noted for revitalizing the popularity of American rock music, which had previously been overshadowed during the "British Invasion" era. Southern rock experienced a decline in popularity during the 1980s; however, the group ZZ Top experienced heightened success with a stylistic reinvention on 1983's Eliminator. The Black Crowes are known for bringing Southern rock into the 1990s, a decade otherwise known for its Alternative Rock. During this decade, Southern rock influenced the Metal fusion genre Southern Metal. 2000s rapper/rock artist Kid Rock brought attention to the style with a sound and image that mixed Southern rock with Hip Hop. Indie Rock band Kings of Leon also brought renewed interest to the style with a fusion of Southern rock and Garage Rock Revival, garnering the moniker "the Southern Strokes".