Gary Tipp

It might not be a race, but some pioneering bands were faster out of the blocks than others

The pressure of a huge hit album can weigh incredibly heavy on the head of the artist desperate to repeat the trick

With synth-pop and glam metal in decline, 1986 was a good year for thrash metal, adventurous art pop, and the growing alt. rock scene

For many bands on our list the college rock scene was a crucial step on the ladder towards global stardom

Their songs remain immortal, but the musicians who created them are gone – meaning these legendary bands can never reunite

Many successful US bands have an appeal that comfortably crosses the Atlantic, there are others that do not

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but can the same be said about an album sleeve?

Being a member of one successful rock band is a wild accomplishment - this talented bunch performed the trick three times or more

From homemade guitars and missing fingertips to unusual techniques and sheer genius, these 15 guitarists created sounds nobody else could quite replicate.

MTV and synth-pop dominated the mainstream, but a number of important debut albums signalled the shape of things to come

Some bands identify a sound and stick with, others are happy to change lanes and explore new sonic territories

Before they became household names, these future superstars were the anonymous hired hands helping other artists make classic records

They lurked behind the guitar heroes, but these 11 keyboard players helped give rock its colour, drama and sheer sonic power

Albums used to be divided broadly into two categories, rock and pop. With the rapid proliferation of mainstream subgenres, this was no longer the case

So you want to be a rock’n’roll star? Okay, expect long-standing feuds, threats of physical violence, walls of silence and any number of battles in court

‘John, this is Paul’, ‘Paul, this is John’. Here’s the origin story behind the first meetings of nine legendary rock bands

In the 1960s the first British Invasion of the US charts brought The Beatles, the second was a totally different affair

Heavy metal, punk, prog and more: we pit the USA against the UK across nine genres to decide who truly rules rock

The sudden availability of cheap, portable synthesisers proved to be an existential threat to many established rock bands. They reacted in a range of (still to this day) captivating ways

Who’s on vocals in your fantasy rock band? Who’s on lead guitar? And what about the rhythm section? Take a look at our ultimate band selections for inspiration

Punk rock in the 1970s was a tribal movement and liking bands from outside the circle was strictly forbidden… a few managed to slip through the net

From psychedelia to folk via prog, from indie to blues via jazz, guitar heroes add the explosive fuel to the fire across rock’s many subgenres

With punk, prog and classic rock dead in the water, 1980 saw post-punk, new wave and metal jostle for invites to mainstream’s top table

Cheap rent, legendary clubs and remarkable musicians: the American cities where rock repeatedly reinvented itself and changed music forever