The Evolution Of Iconic Hairstyles Through Music History

Fashion has been an integral part in music, and music has had an integral role in influencing fashion. Discover the sounds that influenced the hair of today, with Spotify Taste Rewind.

1.

The Story: Traditionally, folk music was pure and poetic, using wholesome lyrics and acoustic instruments. In the ‘60s, artists fused together the poetic style and twang of folk with topical and personal issues sung over gritty, driving, folk-rock melodies.

The Stars: The Byrds, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell

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2.

The Story: Soul, funk, and the Motown sound all evolved from rhythm and blues, which was derived from traditional gospel music. Its sound was vibrant, rich with driving bass lines, robust horns, and catchy melodies; its songs were about love, loss, joy, and romance.

The Stars: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5

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3.

The Story: A product of the '60s, psychedelic rock was birthed out of experimentation of sounds and substances. This genre was brought to life by plays on rock and folk riffs, utilizing distorted and manipulated sounds, elongated guitar solos, and abstract lyrics of vivid dreams and hallucinations.

The Stars: Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Cream, The Doors, Steve Miller Band, The Rolling Stones, Iron Butterfly

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4.

The Story: Rock ‘n’ roll was known for being decadent and obscene. In the ‘70s, rock was brought to the masses by drag queens and through theatrical productions like the Rocky Horror Picture show, thus giving birth to the glam rock genre.

The Stars: T. Rex, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, New York Dolls, The Stooges

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5.

The Story: While rock was still prevalent in the ‘70s, disco music put the dance back into pop music. Disco emerged from urban subculture, where a DJ would play records on two turntables and a microphone.

The Stars: Chic, Bee Gees, Kool & the Gang, KC and the Sunshine Band, James Brown, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, A Taste of Honey, Village People

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6.

The Story: Reggae is a style of music known for its heavy 4:4 rhythm driven by drums, bass, and guitar. This style of music originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and emerged in America in the ‘70s. Its lyrics were political in nature, with a focus on social and economic injustices.

The Stars: Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Abyssinians, Barrington Levy, Iration, Culture, Steel Pulse, Yellowman

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7.

The Story: Punk rock was founded as an ideological and artistic expression of the counter culture's angst. Its pillars infiltrated and movies, literature, theater, fashion, and art. It is an aggressive form of rock music, using guitars as white noise, driving drum beats, and politicized and energetic vocals.

The Stars: Ramones, New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks, The Clash, Black Flag, X, Dead Kennedys

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8.

The Story: New wave was a style of music popular in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Its name is derived from French New Wave cinema and was designed as a counter to punk and mainstream “corporate” rock. Its lighter attitude was influenced by ‘60s pop music.

The Stars: The Smiths, Tears for Fears, Devo, A Flock of Seagulls, Gary Numan, Thompson Twins, The B-52s

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9.

The Story: Many know the ‘80s for its fashion, big hair, and big music. Rap was introduced in the early ‘80s, music videos were bringing new life to music, and music was having a huge social impact with its depictions of sexual independence in some pop or rap, smashing barriers with strong social commentary.

The Stars: Blondie, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Wham!, Robert Palmer

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10.

The Story: Hair metal is a fusion between glam rock and hard rock, and it’s sometimes referred to as glam metal. It was classified by its metal- and pop-infused sound paired with theatrical stage shows with pyrotechnics, use of makeup, and of course the large, luscious flowing locks.

The Stars: Poison, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses, L.A. Guns, Cinderella

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11.

The Story: There are many origin stories to hip-hop, but what’s important is that it’s the fusion of spoken word and instrumental beats. In the early ‘80s, it was brought into the spotlight by Grandmaster Flash and has since served as a platform for poetic self expression in urban culture.

The Stars: Grandmaster Flash, Run-D.M.C., The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, 2Pac, Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Fugees, André 3000

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12.

The Story: Grunge music, with its distorted guitar aesthetic, was recognized as a fusion of punk music and heavy metal and a sub-genre of alternative rock music. The early grunge movement began in Seattle, and became more popular in the early ‘90s with the commercial success of bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

The Stars: Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Temple of the Dog, The Smashing Pumpkins

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The Story: Every decade has its own iconic bands, and the ‘90s saw the rise of boy band mania with dreamy harmonies, synchronized dancing, and matching outfits dominating the charts.

The Stars: Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, 98°, New Kids on the Block, Take That, New Edition, Hanson

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13.

The Story: Pop punk is a style of music which was influenced by the punk rock and hardcore styles popular in the 1980s. The genre became increasingly popular throughout the late ‘90s, becoming commercially successful in the early 2000s.

The Stars: Green Day, blink-182, The Ataris, Sum 41, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, The All-American Rejects, You Me at Six, Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, Paramore, Valencia, Good Charlotte

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14.

The Story: Metalcore is a fusion between hardcore punk music with modern metal. You’ll know you are listening to hardcore metal when you hear the distorted guitars in drop D overlaid by screeching vocals.

The Stars: From First to Last, Forever the Sickest Kids, Pierce the Veil, Every Time I Die, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, As I Lay Dying, Avenged Sevenfold

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15.

The Story: Electronic music has been growing and thriving in underground environments since the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with artists like Frankie Knuckles in the US and Kraftwerk in Europe. Recently, it has seen a rise into the mainstream, dominating lineups and infiltrating modern pop and hip-hop music.

The Stars: Skrillex, deadmau5, David Guetta, Tiësto, Swedish House Mafia, Justice, Porter Robinson

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The Story: Solo acts are dominating the modern pop music scene, and artists have really been amping up their live productions more than ever. EDM has become increasingly influential in shaping the sound of modern pop music with many Top-40 hits fusing together electronic and hip-hop production.

The Stars: Pink, Maroon 5, The Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake

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Discover the sounds that influenced the hair of today, with Spotify Taste Rewind.