Glam rock was a popular style of rock music from 1971 to 1973. Male performers wore make-up and wore feminine-style clothing while performing rock music, which defined the genre. Some of the bands at the time had extremely elaborate stage shows, with futuristic themes frequently being emphasized. David Bowie, who blurred gender lines with his heavily made-up face and the personas he adopted during concerts, and Marc Bolan of T-Rex were two of the first and best-known glam rockers. The bands Queen, Sweet, the New York Dolls, and Slade, as well as the artist Elton John, were early glam rockers.
Gender confusion on purpose was nothing new in music. Liberace was a hugely popular pop star in the 1950s, and his extravagant attire did not detract from his success. Other rockers, such as Little Richard, wore a lot of eyeliner and heavy makeup. Glam rock distinguishes itself from this genre combining 1960s rock with the “glam” look.
Early period glam rock artists were known not only for their elaborate costumes and sexual references, but also for frequently tackling themes, rather than cautionary tales, about drug use. Some glam stars became cautionary tales when AIDS first became widely known in the mid-1980s. Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991, was one of the greatest losses to the rock world. Many rock stars in the 1970s and 1980s were known for their promiscuity, which made them easy targets for the HIV virus.
Despite the fact that glam rock was frequently associated with homosexuality, the majority of glam stars were not homosexual. Only a few came out later claiming bisexuality, but only a few were gay or openly gay. Makeup and gleaming jumpsuits, on the other hand, were intended to draw attention and provide a shock factor. No one took this further than Alice Cooper, who helped to refine shock rock incorporating not only glam fashion into rock but also developing graphically violent stage shows. Iggy Pop, who blended heavy metal, almost early punk music, with glam rock styles, was another American who was heavily influenced the mostly British glam rock artists.
Glam rock influenced Kiss, one of the most well-known glam metal bands, which formed at the end of the 1970s. Kiss stage shows featured heavy makeup, gender-bending clothing, and a special emphasis on horror-themed performances. Kiss stayed glam, but the focus shifted from science fiction to horror.
Alice Cooper is another example of a performer who continues to put on elaborate stage shows. Other glam rockers abandoned the sexual ambiguity but maintained their popularity. Queen, Elton John, and David Bowie all came out of the movement, maintaining their popularity while opting for less androgynous costuming.
Later rock movements were influenced glam rock. In the 1980s, the New Romance movement, which was part of the new wave movement, returned to glam roots, though the music was very different. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Ultravox, and Adam and the Ants were among the New Romance artists who wore frilly blouses and a lot of makeup.
Boy George, a new wave artist, was probably the most glam, with a transvestite appearance. Newer bands are continuing to push the boundaries of gender. Artists like Marilyn Manson are among them. Although some grunge artists performed in drag, the emphasis was more on the amusement of seeing fully bearded men in dresses and wigs than on gender shifts.