Serbian rock
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Serbian rock is the rock music scene of
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a
constituent republic Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
, Serbian rock scene was a part of the SFR Yugoslav rock scene. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was not an
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
country, but a member of the
Non-Aligned Movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide. The movement originated in the aftermath ...
and as such, it was far more open to the Western culture comparing to the other socialist countries. Rock and roll reached Yugoslavia via foreign radio stations, most notably Radio Luxemburg, and rock and roll records, brought in from the West."In Memoriam: intervju sa Nikolom Karaklajićem", timemachinemusic.org
Rock and roll influences reached schlager singers, most notably
Đorđe Marjanović Đorđe Marjanović ( sr-Cyr, Ђорђе Марјановић; 30 October 1931 – 15 May 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer. Marjanović began his career in the mid-1950s, rising to fame in the late 1950s with his theatrical on-stage pe ...
, who released the first
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
solo album in Serbia, in 1959."Istorijat PGP RTS", rts.rs
/ref> The end of the 1950s featured the appearances of first rock and roll acts, and the 1960s featured many beat bands, such as Siluete and Elipse, which became enormously popular with the younger generations. Rock bands drew the public's attention to themselves, which was followed with the appearance of first rock music magazines, radio and TV shows."Za sve je kriv rokenrol", slobodnaevropa.org
/ref> Until the beginning of the 1970s, Serbian rock bands released only
7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...
s and
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
s. Korni Grupa was the first Serbian rock act to release a full-length album, in 1971, and one of the first bands to move towards
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
. Progressive rock dominated the Serbian rock scene during the 1970s, with a part of bands incorporating elements of
traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
into their sound. At this period, bands like
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, Pop Mašina and Smak achieved large mainstream popularity and massive album sales. The end of the 1970s featured the appearance of the prominent
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
, and the emergence of the closely associated punk rock and new wave scenes.
Pekinška Patka Pekinška Patka (Serbian Cyrillic: Пекиншка Патка; trans. ''Peking Duck'') is an eminent Serbian and former Yugoslav punk rock band from Novi Sad. Their debut album, '' Plitka poezija'', released in 1980, is considered the first pu ...
was the first Serbian punk rock band to release an album, in 1980. The new wave bands Šarlo Akrobata,
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
and
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, which appeared on the influential compilation album '' Paket aranžman'' in 1980, were followed by many new wave acts. Around 1982, new wave scene declined and many acts moved towards more commercial sound. During the 1980s,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
acts, such as
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, ...
and
Bajaga i Instruktori Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. ''Bajaga and the Instructors'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1984. Founded and led by vocalist, guitarist and principal composer ...
, dominated the mainstream scene, but various other rock genres also emerged, and the
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
scene, with the acts such as
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, en, Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts. Initia ...
,
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and Yugoslav and, for a period of time, British rock band, formed in Belgrade in 1981. The ...
, and
Rambo Amadeus Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of former Yugoslavia. His songs combine ...
, started to develop and gain mainstream popularity. With the outbreak of the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
at the beginning of the 1990s, the former Yugoslav rock scene ceased to exist. During the 1990s, most of, both mainstream and
underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...
, rock acts expressed their opposition towards the government of Slobodan Milošević, which caused their absence from most of the government-controlled media. Although several major mainstream acts managed to sustain their popularity (some of them, like Partibrejkers and
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
, even increasing it), and a large underground and
independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording a ...
scene developed. After the 1999 NATO bombing of FR Yugoslavia and the arrival of the political changes during the 2000s, a new independent scene started to develop. The 2000s also featured the establishing of new connections between the former Yugoslav republics' scenes.


History


Rock pioneers (late 1950s – late 1960s)

The first rock acts emerged in the late 1950s. Influenced by the
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...
acts, many young people started performing the so-called "električna muzika" ("electric music"), naming themselves "električari" ("electricians"). One of the first Serbian rock and roll musicians who rose to fame was guitarist
Mile Lojpur Milan "Mile" Lojpur (Serbian Cyrillic: Милан-Миле Лојпур) (4 March 1930 – 29 July 2005) was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock musician, notable as one of the first rock and roll musicians in Yugoslavia and one of the pioneers of the Yu ...
from Belgrade, often considered the first Serbian or even Yugoslav rock and roll musician. He rose to fame at the dances he and his band Septet M organized at Red Star basketball courts at
Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park ( sr, / ), or simply Kalemegdan ( sr-Cyrl, Калемегдан) is the largest park and the most important historical monument in Belgrade. It is located on a cliff, at the junction of the River Sava and the Danube. Kal ...
. Although Lojpur did not make any recordings, he had a great influence on subsequent development of the scene. Another notable rock and roll artist was Perica Stojančić from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
, whose debut single was released in 1961. The singer
Đorđe Marjanović Đorđe Marjanović ( sr-Cyr, Ђорђе Марјановић; 30 October 1931 – 15 May 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer. Marjanović began his career in the mid-1950s, rising to fame in the late 1950s with his theatrical on-stage pe ...
became the first Yugoslav
superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
. Despite essentially being a schlager singer, Marjanović also performed rock and roll songs. He is also notable as the first Yugoslav
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
singer who had an energetic on-scene appearance. He was the first pop singer to walk off the stage into the audience and perform songs in theatrical manner. His popularity led to the release of his album in 1959, the first popular music solo album released by
PGP-RTB PGP-RTB (abbreviation for sr, Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd) was a major state-owned record label and chain record store in the former SFR Yugoslavia, based in Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia. After the breakup ...
, the biggest Serbian record label. In 1963, Marjanović went on his first
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
tour, where he soon became very popular, and had gone on more than thirty Soviet Union tours since. He continued to perform until 1990, when, on concert in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, he had a stroke, after which he decided to retire. The beginning of the 1960s saw the emergence of numerous beat and
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
bands, the majority of which being initially inspired by the then-popular
Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
and
The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
:
Iskre Iskre ( sr-cyr, Искре; English: ''The Sparks'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1961. Iskre were one of Yugoslavia's earliest rock bands and are notable for being one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. History 1961 ...
and Siluete, both formed in 1961;
Zlatni Dečaci Zlatni Dečaci (Serbian Cyrillic: Златни Дечаци, trans. ''The Golden Boys'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1962. The band were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. At the beginning of their career the ...
and
Bele Višnje Bele Višnje (Serbian Cyrillic: Беле Вишње, trans. ''White Sour Cherries'') was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Čačak in 1962. Bele Višnje are notable for being one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. History 196 ...
, both formed in 1962;
Crni Biseri Crni Biseri ( sr-cyr, Црни Бисери, trans. ''The Black Pearls'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1963. The band were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band started their career performing beat music, ...
,
Daltoni Daltoni (Serbian Cyrillic: ; translation: '' The Daltons'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1963. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. Formed by high school students, Daltoni initially performed beat music. In ...
, Elipse, and Samonikli, all formed in 1963;
Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete ( sr-Cyrl, Томи Совиљ и Његове Силуете; trans. ''Tommy Sovilj and His Silhouettes'') were a Yugoslav beat group formed in Belgrade in 1964. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock ...
and
Sanjalice Sanjalice ( sr-Cyrl, Сањалице, trans. ''The Dreamers'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1964. Sanjalice are notable for being one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene, as well as one of the first Yugoslav all-fem ...
, both formed in 1964;
Plamenih 5 Plamenih 5 ( sr-Cyrl, Пламених 5, trans. ''The Flaming 5'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1964. Despite having no official releases, the band are notable as one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. History 1964 ...
, formed in 1965,
Džentlmeni Džentlmeni ( sr-Cyrl, Џентлмени, lit=The Gentlemen) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1966. A year after the formation, the band split into two factions. The first faction featured original rhythm guitarist Milan Buza, a ...
, formed in 1966. Siluete were well known for their shocking appearance and performance, and the band's frontman
Zoran Miščević Zoran ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран) is a common South Slavic name, the masculine form of Zora, which means ''dawn, daybreak''. The name is especially common in Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia and a little in Slovenia. Notable people with this given na ...
became one of the first Yugoslav rock stars and a sex symbol. The media often promoted rivalry between Siluete and Elipse."ZORAN SIMJANOVIĆ: Sa ove strane soula", popboks.com
/ref> Initially formed as a beat band, Elipse moved to
soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became ...
and added a
brass section The brass section of the orchestra, concert band, and jazz ensemble consist of brass instruments, and is one of the main sections in all three ensembles. The British-style brass band contains only brass and percussion instruments. They contain ...
when they were joined by vocalist Edi Dekeng, an African student from Congo, in 1967. Crni Biseri featured the prominent musician Vlada Janković "Džet", who later formed the band Tunel and became a well-known
Radio Belgrade Radio Belgrade ( sr, Радио Београд, ) is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia. It has four different programs (Radio Belgrade 1, Radio Belgrade 2, Radio Belgrade 3, and Radio Belgrade 202), a precious archive ...
host. Sanjalice were one of the first former Yugoslav all-female rock bands. The members of Džemtlmeni, brothers Žika and
Dragi Jelić Dragi Jelić ( sr-Cyrl, Драги Јелић; born 17 May 1947) is a Serbian rock musician. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the Serbian rock band YU Grupa, which he formed in 1970 with his older brother Žika. During the 1960 ...
, later formed the highly successful progressive/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
. Although all of these bands released only
7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...
s and
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
s – with the exception of Crni Biseri, which recorded their only studio album ''Motorok'' in 1976, and Bele Višnje, which recorded their old songs and released them on the album ''Pesme naše mladosti'' in 1994 – they had major influence on the subsequent development of the scene.


Mainstream and pop rock (late 1960s – present)

Korni Grupa was one of the first Serbian rock bands to achieve major mainstream popularity. Formed in 1968 by former
Indexi Indexi was a Bosnian and former Yugoslav rock band popular in Yugoslavia. It formed in 1962 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and disbanded in 2001 when singer Davorin Popović died. Some of their most notable songs are "Svijet u kome živ ...
keyboardist
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; hu, Kovács Kornél; 1 January 1942 – 13 September 2022) was a Serbian composer. Early life Born in Niš during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Serbia to a ...
, the band recorded many commercial pop songs released on 7-inch singles, with which they achieved huge popularity and appeared on pop music festivals throughout Yugoslavia. Already influenced by
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
, the band moved towards progressive sound with the arrival of vocalist
Dado Topić Adolf "Dado" Topić (born 4 September 1950, Siverić at Drniš) is a rock musician from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead sin ...
, continuing, however, to release commercial singles. Korni Grupa's 1971 debut album ''Korni Grupa'' was the first long play album by a rock act coming from Serbia, and the fourth long play album by a Yugoslav rock act. The band's second,
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...
-oriented album, ''Not an Ordinary Life'', released under the name Kornelyans in 1974, was one of the first Yugoslav albums released through a foreign record label. Despite the success with the singles they released in Yugoslavia, the band disbanded due to the little success of ''Not an Ordinary Life'' and the song " Moja generacija", with which the band represented Yugoslavia at the
1974 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Brighton, United Kingdom and was organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster British Broadcasting Corpor ...
. By the time Korni Grupa disbanded, other Serbian progressive rock bands, like
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
and Smak, had already achieved huge mainstream popularity. YU Grupa, formed in 1970 by former
Džentlmeni Džentlmeni ( sr-Cyrl, Џентлмени, lit=The Gentlemen) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1966. A year after the formation, the band split into two factions. The first faction featured original rhythm guitarist Milan Buza, a ...
members, brothers Dragi and
Žika Jelić Živorad "Žika" Jelić (born 7 December 1942) is a Serbian rock musician. He is best known as being the guitarist for the Serbian rock band YU Grupa, which he formed in 1970 with his younger brother Dragi. During the 1960s, alongside his brot ...
, is often considered the longest-lasting Serbian rock band. Having released several successful singles which featured a fusion of progressive/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
and Balkan
traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
, YU Grupa released their first album, ''
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian (former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
'' (1973), which became one of the best selling Yugoslav rock albums of the 1970s. The band continued to release successful albums, but with the popularity of new wave, the band disbanded in 1981. However, the band reunited in 1987 and has released a number of well-accepted hard rock-oriented albums since. The band Smak from Kragujevac, formed by guitar virtuoso
Radomir Mihailović Radomir Mihailović (Serbian Cyrillic: Радомир Михаиловић; born 13 June 1950), also known as Točak (''wheel'' in English) is a Serbian guitarist. He is best known as the guitarist for the Serbian and formerly Yugoslav Smak. B ...
"Točak" in 1971, was, during the second half of the 1970s, competitive with the band
Bijelo Dugme Bijelo Dugme (trans. ''White Button'') was a Yugoslav rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. Bijelo Dugme is widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in the former Socialist Federal Republic ...
from
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
. Smak released several hit singles before releasing their self-titled debut in 1975, considered to be one of the most successful debut albums in
former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
. The band's later releases, ''
Satelit Satelit ( sr, Сателит) is a small urban neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. In English it translates as “Satellite”. It is part of the larger Bistrica urban area and neighborhood. Borders The southern border of Satelit ...
'' (1976), '' Crna dama'' (1977) and '' Stranice našeg vremena'' (1978), saw similar success, but the band disbanded in 1981 for the similar reasons like YU Grupa. The band reunited and disbanded several more times during the 1980s and 1990s, releasing albums that saw little commercial success, although the 2012 reunion of the band's default lineup saw large interest by the audience and covering in the media. The end of the 1970s featured the appearance of the pop rock band
Rani Mraz Rani Mraz (Serbian Cyrillic: Рани Мраз; trans. ''Early Frost'') were a former Yugoslav rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1977 by former Žetva member Đorđe Balašević. During the initial period, the band went through several lineup c ...
. Rani Mraz was formed in 1978 by a former Žetva member
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, ...
, and during the initial period went through several lineup changes. The most famous lineup featured Balašević, Verica Todorović,
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; born 1 November 1952), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-cyr, Бора Чорба), is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known as the frontman of the ...
and
Biljana Krstić Biljana () is a settlement east of Dobrovo in the Municipality of Brda in the Littoral region of Slovenia, very close to the border with Italy. Name Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1 ...
, the latter two joining Rani Mraz after leaving the acoustic rock band
Suncokret Suncokret ( sr-cyr, Сунцокрет; trans. ''Sunflower'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade. Band history 1975 — 1980 The band was formed in 1975 by former Zajedno member Bora Đorđević (vocals and acoustic guitar), a ...
. This lineup of the band released the highly popular single " Računajte na nas", a song which praised the legacy of the
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
from a slightly different perspective than habitual
socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is c ...
, and soon became an anthem of Yugoslav youth. Đorđević, however, soon left the band to form
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
. Rani Mraz released two well-received albums, ''
Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu ''Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu'' (trans. ''To My Mother instead of the Prom Photo in the Shop Window'') is the first studio album released by former Yugoslav rock band Rani Mraz. In 1998, the album was polled as the 44th on the list ...
'' (1979) and ''
Odlazi cirkus ''Odlazi cirkus'' (trans. ''The Circus Is Leaving'') is the second and final studio album released by former Yugoslav rock band Rani Mraz. Recording Like it was the case with the previous Rani Mraz album, '' Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u iz ...
'' (1980), before disbanding in 1981. With the release of the album ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
'' (1982), Balašević started a very successful solo career, spanning up to the present, establishing himself as the most popular Serbian singer-songwriter. The hard rock band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
, formed in 1978, achieved huge success with their debut single "
Lutka sa naslovne strane "Lutka sa naslovne strane" ("Front Cover Babe") is the debut single from the influential Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The song, a hard rock ballad about a fame-hungry model, was originally written during the time Riblja ...
" (1978) and their debut album ''
Kost u grlu ''Kost u grlu'' (trans. ''Bone in the Throat'') is the 1979 debut album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The album was polled in 1998 as the 16th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums in the book '' Y ...
'' (1979). Their following albums, '' Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti'' and ''
Mrtva priroda ''Mrtva priroda'' (trans. '' Still Life'') is the third studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba, released in 1981. In 1998, the album was polled as the 19th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums ...
'', both released in 1981, launched them to the top of the Serbian and former Yugoslav rock scene despite their
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
sound with blues and heavy metalPejović N., "Teškometalni Ikar protiv gravitacije", Popboks.com
elements, and thanks to their provocative social- and, since the release of ''Mrtva priroda'', political-related lyrics written by the band leader
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; born 1 November 1952), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-cyr, Бора Чорба), is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known as the frontman of the ...
. After the album ''
Istina ''Istina'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Истина; trans. ''The Truth'') is the sixth studio album released by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The album is considered by fans and critics alike to be one of Riblja Čorba's finest w ...
'' (1985) the band, although still generally fitting into hard rock, started gradually turning towards softer sound, managing to sustain their popularity throughout the decade. However, in the 1990s, Riblja Čorba's popularity heavily declined in
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
and
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
during the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
, when Ðorđević became an active supporter of the Serbian troops in
Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is locat ...
and
Republika Srpska Krajina The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sh, Република Српска Крајина, italics=no / or РСК / ''RSK'', ), known as the Serbian Krajina ( / ) or simply Krajina, was a self-proclaimed Serb proto-state ...
, which he demonstrated by recording controversial songs "E moj druže zagrebački" (which was recorded as a response to
Jura Stublić Jurislav "Jura" Stublić (born 19 December 1953) is a Croatian singer-songwriter. References 1950s births Singers from Sarajevo Living people Croatian rock musicians 20th-century Croatian male singers Bosnia and Herzegovina rock sin ...
's song "E moj druže beogradski") and "Ljetovanje" with the band Mindušari from
Knin Knin (, sr, link=no, Книн, it, link=no, Tenin) is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagr ...
. However, Ðorđević was also strongly opposed to president Slobodan Milošević and he demonstrated his attitude by writing a number of anti-government songs released on Riblja Čorba albums '' Zbogom, Srbijo'' (1993), ''
Ostalo je ćutanje ''Ostalo je ćutanje'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Остало је ћутање, trans. ''Silence Remains'') is the thirteenth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. Apart from its title, the album contains several more ...
'' (1996) and '' Nojeva barka'' (1999), and on his solo album ''
Njihovi dani ''Njihovi dani'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Њихови дани, trans. ''Their Days'') is the first and so far the only studio album released by Bora Đorđević. Although the album was recorded by the members of Đorđević's band Riblja Čorba, Đor ...
'' (1996). The end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s featured the appearance of three popular solo singers:
Slađana Milošević Aleksandra Milošević Hagadone ( sr-cyr, Александра Милошевић Хагадон; born 3 October 1955), better known as Slađana Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слађана Милошевић, ) is a Serbian singer-songwriter, composer, ...
,
Bebi Dol Dragana Todorović ( , / ; born 2 October 1962), better known under the stage name Bebi Dol (), is a Serbian singer and songwriter. Born in Belgrade, she made her debut in 1981 with the single "Mustafa". Bebi Dol rose to further prominence by ...
and
Oliver Mandić Oliver Mandić (Serbian Cyrillic: Оливер Мандић; born 13 July 1953) is a Serbian rock musician, composer, and producer. Early life Musically involved from a young age, Mandić first started playing the accordion before taking up the ...
. Aleksandra "Slađana" Milošević released her debut single "Au, au" in 1977. The single saw huge success and was followed by a successful album (1979). In 1984, she recorded a highly popular ballad "Princeza" with
Dado Topić Adolf "Dado" Topić (born 4 September 1950, Siverić at Drniš) is a rock musician from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead sin ...
. During the 1990s and 2000s, she experimented with various musical genres and her popularity heavily declined. Bebi Dol and Oliver Mandić both used simple
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
forms combined with
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, synthpop and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
. Bebi Dol, born Dragana Šarić, with her debut single "Mustafa" (1981) quickly gained the public's attention. Her debut album ''Ruže i krv'' (1983) gained positive reviews and good commercial reception. Having high ranks at the MESAM and
Jugovizija Jugovizija, Cyrillic: Југовизија, English: Yugovision, was the Yugoslav national final to select their entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by the Yugoslav broadcaster Yugoslav Radio Television (JRT) and its subnational publ ...
festivals, she was, with the song "
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
", the last representative of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Having released her second album ''Ritam srca'' (1995), her popularity declined and she withdrew from performing in the late 1990s, returning in the early 2000s. Oliver Mandić, though active in the 1970s as a member of various progressive rock bands, it was his debut album ''Probaj me'' (1980) that brought him the nationwide popularity. With hits appearing on his albums ''Zbog tebe bih tucao kamen'' (1982) and ''Dođe mi da vrisnem tvoje ime'' (1985), controversial stage performance and clothing style, Mandić achieved large attention and high record sales. In the early 1990s he semi-retired, appearing occasionally only until today. After the decline of the new wave scene in Serbia, part of the bands moved towards more commercial rock and pop rock sound.
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
, after releasing '' Kako bubanj kaže'' in 1984, released their commercially most successful albums, '' Distorzija'' (1986) and ''
Letim, sanjam, dišem ''Letim, sanjam, dišem'' (literal translation:''I fly, I dream, I breathe'') is the sixth studio album by Serbian/ Yugoslavian new wave band Električni orgazam. It was released in 1988 by PGP RTB. Track listing All songs written by Srđan Goj ...
'' (1988), the latter featuring the anthem hit-song "Igra rock 'n' roll cela Jugoslavija". Električni Orgazam continued with the same musical directions in the 1990s with '' Zašto da ne!'' (1994) and '' A um bum'' (1999). In 2007, Električni Orgazam performed as an opening act for
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
, on the concert held at the Belgrade Ušće park.
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, after releasing their debut ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани; trans. ''The Defense and the Last Days'') is the first studio album by Yugoslav new wave band Idoli released in 1982. ''Džuboks'' magazine critics voted the ...
'' (1982), recorded their second studio album, '' Čokolada'' (1983), which featured a combination of pop rock, funk and
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
. The album turned out to be the greatest commercial success by the band. Having recorded the '' Šest dana juna'' soundtrack (1985) in the 1960s pop rock manner, the band split up and
Vlada Divljan Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир "Влада" Дивљан; 10 May 1958 – 4 March 2015), was a Serbian singer and songwriter. He was known as the frontman of the Serbian and Yugoslav rock band Idoli, one of the bands which ...
released his debut album ''Tajni život A. P. Šandorova'' (1988), stylistically similar to the previous Idoli releases. The band Zana, fronted by vocalist
Zana Nimani Zana Šiškin (; sr-cyr, Зана Шишкин, ; born in September 1961) is a Serbian former singer, best known as the first frontress of the pop rock band Zana. Biography Zana Nimani was born in 1961 in Belgrade, to Kosovo Albanian parents ...
, after their early new wave works moved towards synthpop and pop rock, releasing successful albums ''Dodirni mi kolena'' (1982) and ''Natrag na voz'' (1983). After the departure of frontress Zana Nimani in 1984, the band changed several vocalists, gradually moving away from the rock scene towards pop music. The reformed
Piloti Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood, and in ele ...
released the highly successful album ''Kao ptica na mom dlanu'' in 1987. With the following albums, ''Osmeh letnje noći'' (1988) and ''Neka te bog čuva za mene'' (1990), the band maintained their popularity, which even increased in the 1990s with the ''Zaboravljeni'' soundtrack album (1993). However, the band disbanded in 1997 and, in the meantime, Piloti frontman Zoran "Kiki" Lesendrić released the album '' Nedelja na Duhove'' (1995) with former Idoli members
Srđan Šaper Srđan Šaper ( sr-cyr, Срђан Шапер; born October 9, 1958) is a founder of I&F McCann Grupa. He is also well known as a founder and a member of the Yugoslav new wave band Idoli in the 1980s.P. Janjatović, Idoli, YU rock enciklopedija ...
and
Nebojša Krstić Nebojša Krstić ( sr-cyrl, Небојша Крстић; born 9 July 1957) is a Serbian media personality, political commentator, former musician (VIS Idoli) and physician. He is also a former public relations advisor to the office of the Presid ...
under the name
Dobrovoljno Pevačko Društvo Dobrovoljno Pevačko Društvo was a Serbian supergroup consisting of former Idoli members Nebojša Krstić and Srđan Šaper and Piloti frontman Kiki Lesendrić. The band released only one album and disbanded. History Idoli members Nebojša Kr ...
. During the late 1990s and 2000s Lesendrić worked as a songwriter before releasing his first, very successful solo album ''Mesec na vratima'' in 2008, after which he reformed Piloti. Other new wave acts that made a shift towards more commercial sound after the decline of the scene include
Bezobrazno Zeleno Bezobrazno Zeleno ( sr-cyr, Безобразно Зелено, trans. ''Rudely Green'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1980. Led by bass guitarist Bojan Vasić, the band belonged to the second generation of Belgrade new wave ba ...
(which moved towards pop rock), U Škripcu (which moved towards synthpop and pop rock) and
Laki Pingvini Laki Pingvini ( sr-Cyrl, Лаки Пингвини; transl. ''The Easy Penguins'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1979. Initially a part of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the band later turned towards synth-pop and ...
(which moved towards synthpop and New Romantic). The pop rock band
Bajaga i Instruktori Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. ''Bajaga and the Instructors'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1984. Founded and led by vocalist, guitarist and principal composer ...
, formed in 1984 by former Riblja Čorba member
Momčilo Bajagić Momcilo or Momčilo (Cyrillic script: Момчило) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. It is often found in Serbia and Montenegro. It may refer to: * Momčilo Bajagić, Serbian rock musician * Momčilo Bošković (born 1951), retired Ser ...
"Bajaga", after releasing their debut, highly successful solo album '' Pozitivna geografija'' in 1983 (originally released as Bajagić's solo album, but, as it featured musicians which would later become members of Bajaga i Instruktori, included in the band's official discography), started releasing successful albums ''
Sa druge strane jastuka ''Sa druge strane jastuka'' (trans. ''On the Other Side of the Pillow'') is the second studio album from Serbian and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, former Yugoslav rock music, rock band Bajaga i Instruktori, released in 1985. Although i ...
'' (1985) '' Jahači magle'' (1986), and '' Prodavnica tajni'' (1988), all becoming mega-hits. Bajaga i Instruktori entered the 1990s as the one of the most popular Serbian rock acts, managing to maintain the gained popularity through the 1990s. The mid-1980s pop rock bands
Amajlija Amajlija (Serbian Cyrillic: Амајлија; transl. '' Amulet'') is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Novi Sad in 1979. Led by vocalist and guitarist Bogoljub "Čombe" Banjac, Amajlija reached the peak of popularity in the late 1980s ...
, Poslednja Igra Leptira, Divlji Anđeli,
Slomljena Stakla Slomljena Stakla ( sr-cyr, Сломљена Стакла; trans. ''Broken Glass'') was a Yugoslav pop rock band formed in Belgrade in 1982. They were a prominent act of the 1980s Yugoslav rock scene. History 1982-1991 The band was formed in 1 ...
, Ruž,
Alisa Alisa is a female given name, a version of Alice in used in Russia, Finland, Estonia and other countries. Notable people with the names Alisa and Alissa include: Alisa People *Alisa Agafonova (born 1991), Ukrainian former competitive ice dancer ...
, Banana,
Jugosloveni Jugosloveni ( sr-cyr, Југословени; trans. ''Yugoslavs'') are a Serbian rock band, successful throughout all of former Yugoslavia and best known for their hit "Jugosloveni". Band history 1986 - 1989 The band was formed in 1986 by the voc ...
,
Bel Tempo Bel Tempo ( sr-Cyrl, Бел Темпо, transliteration for ''Belle Tempo'', Italian for ''Nice Weather'') was a Serbian and Yugoslav musical duo formed in Belgrade in 1986 and consisting of siblings Vladimir Petričević (guitar, keyboards and ...
and
Vampiri Vampiri ( sr-cyr, Вампири, trans. '' The Vampires'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade. The band was formed in 1990, and performed music influenced by the 1950s doo-wop and rockabilly. After releasing two studio albums, t ...
had a vast number of album sales, however, the majority of them disbanded before reaching the 1990s, or at the very beginning of the decade. Poslednja Igra Leptira, formed in 1980 and led by charismatic frontman Nenad Radulović, also known as Neša Leptir, achieved success with their pop rock songs with humorous lyrics, but disbanded in 1989. Radulović released his solo album ''Niko nema što piton imade'', which parodied " novokomponovana muzika", in 1989, before dying of
tumor A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
in 1990. Bel Tempo, formed in 1986 by brother and sister Vlada and Suzana Petričević, released two pop rock albums with jazz elements before disbanding in 1992. Vampiri's sound was influenced by the 1950s doo-wop and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...
. However, with the breakout of the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and insurgencies that took place in the SFR Yugoslavia from 1991 to 2001. The conflicts both led up to and resulted from ...
, their sound seamed misplaced and the band disbanded in 1993. They reunited in 1995 and released the album ''Plavi grad'', and, in 1997, ''Monkey Food'', experimenting with different musical genres on the latter. However, the band disbanded once again in 1998. Popular rock acts of the late 1980s and the 1990s were
Galija Galija ( sr-cyr, Галија; ) is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1977. The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Predrag Milosavljević (vocals). A larg ...
, Partibrejkers and
Dejan Cukić Dejan Cukić ( sr-cyr, Дејан Цукић; born November 4, 1959) is a Serbian rock musician, journalist, writer and translator. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Cukić was the frontman of the new wave band Bulevar, releasing two al ...
. Galija, despite being formed in the late 1970s and initially performing progressive rock, reached the peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the album trilogy consisting of ''
Daleko je Sunce ''Daleko je Sunce'' (trans. ''Distant is the Sun'') is the sixth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. It is the first part of the trilogy consisting of this album, the album '' Korak do slobode'' and the album ''Istori ...
'' (1988), ''
Korak do slobode ''Korak do slobode'' (trans. ''One Step to Freedom'') is the seventh studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. It is the second part of the trilogy consisting of the album ''Daleko je Sunce'', this album and the album ''Isto ...
'' (1989), and ''
Istorija, ti i ja ''Istorija, ti i ja'' (trans. ''History, You and Me'') is the eighth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. It is the third and the final part of the trilogy consisting of the album '' Daleko je Sunce'', the album '' Kora ...
'' (1991), entering the 1990s as one of the most popular Serbian rock bands. In the 1990s, Galija promoted the
Socialist Party of Serbia The Socialist Party of Serbia ( sr, Социјалистичка партија Србије, Socijalistička partija Srbije, SPS) is a political party in Serbia. It is led by Ivica Dačić. It was founded in 1990 as the direct successor to ...
, which had provoked a part of the critics and fans to proclaim Galija a "state band". Nevertheless, albums '' Karavan'' (1994), ''
Trinaest ''Trinaest'' (trans. ''Thirteen'') is the tenth studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. Besides the lyrics written by the band member Predrag Milosavljević, songs feature lyrics written by poets Branko Radičević, Ste ...
'' (1996) and ''
Voleti voleti ''Voleti voleti'' (trans: ''To Love to Love'') is the eleventh studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. Track listing All the songs were written by Nenad Milosavljević (music) and Slobodan Kostadinović (lyrics). #"Pege" ...
'' (1997) were well received by majority of the fans. The
garage A garage is a covered structure built for the purpose of parking, storing, protecting, maintaining, and/or repairing vehicles. Specific applications include: *Garage (residential), a building or part of a building for storing one or more vehicle ...
/ punk rock band Partibrejkers gained large popularity with the albums ''
Partibrejkers I ''Partibrejkers I'' is the debut eponymous album by the Serbian garage rock/ punk rock band Partibrejkers, released by Jugoton Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, SR Croatia. H ...
'' (1985), '' Partibrejkers II'' (1988), '' Partibrejkers III'' (1989) and ''
Kiselo i slatko ''Kiselo i slatko'' is the fourth studio album by the Serbian garage rock/ punk rock band Partibrejkers, released by PGP RTB in 1994. Track listing All tracks written by Zoran Kostić and Nebojša Antonijević, except track 6 written by Milan ...
'' (1994). Former Bulevar and Bajaga i Instruktori vocalist Dejan Cukić started his solo career in the late 1980s, and forming his Spori Ritam Band started releasing a series of successful albums, ''Spori ritam'' (1987), ''Zajedno'' (1989), ''1991'' (1991) and ''Ja bih da pevam'' (1996). Popular acts of the 1990s include
Del Arno Band Del Arno Band is a Serbian and Yugoslav reggae band formed in Belgrade in 1986. Del Arno Band are one of the pioneers of Serbian and Yugoslav reggae scenes and are considered the longest-lasting reggae band of former Yugoslavia. History 1980s B ...
,
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
,
Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Maj ...
, Prljavi Inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi,
Familija Familija ( sr-cyr, Фамилија; trans. ''Family'') was a Serbian rock supergroup from Belgrade, consisting of Vampiri, Košava and U Škripcu members. The band's musical style was a combination of ska, pop, ethnic and rock music. History ...
, and the Belgrade fraction of the band
Zabranjeno Pušenje Zabranjeno pušenje () is a Bosnian rock band formed in Sarajevo in 1980. The group's musical style primarily consists of a distinctive garage rock sound with folk influences, often featuring innovative production and complex storytelling. Curre ...
. Pioneers of Serbian and former Yugoslav
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
scenes,''Vreme vode'' review at Popboks.com
/ref> Del Arno Band, formed in 1986, were always closely associated with the rock scene. Although they released only three full-length studio albums during twenty-five years of career, Del Arno Band managed to remain on top of Serbian reggae scene. The band Van Gogh started their career with the release of their debut self-titled album in 1986, but disbanded a year later. The band reunited in 1990, and throughout the 1990s released the albums ''
Svet je moj ''Svet je moj'' (trans. ''The World Is Mine'') is the second studio album from Serbian rock band Van Gogh, released in 1991. ''Svet je moj'' is the first Van Gogh album released after their 1990 reunion. Track listing All songs were written by Z ...
'' (1990), ''
Strast ''Strast'' (trans. ''Passion'') is the third studio album from Serbian rock band Van Gogh, released 1993. The album was produced by Saša Habić, except for the track "Strast" which was produced by Vladimir Barjakaterević. Track listing All s ...
'' (1993), '' Hodi'' (1996) and ''
Opasan ples ''Opasan ples'' (trans. ''Dangerous Dance'') is the fifth studio album from a Serbian rock band Van Gogh. Track listing #"Puls" ( S. Habić, S. Radivojević, Z. Đukić) – 4:08 #"Da li zna?" (Z. Đukić) – 3:22 #"Demagogija" (S. Radivojević ...
'' (1999), which made them one of the most popular acts on the Serbian rock scene. Babe, starting in 1992 as a side project of Bajaga i Instruktori member Žika Milenković, Električni Orgazam member Goran Čavajda and Riblja Čorba member
Zoran Ilić Zoran ( sr-Cyrl, Зоран) is a common South Slavic name, the masculine form of Zora, which means ''dawn, daybreak''. The name is especially common in Serbia, North Macedonia, Croatia and a little in Slovenia. Notable people with this given na ...
, with the release of their debut album (1993) gained popularity with their humorous songs. After the departure of Čavajda, having released ''Slike sna i jave (Samo za buntovnike)'' (1999), Babe ended their activity. Another popular
comedy rock Comedy rock is rock music that is comedic in nature. Oftentimes it is mixed with satire or irony.V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, ''All music guide to rock: the definitive guide to rock, pop, and soul'' (Backbeat Books, 3rd Edition. ...
band, Prljavi Inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi, formed by charismatic frontman
Igor Blažević Igor may refer to: People * Igor (given name), an East Slavic given name and a list of people with the name * Mighty Igor (1931–2002), former American professional wrestler * Igor Volkoff, a professional wrestler from NWA All-Star Wrestling ...
in 1993, quickly gained mainstream popularity with lyrics inspired by musical, film and sport stars. The band
Familija Familija ( sr-cyr, Фамилија; trans. ''Family'') was a Serbian rock supergroup from Belgrade, consisting of Vampiri, Košava and U Škripcu members. The band's musical style was a combination of ska, pop, ethnic and rock music. History ...
was formed in 1994 by former Vampiri, U Škripcu and Košava members, and saw large popularity with their albums ''
Narodno pozorište ''Narodno pozorište'' is the debut album of the Serbian rock supergroup Familija, released in 1995. In 2021 the album was polled 99th on the list of 100 best Serbian rock albums published after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia. The list was publis ...
'' (1994) and ''
Seljačka buna ''Seljačka buna'' is the second and the last album by the Serbian rock supergroup Familija Familija ( sr-cyr, Фамилија; trans. ''Family'') was a Serbian rock supergroup from Belgrade, consisting of Vampiri, Košava and U Škripcu mem ...
'' (1997), which featured
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
/pop rock songs with humorous lyrics. With the outbreak of the Bosnian War the band Zabranjeno Pušenje from
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
split into two factions, both named Zabranjeno Pušenje: the
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
fraction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje guitarist
Sejo Sexon Davor Sučić (; born June 7, 1961), better known by his stage name Sejo Sexon, is a Bosnian rock and roll musician, film score composer, actor and television director. He is most notably the bandleader and a co-founder of the rock group Zabranjen ...
, and the Belgrade faction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje vocalist
Nele Karajlić Nenad Janković (; ; born 11 December 1962), known as Dr Nele Karajlić (), is a Bosnian Serb musician, composer, comedian, actor, writer and television director living and working in Belgrade, Serbia. One of the founders of the New Primitivism ...
. The Belgrade faction released the album ''Ja nisam odavle'' in 1997, and, after recording the soundtrack for the film ''
Black Cat, White Cat ''Black Cat, White Cat'' ( sr, Црна мачка, бели мачор, Crna mačka, beli mačor) is a 1998 Serbian romantic black comedy film directed by Emir Kusturica. It won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival. ...
'' by the director
Emir Kusturica Emir Kusturica ( sr-cyrl, Емир Кустурица; born 24 November 1954) is a Serbian film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and musician. He also has French citizenship.http://www.serbia.com/emir-kusturica-artist-builder-and-anti-glo ...
, moved towards world music, starting to perform with Kusturica under the name to The No Smoking Orchestra. The band saw large popularity outside Serbia, however, their new sound is better accepted abroad than in their home country. The 2000s featured popular bands Negative (Serbian band), Negative, Neverne Bebe and Night Shift (band), Night Shift. The power pop band Negative, featuring the former Tap 011 vocalist Ivana Peters, formed in 1999, released several successful albums and had successful appearances on several musical festivals. Neverne Bebe, formed in 1993 by the keyboard player Milan Đurđević (musician), Milan Đurđević, having released three studio albums and having several lineup changes, released highly successful album ''Dvoje – The Best Of'', featuring two female vocalists and featuring rerecorded versions of the band's old songs, after which they became one of the top mainstream acts of the Serbian scene. The post-grunge/hard rock band Night Shift (band), Night Shift, although formed in 1991, released their debut, successful cover album ''Undercovers (Night Shift album), Undercovers'' in 2002. In 2009 the band released ''Bez zaklona'' which featured their own songs. Beside the mentioned bands, the veterans of the Serbian rock scene,
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, with their comeback ''Dugo znamo se'' (2005),
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, ...
, with the albums ''Dnevnik starog momka'' (2001) and ''Rani mraz (album), Rani mraz'' (2004),
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
, with ''Pišanje uz vetar'' (2001), ''Ovde'' (2003), ''Trilogija'' (2007) and ''Minut sa njom'' (2009),
Bajaga i Instruktori Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. ''Bajaga and the Instructors'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1984. Founded and led by vocalist, guitarist and principal composer ...
, with ''Zmaj od Noćaja (album), Zmaj od Noćaja'' (2001), ''Šou počinje u ponoć'' (2005) and ''Daljina, dim i prašina'' (2012),
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
with ''Harmonajzer'' (2002) and ''To što vidiš to i jeste'' (2010),
Galija Galija ( sr-cyr, Галија; ) is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1977. The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Predrag Milosavljević (vocals). A larg ...
with ''Dobro jutro, to sam ja'' (2005) and ''Mesto pored prozora'' (2010), Partibrejkers, with ''Gramzivost i pohlepa'' (2002) and ''Sloboda ili ništa'' (2007), and
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
, with ''DrUnder (Van Gogh), DrUnder'' (2002), ''Kolo (Van Gogh), Kolo'' (2006) and ''Lavirint (Van Gogh), Lavirint'' (2009), maintained their popularity throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.


Acoustic rock (late 1960 – mid-1970s, early 1990s – present)

The Serbian acoustic scene emerged in the late 1960s with the appearance of the hippie subculture in Serbia, but reached its peak in the early 1970s with the bands Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, Vlada i Bajka, Lutajuća Srca, S Vremena Na Vreme, DAG (former Yugoslav band), DAG, and
Suncokret Suncokret ( sr-cyr, Сунцокрет; trans. ''Sunflower'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade. Band history 1975 — 1980 The band was formed in 1975 by former Zajedno member Bora Đorđević (vocals and acoustic guitar), a ...
, most of them being a part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, naming themselves "akustičari" ("acousticans")."Svremenaši", belgradebeerfest.com
/ref> The pioneers of the Serbian acoustic rock scene were the bands Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, Vlada i Bajka and S Vremena Na Vreme. Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, which was also a theatre group, formed by Maja de Rado and Jugoslav Vlahović in 1968, released their only album ''Stvaranje'' in 1974, and disbanded in 1975. The duo Vlada i Bajka saw success with their early recordings, but disbanded in 1975. In 1993, the duo reunited, and recorded their first full-length album, ''Ja nisam ja'' (1994), which featured the hit song "Beograd", recorded with singers
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; born 1 November 1952), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-cyr, Бора Чорба), is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known as the frontman of the ...
and Dušan Prelević, and actors Dragan Nikolić, Nikola Kojo and Dragan Bjelogrlić. Acoustic/
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
band S Vremena Na Vreme, formed in 1972, were, beside being a pioneers of the acoustic scene, one of the first former Yugoslav bands to incorporate
traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
elements into their music. The band's debut self-titled album, released in 1975, was widely praised by the critics. After releasing their third, electric instrument, electric-oriented album, ''Paviljon G'' in 1979, S Vremena Na Vreme disbanded. They reunited in 1993, releasing a studio and a live album, before disbanding once again in 1997. Lutajuća Srca, formed in 1970 in
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
, released many 7-inch singles and four studio albums, and remains best known for their hits "Još malo", "Jefimija" and "Brod za sreću". DAG, formed in 1972, although a part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, used electric instruments on their only studio album ''Sećanja'' (1974). One of the last acoustic rock bands, Suncokret, appeared in 1975, featuring
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; born 1 November 1952), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-cyr, Бора Чорба), is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known as the frontman of the ...
and Nenad Božić on acoustic guitars and vocals and two female vocalists,
Biljana Krstić Biljana () is a settlement east of Dobrovo in the Municipality of Brda in the Littoral region of Slovenia, very close to the border with Italy. Name Biljana was first mentioned in written sources in 1205 as ''Beliana'' (and as ''Villana'' in 1 ...
and Gorica Popović. The band started releasing
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
-inspired singles and, in 1977, released their only album, ''Moje bube''. The following year, having written the song "
Lutka sa naslovne strane "Lutka sa naslovne strane" ("Front Cover Babe") is the debut single from the influential Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The song, a hard rock ballad about a fame-hungry model, was originally written during the time Riblja ...
", which the band refused to perform, Đorđević, together with Krstić, left the band, moving to
Rani Mraz Rani Mraz (Serbian Cyrillic: Рани Мраз; trans. ''Early Frost'') were a former Yugoslav rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1977 by former Žetva member Đorđe Balašević. During the initial period, the band went through several lineup c ...
. Suncokret continued to perform with a changed lineup, led by female vocalist Snežana Jandrlić, until 1980 when they disbanded. Beside the mentioned bands, part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene was the singer-songwriter Srđan Marjanović during the first several years of his career. Throughout the 1980s, the acoustic scene did not exist, however, the appearance of the first acoustic music, unplugged concerts in the late 1980s introduced the popularity of acoustic music in the following decade. Bora Đorđević's and Arsen Dedić's 1987 unplugged performance in Terazije Theatre, released on the official bootleg album ''Arsen & Bora Čorba Unplugged `87'', was one of the first unplugged concerts in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. However, it was in the 1990s that the Serbian rock acts started performing unplugged more often. The first official unplugged live album was released by the britpop band Eva Braun (band), Eva Braun in 1993, and in the following year the Music Television of Serbia organized an unplugged festival in Belgrade Sava Centar. The recordings of Eva Braun,
Rambo Amadeus Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of former Yugoslavia. His songs combine ...
,
Laki Pingvini Laki Pingvini ( sr-Cyrl, Лаки Пингвини; transl. ''The Easy Penguins'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1979. Initially a part of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the band later turned towards synth-pop and ...
,
Babe Babe or babes may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People Nickname * Babe Adams (1882–1968), American Major League Baseball pitcher * Babe Barna (1917–1972), American Maj ...
,
Dejan Cukić Dejan Cukić ( sr-cyr, Дејан Цукић; born November 4, 1959) is a Serbian rock musician, journalist, writer and translator. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Cukić was the frontman of the new wave band Bulevar, releasing two al ...
, Milan Delčić, Du Du A,
Del Arno Band Del Arno Band is a Serbian and Yugoslav reggae band formed in Belgrade in 1986. Del Arno Band are one of the pioneers of Serbian and Yugoslav reggae scenes and are considered the longest-lasting reggae band of former Yugoslavia. History 1980s B ...
, Kazna Za Uši, and others appeared on the various artists compilation ''Bez struje'' in 1995. During the 1990s, the unplugged concerts in Serbia were mainly organized by the Novi Sad television station NS Plus in Novi Sad Studio M. Influenced by the already popular ''MTV Unplugged'', ''NS Plus Unplugged'' concerts of Dejan Cukić, Kerber, S Vremena Na Vreme,
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
,
Vlada Divljan Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир "Влада" Дивљан; 10 May 1958 – 4 March 2015), was a Serbian singer and songwriter. He was known as the frontman of the Serbian and Yugoslav rock band Idoli, one of the bands which ...
& Old Stars Band and Garavi Sokak, all held in 1996, and Love Hunters, held in 1998, were released on live albums throughout the late 1990s.
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
released only a part of their 1996 unplugged concert in Studio M, featuring
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; hu, Kovács Kornél; 1 January 1942 – 13 September 2022) was a Serbian composer. Early life Born in Niš during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Serbia to a ...
on piano, on their 2007 album ''Live (YU Grupa album), Live''. An unplugged album was also released by Generacija 5 in 2002, but their unplugged concert, held in 1995, was not a part of the ''NS Plus Unplugged'' series. The 1990s also featured several notable acoustic non-live releases. The folk rock band Garavi Sokak, after the release of their 1994 acoustic-oriented album ''Slova tvoga imena'', started performing on acoustic instruments only and turned towards pop sound. In 1996, the singer-songwriter
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, ...
released acoustic folk rock-oriented album ''Na posletku...''. During the 2000s, the acoustic music featured only a few notable releases. In 2000, Dejan Cukić recorded an acoustic Bob Dylan tribute ''Divlji med'', featuring Serbian language lyrics. In 2002, Block Out (band), Block Out leader Nikola Vranjković released a solo album ''Zaovdeilizaponeti'', featuring lyrics from his book of the same title released with the CD. In 2002, Đorđe Balašević released the album ''Rani mraz (album), Rani mraz'', stylistically similar to ''Na posletku...''. In 2002, the reformed Griva held an unplugged concert in Studio M, the recording of which was released on the album ''Griva & Co. — Live'' in 2010.


Singer-songwriters (early 1970s – present)

Serbian rock scene featured several notable singer-songwriters. One of the most important authors was
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, ...
. He started his career in the 1970s as a member of the band Žetva and the leader of the band
Rani Mraz Rani Mraz (Serbian Cyrillic: Рани Мраз; trans. ''Early Frost'') were a former Yugoslav rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1977 by former Žetva member Đorđe Balašević. During the initial period, the band went through several lineup c ...
, before starting, with the release of the album ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
'' (1982), a very successful solo career spanning up to the present. Despite the fact that his work in Žetva and Rani Mraz was mainly
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
-oriented, in his later career he often used elements of rock, chanson and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, with some of his works, like ''Na posletku...'' (1996) and ''Rani mraz (album), Rani mraz'' (2004) being entirely folk rock-oriented. Balašević's lyrics often dealt with humorous or political- and social-related themes. Other notable singer-songwriters are Srđan Marjanović and Nikola Čuturilo. Initially a part of the Belgrade acoustic rock scene, Srđan Marjanović released his debut album ''Srđan Marjanović i prijatelji'', which he recorded with members of
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, in 1974. During his career he released twelve studio albums. Nikola Čuturilo rose to fame as the guitarist for
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
. He released his first solo album, ''9 lakih komada'' (1988), while still a member of Riblja Čorba. He left the band in 1989, continuing his solo career which spans up to the present day.


Progressive and psychedelic rock (late 1960s – early 1980s)

Progressive rock dominated the Serbian rock scene throughout the 1970s, with the acts such as Dogovor iz 1804., Korni Grupa,
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, Smak, Pop Mašina, Dah (band), Dah, S Vremena Na Vreme, Opus (Yugoslav band), Opus, Tako (band), Tako, and Igra Staklenih Perli being the most notable representatives."Non-Aligned Prog: The Music of Serbia (Part II)", prog-sphere.com
/ref> With the emergence of the new wave scene at the beginning of the 1980s, Serbian progressive rock bands saw the decline of popularity and most of them ceased to exist. Dogovor iz 1804. was short-lived, but played a pioneering role on a Yugoslav progressive rock scene as one of the first bands to move away from the 1960s
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
sound. They were followed by Korni Grupa. Formed in 1968 by
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; hu, Kovács Kornél; 1 January 1942 – 13 September 2022) was a Serbian composer. Early life Born in Niš during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Serbia to a ...
, the band had gone through many lineup changes and featured many famous musicians, including vocalists Dušan Prelević, Dalibor Brun,
Dado Topić Adolf "Dado" Topić (born 4 September 1950, Siverić at Drniš) is a rock musician from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead sin ...
, Zdravko Čolić and Zlatko Pejaković. The band gained mainstream popularity with their simple pop-oriented songs, but moved towards progressive rock after they were joined by singer Dado Topić. Nevertheless, the band continued to record pop-oriented songs and represented Yugoslavia at the
1974 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1974 was the 19th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Brighton, United Kingdom and was organized by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster British Broadcasting Corpor ...
with the song " Moja generacija". In 1973, the band, under the name Kornelyans, released the
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...
-oriented English language album ''Not An Ordinary Life''. Korni Grupa disbanded shortly after, but reunited in 1987 to perform at the Legende YU Rocka (''Legends of YU Rock'') concerts.
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, formed in 1970 by former
Džentlmeni Džentlmeni ( sr-Cyrl, Џентлмени, lit=The Gentlemen) were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1966. A year after the formation, the band split into two factions. The first faction featured original rhythm guitarist Milan Buza, a ...
members, brothers Dragi and
Žika Jelić Živorad "Žika" Jelić (born 7 December 1942) is a Serbian rock musician. He is best known as being the guitarist for the Serbian rock band YU Grupa, which he formed in 1970 with his younger brother Dragi. During the 1960s, alongside his brot ...
, were one of the pioneers in incorporating elements of Music of Southeastern Europe, traditional music of the Balkans into rock, and achieved huge popularity with their fusion of progressive/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
and folk found on their 7-inch singles. Members of YU Grupa performed as a support band for guitarists Bata Kostić, Vedran Božić, Josip Boček and Goran Bregović on the ''Kongres rock majstora'' (''Congress of Rock Masters'') concert and album. YU Grupa disbanded in 1981, but reunited in 1987, continuing to record successful
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
-oriented releases throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s. Smak, formed in 1971 by guitarist Radomir Mihajlović Točak, often considered one of the top and most influential guitarist on the former Yugoslav rock scene, and drummer Dejan Stojanović (musician), Dejan Stojanović "Kepa", did not get a default lineup until 1975 by which time bassist Zoran Milanović (musician), Zoran Milanović, vocalist Boris Aranđelović and keyboard player Laza Ristovski consisted the official band membership. Smak performed
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
-influenced progressive rock, but also incorporated elements of folk, blues and hard rock into their sound. The band achieved huge popularity in the 1970s, with their releases ''Smak (album), Smak'' (1975), ''
Satelit Satelit ( sr, Сателит) is a small urban neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. In English it translates as “Satellite”. It is part of the larger Bistrica urban area and neighborhood. Borders The southern border of Satelit ...
'' (1976), '' Crna dama'' (1977) and '' Stranice našeg vremena'' (1978). However, the band's popularity heavily declined at the beginning of the 1980s. Smak disbanded in 1981, and reunited and disbanded several times since. Pop Mašina, formed in 1971, performed progressive/hard rock, but their debut album ''Kiselina'' (1973) also featured acid rock, acid and psychedelic rock elements. The band released the first former Yugoslav live album, ''Put ka Suncu'' in 1976, and disbanded the following year. In 1981, the band's former members, Robert Nemeček and brothers Vidoja Božinović, Vidoja and Zoran Božinović, formed the hard rock/ heavy metal band Rok Mašina. S Vremena Na Vreme, formed in 1972, were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav acoustic rock scene, but also incorporated progressive rock elements into their music. They were also one of the first former Yugoslav rock bands to incorporate folk music elements into their songs. The band's debut self-titled album, released in 1975, was widely praised by the critics. S Vremena Na Vreme disbanded in 1981, but reunited in 1993, and disbanded once again in 1997. Dah (band), Dah, formed in 1972 and led by guitarist Zlatko Manojlović, also combined progressive rock with folk. In 1975, Dah moved to Belgium and started a short-lasting international career under the name Land. After returning to Yugoslavia, the band recorded the album ''Povratak'' (1976) and disbanded shortly after. In 1977, Manojlović formed the progressive/hard rock band Gordi (band), Gordi, which made a shift towards heavy metal in the 1980s. The band Opus (Yugoslav band), Opus was formed in 1973 by former YU Grupa organist Miodrag Okrugić. The band disbanded after releasing only one symphonic rock-oriented album, ''Opus 1'' (1975), with Dušan Prelević on vocals. Another symphonic rock-oriented act was the band Tako (band), Tako, formed in 1974, which performed a fusion of symphonic and jazz rock. Progressive/psychedelic rock band Igra Staklenih Perli, formed in 1976, was one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav psychedelic/space rock scene. The band released two studio albums, ''Igra Staklenih Perli'' (1979) and ''Vrt svetlosti'' (1980), before disbanding in 1985. In 2011, the band's former members Draško Nikodijević and Predrag Vuković, with a group of young musicians, formed the band Igra Staklenih Perli The Next Generation, releasing their debut album ''Apokaliptus'' in 2013. Other notable bands that incorporated progressive rock elements into their music include Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, DAG (former Yugoslav band), DAG,
Galija Galija ( sr-cyr, Галија; ) is a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1977. The central figures of the band are brothers Nenad Milosavljević (vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica) and Predrag Milosavljević (vocals). A larg ...
and Neverne Bebe. Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, formed in 1968, and DAG, formed in 1972, were acoustic rock bands, but, as S Vremena Na Vreme, also incorporated progressive elements into their music. Galija, formed in 1977, released their debut, progressive rock-oriented album ''Prva plovidba'' in 1979. Although the band's several following releases featured similar progressive rock sound, the band started gradually turning towards mainstream rock, and reached the peak of popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Neverne Bebe, formed in 1993, in the initial period of their career incorporated progressive rock elements into their music, but in the 2000s (decade) turned towards
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
sound.


Hard rock and heavy metal (early 1970s – present)

Although some of the 1960s bands performed covers of songs by
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
pioneers like Cream (band), Cream and Jimi Hendrix Experience, hard rock gained large popularity in the early 1970s with the works of
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
bands Pop Mašina,
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
and Smak. Pop Mašina, formed in 1971, was one of the first Serbian and Yugoslav bands to move away from
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
towards harder sound. Their sound featured progressive, hard, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements. Pop Mašina disbanded in 1977. YU Grupa, formed in 1970, performed progressive/hard rock, and their songs often featured
traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
elements. The band disbanded in 1981, only to reunite in 1987. Since their comeback album, ''Od zlata jabuka'' (1987), their work has been mostly hard rock-oriented. Smak, formed in 1971, performed
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
-influenced progressive rock, but their sound often featured hard rock, blues and folk elements. The band moved towards more commercial hard rock at the beginning of the 1980s with the album ''Rock cirkus'', but the album saw little success and the band disbanded shortly after, having constant reunions disbandments throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The late 1970s featured the appearance of hard rock bands Generacija 5 and
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
, the latter one becoming one of the most notable acts of Serbian and former Yugoslav rock scene. Generacija 5, formed in 1977, managed to gain a loyal fan base with their albums ''Generacija 5'' (1980) and ''Dubler'' (1982), but disbanded in 1982. In 1985, the band's former leader, keyboardist Dragan Ilić wrote the music for the song "Za milion godina", which was recorded by a group of Yugoslav musicians (including former members of Generacija 5) as a contribution to Live Aid. Generacija 5 reunited in 1992, but has released only two studio albums since. Their 2006 album ''Energija'' featured Smak frontman Dejan Najdanović as guest vocalist on the entire album. In 1978, former
Suncokret Suncokret ( sr-cyr, Сунцокрет; trans. ''Sunflower'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav acoustic rock band from Belgrade. Band history 1975 — 1980 The band was formed in 1975 by former Zajedno member Bora Đorđević (vocals and acoustic guitar), a ...
and
Rani Mraz Rani Mraz (Serbian Cyrillic: Рани Мраз; trans. ''Early Frost'') were a former Yugoslav rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1977 by former Žetva member Đorđe Balašević. During the initial period, the band went through several lineup c ...
member
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-cyr, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; born 1 November 1952), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-cyr, Бора Чорба), is a Serbian singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known as the frontman of the ...
and SOS members Miša Aleksić, Rajko Kojić and Vicko Milatović formed the hard rock band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
. After the recording of their debut hit single "
Lutka sa naslovne strane "Lutka sa naslovne strane" ("Front Cover Babe") is the debut single from the influential Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The song, a hard rock ballad about a fame-hungry model, was originally written during the time Riblja ...
" they were joined by guitarist
Momčilo Bajagić Momcilo or Momčilo (Cyrillic script: Момчило) is a masculine given name of Slavic origin. It is often found in Serbia and Montenegro. It may refer to: * Momčilo Bajagić, Serbian rock musician * Momčilo Bošković (born 1951), retired Ser ...
(who, having left Riblja Čorba in 1984, formed the highly successful
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
band
Bajaga i Instruktori Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. ''Bajaga and the Instructors'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1984. Founded and led by vocalist, guitarist and principal composer ...
). Riblja Čorba debut album ''
Kost u grlu ''Kost u grlu'' (trans. ''Bone in the Throat'') is the 1979 debut album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The album was polled in 1998 as the 16th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums in the book '' Y ...
'' (1979) saw huge success, and the band became very popular in a few months period. The albums '' Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti'' (1981), ''
Mrtva priroda ''Mrtva priroda'' (trans. '' Still Life'') is the third studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba, released in 1981. In 1998, the album was polled as the 19th on the list of 100 greatest Yugoslav rock and pop albums ...
'' (1981) and ''Buvlja pijaca'' (1982), the latter featuring softer sound than the band's first three releases, were also well received by fans and critics alike, and Ðorđević's provocative political- and social-related lyrics, caused him to become one of the most controversial musicians in Yugoslavia. The album ''Večeras vas zabavljaju muzičari koji piju'' (1984) was poorly received, and after its release Kojić and Bajagić were excluded from the band. However, the band triumphed with the following album, ''
Istina ''Istina'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Истина; trans. ''The Truth'') is the sixth studio album released by Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. The album is considered by fans and critics alike to be one of Riblja Čorba's finest w ...
'' (1985), recorded with guitarists Vidoja Božinović and Nikola Čuturilo. Although more heavy metal-oriented than any of the band's previous works and often considered Riblja Čorba's Masterpiece, magnum opus, ''Istina'' was also the album after which the band, although still generally fitting into hard rock, started turning towards softer sound. However, the band managed to sustain their popularity and remained one of the most popular acts of the Serbian rock scene until today. The beginning of the 1980s saw the appearance of first traditional heavy metal releases, most notably by Gordi (band), Gordi, Rok Mašina and Warriors (band), Ratnici, and the new generation of hard rock bands, most notably Kerber, Griva and Balkan (band), Balkan. In 1981, progressive/hard rock band Gordi, formed in 1977, released the album ''Pakleni trio'' which marked their shift towards heavy metal, making Gordi one of the first Serbian and former Yugoslav traditional heavy metal bands. Although only the last two Gordi albums, ''Pakleni trio'' and ''Kraljica smrti'' (1982), were heavy metal-oriented, these are generally considered the most notable Gordi releases and considered milestones on the Serbian and former Yugoslav heavy metal scenes. During the same year, former Pop Mašina members formed the short-lasting hard rock band Rok Mašina, which disbanded in 1982, after releasing only one Rok Mašina (album), album. A part of the material the band intended to release on their second studio album was released in 1983 on the heavy metal-oriented EP ''Izrod na granici''. Hard rock band Kerber, formed in 1981, released their debut album ''Nebo je malo za sve'' in 1983, but it was their second album, ''Ratne igre'' (1984), that launched them to fame.Kerber, Svet se brzo okreće
/ref> The band's melodic hard rock sound was well received, and their following two albums, ''Seobe'' (1986) and ''Ljudi i bogovi'' (1988), kept them on the top of Yugoslav hard rock scene. However, in the late 1990s, the band went on hiatus, reactivating in the late 2000s. Hard rock band Griva, formed in 1982, saw commercial success after the release of their third album ''Griva (album), Griva'' (1987) which featured a combination of hard rock and glam metal with the Music of Vojvodina#Traditional music, traditional music of Vojvodina, disbanding in 1992. In 1982, Riblja Čorba drummer Vicko Milatović formed the heavy metal band Warriors (band), Ratnici, which later changed the name to Warriors and, without Milatović, moved to Canada. In 1984, they recorded Warriors (1984 album), an album for the foreign market, but disbanded in 1986. In 1982, guitarist Aleksandar "Leki" Cvetković formed the hard rock band Balkan (band), Balkan. Cvetković's social-related lyrics were heavily influenced by the lyrics of Bora Ðordevic and Azra leader Branimir Štulić. The band released four studio albums before disbanding in 1989. The late 1980s featured the appearance of the band Love Hunters, female singer Viktorija (singer), Viktorija, and the emergence of glam metal scene, with the bands Karizma (hard rock band), Karizma and Osvajači being the most notable representatives. Love Hunters, formed in 1987, initially performed punk blues, but later moved towards hard rock. As their songs featured English language lyrics, during the first several years of existence the band did not manage to break through to mainstream media, but achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Viktorija, known for her husky voice, started her career as a member of the girl group Aska (group), Aska, starting her solo career in 1988 with the album ''Spavaćeš sam''. She combined
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
, hard rock and glam metal and saw huge popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before she semi-retired at the end of the 1990s. The band Karizma released two albums before disbanding at the beginning of the 1990s. The band Osvajači released their debut glam metal-oriented album ''Krv i led'', which they recorded with Laza Ristovski on keyboards, in 1990, while their second album ''Sam (Osvajači album), Sam'' (1995) marked the band's slight shift towards heavier sound. Osvajači disbanded in 1997, and reunited in 1999 with the new vocalist, releasing the album ''Vrelina'', but disbanding a year later. The late 1980s also saw the emergence of the first extreme metal acts, which saw little mainstream popularity in Serbia and former Yugoslavia in general during the 1980s. The thrash metal band Heller (band), Heller, formed in 1985, released arguably Heller (album), the first thrash metal album in South-Eastern Europe and was one of the pioneers of Serbian and former Yugoslav extreme metal scene. Another pioneer of the former Yugoslav extreme metal scene, speed metal, speed/thrash metal band Bombarder, originally based in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
, moved to Belgrade after the beginning of the Bosnian War, where the band continued to record and perform. The 1990s featured only several notable, mostly crossover thrash, metal acts: Sick Mother Fakers, Dead Ideas, and Svarog (band), Svarog, the latter also being one of the pioneers of sludge metal, sludge and doom metal in Serbia. The 2000s saw the revival of the Serbian heavy metal scene and brought a variety of heavy metal genres, with most of the bands being gathered around Belgrade Radio Belgrade, Radio 202. The most notable bands of the movement were the hard rock/heavy metal band Kraljevski Apartman, formed in 1995, and progressive/power metal band Alogia (band), Alogia, formed in 2000, both gaining a large fanbase. The band Pero Defformero, which parodies turbo folk combining it with heavy metal and humorous lyrics, gained popularity in the 2000s, despite being active since the early 1990s. Another notable acts of the 2000s and 2010s include black metal bands May Result and The Stone (band), The Stone, gothic metal band Abonos, Death metal, death/doom metal band Rain Delay (band), Rain Delay, Industrial metal, industrial/alternative metal band Trigger (band), Trigger, and others. The 2000s also saw the revival of the hard rock scene. The hard rock band Cactus Jack (band), Cactus Jack, influenced by the Hard rock#First era (1970s), 1970s hard rock, was formed in 1998, but saw their commercial success in the 2000s. The post-grunge/hard rock band Night Shift (band), Night Shift, even though formed in 1991, released their debut album ''Undercovers (Night Shift album), Undercovers'' in 2002. The album, which featured covers of songs by various rock and pop artists, was well received by the audience and the critics, and the band moved towards writing their own songs, releasing their second album ''Bez zaklona'' in 2009. The second half of the decade featured the appearance of new hard rock acts, like Atlantida (band), Atlantida, Art Diler, Death Saw (band), Death Saw, and others.


Blues-rock (late 1970s – present)

Despite the facts that many 1960s rock bands, such as
Crni Biseri Crni Biseri ( sr-cyr, Црни Бисери, trans. ''The Black Pearls'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1963. The band were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band started their career performing beat music, ...
,
Daltoni Daltoni (Serbian Cyrillic: ; translation: '' The Daltons'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1963. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. Formed by high school students, Daltoni initially performed beat music. In ...
, Elipse, and others performed
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
, and many 1970s progressive and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
bands, such as Pop Mašina,
YU Grupa YU Grupa (trans. '' YU Group'') is a Serbian ( former Yugoslav) rock band. A pioneer in combining rock music with the elements of the traditional music of the Balkans, YU Grupa is credited with being the longest-lasting Serbian rock band.
, Smak and
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; translation: lit. ''Fish Stew'') is a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band was one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Yugosla ...
, incorporated blues elements into their music, the first Serbian blues band, Blues Kvintet, was formed in 1979. They held their first concert at Mašinac club in Belgrade in spring of 1981, which is considered the first blues concert by a Serbian band. During the 1980s many notable blues/blues-rock bands was formed: Sirova Koža (also known internationally as Raw Hide), formed in 1982; Point Blank (Serbian band), Point Blank and Blues Trio, both formed in 1983; Zona B, formed in 1987; Di Luna Blues Band, formed 1989. The band Hush (Serbian band), Hush, led by female guitarist Ana Popović, released their debut and only album ''Hometown'' in 1998. In 1999, Ana Popović moved to Netherlands and started a successful international career. The 2000s brought a new generation of blues rock bands: Šinobusi (formed in 2001), Texas Flood (band), Texas Flood (formed in 2004), Cotton Pickers (Serbian band), Cotton Pickers (formed in 2004), and others.


Punk rock, post-punk and gothic rock (late 1970s – present)

The development of punk rock in Serbia started in Novi Sad with the bands
Pekinška Patka Pekinška Patka (Serbian Cyrillic: Пекиншка Патка; trans. ''Peking Duck'') is an eminent Serbian and former Yugoslav punk rock band from Novi Sad. Their debut album, '' Plitka poezija'', released in 1980, is considered the first pu ...
and Gomila G, both formed in 1978. Pekinška Patka, formed by vocalist Nebojša Čonkić, pronounced themselves "the first Eastern Christianity, Orthodox punk rock band", which was against the attitude of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, which promoted atheism. Another pioneer of punk rock in Serbia was the band Gomila G (this name being a censored version of Gomila Govana, trans. ''A Pile of Shit''), also from Novi Sad. The band initially performed cover versions of Ramones and Sex Pistols songs, but soon started writing their own songs. Gomila G usually performed as an opening act for Pekinška Patka, and their appearance at the Celebration of the World War II liberation of Stepanovićevo in 1979, where the band performed the song "God Save Martin Bormann" and Čonkić of Pekinška Patka blown condoms on stage, made the media turn against the two bands, even asking for banning of their public appearances. Gomila G disbanded in 1980 as the band members, guitarist Žolt Horvat and drummer Robert Radić formed the first Serbian
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
band, Kontraritam. In the meantime, Pekinška Patka gained mainstream popularity and recorded their first releases. At the Subotica Festival Omladina they won the Audience Award and their whole performance was broadcast on national television, which was the first TV appearance of any punk rock band in Yugoslavia. The popularity of the band then gave them the opportunity to release two singles, and then a studio album, ''Plitka poezija'', the first punk rock album by a Serbian band, released in 1980 by Jugoton. After the album release, the lineup changed, and the arrival of the young Zoran Bulatović, Zoran "Bale" Bulatović on guitar, brought the stylistic changes, firstly moving towards new wave, and eventually to post-punk. The band's second album ''Strah od monotonije'' is considered the first post-punk release in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. After the album release, the band disbanded. The appearance of the first post-punk album on the Serbian scene influenced appearance of post-punk and gothic rock bands and releases. Zoran "Bale" Bulatović (guitar) and Marko "Mare" Vukomanović (bass guitar), both from Pekinška Patka, with La Strada (band), La Strada members Slobodan Tišma (vocals) and Ivan Fece Firchie (drums) formed the first gothic rock band in Serbia, Luna (Serbian band), Luna, releasing only one album, ''Nestvarne stvari'' (1984). Beside Luna, the notable gothic rock act was also Trivalia from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
, formed in the second half of the 1980s. Gothic rock, however, saw little popularity in Serbia. Another Niš band, post-punk/darkwave band Dobri Isak, released their only album ''Mi plačemo iza tamnih naočara'' in 1983. The album, which was one of the first albums in Serbia released through an independent record label, saw little success at a time of its release, but saw critical acclaim when it was rereleased in 2009. Other bands which featured the post-punk/gothic rock influences were the new wave bands
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
, on their second album ''Lišće prekriva Lisabon'' (1982), and
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, on their debut ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани; trans. ''The Defense and the Last Days'') is the first studio album by Yugoslav new wave band Idoli released in 1982. ''Džuboks'' magazine critics voted the ...
'' (1982), and the
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
band
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, en, Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts. Initia ...
, firstly called Katarina II, on the albums ''Katarina II (album), Katarina II'' (1984), ''Ekatarina Velika (album), Ekatarina Velika'' (1985) and ''S' vetrom uz lice'' (1986). The second generation of punk rock acts in Serbia featured Partibrejkers, Kazna Za Uši and Toni Montano from Belgrade. Serbian Garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band Partibrejkers, formed in 1982, brought the public's attention to themselves with their live appearances and musical style, even as a demo act. The band was formed by former Urbana Gerila and Radnička Kontrola frontman, Zoran Kostić (musician), Zoran Kostić "Cane" and guitarist Nebojša Antonijević "Anton", the two being the mainstay members of the band. By the time the band released their Partibrejkers I, debut, self-titled album, in 1985, they already gained much popularity, kept through their later successful releases '' Partibrejkers II'' (1988), '' Partibrejkers III'' (1989), ''
Kiselo i slatko ''Kiselo i slatko'' is the fourth studio album by the Serbian garage rock/ punk rock band Partibrejkers, released by PGP RTB in 1994. Track listing All tracks written by Zoran Kostić and Nebojša Antonijević, except track 6 written by Milan ...
'' (1994) and ''Ledeno doba'' (1997), entering the 2000s as one of the top mainstream acts of the Serbian rock scene. In 1986, another prominent garage punk band was formed, Kazna Za Uši, but the band became prominent in the 1990s, winning the first place at Gitarijada festival in 1992 and releasing their debut ''Ispod zemlje'' in the same year. During the mid-1980s the former vocalist of the punk rock band Radost Evrope, Velibor Miljković performed as a solo act using the pseudonym Toni Montano, and his albums featured a combination of punk rock and
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...
, also found on his future releases. Other prominent representatives of the second generation of punk rock bands in Serbia featured Kragujevac bands KBO! and Trula Koalicija, both formed by Saša "Vuja" Vujić. Vujić formed KBO! in 1982, and their first recordings were released by foreign record labels, which was also the case with their first official studio album, ''Forever punk'' (1989). The band performed in many foreign countries, and also formed their own independent record label, KBO! Records, which released the band's demo recordings and studio albums. Vujić also formed the band Trula Koalicija in 1986 with the vocalist Predrag "Skaki" Drčelić. Punk rock continued to be popular in the 1990s with the appearance the bands Atheist Rap and Zbogom Brus Li from Novi Sad, Goblini from Šabac, Džukele from Subotica and Novembar from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
. Atheist Rap's sound, a combination of punk rock with humorous lyrics found on their studio albums ''Maori i Crni Gonzales'' (1992), ''Ja eventualno bih ako njega eliminišete'' (1996) and ''II liga zapad'' (1998), was described by the band themselves as "happy punk". Zbogom Brus Li combined punk rock and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
of Vojvodina into a style the band describes as "tamburaški punk" ("tamburitza punk") on their albums ''Penk Punk Pink Pank Ponk'' (1995) and ''Zlobro'' (1997). The band Goblini was formed in 1992, and with the release of their first two studio albums, ''Goblini (album), Goblini'' (1994) and ''Istinite priče I deo'' (1994), the band had become a live attraction, performing in Serbia and abroad. On their third studio album ''U magnovenju'' (1996), the band was joined by Leonid Pilipović from the band Džukele. After the album release, Pilipović returned to his own band, which, having released their debut ''Gledajući u mrak'' in 1994 and the second album ''Zubato Sunce'' in 1998, disbanded. Punk rock band Novembar released three studio albums, ''Deguelo'' (1994), ''Blues južne pruge'' (1997), and ''Licem prema zemlji'' in (2000) featuring the band's combination of American rock, American guitar oriented rock sound combined with punk rock, pop punk and new wave influences. The 2000s featured disbandment and reunions of many punk rock groups. In 2001, Goblini disbanded, reuniting in 2010. In 2002, Džukele, Novembar and Trula Koalicija disbanded, but the latter two reformed a few years later, Trula Koalicija with a new lineup in 2005, and November in 2007, releasing a new album, ''Radulizam'' in 2008. Džukele guitarist and vocalist Slobodan Vukosavljević formed the garage rock band Nafta, which released the albums ''Samo senke prolaze'' (2008) and ''Alternator'' (2011). In 2004, at the EXIT (festival), EXIT festival, gothic rock band Luna (Novi Sad band), Luna reunited in the original lineup, and, four years later at the same festival, the original
Pekinška Patka Pekinška Patka (Serbian Cyrillic: Пекиншка Патка; trans. ''Peking Duck'') is an eminent Serbian and former Yugoslav punk rock band from Novi Sad. Their debut album, '' Plitka poezija'', released in 1980, is considered the first pu ...
lineup reunited to perform at the festival main stage, alongside Sex Pistols. The band announced the release of a cover album, featuring songs performed at the Yugoslav 1960s pop festivals.


New wave (late 1970s – early 1980s)

The origin of the new wave scene in Serbia can be found in Belgrade 1970s bands Zvuk Ulice, Limunovo Drvo and Hipnotisano Pile. The three bands featured the future members of the Serbian new wave bands
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, Šarlo Akrobata and
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
. Zvuk Ulice member
Vlada Divljan Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир "Влада" Дивљан; 10 May 1958 – 4 March 2015), was a Serbian singer and songwriter. He was known as the frontman of the Serbian and Yugoslav rock band Idoli, one of the bands which ...
, with two friends,
Nebojša Krstić Nebojša Krstić ( sr-cyrl, Небојша Крстић; born 9 July 1957) is a Serbian media personality, political commentator, former musician (VIS Idoli) and physician. He is also a former public relations advisor to the office of the Presid ...
and
Srđan Šaper Srđan Šaper ( sr-cyr, Срђан Шапер; born October 9, 1958) is a founder of I&F McCann Grupa. He is also well known as a founder and a member of the Yugoslav new wave band Idoli in the 1980s.P. Janjatović, Idoli, YU rock enciklopedija ...
formed a conceptual band VIS Dečaci in 1979, whose photographs appeared in the ''Vidici'' youth magazine and attracted media's attention. The band soon included bassist Zdenko Kolar, also from Zvuk Ulice, and drummer Boža Jovanović and was renamed to
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, in 1980. Limunovo Drvo, featuring guitarists Milan Mladenović and Dragomir Mihajlović "Gagi", performed
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
for two years, before adopting the new wave and punk rock musical style on the arrival of the bassist Dušan Kojić "Koja" and drummer Ivan Vdović "VD". After the departure of Mihajlović, the band was renamed to Šarlo Akrobata.
Električni Orgazam Električni Orgazam ( sr-cyr, Електрични Оргазам, lit=Electric Orgasm, translit=) is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade. Originally starting as a combination of new wave, punk rock and post-punk, the band later slowly changed t ...
was formed as an ad hoc band of the melodic hard rock band Hipnotisano Pile. The band was formed to perform at the 1980 Palilula, Belgrade, Palilula Culture Olympics as an opening act for Hipnotisano Pile. Guitarist Ljubomir Jovanović "Jovec" was to play the drums and the drummer Srđan Gojković "Gile" was to play guitar and sing lead vocals. The band gained the public's attention at the performances and, soon after, the band ended their activity as Hipnotisano Pile and continued as Električni Orgazam. Idoli, Šarlo Akrobata and Električni Orgazam had their first recordings released on the compilation '' Paket aranžman'', today considered one of the most prominent Serbian and Yugoslav rock releases, and by the time the compilation was released, the bands had already started working on their debut albums. The promotional video for Idoli song "Maljčiki" which followed the release of the compilation featured a parody of Socialist realism, soc-realist iconography. It was broadcast for the first time at the New Year's Eve on the then-popular ''Rokenroler'' show on the national television, and the Soviet embassy sent a protest note to the TV and radio stations which broadcast the song and some of them banned it. During the same show, for the first time were broadcast the promotional videos for Električni Orgazam's "Krokodili dolaze" and Šarlo Akrobata's "Niko kao ja", all three appearing on the compilation. Idoli released their VIS Idoli (EP), self titled EP in 1981 and ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани; trans. ''The Defense and the Last Days'') is the first studio album by Yugoslav new wave band Idoli released in 1982. ''Džuboks'' magazine critics voted the ...
'' in 1982, the latter polled in 1998 as the greatest Yugoslav popular music album in the book ''YU 100: najbolji albumi jugoslovenske rok i pop muzike'', Električni Orgazam released their Električni orgazam (album), self titled debut in 1981 and post-punk oriented ''Lišće prekriva Lisabon'' in 1982, and Šarlo Akrobata released their only album, ''Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad...'' in 1981. Električni Orgazam and Šarlo Akrobata also had short tours in Poland and the Poles, Polish bands recorded a tribute to the Yugoslav rock bands, including cover versions of Idoli and Električni Orgazam songs, released on the 2001 album ''Yugoton''. By 1983, Idoli and Električni Orgazam had moved towards mainstream pop and rock, and Šarlo Akrobata disbanded. Due to the success of ''Paket aranžman'', Jugoton wanted to release another compilation featuring the new new wave and punk rock acts from Belgrade. The compilation ''Artistička radna akcija'', released in 1981, featured Radnička Kontrola,
Bezobrazno Zeleno Bezobrazno Zeleno ( sr-cyr, Безобразно Зелено, trans. ''Rudely Green'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1980. Led by bass guitarist Bojan Vasić, the band belonged to the second generation of Belgrade new wave ba ...
, Profili Profili, Defektno Efektni, Urbana Gerila, Petar i Zli Vuci, U Škripcu, Pasta ZZ, VIA Talas and TV Moroni, each with two songs, but it did not repeat the success of the previous compilation. Half of the bands did not release any other recordings except the ones on the compilation. Bezobrazno Zeleno released two
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
-oriented studio albums, Profili Profili released Kazimirov Kazneni Korpus / Profili Profili, a split album with Kazimirov Kazneni Korpus, Petar i Zli Vuci released two singles, U Škripcu released several studio albums and gained mainstream popularity moving to synthpop and pop rock, and VIA Talas released Perfektan dan za banana ribe, one studio album before disbanding in 1982. Other notable new wave acts include Belgrade acts Bulevar, fronted by later
Bajaga i Instruktori Bajaga i Instruktori (Serbian Cyrillic: Бајага и Инструктори; trans. ''Bajaga and the Instructors'') are a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1984. Founded and led by vocalist, guitarist and principal composer ...
vocalist and solo singer
Dejan Cukić Dejan Cukić ( sr-cyr, Дејан Цукић; born November 4, 1959) is a Serbian rock musician, journalist, writer and translator. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Cukić was the frontman of the new wave band Bulevar, releasing two al ...
, which released two albums, ''Loš i mlad'' (1981) and ''Mala noćna panika'' (1982),
Piloti Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood, and in ele ...
, which released albums ''Piloti'' (1981) and ''Dvadeset godina'' (1982) before disbanding, turning towards pop rock after their 1987 reunion, and Kozmetika, which released only one album, ''Kozmetika (album), Kozmetika'' (1983), and Novi Sad act Čista Proza, which released only one album, ''Čista proza (album), Čista Proza'' (1983). Initial works of the bands
Laki Pingvini Laki Pingvini ( sr-Cyrl, Лаки Пингвини; transl. ''The Easy Penguins'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1979. Initially a part of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the band later turned towards synth-pop and ...
and Zana were new wave-oriented, but these acts later moved towards more commercial pop rock and synthpop. During the early 1980s, new wave influences were present in the works of Grupa I, Du Du A,
Pekinška Patka Pekinška Patka (Serbian Cyrillic: Пекиншка Патка; trans. ''Peking Duck'') is an eminent Serbian and former Yugoslav punk rock band from Novi Sad. Their debut album, '' Plitka poezija'', released in 1980, is considered the first pu ...
, Kontraritam, Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića, La Strada (band), La Strada, Obojeni Program and Gjurmët, as well as in the works of some acts that gained popularity in the 1970s, most notably
Slađana Milošević Aleksandra Milošević Hagadone ( sr-cyr, Александра Милошевић Хагадон; born 3 October 1955), better known as Slađana Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слађана Милошевић, ) is a Serbian singer-songwriter, composer, ...
and Laboratorija Zvuka.


Synthpop (early 1980s – mid-1980s)

One of the first Serbian synthpop acts was the band Beograd (band), Beograd, which were also one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
scene. The band was formed in 1981, and in 1983 released their only album ''Remek depo'', which featured a combination of synthpop and brass instrument-oriented soul music, soul. With the decline of the new wave scene around 1982, some new wave bands, like U Škripcu and Zana, moved towards synthpop. ''Artistička radna akcija'' participant U Škripcu, having started as a conceptual new wave band in 1980, moved towards synth music. The band's debut album ''Godine ljubavi'' (1982), featuring several hit songs, was followed by even more successful ''O je!'' (1983) and the EP ''Nove godine'' (1983). However, on their later releases, the band turned towards electropop sound, which, having proved unsuccessful, led them to disband. Despite two reunion comeback albums (in 1987 and 1990), the band could not repeat the early success. In the 1990s, the band's vocalist Milan Delčić "Delča" formed the electronic rock band Delča & Sklekovi. Zana, named after the band's vocalist
Zana Nimani Zana Šiškin (; sr-cyr, Зана Шишкин, ; born in September 1961) is a Serbian former singer, best known as the first frontress of the pop rock band Zana. Biography Zana Nimani was born in 1961 in Belgrade, to Kosovo Albanian parents ...
, having released their debut album (1981), made a shift towards radio-friendly
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
, New Romantic and synthpop sound with the release of their second album (1982). Despite the success of and the following album, ''Natrag na voz'' (1983), vocalist Nimani left the band. The rest of the band continued performing as Zana, changing several vocalists and gradually turning towards pop music. Other notable synthpop acts include bands
Laki Pingvini Laki Pingvini ( sr-Cyrl, Лаки Пингвини; transl. ''The Easy Penguins'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1979. Initially a part of the Yugoslav new wave scene, the band later turned towards synth-pop and ...
, D' Boys and Jakarta (band), Jakarta. Laki Pingvini, despite working occasionally and with an unsteady lineup since 1979, gained mainstream popularity in 1983 with the debut EP ''Šizika''. Their debut album ''Muzika za mlade'' (1984) was also successful, however, their later releases did not repeat the previous success. The band disbanded in 1989, but had short reunions in 1994, 1995 and 2006. The duo D' Boys featuring a former VIA Talas member Miško Petrović (also known as Miško Plavi) and a former West German krautrock group Jane (German band), Jane member Peđa D'Boy, Predrag Jovanović (also known as Peđa D'Boy), was formed in 1982. With the albums ''Ajd' se zezamo'' (1984) and ''Muvanje'' (1985), the band became popular with humorous lyrical style, featuring kitschy and frivolous motifs dealing with nightlife, parties and girls. The band disbanded in 1985, with Jovanović forming a short lived Peđa D'Boy Band and later pursuing a solo career, and Petrović joining Piloti and then
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, en, Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts. Initia ...
, and later taking up playing accordion and forming his Miško Plavi Band. The band Jakarta (band), Jakarta, formed in 1981, released their synth-funk-oriented debut album ''Maske za dvoje'' in 1984, featuring several hits. However, the band moved towards
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
on their second album ''Bomba u grudima'' (1986).


Funk rock (early 1980s – present)

Funk rock in Serbia appeared in the 1980s with the bands Jakarta (band), Jakarta, Heroina (band), Heroina and Oktobar 1864. Formed in 1981, Jakarta released their synth-funk-oriented debut album ''Maske za dvoje'' in 1984, featuring several hits. However, despite the success of the first album, the band moved towards
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
on their second album ''Bomba u grudima'', which was not well received by the fans, and the band ceased to exist in 1986. The band Heroina, formed in 1982, featured Zoran Janjetov, at the time already a well-known comic book artist, as vocalist. Their debut and only studio album, ''Heroina'', released in 1985, featured a mixture of funk and art rock. Oktobar 1864, formed in 1984 and featuring the female vocalist Tanja Jovićević, released their Oktobar 1864 (album), debut self-titled album, released in 1987, featuring several hit songs. On their two following albums ''Igra bojama'' (1988), and ''Crni ples'' (1990), they successfully combined funk rock with
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
and pop elements. Despite the successful career, they disbanded in 1992 and Tanja Jovićević pursued a solo career as a jazz and funk musician. In 2005, she started collaborating with the funk band Rich Bitch and with them, in 2008, released the album ''10''. During the 1980s, funk influences could also be found in the works of
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
and
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and Yugoslav and, for a period of time, British rock band, formed in Belgrade in 1981. The ...
. In the following decades funk rock was again popularized in Serbia with the appearance of Deca Loših Muzičara and Plejboj in the 1990s. Formed in 1988, Deca Loših Muzičara played a combination of funk and rock, found on their albums ''Dobar dan'' (1992), and ''Prolećni dan'' (1995). In 1998, the band wrote music for the ''Virus'' theater play, in which the main character was played by the actor Ivan Jevtović, who, after the release of their 2005 studio album ''...gde cveta Samsung žut'', joined the band as a new vocalist, replacing Aleksandar Siljanovski. Plejboj, formed in 1992, combined funk and soul music, soul with
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
, punk rock, jazz fusion and
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
on their albums ''Sviraj dečko'' (1994) and ''Overdrive'' (1997).


Alternative rock (early 1980s–present)

The alternative rock scene developed in the early 1980s with the decline of the new wave scene, when a part of the new wave scene became the base of the future Serbian alternative rock scene. The pioneers of alternative rock can be found in Novi Sad bands Laboratorija Zvuka, with their eccentric style, erotic lyrics, unusual line ups and bizarre circus-inspired stage performances, La Strada (band), La Strada, featuring the poet Slobodan Tišma on guitar and vocals, Obojeni Program, featuring former Urbana Gerila vocalist Branislav "Kebra" Babić, and the All-female band, girl band Boye (band), Boye whose debut album ''Dosta! Dosta! Dosta!'' (1988) was the first Serbian all-female band, all-female release since the 1960s. In Belgrade, former Šarlo Akrobata members Dušan Kojić and Milan Mladenović formed two of the most notable bands of the alternative rock scene in Serbia,
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and Yugoslav and, for a period of time, British rock band, formed in Belgrade in 1981. The ...
and
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, en, Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts. Initia ...
. Former Šarlo Akrobata bassist and vocalist Dušan Kojić Koja, formed the band
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and Yugoslav and, for a period of time, British rock band, formed in Belgrade in 1981. The ...
in 1982. The band, in the initial period consisting only of Kojić and the drummer Srđan Todorović, Srđan "Žika" Todorović, combining influences from punk rock, funk, jazz fusion, motown, Oldschool jungle, jungle, and the works of Jimi Hendrix. During the early 1990s, the band moved to London and changed the name to Discipline A Kitschme, performing with female vocalist, African-American singer Gofie Bebe, only to return to Serbia in the mid-2000s. Ekatarina Velika, having at first called Katarina II, featured former Šarlo Akrobata and Limunovo Drvo guitarists Milan Mladenović and Dragomir Mihajlović. Having released their post-punk influenced records, the band moved to a more guitar-oriented
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
, found on their releases ''Ljubav (Ekatarina Velika album), Ljubav'' (1987), ''Samo par godina za nas'' (1989), and ''Dum Dum (Ekatarina Velika album), Dum dum'' (1991). Another prominent figure of the Serbian alternative rock scene, Mitar Subotić, also known as Rex Illusivi, a composer, producer and one of the pioneers of
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
in Serbia, was closely associated with the works of Ekatarina Velika. In 1985, Subotić, Mladenović and Goran Vejvoda started the short-lived project Dah Anđela. At the about same time, Subotić was closely associated with the work of the art rock band Heroina (band), Heorina, which featured comic book artist Zoran Janjetov on vocals. In 1990, Subotić moved to São Paulo, Brazil, where he worked as a musician and producer. In 1994, Subotić and Mladenović, with a group of Brazilian musicians, reactivated the project as Angel's Breath, releasing the album ''Angel's Breath'' in 1994. The second half of the 1980s brought the formation of the prominent alternative rock acts which gained the mainstream popularity with their works during the 1990s,
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...
and
Rambo Amadeus Antonije Pušić (; born 14 June 1963), known professionally as Rambo Amadeus () is a Montenegrin author. A self-titled "musician, poet, and media manipulator", he is a noted artist across the countries of former Yugoslavia. His songs combine ...
. Despite the fact that Van Gogh, formed by guitarist Zvonimir Đukić "Đule", released Van Gogh (Van Gogh album), their debut self-titled album in 1986, which was also the year of their formation, it was in the early 1990s that the band which, having disbanded, and reformed in 1990, became successful with the albums ''
Svet je moj ''Svet je moj'' (trans. ''The World Is Mine'') is the second studio album from Serbian rock band Van Gogh, released in 1991. ''Svet je moj'' is the first Van Gogh album released after their 1990 reunion. Track listing All songs were written by Z ...
'' (1991), ''
Strast ''Strast'' (trans. ''Passion'') is the third studio album from Serbian rock band Van Gogh, released 1993. The album was produced by Saša Habić, except for the track "Strast" which was produced by Vladimir Barjakaterević. Track listing All s ...
'' (1993), '' Hodi'' (1996), and ''
Opasan ples ''Opasan ples'' (trans. ''Dangerous Dance'') is the fifth studio album from a Serbian rock band Van Gogh. Track listing #"Puls" ( S. Habić, S. Radivojević, Z. Đukić) – 4:08 #"Da li zna?" (Z. Đukić) – 3:22 #"Demagogija" (S. Radivojević ...
'' (1999). In the 2000s the band moved towards more commercial sound, and established themselves as one of the top mainstream acts on the Serbian rock scene. The Belgrade-based Montenegro, Montenegrin singer-songwriter Antonije Pušić, who works under the pseudonym Rambo Amadeus, with his debut album ''O tugo jesenja'' (1988), created the unique combination of different musical styles, including
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, rock, and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
, which he called "turbo folk". The term was later used for the subgenere of the folk music from the Balkans. Pušić continued in the same manner on his later releases also making influence on the Serbian hip hop scene with the albums ''Hoćemo gusle'' (1989) and ''Psihološko propagandni komplet M-91'' (1991). The beginning of the 1990s featured the prominent alternative rock acts: Dža ili Bu, Darkwood Dub, Presing, Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, and Block Out (band), Block Out from Belgrade, Obojeni Program from Novi Sad and Bjesovi from Gornji Milanovac. Dža ili Bu, formed in 1987, featuring a combination
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
and punk rock, with their 1992 album ''Hej mornari'' presented the political situation in the country with their ironical lyrical style. Darkwood Dub, formed in 1988, performed a combination of
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
and rock. Presing, formed in 1990, combined post rock, Soul music, soul, free jazz and krautrock. Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, formed in 1991, performed a combination of rock, jazz and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
. Block Out, formed in 1991, initially inspired by various diverse bands and grunge/
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
-oriented, after the release of ''Crno, belo i srebrno'' (1994) started to move towards a darker, heavier atmosphere and sound under Nikola Vranjković's songwriting, combining elements of doom metal, psychedelic rock, hard rock and punk rock with social-related lyrics. Obojeni Program, although formed in 1980, released their debut album ''Najvažnije je biti zdrav'' in 1990. Bjesovi, formed in 1989, combining grunge, hard rock, psychedelic rock and doom metal, released their debut ''U osvit zadnjeg dana'' in 1991, but achieved success with the release of their second, Bjesovi (album), self-titled album, released in 1992. The mid-1990s featured the disbandment of
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, en, Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV for short, was a Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, being one of the most successful and influential Yugoslav music acts. Initia ...
, and the formation of the bands Supernaut (Serbian band), Supernaut, 357 (band), 357, Jarboli, Kristali and E-Play. The band Supernaut, featuring former Radnička Kontrola member Srđan Marković, influenced by Suicide (band), Suicide, wrote plays and performed a combination of art exhibitions, theater plays and rock concerts. 357 performed a combination of
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
, rap rock, Serbian Folk music, folk and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, combined with socially critical lyrical style. Jarboli, a guitar-oriented club band formed in 1993, independently released the prominent album ''Čizmanoga'', but after the album release, moved to a more softer rock sound, found on their later releases. Kristali, like Jarboli, were formed in 1993, and combined the simple
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
song structures backed with brass instruments, brass sections, making a communicative musical performance found on their releases ''Kristali'' and ''Dolina ljubavi''. E-Play, featuring a majority of female members, combined alternative rock with various electronic music genres. The 2000s brought new alternative rock acts, large number of them usually denoted as Nova srpska scena (''New Serbian Scene'').


Oi!, ska, hardcore and pop punk (late 1980s–present)

The late 1980s brought a variety of punk rock bands and genres on the Serbian scene and the Oi!,
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
, hardcore punk and pop punk bands emerged from the local demo scenes to the major record labels and nationwide popularity. The Oi! scene, with Ritam Nereda and Direktori, quickly found the way to the fans with their political-related lyrics, aggressive music and effective live performances. Direktori, unlike Ritam Nereda, were also turned towards
ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
music, which became very popular on the Serbian scene. Even though ska appeared in the early 1980s with the band Kontraritam, formed in 1980, which released only Kontraritam (album), one album before disbanding in 1983, it was only with the bands like Plejboj and
Familija Familija ( sr-cyr, Фамилија; trans. ''Family'') was a Serbian rock supergroup from Belgrade, consisting of Vampiri, Košava and U Škripcu members. The band's musical style was a combination of ska, pop, ethnic and rock music. History ...
that it gained a vast number of fans. Plejboj, formed in 1992, gained popularity with their combination of punk rock, ska, soul music, soul, funk, jazz fusion, and
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
, found on their albums ''Sviraj dečko'' (1994) and ''Overdrive'' (1997). Familija, formed in 1994, gained popularity with their ska/pop rock songs with humorous lyrics found on their albums ''
Narodno pozorište ''Narodno pozorište'' is the debut album of the Serbian rock supergroup Familija, released in 1995. In 2021 the album was polled 99th on the list of 100 best Serbian rock albums published after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia. The list was publis ...
'' (1994) and ''
Seljačka buna ''Seljačka buna'' is the second and the last album by the Serbian rock supergroup Familija Familija ( sr-cyr, Фамилија; trans. ''Family'') was a Serbian rock supergroup from Belgrade, consisting of Vampiri, Košava and U Škripcu mem ...
'' (1998). However, despite the success of the releases, they disbanded in 1998. In 2003, the band's former vocalist Dejan Pejović formed the band The Dibidus, whose albums ''The Dibidus'' (2003) and ''Trenerka i sako'' (2011) were stylistically similar to the works of Familija. Hardcore punk scene, founded in the late 1980s, gained the mainstream popularity in the 1990s with the bands Sick Mother Fakers from Belgrade, which were one of the pioneers of the genre in Serbia, Ništa Ali Logopedi from Šabac, which featured accordion-oriented Music of Serbia#Traditional music, Serbian folk music combined with hardcore punk, the rapcore band Sunshine (Serbian band), Sunshine from Belgrade, which combined rap and hardcore punk with sexually overt lyrics, and the hardcore punk/metalcore band Overdrive (band), Overdrive from Zrenjanin. One of the most popular bands of the genre was Eyesburn, a Brass instrument, brass-oriented combination of hardcore punk and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
music. The band's growing popularity with the releases of ''Fool Control'' /2000) and later ''Solid'' (2003), gave them the opportunity to tour Europe with Soulfly. The band disbanded in 2005, but reunited in 2011. Pop punk scene in Serbia mainly developed in the 1990s, due to the popularity of the bands Oružjem Protivu Otmičara, Six Pack (band), Six Pack and Čovek Bez Sluha. Oružjem Protivu Otmičara from Zrenjanin are one of the pioneers of the genre in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
and their 1996 album :sr:BarbieCue (1996), ''BarbieCue'' became one of the most popular releases of the 1990s. Six Pack (band), Six Pack and Čovek Bez Sluha, the two bands currently having the same vocalist Milan "Miki" Radojević, the former from Smederevska Palanka, and the latter from Kragujevac, moved from local prominence to performing abroad and having their recordings released by foreign record labels. The popularity of the genre continued in the 2000s (decade) with the work of the above-mentioned bands and the newly formed bands Lude Krawe, formed in 1998, Super s Karamelom, featuring two female vocalists, formed in 2003, and Strip (band), Strip, initially a project by Serbian graphic arts, graphic and comic book artists, which combines graphic art with power pop and pop punk, formed in 2005.


Industrial rock (late 1980s–present)

Despite being a part of the developed Yugoslav industrial rock scene, Serbian scene gave a small number of notable acts. One of the most notable acts was the band VIVIsect from Novi Sad, which was formed in 1989 and released two cassette albums. Early 1990s brought acts like Overdose from Belgrade and also Katarza from Novi Sad, both whom combined industrial rock with elements of
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
and crossover (music), crossover. Another two notable 1990s acts were the bands Retromind from Kruševac and Pure from Jagodina, both combining Ministry (band), Ministry-like industrial metal with rock music. The late 1990s brought new industrial rock acts into the scene, such as DreDDup and Žexon 5 from Novi Sad and Klopka za Pionira from Pančevo. DreDDup released seven albums, did several European tours and also collaborated with cult Slovenian industrial group Borghesia. The 2000s brought new bands to the scene: Youth A.D. from Srbobran, Syphil from Sombor, Figurative Theatre and Pornhouse from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names in other languages) is the third largest city in Serbia and the administrative center of the Nišava District. It is located in southern part of Serbia. , the city proper has a population of 183,164, while ...
. Several notable acts incorporated industrial rock elements into their sound: grindcore band Urgh! (band), Urgh!, with their 2001 album ''Sumo'', alternative rock band Dža ili Bu, with their 2007 album ''Ultra muk'', and alternative rock act, Supernaut (Serbian band), Supernaut, drawing on many different musical influences, featured a kind of experimental music, experimental variant of industrial rock.


Grunge and post-grunge (early 1990s–present)

The bands Block Out (band), Block Out from Belgrade and Bjesovi from Gornji Milanovac were the representatives of grunge on the Serbian rock scene. After their debut album ''Crno, belo i srebrno'' (1994), the early
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
concept of Block Out started to move towards a darker, heavier atmosphere and sound under Nikola Vranjković's songwriting. The followup ''Godina sirotinjske zabave'' (1996) featured the material written during the six years of the band existence, and the lyrical themes were mainly oriented around the end of socialism in Serbia. With the release of the next album, ''San koji srećan sanjaš sam'' (1998), the band moved from grunge sound towards art rock and
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
. Bjesovi released their debut ''U osvit zadnjeg dana'' in 1991, but achieved success with the release of their second, Bjesovi (album), self-titled album (1994). Achieving success with the album, the band turned towards religiously oriented lyrics and music on their following album ''Sve što vidim i sve što znam'' (1997). After the album release, Bjesovi disbanded, after which the band member Goran Marić became one of the originators of the Christian rock project ''Pesme iznad istoka i zapada'' (2001). The band reformed with a new lineup in 2000 and released ''Bolje ti'' in 2009. The 2000s featured three notable post-grunge bands, Night Shift (band), Night Shift, Euforia (band), Euforia, and Broken Strings (band), Broken Strings. Night Shift, even though formed in 1991, released their debut album ''Undercovers (Night Shift album), Undercovers'' in 2002. The album, which featured covers of songs by various rock and pop artists, was well-accepted by the audience and the critics, and the band moved towards writing their own songs, releasing their second album ''Bez zaklona'' in 2009. Euforia, formed in 1999 and mainly influenced by Nirvana (band), Nirvana, released their debut, self-titled album in 2005. The band single "Blokovi" was pronounced the Single of the Year 2005 on the B92 annual singles top list. The band continued performing, and in 2008 released their second album ''2''. Broken Strings (band), Broken Strings, starting as a Pearl Jam tribute band, moved towards writing their own material. Winning the 39th Gitarijada festival in Zaječar, the band released their debut album ''Svaki trenutak ostaje...'' in 2007.


Britpop (early 1990s – present)

Britpop appeared in Serbia with the band Eva Braun (band), Eva Braun from Bečej, and the band's faction Popcycle. Eva Braun was formed in 1990 by Goran Vasović, Petar Dolinka and Milan Glavaški. Influenced by The Beatles, Little Richard, The Byrds, and the Serbian band
Idoli Idoli ( sr-cyr, Идоли; trans. The Idols) were a Serbian new wave band from Belgrade. They are considered to be one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene, and their 1982 album '' Odbrana i poslednji dani'' was on several occa ...
, the band released their debut album ''Prisluškivanja'' in 1992. The album had minor hits, but the single "Sasvim običan dan" found on the band's second album ''Pop music'', released in 1995, had drawn the public's attention to the band's work. The ''Rolling Stone'' review of the album described the album as "the best Brit-pop album never to come out of the UK". Despite the success of the release, the internal conflicts lead to the disbandment of the band. Part of the band moved to their newly formed band Popcycle, while Vasović, with a new lineup reformed Eva Braun. The band's third album ''Heart Core'' repeated the success of the previous release, and the band, having performed at the International Pop Overthrow, also gained the opportunity to release an album for the North American market with the release of ''Nowhere Land''. In 2000, the band started working on an ambitious project which came out as ''Everest'' in 2001, however, after the album release, the band disbanded. Popcycle, formed by former Eva Braun members Petar Dolinka and Milan Glavaški, released their debut album ''Orbitalna putovanja'' in 1996, and ''Popcyclopedia'' in 1997. The band disbanded in 1999, and Dolinka and Glavaški reunited with the rest of the original Eva Braun lineup in 2007, releasing the album ''Playback'' in 2011. In 2006, Glavaški, with a group of Serbian and Hungarian musicians formed his side project, alternative country/
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
band Rebel Star. Other notable representatives of the Serbian britpop scene are Kristali, Veliki Prezir, Instant Karma (Serbian band), Instant Karma and Lutke.


Irish folk and Celtic rock (early 1990s – present)

The Irish folk music, Irish folk and Celtic rock scene appeared in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
with the works of Orthodox Celts from Belgrade. During the mid-1980s, Dušan Živanović, the drummer of the Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock band Roze Poze, wanted to form a band which would perform cover versions of Irish folk songs, and the influence of the idea was partially achieved through the works of Roze Poze. However, it was in 1992 that Živanović formed the first Serbian Irish folk band called Orthodox Celts with the vocalist Aleksandar Petrović (musician), Aleksandar "Aca Celtic" Petrović and violinist Ana Đokić. The band, having released their first two albums, ''Orthodox Celts (album), Orthodox Celts'' (1994) and ''The Celts Strike Again'' (1997), which mainly featured cover versions of Irish folk songs, started writing their own material. Since the release of ''Green Roses'' in 1999, the band centered on writing and recording their own songs. The traditional performances for Saint Patrick's Day and at the Belgrade Beer Fest made the band become a live attraction, having well-visited live appearances in Serbia and abroad. During the early 2000s, appeared two bands, Alfapop, Tir na n'Og and Irish Stew of Sindidun, both from Belgrade, inspired by the works of Orthodox Celts. Tir na n'Og, formed in 2000, performed a combination of Irish and Serbian folk music with punk rock, and their debut album ''Tir na n'Og (album), Tir na n'Og'' was released in 2006. However, in 2008, the band changed the name to Alfapop and moved towards power pop sound. Irish Stew of Sindidun, formed in 2003, having started as a cover band, started writing their own material. The band recorded their debut album ''So Many Words...'' in 2005. In 2011, they released ''New Tomorrow (album), New Tomorrow'', their first album not to feature any covers of Irish folk songs.


New Serbian Scene (late 2000s – early 2010s)

The term Nova srpska scena (''New Serbian Scene'') was coined in the second half of the 2000s by the web magazine ''Popboks'', which was initially one of the main promoters of the scene.Vlada Milovanović, "Grizi sistem. Živi poraz (I)", pescanik.net
Although the term was mostly used to denote bands promoted in Popboks and released their albums through the record label Odličan Hrčak, the term was also often used to denote many young Serbian bands formed after 2000. Also, some of the bands active in the 1990s, most notably the
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
band Goribor, were closely associated to the scene. The bands differed by genre: although a part of the bands were influenced by the New wave music in Yugoslavia, Yugoslav new wave and the contemporary Indie rock, indie and
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
, not all the bands considered part of the scene were. The most notable bands which were associated with the scene include Klopka Za Pionira, Multietnička Atrakcija, The Mothership Orchestra, Nežni Dalibor, Repetitor, Petrol (band), Petrol, S.A.R.S., Stuttgart Online, Svi Na Pod!, Zemlja Gruva, ŽeneKese, Virvel, Kralj Čačka and others. In 2007, PGP-RTS, in cooperation with Popboks, released the compilation album ''Jutro će promeniti sve?'', which featured songs by sixteen bands associated with the scene. By the end of the decade, the most notable representatives of the scene released their debut albums. Goribor, formed in 1996, gained popularity in the 2000s with their demo recordings officially released through the Croatian label Slušaj Najglasnije!, releasing their first studio album, ''Goribor (album), Goribor'', in 2007. Petrol (band), Petrol, formed in 2003, released their debut album, ''Nezgodno vreme opasni dani'', in 2008. Nežni Dalibor, active in the 1990s and reformed in 2000, released their debut album, ''Sredstva i veštine'', in 2008. Repetitor, formed in 2005, released their debut album, ''Sve što vidim je prvi put'', in 2009. S.A.R.S., which gained nationwide popularity with the hit song "Buđav lebac", released their debut, self-titled album in 2009. At the turn of the decades, the scene started to dissolve, as the band's started to set off towards their individual careers, with some of them, like S.A.R.S. and Zemlja Gruva, achieving large mainstream popularity and the others remaining popular in alternative rock circles only. In 2013, Popboks announced the end of its activity, publishing its final text on 25 August 2013."Hvala na pažnji i doviđenja", popboks.com
/ref>


References


Bibliography

* ''EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006'', Janjatović Petar; * ''Fatalni ringišpil: hronika beogradskog rokenrola 1959—1979'', Žikić Alkesandar, publisher: Geopoetika, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1999 * Siniša Škarica, ''Kada je rock bio mlad: Priča s istočne strane (1956.-1970.)'', V.B.Z. d.o.o., Zagreb, 2005. godine. * ''Punk u Jugoslaviji'', Dragan Pavlov and Dejan Šunjka, publisher: IGP Dedalus, Yugoslavia, 1990 * ''Moj život je novi val'', Branko Kostelnik, knjiga intervjua, publisher: Fraktura, Zagreb, Croatia, 2004 * ''Od Čivija do Goblina: šabačka rock enciklopedija'', Ivković Živko, 1999; * ''NS Rockopedija, novosadska rock scena 1963–2003'', Bogomir Mijatović, Publisher: SWITCH, 2005 * ''Enciklopedija niškog Rock 'n' Rolla 1962 – 2000'', Stanojević Vladan; * ''Neka druga scena'', Davor Bogdanović; Publisher: GraphIT, 2009 * ''Riblja čorba'', Jakovljević Mirko; * ''Nevidljive terazije Slobodana Stojanovića Kepe'', Jakovljević Mirko; * ''Ljuba Ninković: S vremena na vreme'', Kajlovic Vladimir;


See also

* Music of Serbia * Popular music in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia * New wave music in Yugoslavia * Punk rock in Yugoslavia * YU Rock Misija * ''Rockovnik'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Serbian Rock Serbian rock music Music scenes Serbian styles of music