Pinoy Rock
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of
rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
produced in the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
or by
Filipinos Filipinos () are citizens or people identified with the country of the Philippines. Filipinos come from various Austronesian peoples, all typically speaking Filipino language, Filipino, Philippine English, English, or other Philippine language ...
. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
,
post-grunge Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s alternative rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox, Colle ...
,
ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...
, new wave,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
, heavy metal,
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 w ...
, and recently, indie. Because these genres are generally considered to fall under the broad rock music category, Pinoy rock may be more specifically defined as rock music with Filipino cultural sensibilities.


History


1960s: Early years

In the early 1960s, electric guitars, drum sets, amplifiers, and echo machines became more available. Filipino instrumental bands popularly called "combos" formed all over the country. They emulated American and British bands like
the Fireballs The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, were an American rock and roll group, particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. The original line-up consisted of George Tomsco (lead guitar), Chuck T ...
,
the Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...
, the Gamblers, and
the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the bac ...
.
Ramon Jacinto Ramón Pereyra Jacinto (born June 3, 1945), best known as RJ Jacinto or the mononym RJ, is a Filipino businessman, musician and radio TV personality. He previously served as Undersecretary for Government Digital Broadcast Television and the Dig ...
(RJ) and his band the Riots were considered the Ventures of the Philippines. The arrival of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
in 1966 signaled the end of instrumental music as a genre. Influenced by the
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
of which the Beatles were a part of, many Filipino bands began adopting similar musical styles. The Dynasonics (later known as the Dynasouls, and also known as the "Pinoy Beatles") were the premier Beatles band in the country. Other popular combos of the era were D'Swooners (featuring Edmond Fortuno, future drummer for
Juan de la Cruz Band The Juan de la Cruz Band was a Filipino rock group formed in 1970, that pioneered what became known as Pinoy rock. The Juan de la Cruz Band formed in early 1970. Founding band members Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzalez credited fellow foundin ...
and Anak Bayan), D'Downbeats (featuring
Pepe Smith Joseph William Feliciano Smith (December 25, 1947 – January 28, 2019) was a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, drummer and guitarist. Known by his stage names Joey Smith and Pepe Smith, he gained prominence as drummer / lead vocalist of Sp ...
, future drummer / lead vocalist for
Speed, Glue & Shinki was a Japanese psychedelic rock power trio formed in Tokyo in 1970 by guitarist Shinki Chen and record producer Ikuzo Orita. Initially consisting of Chen, Masayoshi Kabe on bass and Joey Smith on drums and vocals, they released one studio album ...
and
Juan de la Cruz Band The Juan de la Cruz Band was a Filipino rock group formed in 1970, that pioneered what became known as Pinoy rock. The Juan de la Cruz Band formed in early 1970. Founding band members Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzalez credited fellow foundin ...
), who were the top billed opening act for The Beatles concert on July 4, 1966, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila, the Hi-Jacks (featuring Eddie Mesa, "The Filipino
Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...
"), the Bits N’ Pieces, the Boots 'n' Saddles, the Moonstrucks, Tilt Down Men and hundreds of others. Only a few years earlier, teens formed informal groups using instruments like ukuleles, guitars, and gas cans with a single rope for a stand-up bass and often without amplification. It was similar to the British with their skiffle music, except that Pinoys sang Elvis's songs, not railroad songs. One of the first popular Filipino rockers was Bobby Gonzales, had a hit called "Hahabol-Habol".
Eddie Mesa Eduardo de Mesa Eigenmann (; born February 18, 1940), better known by his stage name Eddie Mesa (), is a Filipino retired actor and singer. He was discovered by talent agents when he sang a Sammy Davis song. Afterwards he changed his surname t ...
, another teen idol from the period, became known as the "Elvis Presley of the Philippines". As in the 1960s, many Filipinos referred then to rock bands as "combos". Many of these used nontraditional instruments like floor-bass bongos, maracas, and gas tanks. Easy listening was the popular genre for much of the decade which saw the popularity of
Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...
,
Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...
,
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...
, and
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, author, television personality, radio host and philanthropist. He sold nearly 50 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and has acted in many films. Boone ...
, among others.
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
,
Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...
, and
Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...
became teen favorites in the last years of the 1950s. Rock as Filipinos know it did not really attract teenage Filipinos attention until the Ventures and the Shadows came along.


1970s: Manila sound and classic Pinoy rock

Into the early 1970s, Filipino music was growing more nationalistic and socio-political in nature, as well as using Tagalog more often. Pop music still dominated the airwaves with disco and funk bands such as Hotdog (band) and APO Hiking Society. Songs like Hotdog's "Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko" ("''You're the Miss Universe of My Life''") combined Filipino and English (also known as Taglish) within the same song. Rico J. Puno's cover of "
The Way We Were ''The Way We Were'' is a 1973 American romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Arthur Laurents adapted the screenplay from his own 1972 novel of the same name, which was based on his ...
" dominated the airwaves in the mid 1970s and slowly but surely, the popularity of Pinoy pop continued till the end of the decade. Coinciding with the slow demise of that genre was the birth and acceptance of OPM rock. This helped innovate the so-called " Manila sound". Coincidentally,
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
grunge music Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and Olympia, and other nearby cities. Grunge fuses elements of pun ...
were re-directing musical trends world-wide and Pinoy rockers followed suit in no time with their own original material. At this point in time, emerging social and political consciousness somehow crept into the industry with the traditional allied genres that are folk and rock music. Folk musicians and bands included
Freddie Aguilar Ferdinand "Freddie" Pascual Aguilar (; February 5, 1953 – May 27, 2025), also known by his Muslim name Abdul Farid, was a Filipino musician regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was best known for his i ...
,
Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononyomusly as Asin, is an Indian former actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu films. Asin is a recipient of List of awards and nominations ...
,
Heber Bartolome Heber Gonzalez Bartolome (November 4, 1948 – November 15, 2021) was a Filipino folk and rock singer, songwriter, composer, poet, guitarist, bandurria player, bluesman, and painter. His music was influenced by the "stylistic tradition" of Ph ...
and Florante. (In 1978, Freddie Aguilar's debut single, "
Anak Anak (; , homophone to a word for "giant, long neck, necklace"; ) is a figure in the Hebrew Bible. His descendants are mentioned in narratives concerning the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. According to the Book of Numbers, Anak was a foref ...
", became the most commercially successful Filipino recording in history. The song became known also in other Asian countries and in Europe.) Perhaps
Asin Asin Thottumkal (born 26 October 1985), known mononyomusly as Asin, is an Indian former actress who appeared predominantly in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hindi and Telugu language, Telugu films. Asin is a recipient of List of awards and nominations ...
, an ethnic-folk band, was the first commercial band to successfully bring a pro-environment song to the airwaves with "Masdan Mo ang Kapaligiran". Also famous for providing subtle rebellious (anti-Marcos dictatorship sentiment was growing at that time) and peace messages behind its skillful vocal harmonizing, Asin gave the masses hits such as "Bayan Kong Sinilangan (Cotabato)" and "Balita".
Juan de la Cruz Band The Juan de la Cruz Band was a Filipino rock group formed in 1970, that pioneered what became known as Pinoy rock. The Juan de la Cruz Band formed in early 1970. Founding band members Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzalez credited fellow foundin ...
, a garage and blues-rock influenced group consisting of drummer Joey "Pepe" Smith, bassist Mike Hanopol, and lead guitarist Wally Gonzales, are often credited for ushering in the first "rock & roll revolution" in the Philippines that lasted from the late 1960s to the late 1970s (also known as the "Golden Age of Pinoy Rock"). Being influenced by the counterculture, the bands of the 1970s were known to have never been sidelined commercially and sometimes took the center stage by storm. The radio station DZRJ, particularly the AM weekend "Pinoy Rock and Rhythm" show hosted by the ex-Fine Arts student from
Philippine Women's University Philippine Women's University (PWU) is a coeducational tertiary education school which has its main campus in Manila, Philippines. An all girls school, institution exclusive for girls from its inception until the 1970s, the PWU now admits both ...
named Dante David, also known as Howlin' Dave, provided the much-needed support and publicity to Pinoy rock during this era. Another radio program of the 70's was Cousin Hoagy and his Rock and Roll Machine of Blues, Rock and Jazz late into the Martial Law nights. He is still on the air waves.


1980s

In the early to mid-1980s, groups like RP, with Goff Macaraeg and Bob Aves, Nuklus, Sinaglahi, UP Sintunado, Patatag, Tambisan, and soloists like the nationalist folk rock singers Paul Galang and Jess Santiago, the progressive folk duo Inang Laya, the progressive Pinoy rock band
the Jerks The Jerks is a rock band from the Philippines formed in 1979, and perhaps, is the original alternative rock and blues band in the country. The band has undergone a lot of member changes and notably a lot of the previous members of the band are n ...
, and
Noel Cabangon Noel Gadiano Cabangon (born December 25, 1963) is a Filipino folk singer and composer, known for composing socially-relevant songs. In 1987, he formed the group ''Buklod'' together with Rene Boncocan and Rom Dongeto. Early life and education No ...
were a hit on street concerts and campus tours. These groups of artists reunited and formed Buklod (Bukluran ng mga Musikero para sa Bayan), which later Rom Dongeto of Sinaglahi, Noel Cabangon, and Rene Bongcocan of Lingkod Sining took as their new band name when it disbanded after the
EDSA Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
. The Dawn is another Pinoy rock band that emerged in the 1980s; the songs that they created were influenced by new wave and
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
. The Dawn released their independently released single " Enveloped Ideas" in 1986. Many music journalists and enthusiasts, as well as musicians themselves, attributed the flourishing in the mid-1980s of new wave and post-punk influenced bands to
DWXB-FM WXB 102 is a former Metro Manila FM radio station and current Internet radio station that plays new wave, punk rock, gothic rock, synthpop, electronic music, dance-punk, post-punk, classic alternative rock and more from the UK, US, Philippi ...
, which began playing independently released singles of unsigned local bands. Other bands emerged, including Dean's December, Ethnic Faces,
Identity Crisis In psychology, identity crisis is a stage in Erik Erikson's theory of personality development. This stage happens during adolescence. It is a period of deep reflection and examination of various perspectives on oneself. The Erikson's stages of ps ...
, and Violent Playground, all of which were able to record and release their respective albums in the years that followed. Another band named the Wuds was formed in the 1980s; its members were composed of Alfred Guevara (bass), Bobby Balingit (guitar) and Aji Adriano (drums). The group was established in July 1983. Guevara and Bobby Wuds Balingit were sing-along home boys that were born and bred in the streets of a tough Manila neighborhood. Before forming the group, Guevera and Balingit had first created an acoustic folk singing group called Think God, playing covers of
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
and Crosby, Stills and Nash songs at various Shakey's Pizza parlors in the Philippines. They changed their name to the Woods, after the Jethro Tull album '' Songs from the Wood''. Bobby Wuds continues to perform; he attended a street concert in Baguio City during the Baguio Day Celebrations in 2012 that was organized in Assumption Road by Christel Pay Seng.


1990s

During the start of the decade, The Hayp, Introvoys and After Image were among the prominent bands receiving mainstream recognition. An underground music scene was already burgeoning in some unknown bars in Manila. Red Rocks (which later became Club Dredd), together with
Mayric's Mayric's was a concert events venue in Manila that featured new and upcoming artists in the Philippine music scene since the early 80s. It helped launch the career of many Filipino artists or, at the least, served as a regular venues for their l ...
(Sazi's Music Bar) and Kampo (Yosh in the mid '90s), were the only venues where unsigned bands were allowed to play their own songs. Bands were influenced by such genres as
power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
,
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
,
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...
,
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
( Eraserheads, Color It Red, The Youth, Half Life Half Death, Feet like Fins, Advent Call, Alamid, Parokya Ni Edgar), Dominion Gothic,
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
, heavy metal (
Razorback A feral pig is a pig, domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. The term feral pig has also been applied to wild boars, which can interbreed with domestic pigs. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorb ...
, Askals, Wolfgang, Dahong Palay), hardcore Loads of Motherhood, RDA,
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
Philippine Violators, Bad Omen and
death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
(Skychurch
Genital Grinder
Death After Birth, Disinterment, Mass Carnage, Savannah's tool, Aroma, Kabaong ni Kamatayan, Barang, WUDS, Yano, Bad Omen, Rumblebelly, Disinterment (Death Metal Philippines), Dethrone, Signos, (Cebu City's underground death metal) Infernus and Iconoclast. The late 1980s and early 1990s marked the beginning of what was known as the era of underground rock and progressive music, with NU107.5 playing unknown bands through Francis Brew's "In the Raw". It was through this station that many of the prominent and promising rock bands were discovered such as The Breed, GreyHoundz, Slapshock, Sugar Free, Fatal Posporos, Itchy Worms, Peryodiko, Monsterbot, Tanya Markova, Pedicab, and many others. NU107.5 was the only radio station that played music longer than the standard radio format would allow, as well as soundtracks (The Reel Score). Apart from allotting air time to new and known foreign rock bands such as Save Ferris,
Veruca Salt Veruca Salt is an American alternative rock band founded in Chicago in 1992 by vocalist-guitarists Nina Gordon and Louise Post, drummer Jim Shapiro, and bassist Steve Lack. They are best known for their first single, " Seether", which was rel ...
,
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, Firehouse,
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
,
Harem Scarem Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially (the early 1990s) achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after ...
,
Audioslave Audioslave was an American Rock music, rock supergroup (music), supergroup formed in Glendale, California, in 2001. The four-piece band consisted of Soundgarden's lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine memb ...
and
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
etc., it gave full exposure to Filipino groups such as Sugar Hiccup, Eraserheads,
Imago In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the ''imaginal'' stage ("imaginal" being "imago" in adjective form), the stage in wh ...
, Cynthia Alexander, Parokya ni Edgar, Wolfgang,
Razorback A feral pig is a pig, domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. The term feral pig has also been applied to wild boars, which can interbreed with domestic pigs. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorb ...
, Ciudad,
Teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
,
Urbandub Urbandub is a Filipino rock music, rock band from Cebu City, Philippines formed in 2000. The band's current line-up consisted of Gabby Alipe, John Dinopol, Lalay Lim, Sam Saludsong and Russ Manaloto. Urbandub is the first Indie band, indie band ...
,
Put3ska Put3ska was a Filipino people, Filipino ska band formed in 1993. The band's name is word play, combining the Filipino language, Filipino phrase, ''putres ka'' ("damn you") and "ska". The band referred to itself as a "60s-oriented, 90s ska band, i ...
, Tropical Depression,
Rivermaya Rivermaya is a Filipino alternative rock band. Formed in 1994, it is one of the several bands that spearheaded the 1990s Philippine alternative rock explosion. Rivermaya is currently composed of original members Mark Escueta and Nathan Azar ...
, Yano, Siakol, and Cheese. Its prestigious NU107 Rock Awards honored the Philippine rock industry's best and brightest for 17 years. To add to the plight of the underground bands, radio stations would not play their music due to the
payola Payola, in the music industry, is the name given to the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment. Under U.S. law, a radio station must disclose songs they were paid to pla ...
system in the radio industry despite the fact that most of these bands, if not all, had self-produced ( indie) albums. But DWLA 105.9 challenged the current system by providing a venue for the bands to broadcast their original songs. Pinoy rock enthusiasts were finally elated to hear their favorite underground bands ruling the airwaves. The commercial success of Eraserheads paved the way for more Pinoy rock acts such as
Rivermaya Rivermaya is a Filipino alternative rock band. Formed in 1994, it is one of the several bands that spearheaded the 1990s Philippine alternative rock explosion. Rivermaya is currently composed of original members Mark Escueta and Nathan Azar ...
, Siakol, Rizal Underground and The Youth getting record deals and spawning singles such as " Ulan" and "Bilanggo". Some brave all-female bands got signed (Kelt's Cross, Tribal Fish, Agaw Agimat) and a few solo artists as well (Maegan Aguilar, Bayang Barrios, DJ Alvaro). Rappers crossed over with great success (
Francis M Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He is regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop. Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Magalo ...
with Hardware Syndrome and Erectus), despite some earlier controversy with hip hop-bashing allegedly incited by some artists. These bands adopted a variety of influences both in image and music; many fell under a particular genre; however, the crossing over of styles was most often inevitable. By the ‘90s, the
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
scene had begun to die down in Manila. “All the punks disappeared,” recalls Jep Peligro, creator of Konspirazine, a prominent zine published in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s documenting the local DIY music scene. Still, there were hubs of activity in places such as in Laguna, a province southeast of Manila with a rich DIY punk culture, and the neighboring Cavite region, which is jointly called Strong South known as the
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
capital of the Philippines.


2000s

In the early 2000s,
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
, acoustic pop/jazz and R&B-influenced bands dominated the Philippine music scene, causing Pinoy rock to take a backseat. Only a number of Pinoy rock bands managed to stay in the mainstream during this period. In 2003, a not-so-well-known home-educated DJ named DJ RO started playing in a small bar and restaurant known as Gweilos; DJ RO helped promote the club every Monday night while there was an emergence of Filipino rock bands like
Bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...
,
Orange and Lemons Orange and Lemons (usually typeset as Orange & Lemons and abbreviated as "O&L" or "ONL") is a Filipino pop rock band founded and formed in 1999 by lead vocalist and guitarist Clem Castro and former member Mcoy Fundales. Brothers Ace and JM de ...
and Kitchie Nadal that started performing in Gweilos and eventually became popular. In 2004, Pinoy rock once again gained prominence, with the rise of yet another wave of Filipino rock bands. During this time, the Pinoy rock music scene in
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
also gained exposure. 2001 saw the indie band the Pin-Up Girls, made up of former Keltscross members and underground musicians, signing to Know-It-All Records in
Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
, making them the first Manila-based band to sign with an American label. The Pin-Up Girls released an EP worldwide called ''Taste Test'' that sold out. Know-It-All then printed a new batch dubbed "Taste Test: The Expanded Menu". The rest of the 2000s further ushered in the mainstream buzz on Pinoy rock, and along with it bands that leaned more towards pop sensibilities. During this time, bands such as Hale, Cueshe,
Sponge Cola Sponge Cola (sometimes spelled Spongecola) is a Filipino rock band formed in 2002. The band is composed of Yael Yuzon on vocals and guitars, Gosh Dilay on bass, Armo Armovit on guitars and drummer Tedmark Cruz. One of the most popular rock ...
and Callalily gained mainstream exposure. 2006 was when Filipino band,
Kāla Kala (, ) is a Sanskrit term that means 'time' or 'death'. As time personified, destroying all things, Kala is a god of death, and often used as one of the epithets of Yama. In Shaivism, Kala is known as the fiery avatar of Shiva, Bhairava, K ...
appeared in the commercial music scene with their full-length album titled ''Manila High'', distributed by SonyBMG Music Entertainment. Their first hit was "Jeepney" which was released in the summer of 2006. According to the Philippine ''Daily Inquirer'', the band started the resurgence of the Manila sound genre into the modern world through their own mix of funky, jazzy electronic rock music. The band was also part of the tribute album ''Hopia Mani Popcorn''. They made a funky remake of VST & Co.'s "Rock Baby Rock" which hit number 1 in the airwaves. In recent years as well, bands like
Urbandub Urbandub is a Filipino rock music, rock band from Cebu City, Philippines formed in 2000. The band's current line-up consisted of Gabby Alipe, John Dinopol, Lalay Lim, Sam Saludsong and Russ Manaloto. Urbandub is the first Indie band, indie band ...
,
Pupil The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company. It appears black becau ...
,
Chicosci Chicosci (officially stylized as ChicoSci) is a Filipino rock band based in Manila. The band is currently composed of Miggy Chavez, Mong Alcaraz, Eco del Rio and Victor Guison. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasi ...
,
Slapshock Slapshock was a Filipino heavy metal band from Metro Manila. They were formed in 1996, originally as a nu metal act, with their early musical style compared to that of Korn. They later shifted towards a metalcore style. Background The group ...
and
Typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...
have also played in other countries such as Singapore and the US, amongst others. Some have even garnered nominations and recognition from internationally based publications and award-giving bodies. This is mainly attributed to the effect of the internet and globalization on almost anything including music, as listeners from other countries can now see and hear songs and videos of bands overseas without leaving their country.


2010s

In mid-2010, NU 107, known as the nation's premier FM station using a rock format, had been taken down as it was sold by its management after declining interest in the audience. In the early 2010s, rock music was still largely popular in the country despite a decline in sales, due to the domination of
K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
,
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
and
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
, and the rise of music streaming services. During the early 2010s, new acts emerged such as
Gracenote Gracenote, Inc. is a company and service that provides music, video, and sports metadata and automatic content recognition (ACR) technologies to entertainment services and companies worldwide. Formerly CDDB ("Compact Disc Data Base"), Gracenote ...
and
Tanya Markova Tanya Markova is a Filipino rock band formed in the indie scene in 2006 and went mainstream in 2010. The band is currently composed of Gel del Pilar, Pipoy Alejandro, Rhan Sabas, Kix Chavez, Ole Romblon, Japo Anareta, and Levi Arago. The band is ...
. Up Dharma Down, later became UDD in 2017, became an early staple of a resurgence with the popularity of their signature single "Tadhana" and the release of their 2012 album ''Capacities''. Following NU leaving the airwaves, another FM station, Jam 88.3 fully transitioned to alternative rock/indie pop, including songs played by local popular rock artists and bands. Since 2013, the station began playing songs from local and unsigned Filipino independent artists/bands through its supplemental program ''Fresh Filter''. 2013 saw the re-emergence of Pinoy indie music. Some indie acts became popular (and eventually went mainstream) such as
Autotelic An autotelic is someone or something that has a purpose in, and not apart from, itself. Origin The word "autotelic" derives from the Greek ''αὐτοτελής'' (''autotelēs''), formed from ''αὐτός'' (''autos'', "self") and ''τέλ ...
, Bullet Dumas, Ang Bandang Shirley,
Cheats Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert or disobey rules in order to obtain unfair advantages without being noticed. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given pr ...
, BP Valenzuela, She's Only Sixteen, The Ransom Collective, Oh, Flamingo!,
Sud Sud or SUD may refer to: Places * Sud (Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg constituency), a constituency in Luxembourg * Sud (department), an administrative subdivision of Haiti * Sud Department (Ivory Coast), defunct administrative subdivision of ...
, MilesExperience, Tom's Story, Ben&Ben, IV of Spades,
December Avenue (band) December Avenue is a Filipino indie pop alternative rock band from Manila, known for their viral compositions online. The band is one of the most streamed Original Pilipino Music, OPM bands of all-time. The band is composed of Zel Bautista on voc ...
,
Clara Benin Clara Benin (born February 19, 1994) is a Filipino indie singer-songwriter best known for her track "Parallel Universe". As of October 2019, Benin has amassed tens of millions of streams in Spotify. Early life Clara Benin was born on February ...
,
Reese Lansangan Maria Therese "Reese" Lansangan (born October 16, 1990) is a Filipino musician, singer-songwriter, visual artist, graphic designer, fashion designer, and published author. She is best known for her 2015 debut album ''Arigato, Internet!'', and for ...
, and others. Today, various indie bands continue to perform through daily/weekly gig schedules at popular gig places like B-Side and SaGuijo in Makati, Route 196 (closed in 2020) and Mow's Bar in Quezon City, 19 East in Parañaque, 70s Bistro in Anonas, and at various music festivals (such as Wanderland, UP (University of the Philippines) Fair, Rakrakan Festival, and Fete de la Musique Philippines). In 2015, entrepreneur and musician Ramon "RJ" Jacinto launched the Pinoy Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, which was established to recognize notable Filipino musicians. During the final years of the 2010s, the genre also gave prominence of Pinoy artists from outside the Philippine territory, including UK-based Filipino independent artists
Beabadoobee Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus (born 3 June 2000), known professionally as Beabadoobee (; '), is a British singer-songwriter. From 2018 to 2021, she released five extended plays (EPs) under the independent label Dirty Hit: ''Lice'' (2018), ''Patc ...
and
No Rome Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez (born 30 August 1999), better known by his stage name No Rome, is a London-based Filipino musician from San Francisco del Monte. He is best known for his 2021 single " Spinning", which featured Charli XCX and the 197 ...
.


2020s

The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
halted the Philippine music industry, with many music venues being closed and concerts/festivals being either postponed or canceled. But the pandemic also gave artists and bands more time to bring new releases, recorded from their respective homes. The late 2010s/early 2020s gave birth of new breed of rock and indie artists/bands: Magnus Haven, Bandang Lapis, the Vowels They Orbit, Maki,
Lola Amour Lola Amour is a Filipino rock band formed in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila, Philippines in 2013. The band consists of Pio Dumayas on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, David Yuhico on background vocals and keyboards, Manu Dumayas (who had previously serve ...
, Nobita, SunKissed Lola, Dilaw, Zild Benitez, Ena Mori, Cup of Joe and Over October released their own solo recordings.


See also

* List of Pinoy rock groups *
Music of the Philippines The music of the Philippines () includes the musical performance arts in the Philippines and the music of Filipinos composed in various local and international genres and styles. Philippine musical compositions are often a mixture of Indige ...


References


External links


Only Pinoy

Hardcore Punk Underground in the Philippines
{{World rock Rock music by country Philippine styles of music Rock music genres