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Serbian rock is the rock music scene of
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. During the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s, while Serbia was a
constituent republic Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...
of
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, 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 (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
country, but a member of the
Non-Aligned Movement The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 121 countries that Non-belligerent, are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. It was founded with the view to advancing interests of developing countries in the context of Cold W ...
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 SFRY, Yugoslav singer. Marjanović began his career in the mid-1950s, rising to fame in the late 1950s with his theatrical on-stag ...
, 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). ''Fun ...
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 Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...
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 of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
s and
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
s.
Korni Grupa Korni Grupa ( sr-cyr, Корни Група, trans. ''Korni Group'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1968. Launched and led by, as well as named after, the keyboardist Kornelije Kovač, the band was one of the first Yugoslav ro ...
was the first Serbian rock act to release a full-length album, in 1972, and one of the first bands to move towards
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
. 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 b ...
into their sound. At this period, bands like YU Grupa,
Pop Mašina Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...
and
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
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 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 ...
band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, and the emergence of the closely associated
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 ...
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 p ...
was the first Serbian
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 ...
band to release an album, in 1980. The new wave bands
Šarlo Akrobata Šarlo Akrobata ( sr-Cyrl, Шарло Акробата, lit= Charlot the Acrobat) were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yug ...
,
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 th ...
and
Idoli Idoli ( sr-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
, which appeared on the influential compilation album ''
Paket aranžman ''Paket aranžman'' () is a New wave music in Yugoslavia, new wave compilation album released in 1981 by Jugoton. Featuring eminent Belgrade acts Šarlo Akrobata, Idoli and Električni Orgazam, it is considered to be one of the most important and ...
'' 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 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 ...
acts, such as
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
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 compose ...
, dominated the mainstream scene, but various other rock genres also emerged, and the
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 ...
scene, with the acts such as
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influ ...
,
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav and, for a period of time, Great Britain, British Rock music, r ...
, and Rambo Amadeus, 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, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
at the beginning of the 1990s, the former Yugoslav rock scene ceased to exist. During the 1990s, most of, both mainstream and underground, rock acts expressed their opposition towards the government of
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...
, 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 Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rel ...
and
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
, even increasing it), and a large underground and
independent music Independent music (also commonly known as indie music, or simply indie) is a broad style of music characterized by creative freedoms, low-budgets, and a DIY ethic, do-it-yourself approach to music creation, which originated from the liberties aff ...
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, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
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 Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
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 from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, 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 A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. ...
basketball courts at
Kalemegdan The Kalemegdan Park (), 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. Kalemegdan Pa ...
. 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 of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
, 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 SFRY, Yugoslav singer. Marjanović began his career in the mid-1950s, rising to fame in the late 1950s with his theatrical on-stag ...
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). ''Fun ...
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 ( sh-Cyrl, Продукција грамофонских плоча Радио телевизије Београд, translit=Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd ) was a major state-owned record label and chain record ...
, the biggest Serbian record label. In 1963, Marjanović went on his first
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
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 language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, he had a stroke, after which he decided to retire. The beginning of the 1960s saw the emergence of numerous
beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...
and
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
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 a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...
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 ...
: Iskre and Siluete, both formed in 1961; Zlatni Dečaci and Bele Višnje, both formed in 1962;
Crni Biseri Crni Biseri ( sr-cyr, Црни Бисери, trans. ''The Black Pearls'') were a SFRY, Yugoslav rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1963, notable as one of the pioneers of the Popular music in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ...
, Daltoni, Elipse, and Samonikli, all formed in 1963; Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete and Sanjalice, both formed in 1964; Plamenih 5, formed in 1965, Džentlmeni, formed in 1966. Siluete were well known for their shocking appearance and performance, and the band's frontman Zoran Miščević became one of the first Yugoslav rock stars and a
sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...
. 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 African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...
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 brass band, British-style brass band contains only brass and percussion instrume ...
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 (, ) 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 of several hundreds of thousa ...
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 19 ...
, later formed the highly successful progressive/
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 ...
band YU Grupa. Although all of these bands released only
7-inch single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
s and
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
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 Korni Grupa ( sr-cyr, Корни Група, trans. ''Korni Group'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1968. Launched and led by, as well as named after, the keyboardist Kornelije Kovač, the band was one of the first Yugoslav ro ...
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 ži ...
keyboardist
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; ; 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 Hungarian father an ...
, 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) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
, the band moved towards progressive sound with the arrival of vocalist
Dado Topić Adolf "Dado" Topić is a Croatian rock musician. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band from the former Yugoslavia. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead singer of the popular prog-rock band Korni Grupa ( ...
, continuing, however, to release commercial singles. Korni Grupa's 1971 debut album ''Korni Grupa'' was the first
long play The LP (from long playing or long play) is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of  rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specificatio ...
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) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
-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. By the time Korni Grupa disbanded, other Serbian progressive rock bands, like YU Grupa and
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
, had already achieved huge mainstream popularity. YU Grupa, formed in 1970 by former Džentlmeni members, brothers Dragi and Žika Jelić, 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 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 ...
and
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
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 b ...
, YU Grupa released their first album, '' YU Grupa'' (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 Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
from
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
, 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. Bi ...
"Točak" in 1971, was, during the second half of the 1970s, competitive with the band
Bijelo Dugme () is a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav Rock music, rock band, formed in Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1974. is widely considered to have been the most popular and the best-selling band ever to exist in the former S ...
from
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
. 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 abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
. The band's later releases, '' Satelit'' (1976), '' Crna dama'' (1977) and ''
Stranice našeg vremena ''Stranice našeg vremena'' is the third studio album by the Serbian band Smak, released in 1978. Track listing Personnel * Boris Aranđelović - vocals * Radomir Mihajlović "Točak" - guitar * Tibor Levay - keyboards * Zoran Milanović ...
'' (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 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 singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
, and during the initial period went through several lineup changes. The most famous lineup featured Balašević, Verica Todorović,
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
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 12 ...
, the latter two joining Rani Mraz after leaving the
acoustic rock Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. While all music was once acoustic, the retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the ad ...
band Suncokret. 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 language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...
from a slightly different perspective than habitual socialist realism, 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 ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
. Rani Mraz released two well-received albums, '' Mojoj mami umesto maturske slike u izlogu'' (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 As was the case with the previous record, two official Rani Mraz members, Đorđe Balašević ...
'' (1980), before disbanding in 1981. With the release of the album ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
'' (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 ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, formed in 1978, achieved huge success with their debut single " Lutka sa naslovne strane" (1978) and their debut album '' Kost u grlu'' (1979). Their following albums, '' Pokvarena mašta i prljave strasti'' and '' Mrtva priroda'', 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 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 ...
sound with
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
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-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
. After the album '' Istina'' (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 Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
and
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
during the
Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
, when Ðorđević became an active supporter of the Serbian troops in
Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...
and Republika Srpska Krajina, which he demonstrated by recording controversial songs "E moj druže zagrebački" (which was recorded as a response to Jura Stublić's song "E moj druže beogradski") and "Ljetovanje" with the band Mindušari from
Knin Knin () is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split. ...
. However, Ðorđević was also strongly opposed to president
Slobodan Milošević Slobodan Milošević ( sr-Cyrl, Слободан Милошевић, ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugos ...
and he demonstrated his attitude by writing a number of anti-government songs released on Riblja Čorba albums '' Zbogom, Srbijo'' (1993), '' Ostalo je ćutanje'' (1996) and '' Nojeva barka'' (1999), and on his solo album '' Njihovi dani'' (1996). The end of the 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s featured the appearance of three popular solo singers: Slađana Milošević,
Bebi Dol Dragana Todorović (; ; born 2 October 1962), better known under the stage name Bebi Dol ( sr-Cyrl, Беби Дол, lit=Baby Doll), is a Serbian and Yugoslav singer and songwriter. Born in Belgrade, she made her solo debut in 1981 with the su ...
and Oliver Mandić. 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 is a Croatian rock musician. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band from the former Yugoslavia. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead singer of the popular prog-rock band Korni Grupa ( ...
. 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 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 ...
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
. 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 Yugoslavia was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 27 times, debuting in 1961 and competing every year until its last appearance in 1992, with the exceptions of 1977–1980, and 1985. The Yugoslavian participating broadcaster in the conte ...
festivals, she was, with the song "
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
", the last representative of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia at the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
. 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 th ...
, after releasing '' Kako bubanj kaže'' in 1984, released their commercially most successful albums, '' Distorzija'' (1986) and '' Letim, sanjam, dišem'' (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 over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, on the concert held at the Belgrade Ušće park.
Idoli Idoli ( sr-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
, after releasing their debut ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани '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 album t ...
'' (1982), recorded their second studio album, '' Čokolada'' (1983), which featured a combination of pop rock,
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 ...
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 ...
. 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 – 5 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, 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 e ...
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 In Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language ...
'' (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 was also a founder and a member of the Yugoslav new wave band Idoli in the 1980s.P. Janjatović, Idoli, YU rock enciklopedija 1960-1967, ...
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 Pres ...
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 Neboj� ...
. 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 (which moved towards pop rock), U Škripcu (which moved towards
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
and pop rock) and Laki Pingvini (which moved towards synthpop and
New Romantic New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic mo ...
). 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 compose ...
, formed in 1984 by former Riblja Čorba member Momčilo Bajagić "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'' (1985) '' Jahači magle'' (1986), and '' Prodavnica tajni'' (1988), all becoming mega-hits. Bajaga i Instruktori entered the 1990s as one of the most popular Serbian rock acts, managing to maintain the gained popularity through the 1990s. The mid-1980s pop rock bands Amajlija, Poslednja Igra Leptira, Divlji Anđeli, Slomljena Stakla, Ruž, Alisa,
Banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...
, Jugosloveni, Bel Tempo and Vampiri 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 Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...
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 Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
. However, with the breakout of the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
, 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 Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rel ...
and Dejan Cukić. 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'' (1988), '' Korak do slobode'' (1989), and '' Istorija, ti i ja'' (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 (, abbr. SPS) is a populist political party in Serbia. Ivica Dačić has led SPS as its president since 2006. SPS was founded in 1990 as a merger of the League of Communists of Serbia and Socialist Alliance ...
, which had provoked a part of the critics and fans to proclaim Galija a "state band". Nevertheless, albums '' Karavan'' (1994), '' Trinaest'' (1996) and '' Voleti voleti'' (1997) were well received by majority of the fans. The garage/
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 ...
band Partibrejkers gained large popularity with the albums '' Partibrejkers I'' (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 Mil ...
'' (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,
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
,
Babe Babe may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People * Babe (nickname), a list of people * Jerome Babe (1837–1893), American inventor and miner * Thomas Babe (1941–2000), Ame ...
, Prljavi Inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi, Familija, and the Belgrade fraction of the band
Zabranjeno Pušenje Zabranjeno Pušenje () is a Bosnian Rock music, rock band formed in Sarajevo in 1980. The group's musical style primarily consists of a distinctive garage rock sound with Bosnian folk music, folk influences, often featuring innovative production a ...
. Pioneers of Serbian and former Yugoslav
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 ...
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'' (1993), '' Hodi'' (1996) and '' Opasan ples'' (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, 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 a genre of rock music that is Comedy music, comedic in nature. It is often mixed with satirical music, satire or irony.V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, ''All music guide to rock: the definitive guide to rock, pop, and ...
band, Prljavi Inspektor Blaža i Kljunovi, formed by charismatic frontman Igor Blažević in 1993, quickly gained mainstream popularity with lyrics inspired by musical, film and sport stars. The band Familija was formed in 1994 by former Vampiri, U Škripcu and Košava members, and saw large popularity with their albums '' Narodno pozorište'' (1994) and '' Seljačka buna'' (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 w ...
/pop rock songs with humorous lyrics. With the outbreak of the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
the band Zabranjeno Pušenje from
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
split into two factions, both named Zabranjeno Pušenje: the
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
fraction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje guitarist Sejo Sexon, and the Belgrade faction, led by the original Zabranjeno Pušenje vocalist Nele Karajlić. 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'' () 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. The literal translation of the title is actually "Black pussycat, w ...
'' by the director
Emir Kusturica Emir Kusturica ( sr-cyrl, Емир Кустурица, ; born 24 November 1954) is a Serbian film director, screenwriter, actor, film producer and musician. Kusturica has been an active filmmaker since the 1980s. He has competed at the Cannes ...
, moved towards
world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
, 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,
Neverne Bebe Neverne Bebe ( sr-cyr, Неверне Бебе, lit=The Unfaithful Babies) are a Serbian rock band, originally formed in Valjevo in 1993 and currently based in Belgrade. Initinally the band performed jazz-influenced arena rock, then turned towards ...
and
Night Shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a schedule (workplace), shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, train ...
. 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 Neverne Bebe ( sr-cyr, Неверне Бебе, lit=The Unfaithful Babies) are a Serbian rock band, originally formed in Valjevo in 1993 and currently based in Belgrade. Initinally the band performed jazz-influenced arena rock, then turned towards ...
, formed in 1993 by the keyboard player 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 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 ...
/hard rock band
Night Shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a schedule (workplace), shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, train ...
, although formed in 1991, released their debut, successful
cover album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
'' 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, with their comeback '' Dugo znamo se'' (2005),
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
, with the albums '' Dnevnik starog momka'' (2001) and '' Rani mraz'' (2004),
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, with '' Pišanje uz vetar'' (2001), ''
Ovde ''Ovde'' (trans. ''Here'') is the sixteenth studio album from Serbian and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, former Yugoslav rock music, rock band Riblja Čorba, released in 2003. The album featured a bonus CD with explicit lyrics songs " ...
'' (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 compose ...
, with '' 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 th ...
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 Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rel ...
, with ''
Gramzivost i pohlepa Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rele ...
'' (2002) and ''
Sloboda ili ništa ''Sloboda ili ništa'' is the seventh studio album by the Serbian garage rock/punk rock band Partibrejkers, released by PGP RTS PGP-RTS ( sr-Cyrl, Продукција грамофонских плоча Радио телевизије С� ...
'' (2007), and
Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
, with '' DrUnder'' (2002), '' Kolo'' (2006) and '' 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 Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba ( sr-cyr, Породична Мануфактура Црног Хлеба; trans. ''Rye Bread Family Manufacture'') was a Yugoslav rock band and a theatrical troupe formed in Belgrade in 1968. The band was form ...
, Vlada i Bajka,
Lutajuća Srca Lutajuća Srca (Serbian Cyrillic: Лутајућа Срца, trans. ''The Wandering Hearts'') was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Niš in 1970. They were one of the most notable representatives of the 1970s Yugoslav acoustic rock sce ...
, S Vremena Na Vreme, DAG, and Suncokret, most of them being a part of the
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
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 Jugoslav Vlahović ( sr-cyr, Југослав Влаховић; born 17 March 1949) is a Serbian and Yugoslav visual artist, caricaturist, illustrator, graphic designer, photographer, art educator and retired rock musician. Vlahović is b ...
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-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
and Dušan Prelević, and actors
Dragan Nikolić Dragoslav "Dragan" Nikolić ( sr-cyr, Драгослав Драган Николић, ; 20 August 1943 – 11 March 2016) was a Serbian and Yugoslav actor. Nikolić studied at Dramatic Arts Academy in Belgrade. In 1967 he starred in the film ' ...
,
Nikola Kojo Nikola Kojo (; born 5 September 1967) is a Serbian actor and film director as well the TV Host of the game shows The Weakest Link. Biography Nikola was named after his great-grandfather, who was an protoiereus in Mostar. He made his acting debu ...
and Dragan Bjelogrlić. Acoustic/
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
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 b ...
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 Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
-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 of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
, 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-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
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 12 ...
and Gorica Popović. The band started releasing
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
-inspired singles and, in 1977, released their only album, ''Moje bube''. The following year, having written the song " Lutka sa naslovne strane", which the band refused to perform, Đorđević, together with Krstić, left the band, moving to Rani Mraz. 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
unplugged Unplugged may refer to: *Acoustic music, music not produced through electronic means * "Unplugged" (B.A.P song), 2014 * "Unplugged" (''Modern Family''), a 2010 episode of ''Modern Family'' Albums and EPs * ''Unplugged'' (5'nizza album), 2002 * '' ...
concerts in the late 1980s introduced the popularity of acoustic music in the following decade. Bora Đorđević's and
Arsen Dedić Arsenije "Arsen" Dedić (; 28 July 1938 – 17 August 2015) was a Yugoslav and Croatian singer-songwriter. He wrote and performed chansons, as well as film music. He was also an award-winning poet, and was one of the best-selling poets of former ...
'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 Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
band
Eva Braun Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich in 1929 (aged 17) when she was an assistant and model ...
in 1993, and in the following year the Music Television of Serbia organized an unplugged festival in Belgrade
Sava Centar Sava Centar ( sr-cyr, Сава центар) is an international congress, cultural and business center of various multi-functional activities located in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is the largest audience hall in the country and the enti ...
. The recordings of Eva Braun, Rambo Amadeus, Laki Pingvini,
Babe Babe may refer to: * Babe, a term of endearment * A newborn baby * An attractive (especially female) person People * Babe (nickname), a list of people * Jerome Babe (1837–1893), American inventor and miner * Thomas Babe (1941–2000), Ame ...
, Dejan Cukić, Milan Delčić,
Du Du A Du Du A ( sr-Cyrl, Ду Ду А) was a Serbian and Yugoslav alternative rock band formed in Belgrade in 1981. Formed by Dejan Kostić (vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and Vuk Vujačić (saxophone), and soon joined by Zoran Zagorčić (vocals, keybo ...
, Del Arno Band,
Kazna Za Uši Kazna Za Uši ( sr-Cyrl, Казна За Уши; trans. ''Ear Punishment'') is a Serbian garage rock band from Belgrade. History Band formation, first releases (1986–1991) The band was formed in Autumn 1986 by lead guitarist and vocalis ...
, 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 Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
television station NS Plus in Novi Sad Studio M. Influenced by the already popular ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
'', ''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 th ...
,
Vlada Divljan Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир "Влада" Дивљан; 10 May 1958 – 5 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 released only a part of their 1996 unplugged concert in Studio M, featuring
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; ; 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 Hungarian father an ...
on piano, on their 2007 album ''
Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film * ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film *'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...
''. 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 Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
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 singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
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 Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
tribute ''Divlji med'', featuring
Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard varieties, variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of ...
lyrics. In 2002, 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'', 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 singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
. He started his career in the 1970s as a member of the band Žetva and the leader of the band Rani Mraz, before starting, with the release of the album ''
Pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
'' (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 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 ...
-oriented, in his later career he often used elements of rock,
chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...
and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
, with some of his works, like '' Na posletku...'' (1996) and '' Rani mraz'' (2004) being entirely
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
-oriented. Balašević's lyrics often dealt with humorous or political- and social-related themes. Other notable singer-songwriters are Srđan Marjanović and
Nikola Čuturilo Nikola Čuturilo ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Чутурило; born 9 July 1962), also known as Čutura ( Чутура, literally " canteen") is a Serbian rock musician. He is known as a guitarist for the band Riblja Čorba, as well as for his solo wo ...
. 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, 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 ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
. 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 Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
dominated the Serbian rock scene throughout the 1970s, with the acts such as Dogovor iz 1804.,
Korni Grupa Korni Grupa ( sr-cyr, Корни Група, trans. ''Korni Group'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1968. Launched and led by, as well as named after, the keyboardist Kornelije Kovač, the band was one of the first Yugoslav ro ...
, YU Grupa,
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
,
Pop Mašina Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...
, Dah, S Vremena Na Vreme,
Opus Opus (: opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera ...
, 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 within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
sound. They were followed by
Korni Grupa Korni Grupa ( sr-cyr, Корни Група, trans. ''Korni Group'') was a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1968. Launched and led by, as well as named after, the keyboardist Kornelije Kovač, the band was one of the first Yugoslav ro ...
. Formed in 1968 by
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; ; 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 Hungarian father an ...
, the band had gone through many lineup changes and featured many famous musicians, including vocalists Dušan Prelević, Dalibor Brun,
Dado Topić Adolf "Dado" Topić is a Croatian rock musician. He was the lead singer and founder of Time, a 1970s progressive rock band from the former Yugoslavia. From 1970 to late 1971, he was also the lead singer of the popular prog-rock band Korni Grupa ( ...
,
Zdravko Čolić Zdravko Čolić (, ; born 30 May 1951) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian-Serbian Pop music, pop singer and widely considered one of the greatest vocalists and cultural icons of the former Yugoslavia. Favourably compared to Paul McCartney and T ...
and
Zlatko Pejaković Zlatko Pejaković (born 29 August 1950) is a Croatian singer. He has released 27 albums over his five decade long career. He started his music career in 1967 with local bands in Osijek. In 1972 he joined Korni Grupa, who in turn reached their pea ...
. 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 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) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
-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, formed in 1970 by former Džentlmeni members, brothers Dragi and Žika Jelić, were one of the pioneers in incorporating elements of 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 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 ...
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 Goran Bregović ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Бреговић; born 22 March 1950) is a recording artist born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Slavic speaking countries in the ...
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 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 ...
-oriented releases throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and the 2000s.
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
, 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 "Kepa", did not get a default lineup until 1975 by which time bassist
Zoran Milanović Zoran Milanović (; born 30 October 1966) is a Croatia, Croatian politician and the incumbent president of Croatia. First elected in 2020, he was re-elected in 2025 with 74% voter support. Prior to assuming the presidency, he was the prime min ...
, vocalist Boris Aranđelović and keyboard player
Laza Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski (Serbian Cyrillic: Лаза Ристовски, ; 23 January 1956 – 6 October 2007) was a Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms ...
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
-influenced progressive rock, but also incorporated elements of folk,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
and hard rock into their sound. The band achieved huge popularity in the 1970s, with their releases ''
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
'' (1975), '' Satelit'' (1976), '' Crna dama'' (1977) and ''
Stranice našeg vremena ''Stranice našeg vremena'' is the third studio album by the Serbian band Smak, released in 1978. Track listing Personnel * Boris Aranđelović - vocals * Radomir Mihajlović "Točak" - guitar * Tibor Levay - keyboards * Zoran Milanović ...
'' (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 Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...
, formed in 1971, performed progressive/hard rock, but their debut album '' Kiselina'' (1973) also featured
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
and
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
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 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 Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. While all music was once acoustic, the retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the ad ...
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, formed in 1972 and led by guitarist
Zlatko Manojlović Zlatko Manojlović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Златко Манојловић; born 1951), also known internationally as Zed Mitchell, is a Serbian and Yugoslav guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, currently based in Germany. Manojlović rose to prom ...
, also combined progressive rock with folk. In 1975, Dah moved to
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
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, which made a shift towards heavy metal in the 1980s. The band
Opus Opus (: opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera ...
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, formed in 1974, which performed a fusion of symphonic and
jazz rock Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music Music genre, genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, a ...
. Progressive/psychedelic rock band Igra Staklenih Perli, formed in 1976, was one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav psychedelic/
space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...
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 Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba ( sr-cyr, Породична Мануфактура Црног Хлеба; trans. ''Rye Bread Family Manufacture'') was a Yugoslav rock band and a theatrical troupe formed in Belgrade in 1968. The band was form ...
, 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 Neverne Bebe ( sr-cyr, Неверне Бебе, lit=The Unfaithful Babies) are a Serbian rock band, originally formed in Valjevo in 1993 and currently based in Belgrade. Initinally the band performed jazz-influenced arena rock, then turned towards ...
. Porodična Manufaktura Crnog Hleba, formed in 1968, and DAG, formed in 1972, were
acoustic rock Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. While all music was once acoustic, the retronym "acoustic music" appeared after the ad ...
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 ''Prva plovidba'' (trans. ''The First Sail'') is the debut studio album from Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band Galija. Predrag Milosavljević, brother of the band frontman Nenad Milosavljević, appeared on the album on vocals, but was credit ...
'' 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 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 ...
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 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 ...
pioneers like
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...
and
Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
, hard rock gained large popularity in the early 1970s with the works of
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
bands
Pop Mašina Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...
, YU Grupa and
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
. 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 within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
towards harder sound. Their sound featured progressive, hard, psychedelic and
acid rock Acid rock is a loosely defined type of rock music that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage rock, garage punk movement and helped launch the psychedelia, psychedelic subculture. While the term has sometimes been used interchangeably with "psyc ...
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 b ...
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
-influenced progressive rock, but their sound often featured hard rock,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
and folk elements. The band moved towards more commercial hard rock at the beginning of the 1980s with the album ''
Rock cirkus ''Rock cirkus'' is the fourth studio album by the Serbian rock band Smak, released in 1980. Track listing Personnel * Boris Aranđelović – vocals * Radomir Mihajlović "Točak" – guitar * Laza Ristovski – keyboards * Zoran Milanov ...
'', 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 ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, 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 Live Aid was a two-venue benefit concert and music-based fundraising initiative held on Saturday, 13 July 1985. The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia, a m ...
. 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 and Rani Mraz member
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
and SOS members Miša Aleksić, Rajko Kojić and
Vicko Milatović Miroslav "Vicko" Milatović (Serbian Cyrillic: Мирослав-Вицко Милатовић) is a Serbian musician best known as the drummer for the Serbian and Yugoslav rock band Riblja Čorba. Milatović first gained prominence in the late 1 ...
formed the hard rock band
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
. After the recording of their debut hit single " Lutka sa naslovne strane" they were joined by guitarist Momčilo Bajagić (who, having left Riblja Čorba in 1984, formed the highly successful
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 ...
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 compose ...
). Riblja Čorba debut album '' Kost u grlu'' (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'' (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'' (1985), recorded with guitarists Vidoja Božinović and
Nikola Čuturilo Nikola Čuturilo ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Чутурило; born 9 July 1962), also known as Čutura ( Чутура, literally " canteen") is a Serbian rock musician. He is known as a guitarist for the band Riblja Čorba, as well as for his solo wo ...
. Although more heavy metal-oriented than any of the band's previous works and often considered Riblja Čorba's
magnum opus A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
, ''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 Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal band ...
releases, most notably by Gordi, Rok Mašina and Ratnici, and the new generation of hard rock bands, most notably Kerber, Griva and
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
. 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
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
. 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. 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'' (1987) which featured a combination of hard rock and
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
with the traditional music of Vojvodina, disbanding in 1992. In 1982, Riblja Čorba drummer Vicko Milatović formed the heavy metal band Ratnici, which later changed the name to Warriors and, without Milatović, moved to Canada. In 1984, they recorded an album for the foreign market, but disbanded in 1986. In 1982, guitarist Aleksandar "Leki" Cvetković formed the hard rock band
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
. Cvetković's social-related lyrics were heavily influenced by the lyrics of Bora Ðordevic and Azra leader
Branimir Štulić Branimir "Johnny" Štulić (born April 11, 1953) is a Yugoslav singer-songwriter, musician and author, best known for being the frontman of the popular Yugoslav rock group Azra. He is known for his charismatic stage performances and inspiring ...
. The band released four studio albums before disbanding in 1989. The late 1980s featured the appearance of the band Love Hunters, female singer Viktorija, and the emergence of
glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music, heavy metal that features pop music, pop-influenced Hook (music), hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat arena rock, rock anthems, and slow Sentimental ballad#Powe ...
scene, with the bands Karizma and
Osvajači Osvajači ( sr-cyr, Освајачи; trans. ''The Conquerors'') are a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav hard rock band formed in Kragujevac in 1990. Formed by vocalist Zvonko Pantović, Zvonko Pantović "Čipi", guitarist Dragan Urošević, bass guita ...
being the most notable representatives. Love Hunters, formed in 1987, initially performed
punk blues Punk blues (or blues punk) is a music genre that mixes elements of punk rock and blues. Punk Blues Genre AMG Allmusic.com, Retrieved on May 21, 2008 Punk blues musicians and bands usually incorporate elements of related styles, such as protop ...
, 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, 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 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 ...
, 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 ''Krv i led'' (trans. ''Blood and Ice'') is the debut album from Serbian and Yugoslav hard rock band Osvajači, released in 1991. Background and recording Osvajači were formed in 1990 by Zvonko Pantović "Čipi" (vocals), Dragan Urošević (gu ...
'', which they recorded with
Laza Ristovski Lazar "Laza" Ristovski (Serbian Cyrillic: Лаза Ристовски, ; 23 January 1956 – 6 October 2007) was a Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms ...
on keyboards, in 1990, while their second 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 ''Vrelina'' (trans. ''Heat'') is the third studio album from Serbian and Yugoslav hard rock band Osvajači, released in 2000. It is the only album by the second incarnation of the band, formed and led by the original Osvajači guitarist Dragan Ur ...
'', but disbanding a year later. The late 1980s also saw the emergence of the first
extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...
acts, which saw little mainstream popularity in Serbia and former Yugoslavia in general during the 1980s. The
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
band Heller, formed in 1985, released arguably 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 In kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...
/thrash metal band Bombarder, originally based in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
, moved to Belgrade after the beginning of the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following several earlier violent incid ...
, where the band continued to record and perform. The 1990s featured only several notable, mostly
crossover thrash Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover) is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre emerged in the mid-1980s, when hardcore punk bands, such as Suicidal Tendencies, Cryptic Slaughter, Corrosion of Conformity and Dir ...
, metal acts: Sick Mother Fakers, Dead Ideas, and
Svarog Svarog is a Slavic god who may be associated with fire and blacksmithing and who was once interpreted as a sky god on the basis of an etymology rejected by modern scholarship. He is mentioned in only one source, the ''Primary Chronicle'', which ...
, the latter also being one of the pioneers of
sludge Sludge (possibly , or some dialect related to slush) is a semi-solid slurry that can be produced from a range of industrial processes, from water treatment, wastewater treatment or on-site sanitation systems. It can be produced as a settled sus ...
and
doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
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 202. The most notable bands of the movement were the hard rock/heavy metal band
Kraljevski Apartman Kraljevski Apartman ( sr-cyr, Краљевски Апартман; trans. ''Royal Suite'') is a Serbian heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Belgrade. The band rose to prominence during the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming one of the most ...
, formed in 1995, and progressive/power metal 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 Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
bands May Result and The Stone,
gothic metal Gothic metal (or goth metal) is a fusion genre combining the aggression of heavy metal music, heavy metal with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different ...
band Abonos,
death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
/doom metal band Rain Delay, industrial/
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
band
Trigger Trigger may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Trigger (''Only Fools and Horses''), in the TV sitcom * Trigger Argee, in science fiction short stories by James H. Schmitz * Devil Trigger, a transformation ability of ...
, and others. The 2000s also saw the revival of the hard rock scene. The hard rock band Cactus Jack, influenced by the 1970s hard rock, was formed in 1998, but saw their commercial success in the 2000s. The
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 ...
/hard rock band
Night Shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a schedule (workplace), shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, train ...
, even though formed in 1991, released their debut 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, Art Diler, 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 SFRY, Yugoslav rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1963, notable as one of the pioneers of the Popular music in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, ...
, Daltoni, 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 within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
, and many 1970s progressive and
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 ...
bands, such as
Pop Mašina Pop Mašina ( sr-cyr, Поп Машина; trans. ''Pop Machine'') was a SFRY, Yugoslav progressive rock band formed in Belgrade in 1972. The group blended hard rock sound with blues, psychedelic rock, psychedelic and acid rock elements and is co ...
, YU Grupa,
Smak Smak ( sr-Cyrl, Смак; trans. ''The end time'') was a Serbian and SFRY, Yugoslav band from Kragujevac. The group reached the peak of popularity in the 1970s when it was one of the most notable acts of the yu rock, former Yugoslav rock scene. T ...
and
Riblja Čorba Riblja Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Рибља Чорба, pronounced ; ) is a Serbian and former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band formed in Belgrade in 1978. The band has been one of the most popular and most influential acts of the Popular music in the So ...
, incorporated
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
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 and Blues Trio, both formed in 1983; Zona B, formed in 1987; Di Luna Blues Band, formed 1989. The band
Hush Hush may refer to: Film and television Film * ''Hush'' (1921 film), starring Clara Kimball Young * ''Hush'' (1998 film), starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Hush!'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film directed by Ryosuke Hashiguchi *''Hush!'', a 2002 film dir ...
, led by female guitarist
Ana Popović Ana Popović ( sr-Cyrl, Ана Поповић, born May 13, 1976) is a blues singer and guitarist from Serbia who currently resides in the United States. Biography Early life Popović was born in 1976 in Belgrade. Her father (Milton Popović) in ...
, released their debut and only album ''Hometown'' in 1998. In 1999, Ana Popović moved to
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and started a successful international career. The 2000s brought a new generation of blues rock bands: Šinobusi (formed in 2001), Texas Flood (formed in 2004), Cotton Pickers (formed in 2004), and others.


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

The development of
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 ...
in Serbia started in
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
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 p ...
and Gomila G, both formed in 1978. Pekinška Patka, formed by vocalist Nebojša Čonkić, pronounced themselves "the first Orthodox punk rock band", which was against the attitude of the
League of Communists of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats ...
, which promoted
atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...
. 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 The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
and
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
liberation of
Stepanovićevo Stepanovićevo ( sr-cyr, Степановићево) is a suburban settlement of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. It has a Serbs, Serb ethnic majority and a population of 2,021 people (2011 census). Stepanovićevo is situated about 20 km north-west f ...
in 1979, where the band performed the song "God Save
Martin Bormann Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and a war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler ...
" and Čonkić of Pekinška Patka blown
condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...
s 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 w ...
band, Kontraritam. In the meantime, Pekinška Patka gained mainstream popularity and recorded their first releases. At the
Subotica Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...
Festival Omladina Festival Omladina (English: ''Youth Festival''), also known as Omladinski Festival, is a music festival held in Subotica, Serbia. The festival was founded in 1961 as a competition of young composers of popular music. Their compositions were init ...
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 ''Plitka poezija'' (trans. ''Shallow Poetry'') is the Serbian punk rock band Pekinška Patka debut album, released in 1980 by Jugoton. The album is the first punk rock album released in Serbia. The album was polled in 1998 as the 77th on the list ...
'', the first punk rock album by a Serbian band, released in 1980 by
Jugoton Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, SR Croatia. History Jugoton was formed in 1947. It replaced Elektroton, which had been founded in 1937, nationalized in 1945, and liquidated ...
. After the album release, the lineup changed, and the arrival of the young Zoran "Bale" Bulatović on guitar, brought the stylistic changes, firstly moving towards new wave, and eventually to
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 band's second album '' Strah od monotonije'' is considered the first post-punk release in Serbia and former
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. 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 Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
bands and releases. Zoran "Bale" Bulatović (guitar) and Marko "Mare" Vukomanović (bass guitar), both from Pekinška Patka, with
La Strada ''La Strada'', also translated into English as ''The Road'', is a 1954 Italian Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomin ...
members Slobodan Tišma (vocals) and Ivan Fece Firchie (drums) formed the first gothic rock band in Serbia,
Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages * Luna (goddess) In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...
, releasing only one album, '' Nestvarne stvari'' (1984). Beside Luna, the notable gothic rock act was also Trivalia from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
, formed in the second half of the 1980s. Gothic rock, however, saw little popularity in Serbia. Another Niš band, post-punk/
darkwave Dark wave, or darkwave, is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as being dark, ro ...
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 An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
, 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 th ...
, on their second album '' Lišće prekriva Lisabon'' (1982), and
Idoli Idoli ( sr-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
, on their debut ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани '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 album t ...
'' (1982), and the
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 ...
band
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influ ...
, firstly called Katarina II, on the albums ''
Katarina II Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influe ...
'' (1984), ''Ekatarina Velika'' (1985) and '' S' vetrom uz lice'' (1986). The second generation of punk rock acts in Serbia featured
Partibrejkers Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rel ...
,
Kazna Za Uši Kazna Za Uši ( sr-Cyrl, Казна За Уши; trans. ''Ear Punishment'') is a Serbian garage rock band from Belgrade. History Band formation, first releases (1986–1991) The band was formed in Autumn 1986 by lead guitarist and vocalis ...
and Toni Montano from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. Serbian
garage punk 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 vehicl ...
band
Partibrejkers Partibrejkers (Serbian Cyrillic: Партибрејкерс, transliteration for: ''Partybreakers'') is a Serbian rock band from Belgrade, as well as one of the most acclaimed acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. The band was formed in 1982 and rel ...
, 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 "Cane" and guitarist Nebojša Antonijević "Anton", the two being the mainstay members of the band. By the time the band released their 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 Mil ...
'' (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 Kazna Za Uši ( sr-Cyrl, Казна За Уши; trans. ''Ear Punishment'') is a Serbian garage rock band from Belgrade. History Band formation, first releases (1986–1991) The band was formed in Autumn 1986 by lead guitarist and vocalis ...
, 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 Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
, also found on his future releases. Other prominent representatives of the second generation of punk rock bands in Serbia featured
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
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 Atheist Rap is a Serbian punk rock band from Novi Sad, formed in 1989, which has released six studio albums, one compilation album and one live DVD. Their music is often characterized as "fun punk" due to its cheerful music and vocals. Their lyr ...
and Zbogom Brus Li from
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
, Goblini from
Šabac Šabac ( sr-Cyrl, Шабац, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river ...
, Džukele from
Subotica Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...
and Novembar from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
. 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, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
of
Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...
into a style the band describes as "tamburaški punk" ("
tamburitza Tamburica ( or ; sometimes written tamburrizza or tamburitza; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", tamburica, тамбурица, little tamboura) or tamboura (; ) refers to a family of long-necked lutes popular in Southeast Europe and southeastern ...
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'' (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
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
n guitar oriented rock sound combined with punk rock,
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
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 Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...
band Nafta, which released the albums ''Samo senke prolaze'' (2008) and ''Alternator'' (2011). In 2004, at the
EXIT festival Exit (stylized in all caps; ) is a summer music festival which is held at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. Founded in 2000, it has twice won the Best Major Festival award at the European Festivals Awards, for 2013 and 2017. EXIT has ...
,
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
band
Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages * Luna (goddess) In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...
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 p ...
lineup reunited to perform at the festival main stage, alongside
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
. 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 Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
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-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
,
Šarlo Akrobata Šarlo Akrobata ( sr-Cyrl, Шарло Акробата, lit= Charlot the Acrobat) were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yug ...
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 th ...
. Zvuk Ulice member
Vlada Divljan Vladimir "Vlada" Divljan ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир "Влада" Дивљан; 10 May 1958 – 5 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 Pres ...
and
Srđan Šaper Srđan Šaper ( sr-cyr, Срђан Шапер; born October 9, 1958) is a founder of I&F McCann Grupa. He was also a founder and a member of the Yugoslav new wave band Idoli in the 1980s.P. Janjatović, Idoli, YU rock enciklopedija 1960-1967, ...
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 Zdenko Kolar ( sr-cyr, Зденко Колар) is a Serbian bass guitarist, most notable as the member of Idoli and Zona B. Biography Kolar was born in Zemun in 1956 where he lived until 1963 when he moved to inner town in Belgrade. He moved ...
, also from Zvuk Ulice, and drummer
Boža Jovanović Boža Jovanović was the first drummer of the Serbian rock band Idoli. He was the band member until 1982 and released two singles and one Extended play, EP with the band. Biography Jovanović has lived in Belgrade in the same apartment buildin ...
and was renamed to
Idoli Idoli ( sr-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
, in 1980. Limunovo Drvo, featuring guitarists Milan Mladenović and
Dragomir Mihajlović Dragomir "Gagi" Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгомир Михајловић "Гаги") is a Serbian rock guitarist. Musical career Mihajlović started his career as a guitarist in a progressive rock group Limunovo Drvo, which, formed in 1978 b ...
"Gagi", performed
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 ...
for two years, before adopting the new wave and
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 ...
musical style on the arrival of the bassist
Dušan Kojić Dušan "Koja" Kojić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Којић Која; born 14 June 1961) is a Serbian rock bassist, singer, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the Serbian Alternative rock band Disciplin A Kitschme (formerly known as Disciplina Kič ...
"Koja" and drummer
Ivan Vdović Ivan "Ivica" Vdović ( sr-cyr, Иван "Ивица" Вдовић; 14 March 1961 – 25 September 1992), also known as Vd ( sr-cyr, Вд), was a Serbian musician, drummer of Yugoslav rock bands such as Suncokret, Šarlo Akrobata and Katar ...
"VD". After the departure of Mihajlović, the band was renamed to
Šarlo Akrobata Šarlo Akrobata ( sr-Cyrl, Шарло Акробата, lit= Charlot the Acrobat) were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yug ...
.
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 th ...
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 Culture Olympics as an opening act for Hipnotisano Pile. Guitarist
Ljubomir Jovanović Ljubomir Jovanović ( sr-cyr, Љубомир Јовановић, 14 February 1865 – 2 October 1928) was a Serbian politician and historian. He was a professor at the University of Belgrade since its establishment in 1905, a member of the SK ...
"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 ''Paket aranžman'' () is a New wave music in Yugoslavia, new wave compilation album released in 1981 by Jugoton. Featuring eminent Belgrade acts Šarlo Akrobata, Idoli and Električni Orgazam, it is considered to be one of the most important and ...
'', 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 "Maljčiki" (Serbian Cyrillic alphabet, Serbian Cyrillic: Маљчики; ) is the second single by the Serbian and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav New wave music, new wave band Idoli. Its re-recorded version appeared on the Ne ...
" which followed the release of the compilation featured a parody of 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 self titled EP in 1981 and ''
Odbrana i poslednji dani ''Odbrana i poslednji dani'' ( sr-Cyrl, Одбрана и последњи дани '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 album t ...
'' 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 self titled debut in 1981 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 ...
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 Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
and the 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 Jugoton was the largest record label and chain record store in the former Yugoslavia based in Zagreb, SR Croatia. History Jugoton was formed in 1947. It replaced Elektroton, which had been founded in 1937, nationalized in 1945, and liquidated ...
wanted to release another compilation featuring the new new wave and punk rock acts from Belgrade. The compilation ''
Artistička radna akcija ''Artistička radna akcija'' (meaning: ''"Artistic Work Action"'', also known under the acronym: ''ARA'') is a new wave and punk rock compilation album released in 1981 by Jugoton in SFR Yugoslavia. It presents a snapshot of the early 1980s Belg ...
'', released in 1981, featured Radnička Kontrola, Bezobrazno Zeleno, 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 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 ...
-oriented studio albums, Profili Profili released 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 Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
and pop rock, and VIA Talas released 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 compose ...
vocalist and solo singer Dejan Cukić, 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 e ...
, 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'' (1983), and Novi Sad act Čista Proza, which released only one album, '' Čista Proza'' (1983). Initial works of the bands Laki Pingvini 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 Grupa I ( sr-Cyrl, Група И; trans. ''Group I'') was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1979. Although short-lived. the group was a prominent act of the late 1970s and early 1980s Yugoslav rock scene. The band was form ...
,
Du Du A Du Du A ( sr-Cyrl, Ду Ду А) was a Serbian and Yugoslav alternative rock band formed in Belgrade in 1981. Formed by Dejan Kostić (vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and Vuk Vujačić (saxophone), and soon joined by Zoran Zagorčić (vocals, keybo ...
,
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 p ...
, Kontraritam, Doktor Spira i Ljudska Bića,
La Strada ''La Strada'', also translated into English as ''The Road'', is a 1954 Italian Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomin ...
, Obojeni Program and Gjurmët, as well as in the works of some acts that gained popularity in the 1970s, most notably Slađana Milošević and
Laboratorija Zvuka Laboratorija Zvuka ( sr-Cyrl, Лабораторија Звука; trans. ''Sound Laboratory''), credited as Laboratorija (''Laboratory'') only on some of their releases, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Novi Sad in 1977. Laborator ...
.


Synthpop (early 1980s – mid-1980s)

One of the first Serbian
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
acts was the band Beograd, which were also one of the pioneers of the former Yugoslav
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 ...
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 A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by Sympathetic resonance, sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. The term ''labrosone'', from Latin elements meani ...
-oriented
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
. 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 ''Artistička radna akcija'' (meaning: ''"Artistic Work Action"'', also known under the acronym: ''ARA'') is a new wave and punk rock compilation album released in 1981 by Jugoton in SFR Yugoslavia. It presents a snapshot of the early 1980s Belg ...
'' 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 Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
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 Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
band Delča & Sklekovi. Zana, named after the band's vocalist Zana Nimani, 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 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 ...
,
New Romantic New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic mo ...
and
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...
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, D' Boys and
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
. 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 Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
group Jane member 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
kitsch ''Kitsch'' ( ; loanword from German) is a term applied to art and design that is perceived as Naivety, naïve imitation, overly eccentric, gratuitous or of banal Taste (sociology), taste. The modern avant-garde traditionally opposed kitsch ...
y 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 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 e ...
and then
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influ ...
, and later taking up playing accordion and forming his Miško Plavi Band. The band
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, 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 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 ...
on their second album ''Bomba u grudima'' (1986).


Funk rock (early 1980s – present)

Funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and Rock music, rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters (American band), the Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the ...
in Serbia appeared in the 1980s with the bands
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
, 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 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 ...
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 Zoran Janjetov ( sr-cyr, Зоран Јањетов; born 23 June 1961) is a Serbian comics artist. Janjetov is among most prominent comics creators of former Yugoslavia, published worldwide. He is best known as the illustrator of '' Avant l'Incal ...
, 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 Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
. Oktobar 1864, formed in 1984 and featuring the female vocalist Tanja Jovićević, released their 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
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 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 ...
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-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
and
Disciplina Kičme Disciplin A Kitschme, originally known as Disciplina Kičme ( sr-Cyrl, Дисциплина Кичме, transl. ''Backbone Discipline''), was a Serbian and SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav and, for a period of time, Great Britain, British Rock music, r ...
. 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 The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
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 w ...
,
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 ...
,
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...
and
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 ...
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 Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
bands
Laboratorija Zvuka Laboratorija Zvuka ( sr-Cyrl, Лабораторија Звука; trans. ''Sound Laboratory''), credited as Laboratorija (''Laboratory'') only on some of their releases, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Novi Sad in 1977. Laborator ...
, with their eccentric style,
erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...
lyrics, unusual line ups and bizarre
circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
-inspired stage performances,
La Strada ''La Strada'', also translated into English as ''The Road'', is a 1954 Italian Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomin ...
, featuring the poet Slobodan Tišma on guitar and vocals, Obojeni Program, featuring former Urbana Gerila vocalist Branislav "Kebra" Babić, and the girl band Boye whose debut album ''Dosta! Dosta! Dosta!'' (1988) was the first Serbian all-female release since the 1960s. In Belgrade, former
Šarlo Akrobata Šarlo Akrobata ( sr-Cyrl, Шарло Акробата, lit= Charlot the Acrobat) were a seminal Serbian new wave/post-punk band from Belgrade. Short-lived but extremely influential, in addition to being one of the most important acts of the Yug ...
members
Dušan Kojić Dušan "Koja" Kojić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Којић Која; born 14 June 1961) is a Serbian rock bassist, singer, and songwriter. He is the frontman of the Serbian Alternative rock band Disciplin A Kitschme (formerly known as Disciplina Kič ...
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 SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav and, for a period of time, Great Britain, British Rock music, r ...
and
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influ ...
. 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 SFR Yugoslavia, Yugoslav and, for a period of time, Great Britain, British Rock music, r ...
in 1982. The band, in the initial period consisting only of Kojić and the drummer Srđan "Žika" Todorović, combining influences from
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 ...
,
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...
,
motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
,
jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
, and the works of
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
. 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 Dragomir "Gagi" Mihajlović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгомир Михајловић "Гаги") is a Serbian rock guitarist. Musical career Mihajlović started his career as a guitarist in a progressive rock group Limunovo Drvo, which, formed in 1978 b ...
. Having released their
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 ...
influenced records, the band moved to a more guitar-oriented
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 ...
, found on their releases '' Ljubav'' (1987), ''
Samo par godina za nas ''Samo par godina za nas'' () is the fifth studio album by the Serbian rock band Ekatarina Velika, released in 1989. It is the last one recorded with Bojan Pečar as a bassist. The album was produced by Mitar "Suba" Subotić, Theodore Yanni ...
'' (1989), and ''
Dum dum Dum Dum is a city and a municipality in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area of North 24 Parganas district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. It is a part of the area covered by Kolkata Metropolitan Development Author ...
'' (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 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 ...
in Serbia, was closely associated with the works of Ekatarina Velika. In 1985, Subotić, Mladenović and
Goran Vejvoda Goran Vejvoda ( sr-Cyrl, Горан Вејвода; born in 1956 ) is an English-born Serbian composer, sound and visual artist, performance artist, photographer, writer and actor based in France. Early life Son of the Yugoslav diplomat who had ...
started the short-lived project Dah Anđela. At the about same time, Subotić was closely associated with the work of the
art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
band Heorina, which featured comic book artist
Zoran Janjetov Zoran Janjetov ( sr-cyr, Зоран Јањетов; born 23 June 1961) is a Serbian comics artist. Janjetov is among most prominent comics creators of former Yugoslavia, published worldwide. He is best known as the illustrator of '' Avant l'Incal ...
on vocals. In 1990, Subotić moved to
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, 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 is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artwork ...
and Rambo Amadeus. Despite the fact that Van Gogh, formed by guitarist
Zvonimir Đukić Van Gogh ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Ван Гог, Van Gog, separator=" / ") is a Serbian and SFRY, former Yugoslav Rock music, rock band from Belgrade. The band was formed in 1986, and released their debut alternative rock-oriented Van Gogh (Van Gogh albu ...
"Đule", released 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'' (1993), '' Hodi'' (1996), and '' Opasan ples'' (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 Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
-based 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, rock, and
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
, which he called " turbo folk". The term was later used for the subgenere of the folk music from the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
. Pušić continued in the same manner on his later releases also making influence on the
Serbian hip hop Serbian hip hop is an umbrella term for all genres of hip hop music in the Serbian language. It sometimes also refers to any hip hop music made by Serbs, including instrumental hip hop, and rap songs by members of the Serbian diaspora, often ...
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 Darkwood Dub was a Serbian alternative rock band formed in Belgrade in 1988. In the years after the formation the band gradually grew to prominence on the Serbian rock scene, eventually becoming one of the most notable acts of the 1990s and 2000 ...
,
Presing Presing is a Serbian alternative rock band from Belgrade. Formed in 1990 and named after Full-court press, pressure defense in basketball (and some other team sports), Presing were, together with Darkwood Dub and Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, represent ...
, Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, and Block Out from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, Obojeni Program from
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
and Bjesovi from
Gornji Milanovac Gornji Milanovac ( sr-Cyrl, Гoрњи Милановац, ) is a town and municipality located in the Moravica District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 23,109, while the population of the municipality is 38,985 (2022 census data). ...
. Dža ili Bu, formed in 1987, featuring a combination
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 ...
and
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 ...
, 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 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 rock.
Presing Presing is a Serbian alternative rock band from Belgrade. Formed in 1990 and named after Full-court press, pressure defense in basketball (and some other team sports), Presing were, together with Darkwood Dub and Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, represent ...
, formed in 1990, combined
post rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings with electronics a ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...
and
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
. Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša, formed in 1991, performed a combination of rock, jazz and
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 ...
. Block Out, formed in 1991, initially inspired by various diverse bands and
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
/
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 ...
-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 Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
,
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
, 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, self-titled album, released in 1992. The mid-1990s featured the disbandment of
Ekatarina Velika Ekatarina Velika ( sr-Cyrl, Екатарина Велика, lit=Catherine the Great), sometimes referred to as EKV ( sr-Cyrl, ЕКВ) for short, was a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, and was one of the most successful and influ ...
, and the formation of the bands Supernaut,
357 __NOTOC__ Year 357 ( CCCLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1110 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...
, Jarboli, Kristali and
E-Play E-Play are a Serbian alternative rock band from Belgrade. History The band was formed in 1997, initially having several lineup changes before the lineup consisting of Biljana Todorovski (guitar, vocals), Maja Cvetković (bass guitar, vocals) an ...
. The band Supernaut, featuring former Radnička Kontrola member Srđan Marković, influenced by
Suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
, 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 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 ...
,
rap rock Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...
, Serbian
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and
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 ...
, 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 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 ...
song structures backed with
brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
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 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 ...
bands and genres on the Serbian scene and the
Oi! Oi! is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads, and other disaffected working-class youth. The movement wa ...
,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
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 w ...
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 one album before disbanding in 1983, it was only with the bands like Plejboj and Familija that it gained a vast number of fans. Plejboj, formed in 1992, gained popularity with their combination of punk rock, ska,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
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 ...
,
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...
, and
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 ...
, 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'' (1994) and '' Seljačka buna'' (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 Ništa Ali Logopedi ( sr-Cyrl, Ништа Али Логопеди; trans. ''Nothing But Logopedists'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Šabac. History 1992–1998 The band was formed in late 1992, and the first lineup consisted of M ...
from
Šabac Šabac ( sr-Cyrl, Шабац, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river ...
, which featured
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
-oriented
Serbian folk music Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular ** Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard ...
combined with hardcore punk, the
rapcore A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock (often shortened to ''punk'') in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics i ...
band
Sunshine Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared (typically per ...
from Belgrade, which combined rap and hardcore punk with sexually overt lyrics, and the hardcore punk/
metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
band Overdrive from
Zrenjanin Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; ; ; ; ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The city urban area has a population of 67,129 inh ...
. One of the most popular bands of the genre was Eyesburn, a
brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
-oriented combination of hardcore punk and
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 ...
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 Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...
. 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 and
Čovek Bez Sluha Čovek Bez Sluha ( sr-Cyrl, Човек Без Слуха; trans. ''A Tone-deaf Man'') is a Serbian punk rock band from Kragujevac. History 1990s The band was formed in late 1994 by Mikica Zdravković (guitar, bass guitar) and Aleksandar Mark ...
. Oružjem Protivu Otmičara from Zrenjanin are one of the pioneers of the genre in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
and their 1996 album ''BarbieCue'' became one of the most popular releases of the 1990s. Six Pack and
Čovek Bez Sluha Čovek Bez Sluha ( sr-Cyrl, Човек Без Слуха; trans. ''A Tone-deaf Man'') is a Serbian punk rock band from Kragujevac. History 1990s The band was formed in late 1994 by Mikica Zdravković (guitar, bass guitar) and Aleksandar Mark ...
, the two bands currently having the same vocalist Milan "Miki" Radojević, the former from
Smederevska Palanka Smederevska Palanka ( sr-cyr, Смедеревска Паланка, ) is a town and municipality located in the Podunavlje District and the geographical region of Šumadija. According to the 2022 census, the town has 20,345 while the municipality ...
, and the latter from
Kragujevac Kragujevac ( sr-Cyrl, Крагујевац, ) is the List of cities in Serbia, fourth largest city in Serbia and the administrative centre of the Šumadija District. It is the historical centre of the geographical region of Šumadija in central Se ...
, 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 Strip, Strips or Stripping may refer to: Places * Aouzou Strip, a strip of land following the northern border of Chad that had been claimed and occupied by Libya * Caprivi Strip, narrow strip of land extending from the Okavango Region of Nami ...
, initially a project by Serbian
graphic Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
and comic book artists, which combines graphic art with
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, ...
and
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
, formed in 2005.


Industrial rock (late 1980s–present)

Despite being a part of the developed Yugoslav
industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrom ...
scene, Serbian scene gave a small number of notable acts. One of the most notable acts was the band VIVIsect from
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
, which was formed in 1989 and released two cassette albums. Early 1990s brought acts like Overdose from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
and also Katarza from
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
, both whom combined industrial rock with elements of
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 ...
and crossover. Another two notable 1990s acts were the bands Retromind from
Kruševac Kruševac ( sr-Cyrl, Крушевац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina (river), Rasina river. According to the 202 ...
and Pure from
Jagodina Jagodina ( sr-cyrl, Јагодина, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the Pomoravlje District in central Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Belica (river), Belica River, in the geographical region of � ...
, both combining Ministry-like
industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
with rock music. The late 1990s brought new industrial rock acts into the scene, such as DreDDup and Žexon 5 from
Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
and Klopka za Pionira from
Pančevo Pančevo (Serbian Cyrillic: Панчево, ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is located on the shores of rivers Timiș (ri ...
. 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:
Monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...
from Nis, Syphil from
Sombor Sombor ( sr-Cyrl, Сомбор, ; ; ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative center of the West Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The city has a total population of 41,814 (), while its adminis ...
, Figurative Theatre and Pornhouse from
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
. Several notable acts incorporated industrial rock elements into their sound:
grindcore Grindcore is an extreme metal, extreme fusion genre of heavy metal music, heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, e ...
band Urgh!, with their 2001 album ''Sumo'', alternative rock band Dža ili Bu, with their 2007 album ''Ultra muk'', and alternative rock act, Supernaut, drawing on many different musical influences, featured a kind of
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
variant of industrial rock.


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

The bands Block Out from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
and Bjesovi from
Gornji Milanovac Gornji Milanovac ( sr-Cyrl, Гoрњи Милановац, ) is a town and municipality located in the Moravica District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 23,109, while the population of the municipality is 38,985 (2022 census data). ...
were the representatives of
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
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 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 ...
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 Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
in Serbia. With the release of the next album, '' San koji srećan sanjaš sam'' (1998), the band moved from grunge sound towards
art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an ar ...
and
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 ...
. Bjesovi released their debut '' U osvit zadnjeg dana'' in 1991, but achieved success with the release of their second, 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 Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. This music is typically performed by Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to whi ...
project ''
Pesme iznad istoka i zapada ''Pesme iznad istoka i zapada'' (trans. ''Songs above East and West'') is an album comprising the works of various artists, released in 2001, featuring thirteen songs recorded by Serbian Rock music, rock musicians based on the poems of Nikolaj Veli ...
'' (2001). The band reformed with a new lineup in 2000 and released '' Bolje ti'' in 2009. The 2000s featured three notable
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 ...
bands,
Night Shift The shift plan, rota or roster (esp. British) is the central component of a schedule (workplace), shift schedule in shift work. The schedule includes considerations of shift overlap, shift change times and alignment with the clock, vacation, train ...
, Euforia, and Broken Strings. Night Shift, even though formed in 1991, released their debut 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 Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
, 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, starting as a
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
tribute band, moved towards writing their own material. Winning the 39th Gitarijada festival in
Zaječar Zaječar ( sr-Cyrl, Зајечар, ; or ) is a city and the administrative center of the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the city administrative area had a population of 48,621 inhabitants. Zaječar is widely ...
, the band released their debut album ''Svaki trenutak ostaje...'' in 2007.


Britpop (early 1990s – present)

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
appeared in Serbia with the band
Eva Braun Eva Anna Paula Hitler (; 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was a German photographer who was the longtime companion and briefly the wife of Adolf Hitler. Braun met Hitler in Munich in 1929 (aged 17) when she was an assistant and model ...
from
Bečej Bečej (, ; , ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 19,492, while the municipality has 30,681 inhabitants. History Bečej was mentioned f ...
, and the band's faction Popcycle. Eva Braun was formed in 1990 by Goran Vasović, Petar Dolinka and Milan Glavaški. Influenced by
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 ...
,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
,
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
, and the Serbian band
Idoli Idoli ( sr-Cyrl, 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 occas ...
, 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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' 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 Alternative country (commonly abbreviated to alt-country; also known as alternative country rock, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative) is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that diffe ...
/
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 ...
band Rebel Star. Other notable representatives of the Serbian britpop scene are Kristali, Veliki Prezir, Instant Karma and Lutke.


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

The Irish folk and
Celtic rock Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock, as well as a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context. It has been prolific since the early 1970s and can be seen as a key foundation of the ...
scene appeared in
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
with the works of
Orthodox Celts Orthodox Celts is a Serbian band (music), band formed in Belgrade in 1992 which plays Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk music combined with Rock music, rock elements. Despite their uncharacteristic genre in their home country, the band has been ...
from
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
. During the mid-1980s, Dušan Živanović, the drummer of the pub rock band
Roze Poze Roze Poze ( sr-Cyrl, Розе Позе, transl. ''Pink Poses'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band, formed in Belgrade in 1985. Roze Poze were formed and led by guitarist and vocalist Željko Nikolić. The band gained popularity with their ...
, 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 "Aca Celtic" Petrović and violinist Ana Đokić. The band, having released their first two albums, ''
Orthodox Celts Orthodox Celts is a Serbian band (music), band formed in Belgrade in 1992 which plays Folk music of Ireland, Irish folk music combined with Rock music, rock elements. Despite their uncharacteristic genre in their home country, the band has been ...
'' (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 Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...
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, Tir na n'Og and
Irish Stew of Sindidun Irish Stew of Sindidun (often referred to as Irish Stew only) is a Serbian Celtic rock band from Belgrade. While initially playing Irish folk music, the band later made a shift towards light punk rock, inspired by Irish folk music and other genres. ...
, 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 Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular ** Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard ...
with
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 ...
, and their debut album '' Tir na n'Og'' was released in 2006. However, in 2008, the band changed the name to Alfapop and moved towards
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, ...
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'', 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 (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 ...
band
Goribor Goribor ( sr-Cyrl, Горибор; trans. ''Burning bor'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Bor. Having performed as a teenage band called Projekat ( sr-Cyrl, Пројекат; trans. ''The Project'') from 1988 until 1992, after a four-ye ...
, were closely associated to the scene. The bands differed by genre: although a part of the bands were influenced by the Yugoslav new wave and the contemporary indie and
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 ...
, 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 Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...
, 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 Goribor ( sr-Cyrl, Горибор; trans. ''Burning bor'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Bor. Having performed as a teenage band called Projekat ( sr-Cyrl, Пројекат; trans. ''The Project'') from 1988 until 1992, after a four-ye ...
, 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 Goribor ( sr-Cyrl, Горибор; trans. ''Burning bor'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Bor. Having performed as a teenage band called Projekat ( sr-Cyrl, Пројекат; trans. ''The Project'') from 1988 until 1992, after a four-ye ...
'', in 2007.
Petrol Gasoline (North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When formul ...
, 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 Music of Serbia represents the musical heritage of Serbia, both historical and modern. It has a variety of traditional music styles, which are part of the wider Balkan musical tradition, with its own distinctive sound and characteristics. Musi ...
* Popular music in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia *
New wave music in Yugoslavia New wave in Yugoslavia ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Нови талас, Novi talas; ; ; ) was the new wave music scene of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As its counterparts, the British and the American new wave, from which the main influences ...
*
Punk rock in Yugoslavia Punk rock in Yugoslavia was the punk subculture of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The most developed scenes across the federation existed in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, the Adriatic coast of the Socialist Republic of C ...
* YU Rock Misija * ''
Rockovnik ''Rockovnik'' (trans. ''Chrocknicle'') is a forty-episode documentary aired on Radio Television of Serbia in 2011, written by Sandra Rančić and Dušan Vesić and directed by Vesić. The series focuses on the history of Popular music in the Socia ...
'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Serbian Rock Serbian rock music Music scenes Serbian styles of music