Thai rock () is

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

from

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. Thai rock was influenced by rock bands from the United States and United Kingdom. Emerging in the 1980s it flourished with bands like Asanee–Wasan,

Carabao Carabaos () are a genetically distinct population of swamp-type water buffaloes ('' Bubalus bubalis kerabau'') from the Philippines.FAO 2013''Philippine Carabao/Philippines''In: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System. Food and Agriculture ...

and

Micro Micro may refer to: Measurement * micro- (μ), a metric prefix denoting a factor of 10−6 Places * Micro, North Carolina, town in U.S. People * DJ Micro, (born Michael Marsicano) an American trance DJ and producer * Chii Tomiya (都宮 � ...

. It became widely popular in the 1990s.

History

1960s - 1970s

The earliest Thai pop rock music emerged from western music influenced form both the United States and United Kingdom. The earliest Thai rock combo groups played a combination of

instrumental music An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer t ...

and

surf music Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...

influenced by

The Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

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 ...

which was known locally as Wong shadow. The international popularity in the 1960s with bands such as

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 ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

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 ...

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

, and musician

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 ...

influenced the creation of some of the earliest western style groups. The most popular Thai beat, garage rock, and psychedelic rock groups include The Impossibles, The Cat, and The Dynamics in the mid to late 1960s. The Thai blues rock and hard rock genre began in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Lam "Guitar King" Morrison and Kitii "Guitar Gun" Kanchanasathit who performed for American GI's during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. Early rock bands in the genre include V.I.P. led by Lam Morrison, Siamese and Kaleidoscope led by Kitti Kanchanasathit, The Fox led by Chor On Na Bangchang, Epitaph and Marmalade led by Olarn Promjai, Heavy Mountain led by Daeng Veyjan, Mundee led by Ekamun Potipunthong, and Suang Santi who helped to make Thai rock music mainstream.

1980s

At this time, rock music, encompassing genres like

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 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 ...

soft rock Soft rock (also known as light rock or mellow rock) is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in the United States and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, mel ...

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 ...

and new wave, experienced significant growth in Thailand. This led to the rise of bands such as The Olarn Project, Neua Gub Nang, and Rockestra. Notably, Thai rock bands Asanee-Wasan and

became some of the decade's most prominent acts. Their successful albums included Micro's ''Rock Lek Lek'', ''Meun Fahrenheit'', and ''Tem Tang'', and Asanee-Wasan's ''Kra-Dee Dai Narm'', ''Bah Horb Fang'', and ''Fuk tong''. The Rock Pub opened in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

in 1987 and to date remains the most successful and popular Thai rock live music venue in the country. For close to forty years The Rock Pub has consistently provided a permanent home for the wide variety of Thai

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 ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

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 ...

, heavy metal, and related subgenres played by an ever growing number of Thai rock musicians and groups. The

Phleng phuea chiwit Phleng phuea chiwit (; IPA:; ) describes a type of Thai folk rock, strongly influenced by elements of Western contemporary folk and rock music with a protest theme mainly centred on the hardship of working-class people and in favor of a democr ...

genre (influenced by elements of rock music) was popularized by

with their album '' Made in Thailand'', which sold over five million copies.

1990s

During the start of the decade, heavy metal and

became popular in Thailand in the early 1990s, with bands such as Stone Metal Fire, Uranium, Big Gun, Hi-Rock, 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

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

and the pop-rock band Nuvo among the prominent groups receiving mainstream recognition. A popular Thai rock singer at that time was Itti Balangura, along with Chatchai "Rang Rockestra" Sukhawadee and Thanapol "Suea" Intharit. The late 1980s and early 1990s marked the beginning of what became known as the era of death metal/thrash metal, with bands like Donpheebin from the 1980s and Dezember, which began performing in the early 1990s. In the early to mid-1990s, Thai alternative music began to gain popularity, replacing heavy metal. The earliest Thai alternative rock group, Crub, released their first album, ''View'', in 1994. Influenced by

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...

, and the

Madchester Madchester was a musical and cultural scene that emerged in the English city of Manchester during the late 1980s, closely associated with the indie dance movement. Indie dance (also referred to as indie rave) blended indie rock with elements o ...

baggy Baggy is a British alternative dance genre popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and generally associated with the Northern UK's Madchester scene. The style saw alternative rock bands draw influence from psychedelia as well as dance music ...

movements, their songs were played on the radio and introduced by DJ , who helped spread the significance of Thai alternative and indie rock throughout Thailand. She was also a driving force behind the alternative scene, bringing many foreign bands to perform in Bangkok, including

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, Textile, fabrics, Handbag, purses, furniture, and other items. Suede is made from the underside of the animal skin, which is softer and m ...

and the

Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Wales, Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, in 1986. The band consists of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics) and cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, le ...

in 1994. Many Thai alternative rock bands drew inspiration from American

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 ...

(e.g.,

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 ...

), and British

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

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 ...

(e.g.,

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentBlur). This led to the emergence of numerous alt-rock bands, including Proud, Y Not 7, Sepia, Smile Buffalo, Loso, Blackhead, Nursery Sound, Fly, and artists Nakarin "Pang" Kingsak, Ornaree, and AUDY. Modern Dog achieved significantly greater success than most Thai alternative rock groups of that era. Thai alternative rock reached its peak popularity between 1995 and 1996. Although most Thai alternative and indie bands had disbanded or faded into obscurity by the late 1990s, their influence permeated later pop-rock bands of that era, such as Shogun Jump, Labanoon,

Paradox A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true or apparently true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictor ...

, as well as bands influenced by

nu-metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal rarely features guita ...

and

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 ...

, such as Aladin,

Silly Fools Silly Fools is a Thai rock rock band, band. They released their first album in 1998 and are known for their alternative rock sound. The group first formed in 1995, and in 1996, released an Extended play, EP named ''Sampler'' on the independent l ...

, and Big Ass. Loso's ''Entertainment'', released in 1998, featured hit singles such as "Som San" and "Arai Gaw Yaum." The album went on to sell more than 2,000,000 copies, despite being released during the decline of the Thai alternative scene. At the end of the 1990s, Mr. Team gained popularity in Thailand. Tannatonn Palakawong na Ayudhaya and Tai Tanawut also gained popularity during that era.

2000s

In the early 2000s, Thai rock bands drew inspiration from

J-rock , sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called group sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy End ...

, with bands like Peak, Clash and

Potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

. In 2000, Silly Fools released the album ''Mint'', which sold over 1,000,000 copies,ปรากฏการณ์ล้านตลับจากค่ายแกรมมี่
/ref> and their later albums, such as ''Juicy'' and ''King Size'', solidified their position as one of the most well-known bands of the time, recognized for their alternative rock and nu-metal sound. In 2001, the Thai band Clash emerged in the commercial music scene with their full-length album titled ''ONE'', distributed by

GMM Grammy GMM Grammy Public Company Limited ( or stylized as G"MM' Grammy) is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. Top Grammy artists include Bird Thongchai, Silly Fools, Loso, Tai Orathai, Bie Sukrit, Tata Young, Mos Pa ...

's UP-G. Their first single, "Gaud (Hug)," was a big hit and led the band to success, while other rock bands like Zeal, Sweet Mullet, Neo-X, Gear Knight, Bangkaew, Bodyslam, So Cool, and AB Normal, also achieved greater success in the 2000s. The band Kala released their single "My Name is Kala," while Big Ass released the album ''Seven'' in 2004, featuring the single "Len Kong Soong." The third album by Bodyslam, ''Believe'', was released in April 2005 and made them one of GMM Grammy's premier bands. The success of this album took them on a long national tour over the course of 2005 and part of 2006. They won the 4th Annual Fat Awards for Favorite Album, and "Khwam Chuea" became Song of the Year. Other acts in the rock scene became popular (and eventually went mainstream), such as the metalcore band

Ebola Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after in ...

and Retrospect. In recent years, pop-rock and indie bands like Tattoo Colour, Flure,

Slot Machine A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...

, 25 Hours, Slur, and Playground. also gained recognition.

2010s - 2020s

In the early 2010s, rock music remained largely popular in the country, despite declining sales due to the dominance of

K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, as well as the rise of music streaming services. From the 2010s to the early 2020s,

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 ...

and

post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes instrumental performance and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental music in rock can be found in practically every subgenre of the style. Instrumental rock was most popular f ...

entered the underground scene and gained popularity among fans. Notable post-rock bands include Inspirative and Hope the Flowers; notable shoegaze bands include Desktop Error, Hariguem Zaboy and Yellow Fang. In addition,

Khun Narin Khun Narin is a psychedelic music ensemble based out of the Phetchabun Province in Thailand. Led by Khun Narin, the group is known locally for their impromptu improvisational performances situated at backyard parties and parades. The group compris ...

, a psychedelic rock band, blends elements of garage rock and mor lam. Their live album, titled '' II'', was released in 2016 by the Los Angeles-based record label Innovative Leisure Records and produced by a Western producer.

References

External links

Lam Morrison`s FacebookpageHi-Rock`s FacebookpageThe Olarn Project`s Facebookpage
{{World rock Rock music by country Thai popular music Thai styles of music