Origins

Glam rock, also known as glitter rock, originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. Here's a look at its roots and formative elements:

- **Cultural Context**: Glam rock emerged during a period of economic and social upheaval in Britain. The glam movement was partly a response to the drabness of the post-war era, offering an escape through flamboyance, excess, and theatricality.

- **Musical Influences**:

- **1960s Pop and Rock**: Glam rock was influenced by the pop sensibilities of the 1960s, particularly from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, who occasionally used theatrical elements in their performances.

- **Art Rock**: Bands like The Velvet Underground and Roxy Music introduced art rock's emphasis on performance art and conceptual elements into glam rock.

- **Psychedelia**: The psychedelic music of the late '60s with its love for surrealism and fantasy influenced the imaginative and sometimes otherworldly aspects of glam rock.

- **Key Figures and Bands**:

- **Marc Bolan and T. Rex**: Often cited as one of the first glam rock bands, T. Rex's transition from folk to glam with albums like "Electric Warrior" (1971) marked a new era. Bolan's charisma and style set the stage for glam.

- **David Bowie**: With his creation of the Ziggy Stardust persona, Bowie not only popularized glam rock but also became its defining figure. His album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972) was pivotal.

- **Roxy Music**: Brought an art-school sensibility to glam, combining avant-garde fashion, music, and visuals.

- **Visual and Performance Aesthetics**:

- **Androgyny and Gender Blurring**: Glam rock was revolutionary in its use of makeup, glitter, and androgynous clothing, challenging traditional gender roles. This aesthetic was part of a broader cultural shift towards gender fluidity.

- **Theatricality**: Performances were heavily staged with elaborate costumes, dramatic stage setups, and sometimes science fiction or fantasy themes, making concerts more like theatrical events.

- **Media and Publicity**: Glam rock artists were masters at using the media to their advantage, often creating personas that were as much about the image as the music. This was the era of music magazines like "Melody Maker" and TV shows like "Top of the Pops", which helped spread the glam aesthetic.

- **Cultural Impact**: Glam rock wasn't just music; it was a lifestyle and a statement against the norms of the time. It influenced fashion, art, and even later music genres like punk, which reacted against glam's perceived excesses but adopted its DIY ethos and performance art aspects.

- **Geographical Spread**: While glam rock was predominantly a British phenomenon, it had echoes in the U.S. through artists like Alice Cooper and New York Dolls, who, while not strictly glam, embraced similar elements of theatricality and androgyny.

In summary, glam rock's origins lie in a mix of musical innovation, cultural commentary, and a desire for escapism through extravagance, leading to one of the most visually and conceptually rich periods in rock music history.