The origin of rock in the USSR - rock library - catalog of articles - Russian rock. Rock music in Russia A message about classic Russian rock 20th century

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ROCK MUSIC IN RUSSIA. Rock and roll came to the Soviet Union after the World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957. In the early 1960s, rock music existed semi-underground in the USSR, remaining primarily an aesthetic dessert of advanced musical gourmets who had established personal contacts with the West and had the opportunity to receive records American rhythm and blues and British “big beat” - mainly the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. In the mid-1960s, the first beat groups appeared in the USSR, i.e. essentially the first rock ensembles: “Slavs”, “Wanderers”, “Myths”, “Skomorokhs” in Moscow, “Avangard”, “Forest Brothers” in Leningrad, “Pesnyary” in Minsk. To ensure the legitimacy of their status and access to an audience of thousands, the first rock groups were forced to masquerade as “Soviet pop” performers - this is how dozens of vocal and instrumental ensembles (VIAs) arose (“Jolly Fellows”, “Singing Guitars”), or as quasi- folklore ensembles (“Pesnyary”). At the same time, rock music penetrated into the USSR through channels of cultural exchange from the “fraternal countries” of socialism (for example, the Polish Skalds were very popular).

At the end of the 1960s, the passion of Soviet youth for Anglo-American rock music (primarily the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) became widespread. In schools and universities of large cities (primarily in Moscow and Leningrad), dozens of amateur ensembles are created - not VIA, but real rock groups (mostly quartets: three guitars and drums), performing songs from the repertoire of the Beatles, Rolling Stones "and other Anglo-American and European groups (for example, the super popular hit Venus performed by the Belgian rock band Shocking Blue). In 1971, the first rock festival in the history of the USSR was held in Gorky, at which the Moscow “Skomorokhs” led by Alexander Gradsky and the Chelyabinsk “Ariel” were particularly successful. At this time, on the official Soviet stage, rock and roll was presented in a lightweight commercialized variety - the twist (Soviet pop hits of the mid-1960s Black cat, Queen of beauty and later Somewhere in this wide world... from the movie Caucasian captive).

Throughout the 1970s, rock continued to remain a marginal phenomenon of Soviet musical culture, along with the creativity of the so-called. bards (Bulat Okudzhava, Alexander Galich, Yuliy Kim, Vladimir Vysotsky) occupying the niche of a semi-forbidden phenomenon. Public performances of rock bands of the 1970s and early 1980s were held almost underground: at home (“apartment concerts” or “apartment buildings”) or in the assembly halls of metropolitan universities. Thanks to unofficial concerts in the institute's palaces of culture, new teams quickly gained fame: “Ruby Attack”, “Flowers”, “Lucky Acquisition”, “Araks”, “Leap Summer”, etc., which mainly performed “cover versions” in English » international hits and – rarely – songs of one’s own composition.

In the 1970s, such a specific phenomenon for Russian rock culture as “magnitizdat” flourished, which was a network of production and distribution of “master copies” of amateur ensembles recorded in artisanal conditions. “Magnetoalbums” were distributed among hundreds of fans. "Magnitizdat" became an important factor in the development of Russian rock, in particular, causing the indifference of Russian rockers to complex acoustic experiments. Rock musicians, long deprived of the opportunity to use high-quality instruments and the latest electronic equipment for sound recording and mixing, have developed in themselves and their listeners the habit of a kind of musical minimalism. Guitar and a simple “beat” of drums - this was the entire acoustic palette of Russian rock, which initially paid more attention to the verbal series. Therefore, the songs of leading rock performers, from Makarevich, Grebenshchikov and Tsoi to Butusov-Kormiltsev and Shevchuk, are, first of all, poems of intense social-critical and emotional-moralistic content. Acoustic experiments, for example, “Aquarium” (the introduction of strings and wind instruments, not typical for rock) seemed like unheard of daring experiments.

Since the second half of the 1970s, Western popular music (including rock and roll) has been penetrating the USSR quite officially. The only recording studio in the country, Melodiya, begins to release albums “Melodies and Rhythms of Foreign Pop,” which, along with hits from the “socialist countries,” also included hits of Western pop and rock stars from Elvis Presley to Tom Jones. In the late 1970s, Cliff Richard, Elton John and the leader of European disco music, Bonnie M, came to tour the Soviet Union. At the same time, pop music festivals from the Polish Sopot and the Bulgarian Sunny Beach begin to be regularly broadcast on television. In the Baltic republics at this time rock festivals are held, disguised as youth folk song festivals (Lituanika in Vilnius, festivals in Tallinn, Tartu, etc.). In the spring of 1980, the “Soviet Woodstock” took place - the Spring Rhythms-80 festival in Tbilisi, at which leading rock bands from Moscow and Leningrad performed.

The 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, like the Moscow Festival of Youth and Students, became a powerful catalyst for the legitimation of rock music. In 1982, the first amateur association of musicians in the USSR was formed in Leningrad - a rock club, which included “Aquarium”, “Automatic Satisfiers”, “Zoo”, “Tambourine”, “Myths”, “St. Petersburg”, etc. Later, a “rock laboratory” was created in Moscow at the House of Culture named after Gorbunov (“Gorbushka”). At this time, the main directions of Soviet rock music emerged: classic rock and roll (“Zoo”, later “Bravo”), lyrical folk rock (“Time Machine”, “Chaif”) “heavy metal” (“August” , “Aria”, “Black Coffee”, “Black Obelisk”, “Metal Corrosion”, etc.); punk rock (“Automatic Satisfiers”), hard “new wave” (“TV”), jazz rock (“Arsenal”). Groups arose that used elements of postmodern banter (“Crematorium”, “Sounds of Mu”) and social art (“AVIA”, “Brigade S”, “Auktsion”). In addition to the Moscow and Leningrad, other regional “schools” have taken shape: Ural rock, represented primarily by the Sverdlovsk teams “Urfin Juice”, “Nautilus Pompilius” “Chaif”, “Nastya” and the Ufa “DDT”, close to them, Siberian rock (“Kalinov bridge"), Vladivostok rock ("Mumiy Troll"). At the same time, the best albums of leading rock bands appeared: “Kino” ( Last Hero, Blood type), "Alice" ( JAZZ, Energy, Sixth Forester), "Sounds of Mu" ( Simple things, Zvuki mu), "TV" ( Procession of fish), "DDT" ( I got this role), "Civil defense" ( One Hundred Years of Solitude, Survival Instructions), "Agatha Christie" ( Second front, Deceit and love), "Nautilus Pompilius" ( Parting, Prince of Silence), "Center" ( Centromania) and etc.

Double album released in 1986 in the USA Red Wave with recordings of four Leningrad groups (“Aquarium”, “Strange Games”, “Alice” and “Kino”) played a significant role in the legalization of Russian rock and in its entry onto the world stage. After the album Red Wave Soviet rock musicians got the opportunity to tour abroad. Thus, “Kino” made a tour of France and Japan in 1988–1989. In 1988, “Sounds of Mu” released the album in the UK Zvuki mu, and then toured England and the USA. Finally, in 1988, the leader of Aquarium, B. Grebenshchikov, recorded an English-language album in the USA Radio Silence, which, however, did not have much success. Coming out of hiding, rock musicians quickly become cult figures: for playing the leading role in the film Needle(1988) Kino leader V. Tsoi was recognized as the best Soviet film actor of the year. And the Soviet film “Taxi Blues” (1989) with the lead singer of “Sounds of Mu” P. Mamonov in the title role won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Unlike rock music in other European countries, which remains predominantly English-speaking (Holland or Scandinavia), Russian rock clearly defines itself as a Russian musical phenomenon. The rock poet and performer A. Bashlachev, who died early, played an important role in turning Russian-language rock to the roots of Russian musical folklore. True, along with interest in the Russian folklore tradition (in particular, in the work of groups such as “Chaif” or “Kalinov Most”), Russian rock is fond of obvious kitsch “a la russe” (earflap hats, balalaikas, accordions, tarpaulin boots , kosovorotki "Brigade S"). The craving for processing elements of “Soviet pop” and bard songs was evident in the group “Lube”, which was extremely popular in the 1980s. At the same time, at the peak of popularity were such retro groups as the beat quartet "Secret", the rockabilly group "Mister Twister" and especially "Bravo", which owes much of its popularity to the charismatic soloist Zhanna Aguzarova, and then to the new soloist Valery Syutkin. Among urban teenagers, heavy metal bands enjoyed great success: “Black Coffee”, “Aria”, “Black Obelisk”, “Iron March” and especially the bright “Corrosion of Metal”, whose performances turned into noisy happenings with elements of striptease shows.

At the end of the 1980s, on the crest of Gorbachev’s “perestroika,” rock bands turned into commercial projects, which became possible thanks to large city tours, sold-out stadium concerts and the release of “legal” albums at the state recording studio “Melodiya”. This applies, first of all, to the pioneers of Russian rock music (“Time Machine”, “Zoo”, “Aquarium”, “Cinema”, “Alice”). Largely thanks to the performances and records of these groups, a Western-style pop music industry emerged in the USSR in the late 1980s. A typical phenomenon of the new pop music industry was the disco group “Tender May”. Designed for a young provincial audience with an unpretentious musical taste (primarily girls aged 12 to 17 years), this teenage vocal and instrumental ensemble achieved fantastic popularity in 1988–1989. The commercial success of the group’s “live” concerts was so great that simultaneously in different cities of the Union concerts were held to the soundtrack of “Tender May” songs with dummy “performers.”

The 1990s are the period of the final formation of the Russian pop music industry. Once imbued with a powerful pathos of nonconformism and social or moral protest against the “system,” Russian rock music has turned into a conglomerate of more or less commercially successful enterprises. The commercialization of Russian rock is also associated with its inevitable dissolution in the wide stream of pop music (from Philip Kirkorov and the show group “Na-Na” to sweet-voiced vocal ensembles like the trio “Lyceum” or the “scandal girl” Zemfira – commercial imitation of Zhanna Aguzarova).

Leningrad rock and roll.

The rock club that emerged in 1982 in Leningrad not only united the rock groups that existed in the city (Aquarium, Automatic Satisfaction, Zoo, Tambourine, Myths, St. Petersburg, etc.), but and became the impetus for the emergence of new teams that became superstars of Russian rock: “Kino”, “Alice”, “Strange Games”, “TV”, “Zero”, “Object of Ridicule”, “Auction” (later “AuktYon”), “ Pop Mechanics”, etc. Since 1983, rock festivals have been held annually in Leningrad, making the city the unofficial capital of the Soviet rock movement.

"Aquarium"

occupies a special place in the history and panorama of modern Soviet-Russian rock: it was the work of this group in the early 1980s that served as a catalyst for the process of consolidation of the leading creative forces of the disunited amateur rock movement, helped to enrich its language with many achievements of world musical culture and attract it to Russian-language rock attention of an audience of millions in the USSR and abroad. "Aquarium", created in July 1972 by Leningrad State University student Boris Grebenshchikov and aspiring playwright Anatoly Gunitsky, initially reflected the craving of its participants for American rock and roll, Eastern philosophy, bard song and absurdist literature. The group's first public performances in 1974 struck audiences with esoteric themes and colorful image rather than professionalism. “Aquarium” established itself as the most active participant in the amateur rock scene of Leningrad. In 1974, “Aquarium” received the Tallinn Rock Festival prize “For the most diverse program”, and a little later toured in Moscow. The rock ensemble became widely known for its performances in 1979 at the Tartu Rock Festival and especially at rock festivals in Chernogolovka near Moscow (November 1979) and Tbilisi (March 1980). The opening of the Leningrad rock club in March 1981 coincided with the release of the first studio Blue Album group, which got the opportunity to give regular concerts. Following his principle “it is not the form that is important, but the content,” Grebenshchikov experimented with style (at different times, the group, groping for its own musical language, went through passions for jazz rock, punk rock, new wave, reggae, hard rock, folk-baroque ) and with the composition (a big band with a powerful wind section, a rock band equipped with modern electronics, a duet of acoustic guitar and cello). Under the influence of Sergei Kuryokhin, “Aquarium” at one time gravitated toward free-form music, and Grebenshchikov himself took part in the recording of Kuryokhin’s “Popular Mechanics” records. The group owes its success to Magnitizdat. In the fall of 1984, Aquarium stopped working for a short time, and its members began implementing their own musical projects. After the group’s reunion, concerts at the Leningrad Yubileiny Sports Palace in October 1986 became evidence of the “legalization” of Aquarium and the first step towards lifting the ban on rock music in Leningrad and in the country as a whole.

"Alice"

arose in November 1983 on the initiative of Leningrad rocker Svyatoslav Zaderiy, who made his nickname the name of the new team. However, the true story of “Alice” began only with the arrival of the soloist. In March 1985, “Alice” became a laureate of the III Festival of the Leningrad Rock Club. First album Energy was made in a hard new wave key, with saxophone, flute, violin and cello. Energy became one of the first records in Russian rock published by the state recording company Melodiya. According to official data, the circulation exceeded 1 million copies. In the spring of 1987, “Alice” began work on her second album Blockade. The album turned out noticeably “heavier” Energy and much more integral and thoughtful. Scandals in the press and Kinchev’s short-term arrest on trumped-up charges only fueled public interest in the group. Like “Kino,” “Alice” gravitates towards the theme of romantic social protest ( My generation And We are together) with elements of an aggressive style typical of “heavy metal” (albums Sabbat And Black Mark).

"Movie"

is a typical example of a rock group whose existence was entirely determined by the charismatic figure of the leader (as in the English group Queen led by Freddie Mercury). The heart and soul of Kino was the author of the entire repertoire of the group and its soloist Viktor Tsoi, who created the mythology of romantic social and moral protest (albums originally released in Magnitizdat A star called the Sun, Blood type, Head of Kamchatka), very consonant with the mindset of the youth of the transitional era of the history of the USSR - post-Soviet Russia, symbolically expressed in the famous refrain of one of the Kino hits: “Change! We are waiting for changes!" After Tsoi's death in a car accident, the group broke up.

Moscow rock.

If Leningrad was the capital of Soviet rock music in the 1970s, then in the “perestroika” 1980s the palm was seized by Moscow, where the rockers of the “first call” of the late 1960s continued to work actively (for example, Alexander Gradsky or Bari Alibasov) and the rockers of the new generation powerfully declared themselves (“Dialogue” and “Autograph”, “Sounds of Mu”, “Brigade S”, “Forum”). Among the first rock bands that emerged in Moscow back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mashina Vremeni is the most noticeable and authoritative. One of the oldest Russian rock ensembles, “Time Machine” arose on the crest of “Beatlemania” among Moscow schoolchildren in 1968. The first magnetic album was recorded at the same time Time Machine consisted of eleven songs in English. The arrival of A. Kutikov in 1971 introduced the daring drive of rock and roll into the Time Machine repertoire. The first concert took place then. By the mid-1970s, the composition of the group had relatively stabilized, and “Time Machine” had developed a unique and recognizable musical style, influenced by the tastes of its musicians - from bard songs of romantic protest ( Puppets) and nostalgic-lyrical “folk” ( Candle) to blues and rock and roll. The group’s fame is mainly ensured by semi-underground concerts and “magnitizdat” (albums A little prince, Strangers among strangers). 1981 hit Turn was recognized as the rock song of the year and headed the hit parade of the youth newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets for 18 months. In the mid-1980s, the group firmly established itself as a “monster” of Russian rock, becoming one of the first commercial rock groups (recording, touring, filming). All official albums of the group ( Good morning, Rivers and bridges, In the circle of light, 10 years later and all subsequent ones up to the recent final Anthologies) become “golden”.

"Aria".

Unlike Mashina Vremeni, which remained at the amateur level for a long time, the “metal” group Aria, which declared itself in the early 1980s, was distinguished by a professional sound that was not similar to Soviet rock music. This was due in no small part to the group’s manager, Viktor Vekshtein, former head of the VIA “Singing Hearts”. After a scandalous performance at the Moscow festival "Rock Panorama-86", the group received a special prize for professionalism at the festival "Lituanika-86" in Vilnius. The band records their best album Hero of the Asphalt, which included such hits as Rose Street And Ballad about an ancient Russian warrior. Unlike the first two “magnetic albums”, Hero of the Asphalt was released by the Melodiya record company and sold millions of copies.

Far from both capitals

rock music life was also in full swing. Rock clubs arose in many big cities - Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, uniting spontaneously emerging school and student teams. Some city rock associations have become “schools” in the full sense.

Sverdlovsk rock.

After Moscow and Leningrad, the Ural industrial center Sverdlovsk became the third most important center of Russian rock, producing such groups as Urfin Juice, Chaif, Nautilus Pompilius, Nastya, etc.

The history of Chaifa, one of the brightest bands of Sverdlovsk rock, began in 1975, when tenth-graders of the Sverdlovsk school Vladimir Shakhrin and Vladimir Begunov created the acoustic group Pyatna and at first played a proven repertoire - the Beatles and Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival " At the same time, the musicians recorded their first magnetic album Verkh-Isetsky Pond and held successful concerts. After its members graduated from school, the group broke up, but nine years later the musicians reunited, creating a new group “Chai-F” (later simply “Chaif”). In the spring of 1985, Chaif recorded an acoustic magnetic album, Life in Pink Smoke. A year later, “Chaif” performed at the 1st festival of the Sverdlovsk rock club and immediately attracted attention with its interesting lyrics and rock-and-roll-blues musical style. To record the second album Saturday evening in Sverdlovsk Almost all the leading Sverdlovsk rock musicians gathered. The Leningrad concert in 1986 finally established the reputation of Chaifa as one of the most professional teams. At the same time, the group became a laureate of the Sverdlovsk rock festival for the second time and began touring around the Union. At the rock festival in Riga, “Chaif” won the “audience award.” In the spring of 1989, Chaif made an album Best city in Europe, and in the same year she became the initiator of the environmental movement “Pure Water Rock”, which united rock musicians from the Urals, Volga region and Leningrad. In the early 1990s she released albums Fourth chair And Children of the mountains, which finally cemented the popularity and commercial success of the group.

“Nautilus Pompilius” quickly burst onto the Russian rock scene in 1987. An unknown Ural group broke all popularity records. The following year, the fame of “Nau” thundered throughout the country... The history of the group began in 1978, when students of the Sverdlovsk Architectural Institute Vyacheslav Butusov and Dmitry Umetsky created an English-language rock quartet. In 1981, the first Sverdlovsk rock festival took place, which gave impetus to the creation of new student rock groups, one of which was “Nautilus Pompilius” (the original name was “Ali Baba”). The birth of the group occurred with the beginning of collaboration between Butusov and the poet Ilya Kormiltsev. The first recording took place in 1985. There were several “Nautiluses” in the country in the mid-1980s, and in order to distinguish themselves from their namesakes, the Sverdlovsk group renamed itself “Nautilus Pompilius”. The main hits were written then Goodbye America! I wanna be with you, Chained by one chain, Khaki ball. The triumph of “Nautilus Pompilius” began with a Moscow concert in 1987, but it turned out to be short-lived: in 1989 and 1990, according to polls by the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets”, the group received the title “disappointment of the year”. In the 1990s, Nautilus Pompilius ceased to exist.

"Vlad-rock".

In 1984, an attempt was made in Vladivostok to create an association of rock musicians, the prototype of which was the rock club that had recently emerged in Leningrad. The Vladivostok rock club included about ten groups. The Mumiy Troll group was the first to consciously target a teenage audience (magnetic album 1985 New moon of April). In the group, the soloist Ilya Lagutenko, who had a unique charm, stood out. The band's next album is " Do Yu-Yu"(1990) - was distinguished by more diverse musical material and more meaningful lyrics. “121 Floors” is perhaps the most interesting Vlad rock group of the 1980s. Founded by a strong author duo of former Rostovites (Igor Cherkashin, lyricist, and Eduard Tsekhanovsky, composer and main performer), the team played hard rhythm and blues. The group's most famous performance was its participation in the first unofficial concert at the Youth House in November 1984 with musicians from the Theater group. “Theater” was not part of the Vladivostok rock club, but it can be considered the cradle of “Vlad rock”: students of the Faculty of Architecture of the Far Eastern Pedagogical Institute gave concerts in the basement of the institute’s dormitory since 1979 (then the group was called “Children of the Dungeon”), performing heavy psychedelic versions of early 1970s hard rock classics (Led Zeppelin) and Beatles songs. The Wind of Change group sought more complex forms, but their music remained largely imitative. By the end of the 1980s, the group disbanded.

After existing for about a year and holding only a few legal concerts, the Vladivostok rock club went underground. The reason for the conflict with local authorities was the scandalous performance of the groups “Mumiy-Troll” and “121st Floor” at a local youth festival. However, the “unofficial period” of the existence of “Vlad rock” ended in August 1986, when it became possible to officially hold festivals of informal youth associations. In the late 1980s, there were several dozen rock bands in the city. The stylistic range of their music was very wide: from the teenage hooliganism of the “Council of Veterans of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station” and the punk rock of “Foggy Moan” to the heavy jazz rock and punk funk of “Sunday Platform - 666”.

Russian rock- this is the interweaving of the threads of the soul and the wind of freedom, music that makes you believe and burn in one impulse with a dream. Its history goes back more than half a century; this style can be compared in significance and influence on public culture with classical music.

History of Russian rock

The date of its birth in our country is officially considered to be the 60s. Then Sokol, Slavs, and Integral appeared. Initially, it was just an imitation of Western rock bands, rehashing their songs.

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It was only in the 1970s that independent authorship and the emergence of underground rock groups began. Then Sunday, Aquarium and Time Machine appeared. This is what gave rise to the formation of a large-scale rock movement in the 80s.

The authorities tried to stop the emergence of rock groups, but the “craze” of youth for rock could no longer be stopped. Rock groups arose chaotically and on a large scale, and although the administration suppressed all attempts to organize concerts in the cultural center or any events, the musicians did not despair. These bans marked the beginning of “apartment shows”; entry to such apartment concerts was strictly limited; all invitees were carefully checked to avoid information leakage. It also developed heavily in the USSR and is one of the branches of the Russian rock scene.

Attempts by the Soviet government to take control of the spontaneous organization of rock concerts did not yield results. And then an important decision was made in the history of Russian rock - to create rock clubs in order to somehow control the musicians. The authorities organized rock festivals, the repertoire was carefully selected, subject to strict censorship and restrictions. Illegal performances outside festivals were prohibited, and the group could be banned for this.

But, as you know, the forbidden fruit is sweet. Restrictions from the authorities only fueled interest in this movement, and more and more protest motives were heard in the music. Russian rock enjoyed unprecedented popularity during these decades. Such groups as “Alice”, “Kino”, “Nautilus Pompilius”, “DDT” and many others arose.

By the 90s, Russian rock already had its own specifics and a clear vector of a direction unlike any other. During these years, such groups as “Spleen” and “Agatha Christie” gained popularity.

History of Russian rock interesting, but it is worth mentioning the main musical instruments used in it. After all, rock music like it was made not only by people, but also by musical instruments. These include the soul-grabbing sounds of acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, all kinds of amplifiers and synthesizers, and drum sets.

Their story is no less interesting, and they deserve a separate article. But for now, I would like to add that in Soviet times it was difficult to get high-quality instruments from leading manufacturers - Fender, Gibson, and every available instrument was very much appreciated. But now in the 21st century you can easily purchase guitars or drum cymbals by purchasing them at any music store. And then form a band and feel like a real rocker.

So, rock is alive and will live!

After the worldwide explosion of the Beatles' popularity, our musicians did not stand aside. The first Soviet rock band appeared in 1964. The guys from the Leningrad district of Moscow - all as if selected from decent families - united into a beat quartet, so it was customary to say. The name of the group was determined by its territorial affiliation - “Falcon”. The father of one of the participants, an air defense general, organized a musical rehearsal base for the children.

Soon, students from one of the capital's universities began performing on the stages of their institute, providing music for KVN, and in the cultural centers of factories and culture. The interest of young people in this was frantic. The first Soviet rock band was gaining momentum.

The most popular gathering points for the “hobbyists” were the Energetik and Kauchuk cultural centers, some cafes, and dance floors. In the summer, musicians from the first rock band in the USSR, Sokol, entertained pioneers in pioneer camps and athletes in sports recreation centers. At first, the songs of the world rock idols “Yardbirds”, “Moody Blues”, “Shadows”, “Rolling Stones” were played, but then the guys dared to perform their own music and the songs “Where is the edge”, “The sun above us” came out - 100% hits. By the way, Moscow hippies still consider “The Sun Above Us” to be their anthem.

The members of the “Falcon” group were growing up - defending their diploma, graduating from the institute - and that’s it. The end of a musical career. In 1968, they recorded their famous hit song - “Film, Film, Film!” to Khitruk’s cartoon of the same name - and this was their only official recording that has survived to this day.

Soon the team disbanded. The group included: Igor Goncharuk (bass, vocals), Yuri Ermakov (guitar, vocals), Sergey Timashov (drums), Vyacheslav Chernysh (keys). An interesting fact is that the Sokolov team was brought together by one of the most famous producers in the future, Yuri Aizenshpis. In 1969, he was imprisoned for 10 years for currency transactions.

Having received an official profession, the former musicians of Sokol entered adult and responsible life. What was their fate? Yuri Ermakov, after the collapse of Sokol, played in the group Trolls, and then became a teacher at a construction university, V. Chernysh in the 1970s was a graduate of the graduate school of the Giredmed Institute, worked at the Academy of Sciences, and in the 90s became involved in antiques, I. Goncharuk became a famous illustrator.

Along with “Falcon”, the first Soviet rock groups, “Skomorokhi” and “Slavs”, were organized according to the same scheme and existed for some time - these are the groups of rock master Alexander Gradsky and “Scythians”.

In the 60s - 70s, rock groups were organized in schools, vocational schools, and universities. Some of these initially unprofessional groups have grown into legends of Russian rock - “Time Machine”, “Ruby Attack”, “Successful Acquisition”. And many independent musicians, like the members of the Sokol group, “went into the profession” after receiving university diplomas. Some performed in VIA vocal and instrumental ensembles.

Rock developed semi-underground in our country, but broke through into the light, and reached its heyday and relevance by the mid-80s (from the beginning of Perestroika) - and remained at its peak until the mid-90s - the beginning of Modern times and new values.

From the author: “In the second half of the 20th century, rock music began to be played in the USSR. Due to censorship, the few groups of that time were underground. By the eighties, unspoken rock movements began to form.”
Already in the late nineties, Russian rock became an integral part of Russian (I don’t like this word) culture. Here are the best, in my opinion, rock bands of our country.

At the beginning I will try to formulate a definition of Russian rock, although no, not a definition, but what?
Russian rock is a special direction in Russian (Soviet) rock music, which has acquired an appearance completely different from the rock of all other countries. Why? Perhaps the reason was a certain isolation of the performers from the rest of the musical world, or maybe the national mentality, or maybe the CIA - Seva Novgorodtsev and Co. - but in the end, Russian rock became what it is (then, of course).

What are its features?

He is antagonistic to the existing government. The concerts were held secretly, and the recordings were recorded on home tape recorders. It was easier to get a rare “homemade” cassette than to buy an album of your favorite artist in a store. Basically the 5th column...
Russian rock was greatly influenced by Western rock music, however, it did not completely determine its appearance. The main differences are that in Russian rock the main role is played by the text (protest text), and not the music at all. It can be said that Russian rock generally has little in common with rock music, as it is usually understood. The lyrics tell about Russian reality, these are high-quality lyrics, and they are very poetic. There is virtually no sex or frivolity typical of Western rockers. Russian rock is not even the first, but the second derivative of Western rock.
Well, here's an example. There was no more social (rather political and material) antagonism in the understanding of the old “Soviet” rockers - there were no more rockers. Makarevich only confirms the rules, although why talk badly about a Komsomol member, treated kindly by the Soviet authorities, about a ruble (in the USSR) millionaire.
Well, at the end of the preface, we can say that in the area of text, Russian rock inherits not Western models, but domestic poetry, only this happens in a depressive environment, where musicians are forced to hide underground. They do not dream of popularity; the main thing for them is to sincerely express their position. All this leaves an imprint on the very essence of Russian rock. This is why many music lovers say that today Russian rock no longer exists, because the conditions that defined it are a thing of the past. Modern rock performers in Russia are closer to Western rock than to Russian. This does not mean that Russian rock is worse or better than Western rock, it’s just different.
It is interesting to note that “real” Russian rock is listened to almost only in Russia. This has always been the case: both during the Soviet Union and after it. The fact is that from a musical point of view, it really is not always something interesting. And only this very soul can understand the texts containing the inconsistencies and features of the “mysterious Russian soul”. Abroad, fans of Russian rock are, for the most part, immigrants.
The most famous and classic performers in Russian rock include Viktor Tsoi, the DDT group, Mike Naumenko, Egor Letov, Yanka Diaghileva, Boris Grebenshchikov, the Alisa group, Andrei Makarevich and others. Some generations in Russia literally grew up on this music, so Russian rock is often perceived as a special phenomenon of Russian culture, which is too deeply “ingrained” into people, just like, for example, the poetry of the Silver Age...

Let's start…

Alice

In 1983, the Leningrad rock group “Alice” was created. In 1985, the group "Alice" released its first album, "Energy". Already in 1987, the team recorded the popular album “BlokAda”. Throughout the history of her creative career, “Alice” has released 17 albums. These days, the band is working on recording new songs, and actively performs as a headliner at various festivals.

Movie

In 1981, under the leadership of Viktor Tsoi, Oleg Valinsky and Alexei Rybin, the rock group “Kino” was created. Over nine years, the musicians recorded more than 100 songs, as well as an incredible number of unofficial bootlegs. The albums “Blood Type” and “A Star Called the Sun,” released in 1987 and 1989, gained particular popularity. After the sudden death of Viktor Tsoi in a car accident, the last album “Black Album” was released, after which the group ended its existence.

DDT

In 1980, Yuri Shevchuk created the rock group “DDT” in Ufa. He is the constant leader of the group and the author of most of the songs. The group's name comes from the chemical dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, which is used in insect control. The entire creative path of the group is divided into two stages. In 1980-1997, the group worked in such genres as hard rock, Russian rock and folk rock. Since 1987, notes of industrial rock, indie rock and alternative rock have increasingly been heard in the works of DDT.

Agatha Christie

The founders of the rock group “Agatha Christie” were V. Samoilov, A. Kozlov and P. May. The dramatic manner of performance and decadent lyrics became the hallmark of the group. In their musical compositions, the group combined various musical styles, such as gothic rock, alternative rock, post-punk and art rock. Throughout its history, Agatha Christie has released a dozen albums and also shot about 20 video clips. In 2009, the band went on their final tour and already in 2010 the group’s last album, Agatha Christie, was released

Nautilus Pompilius

In 1982, in Sverdlovsk, V. Butusov and D. Umetsky created the rock group “Nautilus Pompilius”. The group combined various genres in its music, such as post-punk, punk, alternative rock. There was a two-year break between 1988 and 1990, but after that the group reunited again. The final breakup of the group took place in 1997.

Aquarium

In 1972, the legendary rock band Aquarium was founded. Its founders were Anatoly George Gunnitsky and Boris Grebenshchikov, who later became its main vocalist. The team worked in such musical styles as bard rock, blues rock, jazz fusion, folk rock. Over its history, Aquarium has released 27 studio albums and filmed 41 video clips. The group has won numerous awards, and the words from their songs are still quoted in literature and cinema.

Time Machine

In Moscow in May 1969 (I highly doubt it) the legendary Soviet rock band “Time Machine” was created. At its origins were Sergei Kawagoe and Andrei Makarevich. In their music, the group combined several genres at the same time: blues, rock and roll, rock and art song. During its existence, the band has released 11 official albums, 7 live albums and 11 singles, shot 28 video clips, and also received many prizes and awards. “Time Machine” is one of the few groups that has managed to maintain its popularity to this day.

Chai-F

The Chaif group was founded in 1985 by O. Reshetnikov, V. Shakhrin and V. Begunov. The group harmoniously combines various genres in its music: rock and roll, rock, blues and reggae. From the beginning of its foundation until today, the Chaif group has released 15 studio albums, 5 acoustic and 4 live albums, and their videography includes 22 videos. Today, Chaif is one of the most popular and famous rock bands from the former USSR.

Aria

In 1985 in Moscow, V. Dubinin and V. Kholstinin created a new rock group “Aria”. The newly formed band immediately attracted the attention of many listeners with a new and unusual genre - heavy metal. Throughout its musical history, Aria has released 11 studio albums. It was “Aria” that became one of the few domestic rock bands that managed to gain recognition even abroad. In 2007, the group won the Fuzz Award.

King and the Clown

In Leningrad, Mikhail Gorshenev founded the group “King and Jester” (1988). The highlight of the group was the unusual presentation of their works - fabulous, historical, mystical images were reflected in the styles: horror punk, folk, hard rock and punk rock. During their creative journey, the group has released about 20 video clips. The image of the group rested on its founder and leader M. Gorshenov, who died in 2013, after which the group ended its creative journey in 2014.

Resurrection

In Moscow in 1979, under the leadership of A. Romanov, the rock group “Resurrection” was created. The group's music is a mixture of blues, rock, art rock and country. But since 1983, after the release of several successful albums, the band took a ten-year rest and reappeared on stage only in 1994. In general, over the entire history of the group, 5 studio albums were released. And the songs of “Resurrection” were repeatedly performed by other artists.

Crematorium

In Moscow in 1983, Armen Grigoryan created the popular group “Crematorium”. The group gave their first concerts in small clubs and private apartments. The group gained popularity in 1985 with the release of their first studio album. The Crematorium group skillfully combines various musical styles: folk, blues, art rock, rock and roll and psychedelic rock. Today, the group's creative heritage includes a dozen and a half albums, as well as many awards.

Corrosion of metal

In 1984, the rock group “Metal Corrosion” was founded in Moscow. The group attracted the attention of the audience with shocking performances and defiant lyrics. The group performs its works in such styles as thrash metal, speed metal, crossover thrash. Throughout their creative journey, the group released 15 studio albums.
And of course, there are also interesting groups (no offense) and performers. Sasha Bashlachev (one of my favorite authors), Mike Naumenko, Sergei Chigrakov and “Chizh and Co,” “Spleen,” “Master,” “Gaza Strip,” “Colonel and Fellow Soldiers,” “Gr. vol.”, “Bi-2”, “Mumiy Troll”, “Semantic Hallucinations”, “Night Snipers”, “Surganova and the Orchestra”, “AuktYon”, and many, many, forgive me if I forgot (sclerosis), thank you...

The times of the Soviet Union did little to promote the development of music, especially the rock style. Here the western wind of rock came to the rescue, which led many musicians to perform just such music. Rock in the USSR is a social and cultural concept in music that is positioned as a way of self-expression for young people.

Rock in the USSR: Origins

Rock in the USSR began to emerge in the 70-80s of the twentieth century. This phenomenon gathered into its circles mainly subcultures, people whose thinking did not fit into the patterns of the union. No matter how hard Soviet officials tried to control and destroy followers of rock, this style of music was gaining momentum, and the times of perestroika gave some freedom, which led to a boom in the creation of their own Soviet rock groups and songs.

Stages of development of rock in the USSR

Conventionally, the development of music during the USSR, namely rock, can be considered in four stages. The first is the 60s of the twentieth century. considered the beginning of copying English rock, the performers tried to sing only in English, since it was believed that rock songs were not performed in Russian. Rock bands of the USSR began to be founded (for example, “Skomorokhi”), performing songs in Russian, which were rather translations and adapted to Russian life. The Integral group, a beat group, even received the honor of being named a professional rock group of the USSR. And the reason for this is a completely different style than others: the use of light play, pyrotechnics, sound effects, tricks and special decorations. All this created a unique phantasmagoria that veiled the real rock music of Integral.

The 70s is the second period, which is marked by the extensive work of rock groups towards rock concerts, the creation of rock operas (A. Rybnikov). Concerts are organized illegally, so they were often broken up. The widespread music of VIA (vocal and instrumental ensembles), which included almost all members of future rock groups: “Merry Guys”, “Blue Guitars”, “Time Machine”. But rock fans did not accept VIA.

The fourth stage - rock in the USSR in the 80s is characterized by the control of the authorities of the rock movement, rock clubs are organized, the first of which was the Leningrad Club. Such a concept as a rock club opened previously forbidden recording studios for performers, concerts became legal and the rock movement gained momentum and positioned itself as a representative of the subcult of the USSR. The groups “Nautilus Pompilius”, “Aquarium”, “Zoo” are popularized. In 1986, albums were released by rock groups that are still considered elite today: “Alice”, “Kino”, “Strange Games”.

Young people in the USSR are beginning to become interested in rock music en masse, collecting cassette tapes with recordings and considering themselves a subcultural member of rock.