Pop/Rock  •  Rock & Roll/Roots

Rockabilly Revival

Rockabilly Revival refers to the legions of bands dedicated to replicating the style and sound of classic '50s rock & roll. Though there have always been bands that have played rockabilly, the rockabilly revival didn't hit its stride until the post-punk era, when a number of new bands picked up the sounds of rockabilly; not only did they play the music, but they celebrated the kitschy pop culture that surrounded rockabilly. The first rockabilly revival culminated with the success of the Stray Cats in the early '80s. Following the Stray Cats crossover success, a number of rockabilly bands appeared in the American underground during the late '80s; there were also a number of rockabilly bands that were associated with the roots-rock and blues-rock scenes, not the alternative scene. The rockabilly revival continued to thrive into the '90s, when the most notable rockabilly band to emerge was the grunge-injected Reverend Horton Heat.