Chilean rock

Chilean rock is rock music and its corresponding subgenres produced in Chile or by Chileans. Chilean rock lyrics are usually sung in Spanish so can be considered as part of rock en español, although sometimes are sung in English as well.

Rock music was first produced in Chile in the late 1950s by bands that imitated, and sometimes translated, international rock and roll hits from the U.S. This movement was known as the Nueva Ola (New Wave).^[1][2] Although original bands started to emerge as well in the early 1960s.

During the second half of the 1960s, after the success of rock and roll music, the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Chilean Song) and Fusión latinoamericana [es] (Latin American fusion) genres were born in Chile, bringing to fame artists like Violeta Parra and Victor Jara as extremely influential folk singers, or Los Jaivas and Congreso who were more instrumentally elaborated.^[3]

In the 1970s, however, there was a decline in the country's rock scene as a result of the military dictatorship imposed by the 1973 coup d'état. From 1973 to 1990, all forms of rock music were prohibited (along with an important part of the cultural life), causing stagnation in the music industry.^[4] Nevertheless, an underground scene grew up with new genres such as heavy metal, punk and new wave music. Los Prisioneros were the most outstanding band of this era.

The 1990s saw the beginning of a revival for Chilean rock music, with several Chilean bands finding international success along with the growth of many rock subgenres such as alternative rock, pop rock, funk rock, reggae, grunge, britpop or latin rock becoming commercially successful. Los Tres became the most iconic rock band of this era, alongside La Ley in pop.

In the early 21st century, many more independent artists have become increasingly popular, while the previous ones have consolidated generating a cultural legacy of wide variety and trajectory. Synth pop, neo-folk rock, latin rock, alternative rock and pop rock are among the most successful subgenres of our times, although increasingly harder to categorize due to his indie and fusion nature.

Although frequently omitted from mass media preferring commercial foreign music instead, Chile has an extensive and rich rock culture, a permanent underground scene with hundreds of recognized bands, many niches of varied alternative sub-genres, as well as powerful regional scenes in Concepción and Valparaíso.^[5][6]