italiano: la Storia del Rock pt.2 [2025.03.16]

·27 min·2 clips

Mark Bolan of T-Rex, not David Bowie, first wore feminine clothes and makeup on stage to define glam rock.

This episode is a solo educational program in Italian by host Alex, focusing on the history of rock music from the late 1970s to early 1980s. Alex begins by recapping part one, which covered rock's birth up to the mid-1970s. She introduces glam rock as the first genre, emphasizing T-Rex and Mark Bolan as pioneers who wore feminine clothing and makeup on stage. David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust alter ego is highlighted as a key figure that popularized glam rock globally. The discussion moves to Bowie's influences on other artists, including Lou Reed, who produced the controversial album Metal Machine Music, and Iggy Pop. Elton John's glam rock phase is noted for its distinctive looks. Queen's involvement in glam rock is explored, with mentions of albums like Sheer Heart Attack and A Night at the Opera, before their shift to other styles. The episode then covers soft rock, citing artists like Carpenters and Fleetwood Mac. Hard rock and heavy metal are briefly touched upon, with references to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. A significant portion is dedicated to punk rock, tracing its roots to Velvet Underground and its explosion in 1977 with bands like Sex Pistols, Clash, and Ramones. Alex explains punk's themes of youth discontent and its rejection of progressive rock's complexity. The Police are mentioned for blending punk with reggae. The episode concludes with new wave and post-punk movements, including synth pop and bands like Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and U2, whose album The Joshua Tree sold over 25 million copies. Alex ends by noting time constraints prevented covering the 1980s and 1990s fully.

As heard by us

A compact, presenter-led map of late-1970s rock, from glam and soft rock to Santana and The Joshua Tree.

Alex's second chapter on rock history frames the late 1970s and early 1980s as a set of related paths branching out after progressive rock. Working solo in the studio, she begins with glam rock, moving from T-Rex and Mark Bolan through New York Dolls, Alice Cooper, David Bowie,…

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Why you'd press play

You want a guided rock-history detour through late-70s rock branches, from glam and soft rock toward U2's The Joshua Tree.

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