European Rock Circa 1978-1980
By Joseph W. Perry
The late 1970s through the early 1980s were interesting years for rock music. Punk rock, new wave, and no wave were rising in popularity and making more traditional forms of rock seem old hat and out of vogue. Some bands that relied on traditional blues or boogie riffs were dismissed as dinosaurs, while others playing the same style of music were embraced as cutting-edge purists. Unfortunately for some bands, fickle record labels looking for The Next Big Thing and fans who leaned too heavily on following trends ignored or missed out on some groups that weren’t easily categorized. Sometimes poor management was to blame for low record sales.
For this installment of “Bands That Deserved Better,” I’m going to discuss five European bands - focusing on their debut U.S. albums, with one exception - that fell between the cracks in the American market. They sometimes did the same in their home countries, while some groups still soldier on to this day. They should have all been international superstars in my humble opinion, and I hope that if you haven’t heard them before, you will give them a try and perhaps find some new favorite bands --- better late than never!
