Throughout history, technical innovations have acted as catalysts for experimentation and development. Music is no exception, the first important technical advancement that allowed an adaptive musical revolution was the introduction of the electric guitar in the late 1940s. The Fender Broadcaster, later renamed the Telecaster, launched in 1950, was the world's first commercially available electric guitar, with a solid wooden body and bolt on neck. The Fender Precision Bass was launched the following year, to replace the bulky, cumbersome and frequently barely audible acoustic double bass.

The rock 'n' roll revolution exploded on the music scene during the '50s, and the development of electric guitar technique was paralleled by this phenomenon. During the late '50s, there was a growing awareness of the potential of the electric guitar. The distinction between rhythm and lead playing was clearly made and songs were now constructed to include a four or eight-bar break in the middle. A technical innovation in drumming heralded the next phase of rock music's development. In 1957, Remo Belli started supplying plastic, instead of supplying traditional calf leather skins to drum manufacturers. Plastic skins were far more functional.

In the early '60s, bands began to capitalise on the benefits offered by recent improvements in technology. In the U.K., four or five-piece outfits became the norm, comprising bass, rhythm and lead guitars plus optional keyboards or saxophone. The Rolling Stones, labelled as the "badboys" of the British invasion did much to initialise the general public's negative attitude to rock music. 1967 was an important year in the development of rock music. It saw the release of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which marked a growing acceptance of rock as an art form. Hendrix made a massive impact on the rock scene. His style became the blueprint for rock, and later heavy metal guitarists the world over. Led Zeppelin became the role model for other artists to follow. The basic components of their style still represent the essential aspects of heavy metal and they probably rank as the most important influence on the genre. This is an amazing feat, considering the band has been defunct for well over a decade. At the same time as Cream, Led Zeppelin and Hendrix were making waves throughout Europe, a whole new generation of bands were beginning to emerge out of garages and seedy clubs in the U.S.A.. Bands such as the MC5, the Stooges, Steppenwolf, Grand Funk Railroad and Blue Cheer all helped mould the next phase through which rock music would progress.

The impact of the MC5, Blue Cheer and the Stooges is perhaps now, in the mid '90s, more apparent than ever. Contemporary outfits such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden derive much inspiration from these sources. Alice Cooper's outrageous stage antics saw the inception of rock theatre, where the live show became an integral part and visual extension of the music.

1970 saw the beginning of real exponential growth in the rock industry. The boundaries between blues-rock, psychedelic rock, hard rock, heavy rock, adult-orientated-rock and progressive rock became increasingly blurred as total musical freedom became a reality. Some of the key artists that emerged at this time included High Tide, Black Cat Bones, Black Sabbath, Black Widow, Uriah Heep, UFO and Blue Oyster Cult. Kiss and Ted Nugent took glam-rock's garish image to new heights. Each of the four members of Kiss portrayed a cartoon-like character which necessitated elaborate face make-up and a science fiction-like stage attire. Aerosmith, hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. metamorphosed the basic R 'n' B and rock 'n' roll structures of bands such as the Faces and Rolling Stones into a new hard-line, infectious metallic form. 1976-1979 represent the nadir for heavy metal and hard-rock as the punk movement exploded in every major city in the U.K., and later to a lesser extent