How Glam Reinvented Rock, Identity, and Culture in the 1970s

The Takeaway | Dec 15, 2016

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It may not be shocking to see a male musician wearing makeup or feminine clothing in the 21st century, but back in the early 1970s, this was considered a revolutionary act.

Popularized by artists including David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Alice Cooper, the movement known as "glam rock" took a musical genre and added previously unexplored elements of style and experimentation. 

Simon Reynolds, music journalist and author of the new book “Shock and Awe: Glam Rock and Its Legacy, from the Seventies to the Twenty-First Century” explores the evolution and cultural impact of glam. Reynolds joins The Takeaway to discuss how outrageous the movement was at its start and why its approach to gender and self-expression inspired so many fans. 

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