Glam Racket!: The Glam/Glitter Revolution

by Dick Porter

During the early 1970s, glam rock ruled the world. Originated by artists such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Iggy Pop, and Alice Cooper, this music fused primal R&B, rock’n’roll, and bubblegum pop to produce a sound that captivated a generation. Visually, glam rock inspired legions of cross-dressed, foil-wrapped, glitter-coated rockers on and offstage who were the perfect antidote to the economic crisis then gripping Britain. This extensively illustrated book tells the inside story of glam rock. Individual chapters cover the genre’s origins, its explosion in the U.K. and its migration to the United States. Telling the tale of 1973, glam rock's seminal year, as well as the story of groups like Queen, Kiss, and offshoots like the New Romantics and glitter metal, author Dick Porter provides a complete look at this music. He profiles glam rock’s continued influence, as evidenced by the enduring popularity of bands such as Queen and Alice Cooper, perpetual interest in the glam-era output of Bowie, Bolan, and Elton John, and the rise of contemporary glam acts.

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009