The rock music from the USA in the early 1960’s influenced italian rock, with cover versions being made on existing songs.
Piero Ciampi was the first distinctively Italian singer-songwriter. His style was reminiscent of the French chansonniers. The USA and UK were in the midst of the psychedelic rock boom during the 1960s which inspired Italian psychedelic bands such as Mario Schifano and Le Orme. At this time young Italians were still well educated in classical music, thus resulting in classically-influenced rock bands which led to the move towards progressive rock; Celeste, Late e Miele, New Trolls (are some of these popular bands).
Il Balletto Di Bronzo’s YS is one of the most debated Italian prog-rock albums; some calling it trash and others seeing it as one of the greatest progressive albums ever made.
Skiantos; Italian punk rock pioneers (end of 1970’s), had released 1978’s Monotono, which started the Italian punk scene.
In the 1980s, Italy boasted one of the most vibrant hardcore and thrash metal scenes. In the late 1980s, more extreme bands of heavy metal bands appeared; Necrodeath, Zucchero, Gianna Nannini.
