Pub Rock

Genre: A 33 1/3 Series

By: Mark Wilkerson

The scene that bulldozed the path from prog and glam to punk and new wave, pub rock was a short-lived phenomenon in the U.K., emerging amidst the bloated landscape of prog rock and an increasingly oppressive economic outlook.

In the U.K. in the early '70s, in response to the glitz of glam and the excess of prog there emerged a DIY, back to basics scene known as pub rock: No-fuss, grass roots rock'n'roll bands playing in tight, sweaty rooms to packed throngs in the Victorian pubs of north London. Pub rock was a relative flash in the pan, lasting only a handful of years, but it produced a seismic shift, bridging the gap between rock's Baroque period and the ensuing punk and new wave scene, and crucially, restoring the visceral connection between artist and audience.

Pub rock set the standard and, through artists like Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe and Dr. Feelgood, paved the way for countless acts including The Clash, the Sex Pistols and The Pretenders. Pub Rock explores the history of the genre's evolution, and examines its significant and enduring legacy.

©2026 Mark Wilkerson (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc