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Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment.
At its core, heartland rock was straightforward rock & roll infused with Americana -- more streamlined than garage rock, but not as traditionalist as roots rock. Ironically for a style so distinctly American, the Rolling Stones was a clear influence on most of the rough & tumble rockers.
At its core, heartland rock was straightforward rock & roll infused with Americana -- more streamlined than garage rock, but not as traditionalist as roots rock. Ironically for a style so distinctly American, the Rolling Stones was a clear influence on most of the rough & tumble rockers.
- “Jack & Diane” (John Mellencamp) Despite having a number of hits to his name, “Jack & Diane” remains John Mellencamp’s sole chart-topper. According to Mellencamp, the song was originally based on the 1966 Tennessee Williams film Sweet Bird of Youth, but when record executives were hesitant to release a song about interracial love, Mellencamp changed the song to be about two typical midwestern teenagers coming of age— a familiar story that a wide span of the country can relate to.
- “Rock and Roll Never Forgets” (Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band) So now sweet sixteen’s turned thirty-one / You get to feelin’ weary when the work day’s done / Well all you got to do is get up and into your kicks / If you’re in a fix / Come back baby / Rock and roll never forgets, Seger sings on this Night Moves track.
- “American Girl” (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) Allegedly written about a student who jumped from the University of Florida bell tower in Petty’s hometown, the song follows one girl’s dream of finding a little more life somewhere else.
- “Hold On Loosely” (38 Special) “Hold On Loosely” enters the conversation with the Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane” with a clever comparison between love and a treacherous drive out on the highway – Just hold on loosely / But don’t let go / If you cling too tightly / You’re gonna lose control.
Listen to the Heartland Rock Essentials playlist on Apple Music. 100 Songs. Duration: 6 hours, 40 minutes.
Heartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life,…
At its core, heartland rock was straightforward rock & roll infused with Americana -- more streamlined than garage rock, but not as traditionalist as roots rock. Ironically for a style so distinctly American, the Rolling Stones was a clear influence on most of the rough & tumble rockers.
