Group Sounds

This article is about the music genre. For the Rocket from the Crypt album, see Group Sounds (album).

Group Sounds
Stylistic origins	Rock and roll, beat music, British rock, kayōkyoku
Cultural origins	mid 1960s Japan
Typical instruments	Guitar - Bass guitar - Drum kit
Mainstream popularity	Popular in Japan during the mid-to-late 1960s
Derivative forms	J-pop

Group Sounds (G.S.) is a genre of Japanese rock music. Inspired by The Beatles, Group Sounds became popular in the mid to late 1960s. Group Sounds initiated fusion of Japanese kayōkyoku music and rock music. Their music production techniques were regarded as a pioneer of modern Japanese popular music.

Fōku (folk) and New Music became famous in Japan in the 1970s, but new rock bands survived as "New Rock" in Japanese underground music. The origin of modern Japanese rock music was usually regarded as New Rock. Videos of New Rock bands' concerts were very rare.

Notable Group Sounds bands

The Spiders in 1966.

• The Tigers (aka The Funnys)
• The Tempters
• The Spiders
• The Wild Ones
• The Golden Cups
• The Mops
• The Carnabeats

Notable New Rock bands (1969–1972)

• Blues Creation
• Flower Travellin' Band
• Happy End
• Power House
• PYG
• RC Succession
• Les Rallizes Dénudés
• Sadistic Mika Band
• Speed, Glue & Shinki
• Taj Mahal Travellers

See also

• Garage rock
• Music of Japan
• List of Japanese rock bands
• J-pop
• Enka
• Ryūkōka
• Kayōkyoku

External links

• Cutie Morning Moon - Dedicated to Japanese 1960s garage punk
• The Video Beat - What are the Group Sounds?
• Showapop - Group Sounds Record & CD articles in English