What is southern rock?
As far as I know, the term Southern Rock was more or less invented by some record company who could use a brand name for the new up-and-coming american acts from the south. (Correct me if I'm wrong..)

Southern rock is a bit of a grey area, at least here in Norway. We all know country, we all know blues and hard rock and Sweet Home Alabama, but southern rock.. not quite so much.

And a grey area it is. At the crossroads where country, blues, cajun, gospel and hard rockin' meets, they blend together into Southern Rock. Sometimes it sounds almost pure country, other times it can be as heavy as any heavyrock act could ever dream of.

That makes Southern Rock a label with many contrasts. Different bands sounds different. Molly Hatchet and ZZ Top are often connected with the term boogie-rock. Blackfoot, and at times Doc Holliday- (who cites Deep Purple as an influence) leaning towards hard/heavy-rock. Outlaws- pretty much country, and Charlie Daniels Band who has "a hat" for every category mentioned above. In common they've got a southern heritage which reflects itself in driving guitar-riffs and down to earth patriotic lyrics.

Even if Allman Brothers, with their country-blues- sound, often get credits for "inventing" Southern Rock, I think it's fair to say that Lynyrd Skynyrd is the biggest name in the genre today... and maybe for all time. Recently inducted into Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and writers of a dozen classic rock songs, like Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama, and Simple Man. They are a musical centrepiece for this category, and have with great success managed to blend blues, country, boogie and hard rock into one package. We owe a lot to Lynyrd Skynyrd for the fact that southern rock is still rockin'... over 30 years after.. And mind you, not all emerging genres have a lifespan that long, and it just might indicate some good songs every now and then...

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd is still going strong, inducted into Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, and sounds better than ever.

ZZ Top

ZZ Top have written many hits, and is one of the most caracteristic bands in modern musical history. True legends.