A majority of rock music we listen to comes from American or British bands. But this is normal because rock music originated in the United States and was saved by a movement famously called the British invasion in the 1960s⏤a time in the world of rock’n’roll when English artists revived rock music and took the American music scene by storm with their style of music.1 

The bands formed around that time still make up the top 10 bands of all time, with the majority of them being British. Rock music inspired people all over the world, and everyone listened to the genre’s best bands, such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Eagles, U2, Aerosmith, and so on. Furthermore, some of them did not just listen to the music, they were inspired to form their own rock bands.  

Here’s a list of five bands founded by artists who were influenced by rock’n’roll and later went on to make their own impact on rock music in countries other than the United States and the United Kingdom.

1. Rush 

Rush is a progressive rock and heavy metal band from Canada, formed by Alex Lifeson, Jeff Jones, and John Rutsey in 1968. Jones and Rutsey were replaced by Geddy Lee and Neil Peart in 1974. Since the change, the lineup has remained the same to this day. They have released a total of 19 studio albums throughout their career. Their debut album Rush was released in 1974, and their final album was recorded in 2012. Their music was heavily influenced and inspired by Led Zeppelin, Cream, and King Crimson.3 

Best Albums: Signals, Rush, Counterparts, A Farewell to Kings, Grace Under Pressure.4 

Top Songs:  “Tom Sawyer,” “2112,” “Limelight,” “Working Man,” “Red Barchetta.” 5

2. Opeth 

David Isberg and Mikael Kerfeldt founded the Swedish band Opeth in 1990.6 Anders Nordin, Nick Döring, and Andreas Dimeo were soon recruited, and the band began its journey as a death metal band that later evolved and blended progressive rock into their music. Since its formation, the band went through several lineup changes, and Akerfeldt is the only remaining original member of the band today. Since their debut with the 1985 album Orchid, the band has consistently recorded 13 studio albums.7

Best Albums: Still Life, Blackwater Park, Damnation, My Arms, Your Hearse, Ghost Reveries.8

Top Songs: “To Bid You Farewell,” “Blackwater Park,” “Harvest,” “Demon Of The Fall,” “Black Rose Immortal.”9

3. Gojira 

Gojira is a band started by French music artists and brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier with their friends Christian Andreu and Alexandre Cornillon in 1996.10 The fifth and final member of the band, Jean-Michel Labadie, joined the band around the release of their first album  Terra Incognita in 2001. The group initially called their band Godzilla but changed it to Gojira in 2001, shortly before the release of their first album.11 Their lyrics are mostly focused on environmental, spiritual, and existential themes. Their music mostly leans towards the progressive metal and heavy metal genres. The band is known for having made a significant impact on the older and younger generations.  

Best Albums: From Mars To Sirius, L’Enfant Sauvage, Magma.12

Top Songs: “Heaviest Matter of the Universe”, “L’Enfant Sauvage”, “Flying Whales”, “Toxic Garbage Island”, “Silvera.”13

4. AC/DC

This Australian band was formed by brothers Angus and Malcom Young in 1973 with Dave Evans, Larry Van Kriedt, and Colin Burgess. The band’s lineup was changed in 1975, with Bon Scott, Phil Rudd, and Mark Evans replacing Evans, Kriedt, and Burgess. However, this was temporary, and the band went through a series of unexpected and abrupt changes in their lineup. The band, despite being faced with numerous challenges and struggles, released 17 studio albums. Their most recent album Power Up was released in 2020.14 

Best Albums: Back in Black, Let There Be Rock, Highway to Hell, Powerage, T.N.T.15

Top Songs: “Back in Black,” “Thunderstruck,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Whole Lotta Rosie,” “Ride On.”16

5. Legião Urbana

This Brazilian rock band was founded by Renato Russo in 1983 with Marcelo Bonfá, Eduardo Paraná, and Paulo Paulista. Paraná and Paulista exited the band shortly after joining. Dado-Villa Lobos joined shortly after their exit, and Renato Rocha joined the group in 1985.17 In a span of 13 years, the band released eight studio albums and became one of the most iconic bands to represent Brazil with lyrics based on themes of struggles and hope related to love, spirituality, politics, family, etc., and had a huge impact on their listeners.18 

Top Albums: Que País É Este, O Descobrimento do Brasil, A Tempestade ou O Livro dos Dias.19

Top Songs: “Que País é Este,” “Eduardo e Mônica,” “Será,” “Índios, Ainda é Cedo.”20

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References
1. British Invasion | Origins, Groups, & Facts | Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/event/British-Invasion
2. The World’s Biggest Bands Are British and Its Biggest Solo Artists Are American – The Atlantic. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/07/the-worlds-biggest-bands-are-british-and-its-biggest-solo-artists-are-american/277472/
3. Band | Rush.com. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.rush.com/band/
4. Readers’ Poll: 10 Greatest Rush Albums – Rolling Stone. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/rush-greatest-albums-readers-poll-14091/
5. Readers’ Poll: The 10 Best Rush Songs – Rolling Stone. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-rush-songs-178108/
6. Opeth – Official Website | Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from http://opeth.com/bio
7. Opeth – Official Website | Releases. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from http://opeth.com/releases#albums
8. Rank & Defile: Opeth’s Albums Ordered from Worst to Best – Decibel Magazine. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2019/09/23/rank-defile-opeths-albums-ordered-from-worst-to-best/
9. Top 10 Opeth Songs – ClassicRockHistory.com. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.classicrockhistory.com/top-10-opeth-songs/
10. France Rocks | Gojira. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.francerocks.com/artist/gojira/
11. The Story of GOJIRA | Feature. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.hardwiredmagazine.com/gojira-from-the-beast-from-the-underground-to-the-very-top-of-the-metal-world/?lang=en
12. Every Gojira album ranked from worst to best | Louder. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.loudersound.com/features/every-gojira-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best
13. Fan Poll: 5 Best Gojira Songs | Revolver. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.revolvermag.com/music/fan-poll-5-best-gojira-songs
14. AC/DC: A Photo Timeline of Their Legendary Career. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://loudwire.com/acdc-photo-timeline-career/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
15. AC/DC Albums Ranked Worst to Best. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ac-dc-albums-ranked/
16. 10 Best AC/DC Songs: Readers’ Poll – Rolling Stone. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-ac-dc-songs-153246/
17. Legião Urbana on Jango Radio | Full Bio, Songs, Videos. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.jango.com/music/Legiao+Urbana/_full_bio
18. Legião Urbana hometown, lineup, biography | Last.fm. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://www.last.fm/music/Legi%C3%A3o+Urbana/+wiki
19. LEGIÃO URBANA album sales. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://bestsellingalbums.org/artist/7555
20. Top 17 Legião Urbana Songs | Highest Chart Hits. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2022, from https://playback.fm/artist/legi%C3%A3o-urbana-top-songs

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