 shock rock is an umbrella term for artists who combine rock music or metal with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances. performances often included costumes and masks. shock rock also included elements of horror. depending on period, genre, and local trends, ranges from uncommon or sensational (as in ozzy osbourne, alice cooper, or kiss's early antics) to ubiquitous and so widely expected as to be something of a basic requirement for any and every show (currently: american heavy metal, european industrial and goth, much of european metal; in the past, early western punk, '80s american glam rock). ==history== screamin' jay hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker. after the success of his 1956 hit "i put a spell on you", hawkins began to perform a recurring stunt at many of his live shows; he would emerge from a coffin, sing into a skull-shaped microphone and set off smoke bombs. another artist who performed similar stunts was the british singer-songwriter screaming lord sutch. the 1960s brought several proto-shock rock artists. in the uk, the who often destroyed their instruments, the move did the same to television sets, and arthur brown wore vivid makeup and a flaming headpiece. in the us, jimi hendrix set his guitar alight at the monterey pop festival in 1967, while detroit musician iggy pop's violent, erratic onstage persona drew widespread recognition, as pop would often throw his body about the stage, frequently injuring his band members. with a career spanning the mid-1960s to today, american band leader alice cooper refined shock rock, with expensive, upscale illusionary, graphic stunts, such as feigning decapitation with the use of elaborate special effects. in the early 1970s, cooper's unique blend of heavy metal and folk blues, complete with sardonic and inevitably controversial lyrics, proved a powerful inspiration for many future genre artists such as kiss of the mid 1970s; w.a.s.p., gwar, and king diamond of the 1980s; and marilyn manson of the 1990s. from the late 1970s to his death in 1993, gg allin was known less for his music than for his wildly transgressive antics,huey, steve. [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gg-allin-p51370/b
Rock_music_genres