Irish rock - Definition and Overview

Rock and roll is a genre of popular African American music, and has been a part of the music of Ireland since the 1960s, when the British Invasion brought British blues, psychedelic rock and other styles to the island. With a roots revival of traditional music burgeoning, singer-songwriters like Christy Moore rose to prominence. Others mixed traditional Irish music with rock, including Horslips, The Pogues and Van Morrison. Ireland also produced such heavy metal bands as Thin Lizzy, and a vibrant punk rock scene which included Dublin's Gavin Friday and Bob Geldof, and Belfast's Stiff Little Fingers and, much later, Ash. The most famous Irish rock band, however, is undoubtedly U2. Since the release of 1980's Boy, U2 has been one of the world's most popular bands. Other modern Irish rock artists included the soft rock The Corrs, Sinéad O'Connor and The Cranberries.