Editing Arena rock (section)

===1960s–1970s===
Despite the differences in terms of genre, [[Beatlemania]] and the gigantic, screaming crowds that greeted [[the Beatles]] as they performed in the U.S. proved influential on arena rock, particularly with artists' complex views of the connection between themselves as musicians and the primal needs of their mass audiences.{{sfn|Waksman|2009|pp=21–31}} The rise of the rock style largely signified the end of the [[hippie]]-type of idealistic 1960s culture, particularly after the disillusionment that followed the infamous [[Altamont Free Concert]] of 1969, and represented a newer form of musical expression that was still confident and strident while also being more commercial.{{sfn|Waksman|2009|pp=21–31}} With hundreds of people injured and one dying, said concert has been described as "the spiritual death of the decade".{{sfn|Browne|Browne|2001|p=29}}

In the period from the end of the 1960s to the middle of the 1970s, advances in technology allowed for the increased power of amplification and sound systems without losing sound quality, thus giving [[hard rock]] bands the opportunity to use larger and larger venues. Attributing the birth of arena rock to [[the Rolling Stones]]' 1969 US tour, ''[[The Guardian]]'' ranked the tour number 19 on their list of the 50 key events in rock music history.<ref name="Touring"/> Prior to the tour the loudest sound at big-capacity shows was often the crowd, so the Stones ensured they had lighting and sound systems that would allow them to be seen and heard in the biggest arenas, with ''The Guardian'' stating their "combination of front-of-house excellence and behind the scenes savvy took the business of touring to an entirely new level."<ref name="Touring">{{cite news|first= Michael |last= Hann |title= The birth of arena rock |newspaper= [[The Guardian]] |date= 12 June 2011 |access-date= 17 December 2017 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/12/birth-arena-rock}}</ref>

The [[Flint, Michigan]]–born [[Grand Funk Railroad]], which advertised itself as a "people's band" on the release of their [[On Time (Grand Funk Railroad album)|1969 debut album]] given their nationwide touring, played to about 125,000 in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] and 180,000 in [[Texas]] within a short period of time. Although hard rock influenced [[heavy metal music]] and the arena rock style, they shared an emphasis on loudness and heavy sound that had dominated the rock mainstream from late 70s to early 80s.{{Sfn|Waksman|2009|pp=21–31}}

[[File:StevePerry.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Singer [[Steve Perry]] of [[Journey (band)|Journey]] became one of the faces of arena rock in the late 1970s and early 1980s.]]

Bands such as [[Styx (band)|Styx]], [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]], [[REO Speedwagon]], [[Boston (band)|Boston]], [[Toto (band)|Toto]], and [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]] were popular arena rock acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s.<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/style/arena-rock-ma0000012329 "Arena rock genre overview"]. AllMusic. Retrieved 6 April 2023.</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NNVDBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164 | title=Rock'n America: A Social and Cultural History | isbn=978-1-4426-0015-7 | last1=Weinstein | first1=Deena | date=January 2015 | publisher=University of Toronto Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Giles |first=Jeff GilesJeff |date=2017-04-08 |title=How Toto Surprised Everyone With the Multi-Platinum 'Toto IV' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/toto-iv/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |language=en}}</ref>

Arena rock's popularity, being described as "a dominant force" musically from the 1970s onward,<ref name="Hard"/> resulted in a number of musical reactions. The [[Pub rock (United Kingdom)|British pub rock movement]] arose in large part due to its emphasis on small-scale events, aimed at promoting a friendly, intimate connection between performers and audiences.{{Sfn|Bennett|2006|p=26}} The explosion of [[punk rock]] and [[punk subculture]]s in general in the 1970s directly challenged the perceived excesses of mainstream rock at the time.{{Sfn|Browne|Browne|2001|p=31}}