The evolution of Chinese rock&roll
(China Today)
Updated: 2004-02-03 14:19

Faint Murmurs

1980 The first mainland rock band Wan Li Ma Wang, performing classical Western rock, forms in a Beijing foreign language university.

1981 Alisi, a band mainly performing Japanese songs, forms.

1982 Adi forms Mainland with foreigners.

1984 Seven-piece Puzzle and Self Righting Doll form, the first band to play electronic instruments in China, both pioneer styles that are to set the tone for Chinese rock.

1985 Cui Jian, the godfather of Chinese rock, releases his first album Libertine Back Home, an early mainland pop-rock combination.

1986 Cui Jian performs his remarkable song I Own Nothing, which soon becomes one of the most popular songs in Chinese modern music history.

1987 Band Black Leopard is formed, and Audiovisual World, the first magazine covering western pop music, begins publishing.

1988 Tang Dynasty forms.

1989 Cui Jian holds his famous concert at Theater of Beijing Exhibition Hall and releases Rock on the Road of New Long March, marking the beginning of Chinese rock.

Flourishing Scene

1990 Tang Dynasty, Breath and 1989 all perform at the 90's Modern Music Concert, the first of its kind, held in Beijing's Capital Stadium..

1991 Black Leopard releases their debut album in Hong Kong, and Don't Break My Heart hits the top of Hong Kong music charts.

1992 Music Heaven magazine is founded, and begins influencing the music scene with its content and free tapes of Western pop music. Tang Dynasty's debut album Dreaming Back to Tang Dynasty, the first heavy metal album in China, is released to immediate success. Chinese Fire I is released.

1993 Beijing Music Radio launched Rock Magazine program, establishing the first rock documentary in China. Many artists perform abroad. Zheng Jun releases his debut Naked.

1994 He Yong's angry but honest Refuse Dump, Dou Wei's Black Dream, the first post-punk album in China and Zhang Chu's poetic Lonely People Are Shameful, are all released, effectively establishing legitimacy of the new movement Chinese new music. These three artists gain fame as the Three Knockouts.

1995 Dou Wei releases his second album Sunny Days. Tang Dynasty's bassist Zhang Jun dies in a car accident.

1996 Overload releases their eponymous debut album, a milestone in Chinese heavy metal. Mangfeng Bar opens in Beijing, becomes the performance venue for Beijing's new bands to perform.

Divergent Paths

1997 Underground rocker Pan Gu releases dirty punk debut What to Do, melding underground music with punk trends. Pop and folk rock artist Xu Wei releases his debut In Other Places. Sober release their Britpop debut Too Good and found Modern Sky, the earliest indie music company in China, initiating a storm of DIY music production. Several influential albums are released including Confucius Says' Chinese folk opera rock debut The First Album.

1998 The year of punk. The famous punk bar Scream opens in Beijing, displaying an entrance sign reading "metal and old rockers get no entrance." Punk Era magazine's publication coincides with the nation-wide punk craze. Pop punk outfit New Pants release their debut New Pants, Pan Gu releases Burning with Lewd Desire, and Dou Wei releases Mountain, River and Water, an experimental album of techno and Chinese traditional music.

1999 Post-pubescent pop punk band Flowers release their debut Beside Happiness, and pop rocker Pu Shu's debut I Go to 2000 won the devotion of college students. Free Music magazine is published under the statement "Music is the means, freedom is the aim." Three rock magazines, Modern Sky, Xmusic and So Rock soar in popularity.

2000 Modern Sky signs more and more bands, and the proliferation of music labels continues.