Brazilian rock refers to rock music produced in Brazil and usually sung in Portuguese.

Overview
Rock entered the Brazilian music scene in 1956, with the screening of the film The Blackboard Jungle, featuring Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock".

Right after rock'n'roll took America by storm, Bill Haley and Elvis Presley also became liberating icons for Brazilian youth.
This new social era led to a total transformation of customs, and outlived many other attempts to keep Brazil's social structure rooted in the older traditions and religious dogmas.

Raul Seixas, still in Salvador, Bahia - formed the first rock band from this city in 1965, The Panthers, which soon changed names to Raulzito e os Panteras.

In 1963, Roberto Carlos had two hits: "Splish Splash" (Portuguese lyrics by Erasmo Carlos for the Bobby Darin song) and "Parei na Contramão" (I stopped at the wrong way), the first Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos collaboration. Roberto and Erasmo created a style that was named Jovem Guarda.

Even though the 1960s witnessed the phenomenon of Jovem Guarda and the 1970s saw the appearance of many prolific artists, like Raul Seixas, and bands like Os Mutantes, Brazilian rock's explosion began in 1981 with the first expressions of the Brazilian New wave, named by the media. Bands such as The Gang 90 e as Absurdettes, Blitz, Camisa de Vênus, Barão Vermelho, Kid Abelha, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ritchie, Fausto Fawcett, Lulu Santos, Radio Taxi, Sempre Livre, Magazine (from which Kid Vinil would later project his solo career), Marina Lima, Dr. Silvana & Cia., Absyntho, Eduardo Dusek, Kiko Zambianchi, Hanói Hanói, Hojerizah, Engenheiros do Hawaii, RPM, Metrô, Uns e Outros, Graffiti, Musak, Picassos Falsos, Alvin L, Ultraje a Rigor, Legião Urbana, Ira!, Titãs, Capital Inicial, Nenhum de Nós, Dulce Quental, Laura Finocchiaro, Biquini Cavadão, Lobão & Os Ronaldos, Heróis da Resistência, Zero, Violeta de Outono, Fellini, Akira S & as Garotas que Erraram, Neusinha Brizola, Voluntários da Pátria, Gueto, Vzyadoc Moe, Léo Jaime and João Penca & seus Miquinhos Amestrados.
The Rock in Rio Festival took over a million people to "Cidade do Rock" (where the event was held) during the ten days of the event, and established Brazil as a venue for international artists.

This movement is seen as a reflection of the worldview of urban youth who had grown up under a dictatorial regime and faced such processes as industrial expansion. This is the same generation that enjoyed the democratic abertura (opening) and began to absorb rather quickly an infinite amount of new information, previously inaccessible. The universe of that generation appeared rich in diversity, implying a desire to enjoy the present.


Two musicians and singer songwriters, Renato Russo from Legião Urbana and Cazuza from Barão Vermelho, begun brilliant solo careers from the 1980s to the 1990s, but were HIV fatal victims.

The 1990s saw a resurgence in instrumental rock's popularity, and some of the classic bands from previous decades reformed. Surf music also became popular, especially The Argonauts, The Gasolines and Os Ostras. Hard rock had in 1993 a new representative in Brazil, Dr. Sin. Heavy metal had two debuts: in 1990 Torture Squad and in 1991 Angra - all of these are from São Paulo.

Also in this period, many other bands acquired widespread national projection, such as: Raimundos (which was formed in the late 1980s, but only released its first album in 1994) with its forrócore style, Skank and O Rappa, both of which with a style that can be designated like a kind of reggae-rock, Pato Fu as the first indie band that arrived at mainstream, Charlie Brown Jr., with its alternative rock with rap and skate punk influences, and Mamonas Assassinas, who were a great hit with humour and rock. Sadly enough, its members died in a tragic plane accident (1996). Also Jota Quest was a success since the first album, 1996, and they arrived with a powerful pop-rock-funk.

The MTV Brasil Unplugged format brought back to the mainstream some bands whose career had been mainly consolidated in the 1980s, like the Titãs in 1996, Capital Inicial in 2000, Ira! in 2004 and Lobão in 2007.

In the beginning of 1990s there was the Manguebeat (or Mangue Bit) movement that put Recife definitively as one of principal places that has an important modern rock scene. Its style is a cross between the local rhythms, like Maracatu, and Rock, Hip hop and Electronic music . Coming from this movement are Chico Science & Nação Zumbi (which shortened their name to only Nação Zumbi following Science's death), Mundo Livre S/A, Fred 04, DJ Dolores, Stela Campos, Otto etc...

Kurt Cobain after his shows in Brazil, with Nirvana, in 1993, helped spread the Brazilian rock in the world. David Byrne, Beck, Of Montreal, Devendra Banhart and others were influenced by the 1960s Tropicália and have divulged this musical style to the world. In the 1990s, Björk, Stereolab, Towa Tei, Amon Tobin and The High Llamas were approaching the Brazilian pop music increasingly.

Between final 1990s and beginning of 21st century are relevant: Los Hermanos that is a noteworthy reference to the independent bands. Cássia Eller, who recorded several songs of the Brazilian rock musicians with powerful vocal and suddenly died in 2001. Pitty, the rarity of being a woman bandleader (with the band of the same name), has typified her career with brave lyrics and uncommon vocals.