Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music—typically producing short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and stripped-down instrumentation, and lyrical themes that challenge authoritarianism and the establishment.

Roots rock looks back to rock's origins as a response to the perceived excesses of the dominant psychedelic and progressive rock scenes. Roots music (Americana) is often used to mean folk and world musical forms, and is often applied to any rock music that incorporates these elements.