Rock music in Ireland, also known as Irish rock, 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. The Irish music scene in the 1960s and much of the 1970s was dominated by the unique Irish phenomenon of the 'Showbands' which were groups of professional performers who played at dancehalls and clubs across the country putting on a professional 'show' and playing all the American and British hits of the era. From the mid-1970s onwards rock music in Ireland has followed a similar path to rock music in Britain.
In the 1960s being part of a 'Showband' was essentially the only way a professional musician in Ireland could make a living. Van Morrison, Henry McCullough and Rory Gallagher started working in Irish showbands, but went on to put Ireland on the rock music map. Van Morrison achieved international success in the 1960s with the beat group Them before launching a very successful solo career. Rory Gallagher formed the blues rock trio Taste and went on to achieve critical acclaim in his solo career which lasted until his death in 1995. He is considered by many music critics to be among the greatest rock guitarists of all time. The Strangers from Balbriggan were also very popular and had a unique sound. Their record "Strangers" made # 6 in the Irish charts.
The early 1970s saw a growth of Irish rock music. One band that rose to international prominence was the hard rocking Thin Lizzy, led by Phil Lynott. Another Irish band, Horslips, broke new ground by mixing hard rock with traditional Irish music to create a new genre – Celtic rock. They challenged the idea that an Irish band had to leave the country to be successful. They stayed in Ireland instead of moving abroad to chase success. They were successful in Ireland but never achieved much international success. The early 1970s paved the way for another band that would remain based in Ireland but would go on to dominate the music world – U2. U2 began their musical career in 1976 and went on to become internationally known. Irish success in this period on a more commercial basis was led by Waterford born pop singer/songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan, whose achievements included two UK No. 1 singles ("Clair" and "Get Down") and one United States No. 1 ("Alone Again (Naturally)")
The 1980s saw the rise to stardom of the most successful Irish rock band, U2. Since the release of their album Boy in 1980, U2 has grown to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world. In fact, Rolling Stone claims this band to be "the biggest band in the world."[2] Band members Bono (Paul Hewson), The Edge (David Evans), Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr have brought international attention to this unique genre. Within four years of starting the band, they were signed onto Island Records. Their 1987 album, Joshua Tree sent them over the top. Now, in the third decade of their career, they continue to achieve enormous commercial and critical success. Throughout their career U2 have kept their base firmly planted in their home town, Dublin. The band, especially frontman Bono, are also well known for their social conscience and their involvement in various international causes. Along with the 1980s came County Donegal group Clannad who were, at the time, innovators in bridging the gap between pop rock music and traditional Irish music.
Following the disbandment of The Undertones in 1983, lead vocalist Feargal Sharkey pursued a solo career while the other band members formed That Petrol Emotion along with an American vocalist, Steve Mack.
In the 1980s The Pogues became very successful with their radical new take on the fusion of traditional Irish music with punk rock attitude. This style of 'punked-up traditional Irish music' has also taken off outside Ireland and the UK, especially in the United States. Other Irish artists to gain fame in the 1980s were Sinéad O'Connor and the heavy metal group Mama's Boys. Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore achieved success in his 1980s solo career but returned to his blues rock roots in the 1990s. The 1980s witnessed a lot of interest from foreign shores Cactus World News were one of the bands which managed to garner success outside Ireland (United States, UK Germany) without become hugely successful they charted continually internationally.
The 1980s also saw the birth of rock band Aslan from Finglas and Ballymun in North Dublin, the third biggest selling Irish act in Ireland.
There are many rock concerts and festivals annually in Ireland which began in the 2000s, and continue to run today. Most notably Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Indiependence and Belsonic.