Hard Rock music : From free radios to post radios What future for a marginalized phenomenon ? Nicolas Bénard Dastarac Docteur en Histoire Chercheur associé au Centre d’Histoire Culturelle des Sociétés Contemporaines – Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

Hard Rock music (HR) Date of birth : end of the 1960’s. Place of birth : Great-Britain. Founding fathers : Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath. In France : with Trust, HR enters medias (1980’s).

1990’s HR splits into many sub-genders. Musical, lyrical et visual toughening. HR changes its name and becomes « Metal ».

Evolution of media-related supports : 3 upbeats « Liberation » of radios (1982). Birth of specialized press (1983). Internet expansion (end of the 1990’s).

1/ Hard Rock and FM : A brief history

January 1981 : « Wango Tango » on WRTL. 09/11/1981 law : the « liberation of radios » benefits HR. HR spreads through new associations. Radio Paname dedicated to HR.

Evolution of broadcasts dedicated to HR and Metal musics 1986 : Enfer magazine lists 11 radio shows : Hard Rock magazine deals with 11 programs : Hard Force magazine presents 86 « partners on airwaves » : 8 broadcasts in Metallian magazine.

1982 – end of the 1990’s The voluntary sector : Enables HR to reach a large audience. Gives the possibility to get round the obstruction of general-interest press. Remains geographically limited.

2/ Internet revolution

End of the 1990’s Emergence of many web radios. Specialisation of broadcasts. International diffusion.

La Grosse Radio (

La Grosse Radio Association « Loi 1901 » founded on 29/12/2003. Location : Courbevoie (92). 3 portals dedicated to Rock, Reggae and Metal.

La Grosse Radio Aims : “To promote neglected artists and creations. To share our passion of radio, the diffusion of programs through different ways : a website, a webradio, evening performances and shows. Last, to create radio broadcasts that could be sold to other radios and webradios.”

La Grosse Radio Métal Aims : “A flood of riffs mixing old-school legends experience with new talents boldness, enhanced with incontrovertible new releases. A surnatural mixture for a full and various programmation that leads you in every corner of metal music.”

Activities Music. Live shows from the studios with guests. On the portal : CD ’s columns, events forecasts, etc. Blog.

Radio Metal

2 portals French : English :

Radio Metal Founded on 01/04/2007 by Amaury Blanc. Located in Lyon (69). 20 employees (DJ’s, program managers, webmasters, photographs, video managers, translators, etc.) Diffusion of written and recorded interviews.

Radio Metal Aims : « Most of musical sub-genres spread on French radio and tv […] In France, Metal is considered, by medias and decision-makers of the music industry, as a minor genre. The lack of media-friendly recognition of Metal is an aberration for a musical genre whom headlight bands fill up biggest French concert halls only due to their reputation… »

“... Radio Metal aims to promote Metal by increasing its media diffusion. We do not want Metal to monopolize networks because intensive media is harmfull to musical diversity. We just want to be able to hear our songs without imposing them to the masses at the same time. That is the reason why this musical platform was created.”

Selling points Present and future media. Internet enables to reach an international audience. Radio Metal is a leader in worldwide webradios network. Professionnalism. Related to a booking agency.

Statistics daily listeners forumers songs. 45% of listeners do not listen to FM. 1/3 of Internet practices pertain to webradio.

To conclude Post radio fills a void and rises Metal music diffusion and cultural exchanges. FM Metal radio shows used to federate members of the community. Post radio increases possibilities, but leads to an audience parcelling phenomenon. Less visibility, less lobbying.