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Column en Hard Rock Outlaw Rock

12 Sep 2025

Hard rock and outlaw lifestyle

Text: mmr｜Theme: The deep relationship between hard rock and car culture

A column that explores the deep connection between hard rock and car culture.Explains the background behind the fusion of muscle cars, Harley-Davidsons, the outlaw lifestyle, and music.

■ Hard rock and outlaw lifestyle

More than just a music genre, hard rock has often been talked about as an inseparable ``way of life.’’ Symbols of this were the muscle cars and Harley-Davidsons, which were born from the background of American culture.

The 1960s and 1970s were a tumultuous time for the United States, with the Vietnam War becoming a quagmire, the civil rights movement, and the clash between conservative values and counterculture.Young people who rebelled against the existing order and social norms sought self-expression using the keyword “freedom,” and rock and motor culture were symbolic means for this.

The roar of the large-displacement engine was as wild as the distortion emitted from a Marshall amplifier, and it shook the hearts of the listeners.Speed, power, and the freedom to deviate from the norm - these came together to form the “outlaw lifestyle.”

■ “Easy Rider” and the atmosphere of the times

The 1969 movie Easy Rider'' is a symbol of the youth culture and hard rock lifestyle of the time. The protagonists' journey across America on motorcycles in search of freedom was not just a journey, but a metaphor forbreaking away from the system.’‘Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild”, which plays on the soundtrack, resonates with the roar of motorcycles and is still passed down as a hard rock anthem of freedom.

This film can be said to have defined the intimate relationship between hard rock and car culture by visualizing the moment when music, motorcycles, and freedom came together.

■ “Car” and “motorcycle” effects seen in AC/DC and KISS

Global hard rock bands AC/DC and KISS have captivated audiences by incorporating car culture not only in their music but also in their performances.

AC/DC, as exemplified by songs such as Highway to Hell'' andThunderstruck,’’ overlaid images of road,''thunder,’’ and ``speeding’’ on rock music, directly linking music to the sensation of driving.
At KISS’ live performance, the sound of a Harley engine echoed with the flames in the background, giving the audience an experience as if the stage itself had been transformed into an American road movie.

This echoed the 1970s American “culture of speed,” and hard rock strongly embraced cars and motorcycles as symbolic icons of popular culture.

■ Engine sound = another rock sound

Hard rock is supported by more than just explosive guitars and heavy drums. For fans, the sound of the engine itself was “another kind of rock’n’roll.”

The roar of the V8 engine resonates with the guitar riff, giving the listener a sense of physical release.
The sound of an engine is ``uncontrolled noise,’’ and it overlaps with the rebellious spirit of rock, as it disrupts social order and silence.

The roar of cars and motorcycles driving away was itself a musical experience, a ``rebellion through sound’’ against existing values.

■ Acceptance in Japan - Connection with Bosozoku culture

This composition of ``hard rock x car/motorcycle culture’’ was uniquely developed in Japan as well. Bosozoku, which appeared in Japanese youth culture from the late 1970s to the 1980s, had a similar spirit to American outlaw culture in that they used domestically produced motorcycles rather than Harleys as their mainstay, but expressed themselves through engine sounds and noises.

Many Japanese hard rock fans and heavy metal enthusiasts incorporated motorcycles and modified cars as part of their lifestyle, and the resonance between music and motor culture was certainly alive and well in Japanese society.This can be said to be the result of America’s longing for “freedom” being superimposed on Japan’s “delinquent culture.”

■ Resonance between music and car culture

Understanding hard rock is more than just listening to albums. The existence of Harleys running down the road'' andmuscle cars cutting through the night’’ is essential, and the combination of their visuals and roaring sounds forms the overall cultural picture.

When the roar of the engine and the guitar riff resonate, the music shakes not only the auditory senses but also the entire body, turning the audience into ``experiencers.’‘This is where the core of hard rock, unlike any other genre, lies.

■ Recommended movie list (connection with music and motorcycle culture)

Release year	Title	Explanation
1969	Easy Rider	A counterculture film that symbolizes motorcycles and freedom.”Born To Be Wild” on the soundtrack.
1973	American Graffiti	A youth film depicting car culture.It reflects the inseparable relationship between rock’n’roll and cars.
1978	Grease	A work that combines American teen car culture and music.
1981	Heavy Metal	A cult work that combines animation and hard rock.
1991	Harley-Davidson & the Marlboro Man	A movie about motorcycles and outlaw friendship.

■ Recommended song list (by generation)

1970s

Song title	Artist	Commentary
Born To Be Wild	Steppenwolf	An anthem of motorcycle culture.
Highway Star	Deep Purple	A signature song celebrating cars and speed.
Paranoid	Black Sabbath	Symbolizes social anxiety with its heavy sound.
Highway to Hell	AC/DC	A fusion of road and rebellious spirit.
Detroit Rock City	KISS	A hard rock anthem set against the backdrop of the car society.
Radar Love	Golden Earring	Synonymous with driving songs.
Whole Lotta Love	Led Zeppelin	The rough sound resonates with the roar of cars.
Tush	ZZ Top	A song tied to southern car culture.
Running with the Devil	Van Halen	Embodying the outlaw spirit.
Kickstart My Heart (previous live version)	Mötley Crüe (early version)	A performance that emphasizes cars and a sense of speed.

1980s

Song title	Artist	Commentary
Kickstart My Heart	Mötley Crüe	A masterpiece born from the experience of a motorcycle accident.
Crazy Train	Ozzy Osbourne	A fast-paced riff suitable for driving.
Livin’ on a Prayer	Bon Jovi	Sings about youth and road movie scenes.
Ace of Spades	Motörhead	Songs most closely associated with motorcycle culture.
Panama	Van Halen	A representative song about cars.
Rock You Like a Hurricane	Scorpions	Combining wild nature and car culture.
Shout at the Devil	Mötley Crüe	Symbol of the outlaw lifestyle.
I Wanna Rock	Twisted Sister	Reminiscent of the freedom of youth and the speed of cars.
Cum On Feel the Noize	Quiet Riot	A song synonymous with running and rebellion.
You Shook Me All Night Long	AC/DC	Energy that is compatible with road culture.

Since 1990s

Since the 1990s, hard rock has taken on a new form through crossover with grunge, alternative rock, and even metal. Particularly in the United States, bands’ musicality has become more sophisticated, and their affinity with street culture and motorcycle culture has been strengthened. On the other hand, in Europe and Japan, styles that emphasize lyricism and technique have developed, and hard rock continues to symbolize the ``outlaw spirit that changes with the times.’’

Artist	Album	Release year	Features
Guns N’ Roses	Use Your Illusion I & II	1991	A masterpiece that combines hard rock and balladry
Metallica	Black Album	1991	Breaking through the boundaries between metal and rock with “Enter Sandman”
Foo Fighters	The Color and the Shape	1997	New generation rock anthem after grunge
Audioslave	Audioslave	2002	Rage x Soundgarden crossover
Velvet Revolver	Contraband	2004	Former GNR members’ return to classic rock after the 90s

Representative album list

Artist	Album	Release year	Features
Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin IV	1971	Includes “Stairway to Heaven”, Mythical Being
AC/DC	Back in Black	1980	Immortal hard rock anthem with worldwide sales
Deep Purple	Machine Head	1972	“Smoke on the Water” establishes a classic riff
Black Sabbath	Paranoid	1970	Dark and heavy sound symbolizes the outlaw spirit
Aerosmith	Toys in the Attic	1975	Rock and roll with a sexy and street feel

Hard rock and outlaw lifestyle

Hard rock is more than just a genre of music and is often referred to as a ``lifestyle.’‘Symbolic of this are American muscle cars and Harley-Davidson. The roar of the large-displacement engine echoes through the city, resembling the distortion emitted by a guitar amp.As if music and machinery resonate at the same frequency, riders and drivers flaunt their presence.

It also has deep ties to outlaw culture.Biker gangs and street culture in the ’70s often had hard rock as their soundtrack.The desire for freedom and deviation from the norm is an expression of strong, irresistible impulses, just like a hard rock guitar riff.

Visually, leather jackets, denim, tattoos, and rugged motorcycles and cars embody a ``rebellious aesthetic.’’ From live music venues to highways, hard rock has always been inseparable from a way of life that involves explosive music, and that spirit continues to be passed down to this day.

Hard rock in Japan gradually took root in the 1970s, and in the 1980s bands such as LOUDNESS and EARTHSHAKER made their way to the world. Also, from the 1990s onwards, groups such as X JAPAN, B’z, and GLAY developed their own interpretations of hard rock, which had a strong influence on the visual aspect. The culture of Harley-Davidson and American muscle cars has permeated the Japanese rock scene, and they are frequently used in live productions and music videos.

Artist	Song	Release year	Features
LOUDNESS	Crazy Nights	1985	A monumental piece of Japanese hard rock that has expanded to the world
X JAPAN	Rusty Nail	1994	Symphonic and lyrical hard rock
B’z	LOVE PHANTOM	1995	Fusion of hard rock and J-POP melodies
SEX MACHINEGUNS	German Power	1998	90s Japanese HR representative with both humor and excitement
Dir en grey	Obscure	2003	Dark and avant-garde, internationally acclaimed

Machines associated with hard rock

Type	Model	Features
Muscle car	Dodge Charger R/T	Equipped with 426 HEMI engine, overwhelming presence
Muscle car	Ford Mustang Mach 1	Symbol of American culture from the 60s to 70s
Harley	Harley-Davidson Shovelhead	The heart of the wild heartbeat and custom culture
Harley	Harley-Davidson Fat Boy	Frequently used in hard rock video works from the 90’s onwards

Where the roar of a guitar amp and the roar of an engine intersect

Hard rock is more than just a musical experience; it’s a culture that encompasses an entire lifestyle. The loud sound, speed, and outlaw spirit that muscle cars and Harley-Davidson symbolizes continue to fascinate many people today. The spirit of hard rock lives on where the roar of a guitar amp and the roar of an engine intersect.