The vanguard of glam rock staked its territory in the UK charts by virtue of the efforts of acts like Slade, Sweet, and the now-disgraced Gary Glitter. These acts would exemplify glam rock not just through their sounds, but crucially through their attire. In fact, as one source notes, Gary Glitter 'took his image seriously enough to own a reported thirty glitter suits and fifty pairs of his trademark silver platform boots.' (He has since been banned from several countries and is currently incarcerated in Vietnam for his abuses of children.)
Through the period 1970-1975 glam rock enjoyed phenomenal chart success in the United Kingdom. The genre would never duplicate this success across the pond in the United States 'where at best, glam rock was seen as a curiosity.' Indeed, Sweet, perhaps more than other glam acts, leaned to a heavier rock sound, especially on the B-sides of their singles releases and as a result found more resonance in rock-friendly America. But for sheer UK chart success, no band would outperform Slade, famous in part for performing “Merry Xmas Everybody,” one of the most popular contemporary Christmas songs. Slade 'dominated the British charts during the early 1970s. During the height of their success, Slade out-performed their chart rivals Wizzard, Sweet, T. Rex, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, Garry Glitter, Roxy Music and David Bowie.'
Meanwhile, Slade and Gary Glitter would duel it out with acts like Queen and Wizzard to see who could out-outrageous each other through their stage attire. As the decade of the 1970s wore on, fashions began to change and new musical styles began to emerge. This led to the retrospective labeling of glam rock as an aspect of what would become known as “protopunk.”
Through the period 1970-1975 glam rock enjoyed phenomenal chart success in the United Kingdom. The genre would never duplicate this success across the pond in the United States 'where at best, glam rock was seen as a curiosity.' Indeed, Sweet, perhaps more than other glam acts, leaned to a heavier rock sound, especially on the B-sides of their singles releases and as a result found more resonance in rock-friendly America. But for sheer UK chart success, no band would outperform Slade, famous in part for performing “Merry Xmas Everybody,” one of the most popular contemporary Christmas songs. Slade 'dominated the British charts during the early 1970s. During the height of their success, Slade out-performed their chart rivals Wizzard, Sweet, T. Rex, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, Garry Glitter, Roxy Music and David Bowie.'
Meanwhile, Slade and Gary Glitter would duel it out with acts like Queen and Wizzard to see who could out-outrageous each other through their stage attire. As the decade of the 1970s wore on, fashions began to change and new musical styles began to emerge. This led to the retrospective labeling of glam rock as an aspect of what would become known as “protopunk.”