Best Russian rock bands!

Rock music was never supported by the USSR government, still it has own history in Russia. They sometimes say that Russian rock follows the steps of Western bands and do not create anything new. We answer – you just didn’t listen enough. Learning Russian language you get unique chance to understand the lyrics of Russian rock hits that still remains one of the essential parts of its success among Russians!

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Кино (Kino = Cinema, Film)

new wave / post-punk

Kino was an iconic Soviet post-punk band headed by Viktor Tsoi. It was one of the most famous rock groups in the Soviet Union. Kino was formed in 1981 by the members of two earlier groups from Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Palata No. 6 and Piligrim. Kino released their debut album, 45, in 1982. In 1984, Kino released their sophomore album, Nachalnik kamchatki.  The title was inspired by Tsoi's job as a boiler plant operator, as well as a reference to the 1967 Soviet comedy. From 1986 to 1988, Tsoi began to act in more movies, but continued to write songs for Kino. The film Needle, which he starred in, brought the band to even more prominence, and their 1988 album Gruppa krovi brought them to the pinnacle of their popularity. In 1989, they released Zvezda po imeni Solntse, which was lonely, introspective, and sad, despite the fame the band was enjoying. On August 15 1990 Tsoi died in a car crash near Riga while returning from a fishing trip. His death was a shock for Soviet society.

Аквариум (Aquarium)

classic rock / folk rock

Aquarium ois a Russian rock group formed in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg, Russia) in 1972. The band's second lineup was disbanded in March 2013. Despite an announcement of the group's disbanding, Aquarium has played with Grebenshchikov, Rubekin, and an otherwise new lineup of musicians since spring of 2013, and played a concert in Moscow in July 2013 with this current lineup. The band had many member changes over its 40 year history, and at the end the only remaining original member was lead singer and founder Boris Grebenshchikov. Aquarium were strongly influenced by Western rock music, particularly by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, T.Rex, and progressive rock acts like Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Roxy Music as well as by new wave and reggae artists. This was reflected in the band's often complex compositions and wide-ranging lyric themes, even including references to Celtic and Indian cultures.

Машина времени (Mashina vremeni = Time Machine)

classic rock / pop-rock

Mashina Vremeni is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer of Soviet rock music, and remains one of the oldest still active rock bands in Russia. The band's music incorporates elements of classic rock, blues, and Russian folk music. Mashina Vremeni's best known members are Andrei Makarevich - the founder, principal singer-songwriter and the band's public persona, Alexander Kutikov - the bass player and producer/sound engineer, and guitarist/songwriter Evgeny Margulis. Mashina Vremeni's sound is eclectic and incorporates multiple different genres. Contributions to song composition have been made by almost every band member, and often reflect each member's particular stylistic preferences. Makarevich is a renowned fan of The Beatles, and many of his songs reflect the Beatles' influence. He is also influenced by blues music and Soviet singers-songwriters, the so-called "bards". Kutikov is a quintessential rocker, he composes guitar-oriented hard rock. Margulis is one of the Russia's best known bluesmen, and his songs are usually blues rock ballads. All the band's lyrics are written by Makarevich. They were often metaphorical fables that made allegorical puns relating to life in the Soviet and Post-Soviet eras.

Чайф (Chaif)

classic rock / pop-rock

Chaif  is a Russian rock band formed in 1984 in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Russia, by Vladimir Shakhrin and Vladimir Begunov. Their name is derived from the word chai, meaning tea, and kaif (slang word), meaning pleasure. The band reached national fame in 1992 with songs such as Ne Speshi and 17.By 1997, the popularity of rock music had declined and they were playing smaller venues than at the height of their fame.They have released several albums and are very popular in Russia and former Soviet states, but they are virtually unknown to the rest of the world. Their musical styles range from rock and roll to Blues and even some songs which feature a strong reggae influence. The band is still touring and releasing albums occasionally.

Ария (Aria)

hard 'n' heavy / power

Aria is a Russian heavy metal band that was formed in 1985 in Moscow. Although it was not the first Soviet band to play Heavy music, Aria was the first to break through to mainstream media and commercial success. According to several public polls, Aria ranks among top 10 most popular Russian rock bands. Their music resembles the sound of NWOBHM bands, for which they have been dubbed "Russian Iron Maiden" by the media. Most of Aria's lyrics have been written not by the band's members but by professional poets Margarita Pushkina and Alexander Yelin.Aria is the root of so-called "Aria Family": several bands formed by its former members. In 1987, four ex-members of Aria formed the band Master, who is still considered, along with Aria, one of the most influential Russian metal bands. Vocalist Valery Kipelov, who was the main voice of the band for the majority of albums they have released, departed in 2002 and formed his own heavy-metal band Kipelov.

Агата Кристи (Agatha Christie)

Classic rock

Agatha Christie were a Russian Post-punk/gothic rock band led by brothers Vadim and Gleb Samoylov, formed in Sverdlovsk in late 1987. It was named after the British detective writer Agatha Christie. According to Gleb Samoylov, the band's main tendencies were based on 1970s art-rock and rock'n'roll, yet the lyrics represented early 1980s punk rock decadence movement. The band knew underground prominence during the fall of the Soviet Union, however mainstream popularity came only during the 1990s, with best recorded albums being Pozornaya zvezda in 1993 and Opium in 1995. Following the dramatic death of Aleksandr Kozlov in 2001, the band decreased recording material and went on hiatus by mid-2004. During 2008 Samoylov made an effort of reuniting the members (two of who went on to create solo projects) and made the final tour around the country. The material served as ground for their last album titled Epilogue. Their last concert played in their hometown of Ekaterinburg, on September 27, 2010, at the end of which Samoylov stepped forward and took three minutes to thank the fans for 22 years of support. The song Ya budu tam ("I Will Be There") then concluded Agata Kristi's existence.

Алиса (Alisa)

new wave / post-punk / hard rock

Alisa  is a Russian hard rock band, who are credited as one of the most influential bands in the Russian rock movement. Alisa was formed in November 1983 by bassist Svyatoslav Zadery. The band's name originated from Zadery nickname. The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (real name Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Petr Samoylov joined. Their debut album Energia was released by state publishing monopoly Melodiya and sold more than a million copies.The growing popularity of the band created a fan community called the Army of Alisa, known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh and Izgoy, the sound of Alisa was changed to a heavier one, including elements of nu, industrial and Heavy Metal. According to public polls, Alisa enjoys high popularity in Russia and around, ranking among top ten most popular Russian rock bands.

ДДТ (DDT)

rock / bard

DDT is a popular Russian rock band founded by its lead singer and the only remaining original member, Yuri Shevchuk, in Ufa (Bashkir ASSR, RSFSR) in 1980. Named after the pesticide DDT, they are one of the better known and most prolific Russian bands of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In 1982, Komsomolskaya Pravda declared a competition for young music performers called Zolotoy Kamerton (Golden Tuning Fork). DDT sent three compositions, “Inoplanetyane” (Aliens), “Chyornoye solntse” (Black sun), and “Ne strelyai” (Don’t shoot).

During the long-running competition, the group published their first album (on tape), Svinya na raduge (A pig on a rainbow). The album contained elements of rock and roll, blues and country music. At this time Russian popular music was divided between sanctioned official performers, granted entrance to the musicians union and official patronage, and unofficial artists. Unofficial artists were often highly trained musicians but had other jobs. Today, DDT is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) rock groups in Russia, and their concerts attract tens of thousands of people. Shevchuk and his group also regularly travel throughout the C.I.S. and other former Soviet republics to give benefit concerts: in the spring and summer of 2002, 10 out of 11 concerts that the band played were benefits for various social and cultural organizations. They are also reaching an ever-growing audience in the U.S. and Europe, and for the past 15 years have traveled frequently throughout the world making ever more converts to their unique sound.

Король и шут (Korol' i Shut = King and Jester)

Punk rock

Korol' i Shut were a Russian horror punk band from Saint Petersburg that took inspiration and costumes from tales and fables. In Russia this band has an iconic status. The band was formed in 1988 by school friends in Saint Petersburg around founder members Mikhail Gorshok Gorshenev, Alexandr Balu Balunov and Alexandr Lieutenant Shchigoliev. Singer Andrei Kniaz Kniazev joined the band in 1990 and guitarist Yakov Tsvirkunov in 1997. Korol' i Shut's lyrics are written by Kniazev and feature horror stories and folk tales about pirates, trolls, ghosts and vampires, as well as Slavic mythology. Many of their songs, despite their intimidating appearance and style, are actually humorous, sarcastic or ironic (dark humor). The band members wear Misfits-inspired horror make-up onstage.The first album was released in 1994 with a run of few copies: Bud' kak doma putnik, which was re-edited in 2000.The band's lead singer Mikhail Gorsheniov died of heart failure at the night from 18 to 19 July 2013. After the farewell tour during the fall and winter of 2013, Korol i Shut have officially broken up in January 2014. Surviving members have founded a new band named 'Severny Flot'.

Земфира

classic rock / pop-rock

Zemfira is a Russian rock musician. She has been performing since 1998 and has been popular in Russia and other former Soviet republics. To date Zemfira has sold over 3 million records.

Recording and production work on the debut album took place until 10 May 1999, when the debut was finally released. The band immediately went on tour, starting a tradition of celebrating their beginnings with a summer concert in Ufa while recording their second album Forgive Me My Love. After the release of PMML (Russian abbreviation for Forgive Me My Love) in March 2000, what can only be described as “Zemfiromania” swept the country. Constant touring wore down on the band, and after the release of 14 Weeks of Silence the band took a break.In September 2004, Zemfira began studies towards a degree in Philosophy at Moscow State University, but after the first semester she took a sabbatical and did not resume her studies thereafter. On 16 October on the MTV Russia Awards show the singer performed "We Are the Champions" together with the rock group Queen. The fourth studio album, Vendetta, which consists of 15 tracks, was released on 1 March 2005.

Мумий Тролль (Mumiy Troll)

brit-pop / pop-rock

Mumiy Troll is a Russian rock group, founded in 1983 in Vladivostok by vocalist and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko. The literal name of the band, 'The mummies' troll', is a pun on Moomin Troll, the series of Finnish children's books by Tove Jansson. Mumiy Troll broke up when Lagutenko, who graduated in Mandarin and Chinese Economy, went to serve in the Soviet army (Russian Air Navy). Then he came back and they gained immense popularity with the release of their first (official) album Morskaya in May 1997, which showcased a combination of melodic hard rock and Lagutenko's offbeat lyrics and coy, androgynous performance style. The second CD Ikra, followed seven months later, and was equally successful.Mumiy Troll remains one of Russia's most popular musical acts. Ilya Lagutenko defined their music style as rockapops. Once again  Mumiy Troll became the leader of an entire new musical trend copied now to greater or lesser degree by Russian wannabees and mainstream artists. Being an example of one of the successful long-standing independent artists in Russia band released 8 studio albums so far, wrote and produced soundtracks for a full length cartoon movie and gave a new sound to classic Russian silent sci-fi movie and donated tracks to feature films including Russian blockbuster Night Watch, where Ilya also plays the Vampire. His face is on the cover of the American release.

Louna

Alternative/Punk rock

Louna is an alternative/punk rock band, formed in Moscow in 2008 by Tracktor Bowling musicians Lousine Gevorkian and Vitaly Demidenko.Their debut album, Let's Get Louder, was released in 2010. In total, the group has released three albums and six singles to date.The band is best known for its socially conscious songs criticizing Russian political elites and religion. Louna's songs are frequently found on Russian radio and rock charts. Louna is composed of members Lousine Gevorkian (vocals), Vitaly Demidenko (bass), Sergey Ponkratiev (guitars), Rouben Kazariyan (guitar) and Leonid "Pilot" Kinzbursky (drums).