Pre-history for Gothic Rock

1960s: psychedelic rock
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.
The Doors front man Jim Morrison.

Some of gothic rock's earliest influences emerged in the 1960s[citation needed], the most significant of which was psychedelic rock act The Doors[citation needed]. In fact the Doors are the first known band to have been referred to as "gothic rock" by the music media in 1967.[2]

Front man Jim Morrison's dark and enigmatic aura would be a particularly strong influence on later front men such as Ian Astbury, Rozz Williams and Wayne Hussey[citation needed]. The album "Strange Days" in particular helped influence the sound of post-punk bands such as Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen which were highly important to the emergence of gothic rock.[citation needed]

By the late 60s, more important acts had come into being in the United States; amongst them were The Velvet Underground with their 1967 debut "The Velvet Underground and Nico", which had had a dark sound and gloomy themes. The majority of early gothic rock bands of the 80s took influence from them (including Siouxsie & the Banshees and Christian Death). [citation needed]

Along with The Velvets' psychedelic-tinged garage rock, acts from Detroit had started to gain attention for their live shows and nihilistic-themed music, such as The Stooges and Alice Cooper Group. The Stooges in particular followed on from the ground work set by The Doors and The Velvet Underground and would prove to be influential on later prominent acts associated with gothic rock, such as The Birthday Party, The Sisters of Mercy and Killing Joke.[citation needed]

The gothic aesthetic, as well as references to gothic writers and symbolism (such as the colour black, death, and insanity) and minor chord progressions, were widely utilized in 1960s music.[citation needed] Popular songs that contain such references include The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus", which mentions Edgar Allan Poe, and The Rolling Stones' "Paint It, Black", which describes the significance of this colour. Some artists at times intentionally sang in a way depicting themselves as a sinister character, as Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane did in "Somebody to Love".[3]