Five brilliant rock artists most Millennials and Zoomers have not heard

Many of the top rock artists of the 1960s and 1970s are extremely well-known by people of all ages. Their music lives on, their name is easily recognized and respected for their work. Many are still rocking out new music or regularly in the news and media one way or another. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have both just been nominated for a Grammy Award for 2024 as a prime example. 

But some artists will have much lower profiles, even if their music still gets played. They will be known by the generations that grew up with their music for sure; It’s likely, though, that many of those artists will have fallen off the radar for some age groups. Many of those top artists, loved and respected as they are, just aren't known by many Millennials and Zoomers. Millennials being Gen Y, born between 1981 and 1996, Zoomers follow that group as Gen Z and are born from 1997 up to 2012. 

Now the keyword to stress here is ‘many’. That's not everyone, but it is a lot of them. Obviously some will have had music shared by family or friends and developed their own love for those artists. So if you are in the Millennial or later segment and know several of the artists I am about to list, ask your friends and workmates of a similar age. See what they know. 

Five brilliant rock artists Millennials and Zoomers won't know

Don’t ask your parents or anyone who is still wearing the t-shirt they bought from a mid-1970s gig. You can test them with the list below. It’s five brilliant rock artists, they are pretty well known for their music and some great albums and songs. But I’m sure many Millennials and later won’t have heard of them.

King Crimson 

Perhaps the band that kicked off prog rock. Maybe that's enough to keep them away from Millennials but it got them plenty of attention elsewhere over the years. They are a pretty complex group with the amazing Robert Fripp at the core on guitar. It’s quite likely the band's sound and range of instrumentation bringing together rock, jazz a touch of classical style sounds, and more would have inspired other bands. The likes of Genesis, Yes and others followed on behind. 

King Crimson was highly influential and very well-regarded. Don’t go looking for any hit singles, though; that wasn't their forte at all. Some of the solos on their album tracks would be too long for a single, never mind the whole track. All of that would be a significant drawback in terms of wider and later recognition from fans born after their main heyday.

Though their ears might pick up at the mention of Greg Lake, a past member, perhaps only based on his seasonal song “I Believe In Father Christmas” not as part of King Crimson.  Their top album would be their debut, In the Court Of The Crimson King, just possibly the album cover art might be more recognizable to a wider audience. It was their top seller at just over one million copies over time. 

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