Rock music in Belgium

Belgian rock refers to rock music produced in Belgium or written and performed by Belgian musicians. It was originally inspired by rock and roll music from America and the United Kingdom in the 1960s, but later evolved to be influenced by other genres including alternative rock and electronic music. Because Belgium is a federal state with strong cultural identities - a French-speaking area in the southern region of Wallonia as well as a Dutch-speaking population in the north region of Flanders - Belgian rock music uses these two national languages, as well as the English language. The history of Belgian rock echoes that of European rock: after the 1950s, during which rock pioneers introduced the new genre, rock evolved further under the influences of beat music and pop music. During the 1970s, hard rock and progressive rock expressed new forms of rock, and punk rock signalled a return to the simplicity of rock and roll with Belgian bands like The Kids, Red Zebra, and Hubble Bubble. During the 1980s and 90s, indie rock and alternative rock developed with an important scene in Antwerp; Deus was a particularly successful band from the Antwerp alternative scene.