Pakistani Rock - History - Continuing Success (1990-Present)

Continuing Success (1990-Present)

The Vital Signs were followed by Junoon, Awaz, Strings, and Jupiters, which all of whom had exploded the pop, rock and heavy metal music genre in the country, bringing the significant shift of country's transformation into modernism during 1990s. The Pakistani rock further matured itself and gained public appraisalwith the arrival of American satellite television in the 1990s. The popular form of music quickly spread throughout the country and with that came the arrival of various rock bands in 1990s. Early rock bands such as Vital Signs and Junoon are regarded as the pioneers of Pakistan's rock music. Other bands such as Strings began in the mid 1990s and during the late 1990s underground bands were becoming a norm in cities across Pakistan. In a short span of time, the Western-influenced rock bands gained enormous popularity and were generally welcomed by the public. The Music Channel Charts became the first rock music entity that gives ratings of rock band and Music '89 wasthe first ever all pop/rock music stage-show to be aired on PTV and other privately held channels.

Cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad witnessed an explosion of rock bands and concerts in 2000 as Pakistan began to liberalize under President Musharraf's "enlightened moderation" campaign. In 2002, a major shift in the rock music of Pakistan occurred with the arrival of the Pepsi Battle of the Bands, which saw bands like Aaroh, Mizraab, Entity Paradigm and Mekaal Hasan Band appear onto the scene. Finally Pakistan saw good rock music, with respectable instrument playing. In 2006 Raeth and Aaroh spread waves across the border by their debut song Bhula Doh.

The Vital Signs emerged during the times of Pakistan when country was controversially put forwarded towards the Islamization. With the rise of Vital Signs and later, Junoon and others, the rock music, exploded in 1980s and 1990s, became a vehicle for expressing patriotic nationalist spirit in Pakistan. Undoubtedly, the rock music has been one major influential force which has truly kept the national spirits high amidst the prevailing social woes which have had worsened in since 1980s, such music included songs like "Dil Dil Pakistan" and many more.

In 1980, such Western ideas were denounced in the country, and the film industry was declining quick to compete with counterrevolution of Indian film industry. According to the editorial written in The Express Tribune in 2011, the "Vital Signs and Pakistan's ingenious rock music was the only "arsenal" the country had against India's encroaching entertainment industry."