By the end of the 1960s, rock had diverged into several sub-genres, such as blues-rock, folk-rock, country-rock, funk-rock, acid-rock, Latin-rock and progressive rock, the latter incorporating elements from classical music. Between 1967 and 1969, Hendrix (Band of Gypsys), ex-Hendrix drummer Buddy Miles (Buddy Miles Express) and George Clinton (Funkadelic) formed the first well-known all-Black rock bands. Each of these groups forged a signature sound by blending elements across styles, for example Funkadelic (“Maggot Brain,” 1971; “Cosmic Slop,” 1973; “Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock,” 1978 featuring William “Bootsy” Collins on bass, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and Tawl Ross and Eddie Hazel on guitars), Band of Gypsys (“Machine Gun,” 1970), and Buddy Miles Express (“Them Changes,” 1970). The band name Funkadelic referenced funk and psychedelic rock, the two primary musical styles that informed the group’s music and that were performed by a range of other Black rock acts such as the Bar-Kays (“Black Rock,” 1971), Betty Davis (“Steppin’ in Her I. Miller Shoes,” 1973), the Isley Brothers (“That Lady,” 1973 and “Fight the Power,” 1975), Labelle (“Wild Horses,” 1971 and “Lady Marmalade,” 1974), Mandrill (“Fencewalk,” 1973), Mother’s Finest (“Piece of the Rock,” 1977), and Rufus featuring Chaka Khan on vocals (“Tell Me Something Good,” 1974 and “Sweet Thing,” 1975). Often categorized as funk and propelled by the prominent bass lines pioneered by James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone’s Larry Graham in the 1960s, these bands also highlighted the electric guitar sound prevalent in hard rock.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Black rock and Black “alternative” bands formed, including Bad Brains, the BusBoys, 24/7 Spyz, Fishbone, and Living Colour. In addition to these all-Black bands, artists such as Prince (“Dirty Mind,” 1980; “Controversy,” 1981; “1999,” 1982; “Let’s Go Crazy,” 1984) and Lenny Kravitz (“Let Love Rule,” 1989) added their voices to the rock landscape. Also prominent during this period was Tina Turner, who had earned the title Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll during her years recording and touring with her then husband Ike Turner in the l960s and 1970s (“Proud Mary,” 1969). In 1984, Turner solidified her position in rock as a solo artist with the release of the blockbuster album Private Dancer and the sleek pop-rock hit single “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”

Overall, however, African American artists had limited commercial success in the field of rock during the 1980s and faced difficulty securing recording contracts and accessing radio exposure because of an industry and audience association of rock with white musicians. Black rock guitarist Vernon Reid, music journalist Greg Tate, and artist manager Konda Mason were determined to eradicate these racial barriers and co-founded the Black Rock Coalition in 1985 to support the “maximum development, exposure, and acceptance of Black alternative music.”

In the wake of the organization’s efforts, Living Colour received a recording contract and went on to win the first of its four Grammys in 1989: the Best Hard Rock Performance award for the acclaimed “Cult of Personality.” A decade later, Lenny Kravitz, who had released his debut album Let Love Rule in 1989, had gained notoriety and become a rock star, winning four back-to-back Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (1998-2001). In the 1990s, several African American rock acts and rock bands featuring African American musicians have gained multiracial fan bases who sustained their careers in rock; these include Ben Harper, The Negro Problem featuring Stew, King’s X featuring Doug Pinnick, Marc Anthony Thompson/Chocolate Genius, Toshi Reagon, The Dirtbombs featuring Mick Collins, and TV on the Radio.