Rock music inNew Zealand, also known asKiwi rock music andNew Zealand rock music,^[1] rose to prominence first in 1955 withJohnny Cooper'scover version ofBill Haley's hit song "Rock Around the Clock". This was followed byJohnny Devlin, sometimes nicknamed New Zealand'sElvis Presley, and his cover of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". The 1960s sawMax Merritt and the Meteors andRay Columbus & the Invaders achieve success. In the 1970s and early 1980s the innovativeSplit Enz had success internationally as well as nationally, with memberNeil Finn later continuing withCrowded House. Other influential bands in the 1970s wereTh' Dudes,Dragon andHello Sailor. The early 1980s saw the development of theindie rock "Dunedin sound", typified byDunedin bands such asThe Clean,Straitjacket Fits, andThe Chills, recorded by theFlying Nun record label ofChristchurch.

Rock music began inNew Zealand in 1955 when Wellington-based country singerJohnny Cooper (popularly known as the "Maori cowboy") recorded acover version of AmericanBill Haley’s hit song "Rock Around the Clock" for HMV, the first rock and roll record recorded outside the United States. In 1956, Cooper wrote and recorded an original song called "Pie Cart Rock and Roll". The song referred to a pie cart that he visited while managing talent shows inWhanganui. The song is believed to be New Zealand's first indigenous rock and roll recording, although "Resuscitation rock", written by Wellington teenager Sandy Tansley in March 1957, may have been released a few weeks earlier than Cooper's song.^[2] SingerJohnny Devlin was touted as New Zealand'sElvis Presley and his cover of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" remains one of New Zealand's biggest-selling singles, having sold 100,000 copies^[3] in 1959–60. In 1959,Mabel Howard, Minister of Social Welfare, went to see Johnny Devlin perform at the Christchurch Town Hall, declaring at half-time, "There’s nothing much wrong with rock and roll".^[4] New Zealand's studios lagged behind their counterparts in the Northern Hemisphere and 1950s recording starsThe Tumbleweeds recorded six of their hit albums in the living room of one of their band members.^[5]

New Zealand radio's conservative programming approach was increasingly challenged by young people in the 1960s.Radio Hauraki initially began life as apirate radio station, broadcasting in international waters 50 miles (80 kilometres) offshore from Auckland in theHauraki Gulf, a deliberate move that allowed them to circumnavigate restrictive broadcasting legislation and broadcast their own playlist. This in part spearheaded the way for the gradual deregulation of the radio industry. Towards the end of the 1960s radio stations like Radio Hauraki, and later Radio I, were playing exclusively rock and pop music to a teenage and young adult audience.^[5]

The 1960s also witnessed a dramatic rise in locally written and recorded popular music. However, many pop bands and performers of the time also released their own versions or "covers" of hits by overseas artists. It was an era when vinyl reigned supreme and teenagers queued outside local music and record shops to buy the latest hit singles.The Fourmyula's "Nature", written byWayne Mason in 1969, still retains considerable popularity and was voted the top New Zealand song of the last 75 years in 2001.^[5]

In Christchurch,Max Merritt and the Meteors played regularly at The Teenage Club, and achieved iconic status in New Zealand with their songs "Get a Haircut" and "C’mon Let’s Go".Ray Columbus & the Invaders were influenced by the early 1960s work ofCliff Richard andthe Beatles. Columbus styled his band on themod look and they were noted for theirFender equipment and vivid blue suits. After the Beatles toured New Zealand in 1964 Ray Columbus & the Invaders had a number one hit in Australia and New Zealand in 1964 with their cover version of "She's a Mod",^[4] a song byThe Senators.^[6]

In contrast to the 1960s, relatively few New Zealand groups released records. In 1976, six million records were sold, with only seven singles and four albums from local performers reaching the Top 50. The following year eight singles and three albums charted, but overall record sales dropped to five and a half million.^[7]

Some of the more influential rock bands in the 1970s wereTh' Dudes (whose guitaristDave Dobbyn formedDD Smash in the 1980s),Dragon,Hello Sailor andSplit Enz, fronted byTim Finn, and later, his brotherNeil Finn who went on to formCrowded House.

The firstpunk rock bands – including theSuburban Reptiles and the Scavengers – formed in Auckland in the late 1970s and were soon followed by groups in Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin.^[2] With guitarist Alec Bathgate, Knox formed theTall Dwarfs and, with a rudimentary four-track TEAC tape deck, he began recording various post-punk bands that had cropped up in Dunedin, starting withthe Clean.^[8]

TheRedwood 70 music festival, held six months afterWoodstock in 1970, was cautiously sub-titled New Zealand's first national music convention. Held at Redwood Park in Swanson in Auckland's far west, the festival was organised by Auckland promoterPhil Warren. Redwood 70's headline act was a newly soloRobin Gibb, backed by a string quartet. The New Zealand groups who made up the bulk of the two-day festival's entertainment were less mainstream than Gibb and played rock music. Though over 9000 fans attended, the festival lost money, a pattern that has continued in New Zealand in regard to multi-day outdoor festivals in this country. There were smaller festivals in 1971 – the Englefield Rock Festival at Belfast near Christchurch, another at Waikanae over Easter weekend, and the University Arts Council's Jam Factory in July.^[7]

The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival of early January 1973, was organised by music promoters Paul Raymond and Barry Coburn. They followed the Woodstock template closely, including plans for a live album and film, which is how the New York state festival turned a profit. They chose a rural site with good access to large population centres, arranged trains from Auckland and Wellington, and selected international headline rock acts includingBlack Sabbath andSandy Denny. They drew heavily on the still vibrant counter-culture for New Zealand performers likeBlerta, Mammal andBilly TK and Powerhouse. Only 18,000 fans paid the $8 to attend; 25,000 were needed to make a profit. Problems with inadequate space and toilets added further costs. Neither a film nor live album eventuated (although some live recordings were made). Even so, music historianJohn Dix considered the event a success: it was a key event in New Zealand rock history, which introduced the acts that would dominate the local music scene in the mid-1970s.^[7]

The 1979Nambassa Festival, held on a 400-acre farm on Landlyst Rd in Golden Valley, just north of Waihi, drew over 65,000 fans and was a key event for New Zealand's hippie generation. Nambassa was named after the Big Nambas tribal group from northwest Malekula, Vanuatu. Organiser Peter Terry was inspired by the groups's traditional lifestyle, self-sufficiency, and lack of exposure to western commercialism. The headline act wasLittle River Band. Media reaction to Nambassa was mostly positive. TheAuckland Star ran extensive coverage and theDominion devoted its front page to the event. Peter Terry used the Woodstock model to successfully spin off a feature film and a book from the event, for which a profit of $200,000 was eventually declared.^[7]

The 1980s saw the emergence the independent labels likePropeller Records inAuckland andFlying Nun record label inChristchurch who were highly influential in the development of modernindie rock. Early 1980s Dunedin groups likeThe Clean,Straitjacket Fits, andThe Chills, recorded by Flying Nun, typified what became known as the ‘Dunedin sound’ – droning vocals, jangly guitars, simple drumbeats and keyboards, and saw some success internationally particularly on American and Europeancollege radio.^[2] The Chills were an inspiration for Californian bands likeJay Reatard,Ty Segall, andWavves.^[9]

Split Enz, Th’ Dudes, Dragon, and Hello Sailor continued to gain chart success in New Zealand and other parts of the world. Ex-members of Split Enz then went on to formCrowded House, one of New Zealand's most successful bands.Phil Judd, another ex-Split Enz member, formedThe Swingers who released "Counting the Beat" in 1981.^[9]

By the late nineteen-eighties, the New Zealand punk generation was ageing, anti-socialist reaction had curbed the generosity of the dole, which in turn reduced the free time New Zealand musicians had directed towards writing and performing.^[8]

Formed in 1988, hard rock bandShihad released several albums in the 1990s with great success in New Zealand.^[10] Also successful locally in the 1990s were bandsThe Feelers,Zed,Head Like A Hole, Dead Flowers andEvermore.^{[citation needed]}Auckland singer/songwriterDarcy Clay was critically lauded in 1997 for his Number 5 hit "Jesus I Was Evil".^[11]The skate punk scene also brought out bands like Muckhole, Brubeck and Kitch who often supported overseas acts likePennywise and played at the Van's Warped Tour in New Zealand.Blindspott formed in West Auckland in 1997 was one of the pioneers in thenu metal genre and has recently reunited with live performances.

In the 2000s, New Zealand indie bands continued to be successful, with bands likeThe Naked and Famous,Die! Die! Die! andThe Mint Chicks releasing successful recordings. The members of The Mint Chicks went on to formUnknown Mortal Orchestra andOpossum. Indie bandThe Phoenix Foundation and artistLiam Finn, the son ofNeil Finn, found success in New Zealand.^[9]

The rock bandElemeno P also had success between 2002 and 2008 with three well-received albums. Elemeno P has been referred to as New Zealand's biggest selling rock band.^[12]

Singer-songwriterGin Wigmore (folk/blues rock) won the US-based International Songwriting Competition in 2004, launching a successful national and international career. Each of her albums have reached number 1 in New Zealand, and her songs have regularly been synched for advertising.^[13]

City of Souls was formed in August 2015 by guitarists Trajan Schwencke and Steve Boag, soon joined by vocalist Richie Simpson. City of Souls went on to win the Aotearoa Music awards for best rock albumSynaesthesia in 2020.^[14]

Formed in 2010,Alien Weaponry rose to be New Zealand's most successful rock act following the release of their debut albumTū in 2018. This led to European and American tours with shows at some of the world's biggest heavy metal festivals.^{[citation needed]}

• Psychedelic rock in Australia and New Zealand

• Music scenes
• New Zealand styles of music
• Rock music by country

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