Stereophonics

United Kingdom, 1992–now

Welsh band led by Kelly Jones, formed in Cwmaman in 1992. Word Gets Around and Performance and Cocktails ('The Bartender and the Thief') built a gritty, classic-rock-rooted sound and Jones's raspy voice into one of Britain's biggest arena bands.

MusicRoots documents 6 artists who influenced Stereophonics and 0 artists Stereophonics influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Stereophonics?

• The Rolling Stones — The Rolling Stones' classic blues-rock swagger underpins Stereophonics' gritty, guitar-driven sound.
• Oasis — Oasis's mid-'90s Britpop success paved the way for Stereophonics, sharing that anthemic, lad-rock directness.
• AC/DC — AC/DC's hard-rock riffing was a formative influence on Kelly Jones — he has said his family bought him AC/DC records every birthday, and their crunch drives Stereophonics' heavier side.
• Rod Stewart — Kelly Jones's soulful, raspy 'whiskey' voice is closely modelled on the gritty singing of Rod Stewart.
• Otis Redding — Otis Redding's raw soul phrasing is among the influences Kelly Jones drew on as a singer and lyricist.
• Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin's heavy blues-rock was part of the older-brothers' record collection that shaped Stereophonics' classic-rock foundation.