In the 1960s the first rock bands appeared in the former Yugoslavia, including of course the republic that was to become Slovenia. Initial political persecution was followed by a flourishing period of rock music production during the 1970s. The music produced during that period was widely considered to be of a quality to rival worldwide rock production. Nowadays vinyl records from that period are expensive rarities - several licensed records of world music production were published in Yugoslavia, whilst this was not the case in the other countries of Eastern Europe.

Although the first Slovene rock groups in the 1960s played almost exclusively ‘covers’, these early adaptations were considered to be of great importance. A new generation of musicians emerged towards the end of the 1960s, and Tomaž Domicelj and the Chameleons, for example, incited the first 'pop mania' in Yugoslavia. A subsequent generation was represented by Buldožer (with Marko Brecelj) and Tomaž Pengov, who started to perform in the early 1970s. The underground or anti-establishment musical forms emerging from Slovenia in the 1980s revealed the country as an internationally-significant creative and innovative force. Punk in particular was a catalyst of social change and as such it played a distinctive role in building civil society. Punk was the medium through which many notable Slovene intellectuals, cultural activists and alternative politicians expressed their views. The production of music and video cassettes, fanzines and booklets encouraged specific forms of organisation and self-reflection which became part of the political struggle.

In the 1980s the so-called Ljubljana ‘alternative scene’ developed out of the activities of the ŠKUC Association, with the Laibach band as its exponent. Laibach remains the biggest Slovene music export, although the more contemporary Siddharta are gaining ground. During that period several Slovene bands drawing from the punk rock heritage successfully toured Europe, including Psycho-path, Elvis Jackson and Center za dehumanizacijo (CZD). An authentic pop scene developed for the first time in the 1990s with the emergence of Siddharta, which performed accompanied by a symphony orchestra at a football stadium in Ljubljana and saw its newest video clip released on MTV.

Record companies and studios

Significant independent record companies include FV Music, Front Rock, ŠKUC Ropot, and KUD France Prešeren Arts and Culture Association, plus some new ones such as Multimedia Records Ltd, Moonlee Records and Samovar Records. The rx-tx label specialises in electronic music. Of course, larger commercial record companies such as Dallas Records, Kif-Kif Records and Nika Records (including TehNIKA and RapNIKA) also publish new Slovene music. In recent years some book publishers such as Sanje ('Dreams') Publishing House and Goga Music have also started to publish audio CDs. For more information please see Performing arts - record companies. The database also features Performing arts - recording studios

Selected Slovene pop and rock bands, defined here as alternative/indie-rock, art rock/experimental, heavy metal/hard rock, industrial, pop-rock, punk rock, R&B/soul, rock'n'roll/roots, psychedelic and ska, include the following: Ana Pupedan, Big Foot Mama, Broken Lock, Cancel, Corkscrew, Dani Kavaš, Deca Debilane, D-Fact, Demolition Group, Dežurni krivci, Dicky B Hardy, Dr Zero, Drugi Disko, Ego Malfunction, Hic et Nunc, Kiks, Ksiht, Lucky Cupids, Magnifico, Manul, Marko Brecelj, Melodrom, Miss.Bee, Moveknowledgement, Niowt, Noctiferia, No Limits, Orlek, O S T, Pridigarji, Posodi mi jurja, Psycho-Path, Res Nulius, Ruins Matador, Scuffy Dogs, Shyam, Silence, Srecna mladina, Sfiltrom, Siddharta, Superlizo, Tabu, Tinkara Kovač, The Stroj, Thunderbabies, Wasserdicht, Zablujena generacija, Zaklonišče prepeva, Zmajev rep, and Zmelkoow.

Cabaret and chanson music in Slovenia is represented by the All Capone Štrajh Trio, Autodafé, Čompe, Jani Kovačič, KvinTon, Slon in sadež, Svetlana Makarovič, Vita Mavrič and Xenia Jus.

Selected Slovene rap, hip hop, dub and reggae music performers include: 6packCukur, Ironic Tronic, Klemen Klemen, Kosta, Murat&Jose, N'Toko, Pižama, Plan B, Sami Norci (DJ Supastar), Samo Boris, Trkaj, and Valterap.

Electronic music is a burgeoning cultural sphere in Slovenia and significant groups, crews and DJs (working in techno, house, drum & base and breakbeat) include CodeEp, DrumWise, Edge-dept, Illegal Kru, Jadviga, Plan B, Octex, Radyoyo T3S Muzik & Media, Random Logic, Rotor, Sinkronics Crew, Temponauta, Torul, Umek, and Valentino Kanzyani.

Rock music festivals and clubbing

During the 1970s a festival called 'Boom' presented an annual overview of the rock scene, whilst Igor Vidmar, with the support of Radio Študent (RŠ), started to organise the Novi rock ('New Rock') festival. Despite increasing commercialism, high-quality rock music continued to be presented at several new festivals, including the Zgaga festival in Ljubljana. The Rock Otočec - Festival Novo mesto, which has a wide rock and pop programme, is quite a success and attracts media attention which in turn stimulates younger pop audiences. The international No Border Jam Festival in Maribor maintains a focus on orthodox punk music. Compilations of No Border Jam recordings are an important promotional tool for Slovene bands. The FV Festival, DrMr OrtoPunk Festival and Orto Festival are rock festivals in Ljubljana. Soča Reggae River Splash is the only Slovene reggae music festival and enjoys a high profile. The heavy metal international music festival Metalcamp has been held annually since 2004 at Tolmin, in the beautiful surroundings of the Alps, and has become widely popular.

In recent years many local rock festivals with less defined music and programme identities have been developing across the Slovene regions, including the Te MIKKa Festival.

The club scene in Slovenia started to develop during the 1980s, and was not just focused around Ljubljana but spread throughout the country, attracting a new and increasingly internationally experienced audience. The first club was the FV disco, now called FV Music in Ljubljana, followed by the Youth and Rock Club Trate on the Slovene-Austrian border in north eastern Slovenia. This was followed swiftly by the Centre for Development of Youth Culture (CRMK) near the Slovene-Italian border in Nova Gorica. The punk movement was undoubtedly an important force for agitation and education related to clubbing in Slovenia. Nowadays the club scene consists of regional youth cultural centres (their programmes supported by the state and/or local municipalities) and independent underground clubs. Both kind of clubs offer a high-quality programme, particularly venues at Metelkova mesto Autonomous Cultural Zone in Ljubljana as well as various spaces at Pekarna Cultural Centre in Maribor. Youth clubs with a long tradition include the M&KC Koper Youth and Culture Centre, Nada Žagar Youth Club (MKNŽ) Ilirska Bistrica and KUD France Prešeren Arts and Culture Association in Ljubljana. The touring loop of the Klubski maraton (Radio Študent) presents emerging bands every year around Slovenia, mapping the network of Slovene rock clubs.