Pinoy rock, or Filipino rock, is the brand of rock music produced in the Philippines or by Filipinos. It has become as diverse as the rock music genre itself, and bands adopting this style are now further classified under more specific genres or combinations of genres like alternative rock, post-grunge, ethnic, new wave, pop rock, punk rock, funk, reggae, heavy metal, ska, and recently, indie. Because these genres are generally considered to fall under the broad rock music category, Pinoy rock may be more specifically defined as rock music with Filipino cultural sensibilities. History 1960s: Early years In the early 1960s, as electric guitars, drum sets, amplifiers, and echo machines were becoming more available although not exactly affordable, Filipino instrumental bands popularly called "combos" formed all over the country. They mostly emulated American and British bands like the Fireballs, the Ventures, the Gamblers, and the Shadows. Ramon Jacinto, better known as RJ, and his band the Riots were considered the Ventures of the Philippines. Eddie Villanueva and the Technicolors were favored by fans of the Shadows. Ernie Delgado of the Electromaniacs was considered one of the best not only for his unique sound and style but for his compositions which nobody seemed to able to play as well as he played them. The Electromaniacs' single "Lover's Guitar/ I Miss You So" would be called a double A single today and is possibly the top-selling single of all time in the country. The arrival of the Beatles in 1966 signaled the end of instrumental music as a genre. Influenced by the British Invasion of which the Beatles were a part of, many Filipino bands began adopting similar musical styles. The Dynasonics (later known as the Dinasouls, and also known as the "Pinoy Beatles") were the premier Beatles band in the country. Other popular combos of the era were D'Swooners (featuring Edmond Fortuno, future drummer for Juan de la Cruz Band and Anak Bayan), Eddie Reyes and D'Downbeats (featuring Pepe Smith, future drummer / lead vocalist for Speed, Glue & Shinki and Juan de la Cruz Band), the Hi-Jacks (featuring Eddie Mesa, "The Filipino Elvis"), the Bits 'n' Pieces, the Boots 'n' Saddles, the Moonstrucks, Tiltdownmen and hundreds of others. Only a few years earlier, teens formed informal groups using instruments like ukuleles, guitars, and gas cans with a single rope for a stand-up bass and often without amplification. Just like the