Final answer:
Surf Rock from the Pacific Northwest, with bands like The Kingsmen and The Ventures, focused on instrumental performance due to the noisy venues, whereas by the 1980s, Grunge Rock developed in isolation in Seattle with heavier sounds and serious themes, contrasting the upbeat pop music of New York and Philadelphia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Surf Rock stands out as a distinctive sub-genre of rock music that emerged from the Pacific Northwest, specifically during the 1960s. Unlike other forms of pop music prevalent in locations like New York and Philadelphia, Surf Rock was instrumental-heavy, with lyrics being deemphasized due to the noisy dance hall venues. This led to a focus on the music itself rather than the vocal performance. The Kingsmen and The Ventures are classic examples of bands whose music reflected these characteristics.
In contrast, by the mid-1980s, artists seeking fame often moved to Los Angeles, with record company talent scouts considering Seattle a backwater. This led to the incubation of the Grunge Rock sound in relative isolation. Grunge bands focused on heavier guitar sounds, lower tempos, and more serious lyrical themes, such as politics and social issues, which significantly differed from the upbeat and party-centric themes of Los Angeles’s hard rock.
These geographical influences are key in understanding how Surf Rock and Grunge Rock differ from other pop music scenes. It also exemplifies how locales like Seattle could cultivate a distinct sound that would later rise to international prominence despite initial obscurity and disinterest from the mainstream music industry.