The Plastic People of the Universe (PPU) is a Czech rock band from Prague. They are considered the foremost representatives of Prague's underground culture (1968–1989), which defied the Czechoslovakia's Communist regime. Members of the band often suffered serious repercussions, including arrests and prosecution, because of their non-conformist ideals. The group continues to perform, despite the death in 2001 of its founder, main composer, and bassist, Milan Hlavsa. To date (2023), they have released nine studio albums and over a dozen live albums.
E!E is a Czech punk rock band from Příbram founded in 1987. The band consists of Bořivoj Řehoř (vocals), Petr Bakalerov, Petr Stawarz (guitar), Petr Mottl (bass), and Roman Vojtíšek (drums).
Už jsme doma are a Czech progressive rock band from Prague who originally formed in Teplice in 1985. The Prague Post has termed them one of "the two great bastions of the Czech alternative scene".
The Matadors were a beat band from Prague, Czechoslovakia active between 1965 and 1968, and intermittently between 1991 and 2008. Their most memorable lineup consisted of Otto Bezloja, Radim Hladík, Jan "Farmer" Obermayer (organ), Miroslav "Tony Black" Schwarz (drums), Karel Kahovec, and Vladimír Mišík. The latter two were replaced in 1966 by ex-Flamengo vocalist Viktor Sodoma. The Matadors released only one studio album during their career, the 1968 self-titled The Matadors, shortly before the band's breakup.
Kabát is a Czech hard rock band from Teplice formed in 1983. The members of the group are Josef Vojtek, Milan Špalek, Tomáš Krulich (guitar), Ota Váňa (guitar), and Radek Hurčík (drums). Kabát has enjoyed major popularity in their home country since 1989, and they are the holders of multiple Anděl Awards. The band represented the Czech Republic as the country's first entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. Between 2003 and 2017, they won the Český slavík award twelve times. In 2014, they were inducted into the Beatová síň slávy, the Czech equivalent of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are considered one of the most successful rock acts in Czech history.
Chinaski is a Czech pop rock group. In 2005, they won an Anděl Award, granted by the Czech Academy of Popular Music, and repeated this success in 2007. They have also repeatedly placed in the top ranks of the Český slavík awards.
Karel Zich was a Czech singer, guitarist and composer whose voice was often compared with that of Elvis Presley.
Wohnout is a Czech alternative rock band formed in Prague in 1988. The group comprises guitarists/vocalists Matěj Homola and Jan Homola, bassist Jiří Zeman and drummer Zdeněk Steiner. Wohnout is among the most popular bands in the Czech Republic and released nine studio albums since formation.
Tři sestry is a Czech punk band formed in 1985 in Prague. Some of their later material has fallen into a more general rock genre, and they have also dabbled in hardcore punk. The band experienced the peak of their popularity in the 1990s and have played at the Masters of Rock music festival in 2005 and 2011. Their main songwriter and lead singer is Lou Fanánek Hagen. The other current members of the band are Veronika Borovková, Tomáš Doležal (bass), Ronald Seitl (guitar), Zdeněk Petr (guitar), Rostislav Cerman (guitar), Petr Lukeš (drums), and Martin Roušar. Tři sestry have released more than twenty studio albums and a number of live recordings and compilations throughout their career.
Čechomor is a Czech band from Svitavy that performs traditional songs in rock arrangements. They have toured throughout Europe, North America, Russia, China, Mongolia, and Australia and were reportedly a favourite band of Czech playwright and former president Václav Havel. In 2001, they won three Anděl Awards.
Framus Five is a Czech rock band founded in Prague in 1963 and led by singer and guitarist Michal Prokop. The band also includes guitarist Luboš Andršt and violinist Jan Hrubý. The group disbanded in 1971 but reunited in 1978 under the slightly altered name Framus 5. They again ceased activity in 1990, due to Prokop's involvement in politics. They regrouped once more in 2000 and continue to play to this day.
Etc... is a Czech rock band from Prague, formed in 1974 by singer and guitarist Vladimír Mišík. Various musicians have rotated through the group's ranks, including violist Jan Hrubý, bassist Jiří Veselý, guitarist Petr "Kulich" Pokorný, drummer Ivan Kadaňka, bassist/cellist Jaroslav Olin Nejezchleba, as well as bassists Vladimír Padrůněk and Vladimír Guma Kulhánek.
Pražský výběr is Czech rock band formed in 1976 in Prague by keyboardist and singer Michael Kocáb. The band initially played jazz fusion in the 1970s, which was popular at the time. At the beginning of the 1980s, they changed their style and became one of the most influential new wave bands in Czechoslovakia. Between the years 1983 and 1986, they were banned by the Communist regime, and it wasn't until the second half of the decade that they returned to performing and releasing new material. They disbanded in 2006 due to disagreements between the two band leaders, Kocáb and Michal Pavlíček. Kocáb started a new band, called Pražský výběr II, which performed until 2009. In 2012, the original Pražský výběr reunited. The band has released four studio albums since their inception in 1976. Žízeň (1978), Výběr (1987), Pražský výběr, and Běr (1997).
Lucie is a Czech rock band. After an initial period of stabilization of band members and musical style (1985-1987), they entered the music scene with their first single "Pár fíglů" in 1988. Over the next sixteen years, the band released seven studio albums, two concert albums, and one compilation album. On 2 October 2004, the group entered a "planned creative break" that ended in December 2012.
Kreyson is a Czech metal band founded in Prague in 1989 by Ladislav Křížek after leaving the band Citron. He was joined by Jaroslav Bartoň, also from Citron, Daniel Krob (Arakain), Robert Vondrovic (Arakain), and Karel Adam (Moped).
Žentour is a Czech pop rock group led by Janek Ledecký. The band has been active since the early 1980s and has gone through a number of lineup changes over the years, as well as several prolonged breaks. They have released four studio albums as well as three albums of English versions of their Czech material. As of March 2020, Žentour is on hiatus, and they haven't released any fresh material since 2014.
Citron is a Czech hard rock/heavy metal band founded in Ostrava in 1976. The band's history is divided into two distinct eras: between 1976 and 1981, when their name was spelled with a long "ó", Citrón, and they played mainly blues rock. During this time, the band leader was bassist Petr Michalík. The second era, from 1982 until the present, signalled a change in musical style towards hard rock and heavy metal, with drummer Radim Pařízek as band leader and the group's name slightly altered to Citron. As of 2021, Citron has released twelve studio albums, two EPs, and three official compilation albums.
Vitacit is a Czech hard rock/heavy metal band founded in Roztoky U Prahy, a town within the Prague district, in 1973.
Mňága a Žďorp is a Czech rock band from Valašské Meziříčí. A precursor of the group was formed in 1983 under the name Slepé střevo. The band's lineup has changed frequently over the years, and currently consists of Petr Fiala on guitar, Martin Knor on second guitar, Petr Nekuža on bass, Jaromír Mikel on third guitar, Jiří Tibitanzl on saxophone, keyboards, and percussion, and Marcel Gabriel on drums. They became known for their 1991 hit "Hodinový hotel", from their debut album, Made in Valmez. Their latest record, released in 2019, is titled Třecí plochy.
George & Beatovens is a Czech rock band, sometimes known as G&B or G+B, formed in 1963 in Prague by singer and guitarist Petr Novák. The band has released several albums and numerous singles throughout its career. They have broken up several times but remain sporadically active to this day.
Prague, Czech Republic 