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Whitesnake

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Whitesnake was a British rock band, formed in London in 1978. The group began as the backing band of the singer David Coverdale, who had left Deep Purple shortly before. Coverdale remained the only constant member. After the Snakebite EP in 1978 came the albums Trouble in 1978 and Lovehunter in 1979, with live favourites such as Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City and Walking in the Shadow of the Blues. With Ready an' Willing, Come an' Get It and Saints & Sinners the band reached the top ten in England, Europe and Japan.

Music and breakthrough

In the mid-1980s Coverdale turned his attention to the American market, where Whitesnake was still unknown. With the support of Geffen Records, Slide It In came out in 1984, with singles that got heavy airplay on MTV. In 1987 came the album Whitesnake, called 1987 in England, with the hits Here I Go Again, Is This Love and Still of the Night. The band took on a newer look, closer to the glam metal of Los Angeles. After Slip of the Tongue in 1989 Coverdale took a break. Around 2003 he put together a new line-up, and in 2025 he announced that he was stopping.

Influence

The band's early sound is called blues rock. Later it shifted towards more accessible hard rock. The lyrics are often about love and sex, with a great deal of innuendo. Whitesnake features on lists of the best hard rock bands. In the story of Nederpop the group has a Dutch side, because Adrian Vandenberg joined as guitarist in 1987.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Here I Go Again by Whitesnake. Notice the heavy guitars and the chorus, and how Coverdale's singing makes the song sound more like hard rock than blues.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: Artists