Music’s journey in post-Revolution era:
A narrative of successive policies in Iran’s music landscape
By Zohreh Qanadi
Staff writer
A review of the history of music in the post-Islamic Revolution era reveals a series of policies that their proponents have gradually retreated from over the past four decades and today, music, with its diverse genres, has reached its current position. A glance at the opinions of some musicians regarding the status of this art in Iran provides a relative understanding of today’s musical landscape:
Amir Esnaashari, a singer and tar player, has stated, “After the Revolution, we experienced a historical gap. Authentic artists who had a deep understanding of Iranian music were, in a way, banned from working or chose to emigrate. In the realm of pop music, had this connection not been severed, the music we currently refer to as pop would have evolved differently, following a logical trajectory in Iranian music rather than becoming the eclectic mix of the music of various countries that it is today.”-
Jamsheed Jam, the singer of the piece ‘Yar-e Dabestani,’ expressed that the situation is not “good.” He stated, “We can have rap music that embodies our own atmosphere and culture. Nowadays, everything sung is merely a translated version, lacking originality and melody. The instrumentation of Western music does not align with our culture. The same applies to pop music; if a professional arranger takes the lead, the result would be acceptable.”
Keyvan Saket, who prefers to label traditional music as “national,” asserts that Iranian national music is dynamic and alive. This tar and setar player highlighted that Iranian music has undergone significant evolution and changes in form, content, and structure. He remarked, “The audience of Iranian music, due to its unique structure, needs to be more familiar with it and receive training in listening to truly appreciate the beauty of this art; as this issue may have made understanding Iranian music somewhat challenging for some people and today’s youth in comparison to pop music.”
Hamidreza Adab, a musician, said, “A significant part of [traditional] Iranian music is intertwined with Iranian rituals and culture and has managed to secure a prominent position in major world festivals, a status that other music genres in Iran have not been able to achieve.” Adab continued, “Iranian pop music is a second-hand and third-rate imitation of Western pop and rock, a replication of a genre predominantly led by Westerners, while traditional music emerges from the very roots of Iranian soil.”
Abbas Qaed Rahmat noted, “It is possible to display authenticity and classicism in pop music as well, at least by utilizing rich lyrics; therefore, it is better to seek a balance between modern and traditional music in accordance with societal needs.”
Islamic Revolution and music
The Revolution and music are two terms that have not easily coexisted. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 abruptly marked the end of music, particularly the Iranian pop genre, which had gradually been evolving to compete with the best global examples. Iranian pop music emerged in the 19th century during the Qajar era and flourished with the advent of radio. This musical style transformed with the incorporation of Western instruments and musical techniques as well as with the brilliance of artists like Viguen, recognized as the “King of Iranian pop” and the “Sultan of Jazz” in Iran.
During the Revolution, the media and cultural atmosphere faced a generation accustomed to music, while simultaneously being deemed as containing corrupt themes that could waste the vitality of the youth. Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, viewed the complete eradication of music from Radio and Television as the only remedy, asserting that music, from the perspective of a Shia jurist, was considered haram (forbidden). During this period, pop musicians and singers, confronted with Islamic values, contemplated the impossibility of continuing this musical style in light of these values and thus opted to leave the country.
In the early days of the Revolution, Imam Khomeini referred to the way corrupt governments sedated the youth, labeling music as a means of this sedation. He stated, “The television shouldn’t broadcast ten hours of music. A vigorous youth, once turned away from their strength, is rendered in a state of stupor, much like that induced by opium. This [music] is not much different.” At that time, he remarked, “Eliminate this music entirely and replace it with something educational”; “Remove music. Don’t be afraid of being labeled as antiquated! If we are antiquated, so be it! Don’t fear this. Such words are mere strategies to divert you from serious endeavors.”
Over the years, as the officials of that era at Radio and Television believed that if music were removed from the national media, people would turn to illegal and unconventional sources, this indeed happened. A generation accustomed to music sought to satisfy their tastes and fill the void left by the absence of music, turning to the works of singers in exile. Consequently, “Los Angeles singers” remained at their peak for about two decades, while pop music and, consequently, the Iranian rock genre were sidelined within the country for many years.
On the other hand, this period marked the peak and flourishing of revolutionary anthems, which were being created underground in the years leading up to the Revolution. Since music is a reflection of society and emerges from within each nation, the exhilarating days of the Revolution propelled music toward an epic direction. Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, a composer and founder of the “Chavosh Cultural and Artistic Center,” discusses the transformation of music in the years following the Revolution in a series of radio programs titled “Contemporary History of Iranian Traditional Music.” He states, “Given the social currents and revolutionary fervor, people were not in a position to appreciate traditional music—that is, instrumental and vocal music. The youth were out in the streets, filled with excitement. They expected us to present social and revolutionary compositions.”
Over these years, the tone of music became increasingly heroic, with pieces gradually taking on the form of anthems.
Evolution of music in Iran
As the early years of the Revolution passed, more and more anthems infused with revolutionary and heroic sentiments emerged. At this juncture, Imam Khomeini, witnessing this content growth, endorsed the broadcasting of stirring and exhilarating revolutionary music on state media. Saeedeh Shabrang, a researcher of oral history, notes during a discussion on the book “The Cry of Freedom,” which includes the oral memoirs of Composer Ahmad Ali Ragheb, that one of the highlights of this book is the memory of creating the anthem “Shahid Motahar” and the private meeting between musicians and Imam Khomeini. Ragheb recounts an instance where the Imam stated, “I have listened to most of your anthems and I approve of many of them, which is good, but you are just at the beginning, and you need to gain experience. Our music must distance itself from the music of the Pahlavi era. If we endorse music, we are endorsing the kind of music that other forms cannot influence.Generally speaking, contradictions in the views and thoughts of significant figures are often sensitive. To understand the reasons behind this transformation in opinions, it’s essential to recognize that these apparent contradictions, especially concerning Islamic laws and the perspectives of a Shia authority, carry even more weight. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei remarks on Imam Khomeini’s changing viewpoints: “The Imam believes that time and place affect interpretation. This means that the subject changes, even though a person may think it remains the same; however, the subject has indeed changed, and consequently, its ruling changes.” Ayatollah Khamenei further asserts, “In practice, we do not witness contradictions; rather, this reflects the dynamism of his legal thought, which is not limited to a specific area like music but also manifests in fields such as cinema.” Thus, the distinction between halal [Permissible] and haram music emerges. In a fatwa issued on September 10, 1988, the Imam introduced a new concept called “halal benefits.” In his view, “music” can be utilized for “halal benefits.”
In this fatwa, the Imam specifies in response to a question regarding “buying and selling musical instruments for legitimate uses,” stating, “The buying and selling of shared instruments for the purpose of halal benefits is permissible.” He adds, “Listening to and playing entertaining music is haram, while dubious sounds do not pose a problem, and buying and selling instruments solely for entertainment is not allowed, but there is no issue with shared instruments.” The issuence of this fatwa garnered significant attention and was perceived among experts as a major shift in the overarching music policy.
As mentioned, in addition to changes in the lyrical content of music, its tone also became heroic during these years, with pieces increasingly resembling anthems. During the Iran-Iraq War (1980s), the influence and impact of traditional music on society continued unabated. Musicians, throughout the late 1980s, not only produced traditional music pieces but also took a serious look at the war and the sentiments of the community. Many pieces created by the Chavosh Cultural and Artistic Center were heavily influenced by the political atmosphere in Iran. Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri sang most of these pieces. However, aligning with political and social events was not the only characteristic of traditional music in the early years following the Revolution; in fact, the most significant works in the realm of authentic Iranian music were produced during these years.
Return of Pop music
After remaining on the sidelines for 15 years, Iranian Pop music regained its footing in the early 1990s, a few years after the end of the imposed Iraqi war and under the differing policies of the Reconstruction Era [President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani] and subsequently the Reform Era [President Mohammad Khatami]. The authorities in the music sector decided to produce pop works in accordance with their own guidelines and regulations. Fereydoun Shahbazian, a musician and composer, along with Mohammad-Ali Moalem Damghani, a poet and lyricist, established a music council at state media tasked with overseeing and supporting pop music.
Composers such as Babak Bayat, Manouchehr Cheshmazar, Fariborz Lachini, and Touraj Sha’bankhani revitalized the fragmented pop music scene that had been dormant for two decades and linked it to that era.
In an interview, Shahbazian states, “When we decided to launch pop music, we were determined to work with the best singers we could find in Iran. As you can see today, the music we presented and the singers we initially introduced are still considered some of the best. However, what we delivered wasn’t really pop music, and we didn’t want it to be labeled as such.”
During that time, in addition to a few prominent pop music figures from before the Revolution who remained in the country and sought permission from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, a new wave of young singers also began to make their mark in this genre, gradually gaining significant recognition. Among the first pop singers after the Revolution were Khashayar Etemadi and Mohammad Esfahani, although in that brief period, around ten young singers emerged, each with distinct talents, who later became known as “the first generation of post-Revolution pop singers”. This generation typically kicked off their careers on television. Thus, the music scene, which had previously been dominated by classical and traditional works, found itself facing a new competitor: pop music.
In the second half of the 1990s, the first post-Revolution pop albums by a handful of stars hit the music market.
Era of album flourishing
The 1990s marked the beginning of a renaissance in Iranian music following the Islamic Revolution. During this period, albums such as “Niloufaraneh,” “Dehati,” “Noon-O- Dalqak,” and “Ghazalak” transformed the music landscape in Iran, encompassing both pop and traditional genres, with poets playing an indispensable role in this resurgence.
The first pop albums after the Revolution were released following the rise of the Reformist government in 1997. The famous pop and traditional singer Mohammad Esfahani debuted his first official and independent album titled “Golchin.” In 2002, he released ““Noon-O- Dalqak,” which became one of the best-selling albums in the history of Iranian music. Shadmehr Aqili was another phenomenon of that era, achieving extraordinary sales with albums like “Mosafer,” “Dehati,” and “Par-e Parvaz.” In 1999, Alireza Asar gained fame as a distinctive and heroic voice with his album “Kooch-e Asheqaneh.”
Between 2002 and 2006, a movement emerged known as “Vasookht,” producing numerous pop songs with anti-love and curse-themed lyrics, which were enthusiastically embraced by the new generation of music fans in the 2000s. Mohsen Chavoshi, Mohsen Yeganeh, and Hamed Hakan were among the singers who released several Vasookht tracks.
After the flourishing of pop singers in the late 1990s, aside from a few, including Mohammad Esfahani, Hamid Hami, and even Shadmehr Aqili, who moved abroad, many first-generation pop stars faced a decline in their careers. Some attribute the downfall of this generation to the rise of new artists or a drop in the quality of their new albums. However, some of these stars believed that favoritism and a music mafia prevented them from being seen, which reflects a flawed policy and lack of oversight in the music industry during that time. Hamid Hami expressed that people in Iran do not show interest in high-quality music, which is why he attempts to hold his performances abroad. Qasem Afshar, another pop singer, attributed the lagging status of his contemporaries in the music scene to the chaotic environment of the music market during that decade. He stated, “In those years, music was not given much importance, and there was no commitment to producing musical works. These factors led my peers to experience disillusionment. I myself have also become disenchanted with the prevailing atmosphere of music in recent years.”
Overall, the late 1990s and early 2000s can be regarded as a period of decline for pop music in Iran. In the 2000s, the state media organization and its various channels adopted new policies that did not prioritize pop music as before. Consequently, pop music again fell out of favor for a time. It was in the mid-2000s that new singers entered the professional arena, rekindling the audience’s and officials’ interest in pop music.
From the late 2000s to the early 2010s, the production and release of musical works underwent significant changes. The rise of the internet and the proliferation of digital tools drove these transformations. From those years onward, producing albums became less economically viable, and the release of singles became more common. Among those who entered the music scene, several new talents were discovered and introduced, receiving support in various ways. On the other hand, producers, who had played a minimal role in shaping the content and essence of pop music and other genres before the 2000s, gained substantial power, dictating which singer would produce works and perform on stage.
In recent years, pop music has also influenced traditional music, leading to the rise of a genre known as “traditional pop,” which often neglects the proper fusion of lyrics and music. However, if this type of music develops correctly in its own right, it could become a valuable brand for the country’s music.
Return of concerts
The holding of concerts was banned in the country for nearly a decade following the Revolution due to the prohibition of music; however, even today, organizing concerts sometimes faces challenges depending on the venue and timing. For instance, Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, explained his opposition to concerts in this pilgrimage city in an interview in August 2023, stating, “I do not approve of mass music. You see, if a concert takes place here, it will turn into a concert market.”
By the end of the 1980s, with the gradual return of pop music, the atmosphere of concert venues began to change. As young people embraced this genre, young singers began to stage concerts.
The first generation of pop singers in the 1990s not only released albums but also performed concerts. Dariush Khajeh-Nouri, an established pop singer, was among the first to hold a concert after the Islamic Revolution, managing to do so in 1989 despite the challenges involved. Additionally, some music producers regard Khashayar Etemadi as the first modern concert organizer. Etemadi took the stage in 1999, and his concert was well-received by audiences. Music producer Mohsen Rajabpour believes that the true essence of concert performances began in 1999 with multiple and consecutive shows.
Alireza Asar, who was recognized as a distinctive singer in the 1990s and 2000s, holds records for concert performances during these years. In the 1990s, he set a record by holding 28 consecutive concerts. The band “Arian,” considered the first Iranian pop music group, performed numerous concerts for 15 years during a time when concerts were not widespread, thereby establishing their place in concert history. Ehsan Khajeh Amiri, another pop singer, performed seven shows at the Ministry of Interior Hall in 2007, an event that had not happened before. It should also be noted that during those years, the concerts of Mohsen Yeganeh and Reza Sadeqi, following Khajeh Amiri’s success, also set records for concert performances in the late 2000s. Sirvan Khosravi, a composer, arranger, and pop singer, along with Mazyar Fallahi, are regarded as record holders for concerts in the 2010s.
Another success for domestic pop singers has been gaining popularity among expatriate Iranians. In the fall of 2017, Mohsen Yeganeh held a concert at the large “Microsoft” venue in the United States, attracting 7,100 attendees. Notably, prior to Yeganeh, only two other singers had managed to fill this capacity.
Challenges in organizing concerts in the late 2010s included the selection of performers and the methods of organizing concerts, as well as high ticket prices and a lack of real oversight regarding how they were conducted. Additionally, the introduction of a new policy requiring that ten percent of concert revenues be deposited into the government treasury has sparked further criticism.
Iranian Rock
Rock music, which emerged in Iran in the late 1960s, gained popularity with the rise of artists such as Koroush Yaghmaei, Farhad Mehrad, Fereydoun Foroughi, and Habib Mohebbian. Iranian rock was a style in which Iranian musicians made modifications to the Rock genre. While it attracted fewer fans than other genres, its followers were quite passionate. However, this musical style was largely forgotten after the Revolution for many years. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Kaveh Yaghmaei remained the only Iranian rock singer officially active under the Ministry of Culture’s approval, even holding a concert in 1994 that was dubbed the first Iranian rock concert after the Revolution.
In fact, it can be argued that, following the Revolution, the genre that emerged in the Iranian music scene was not rock, but rather pop music, which found its place alongside traditional and classical styles. Shadi Vatanparast, a music writer and critic, states that the first movements began with the formation of modern revolutionary anthems and the presence of singers like Bijan Khavari and Hamid Gholamali, whose work produced a blend between pop music and anthems. Vatanparast mentions that rock still did not have an official presence.
In the late 1990s, with the emergence of the Reformist government and into the early 2000s, Iranian rock music experienced a revival, marking the beginning of a golden era for Persian rock. In the early 2000s, Iranian youth’s interest in this genre and its subgenres intensified, leading to the formation of numerous groups. During these years, a limited number of concerts were held with official permits.
Regarding rock music, some experts believe that this style does not receive the same support from the Ministry of Culture as pop does. They attribute this lack of support to factors such as the level of excitement and impact of the genre, as well as the appearance and mindset of its artists. The lack of permits for releases has hindered the expansion of works in this genre.
Babak Chamanara from the Beethoven Music Center in Tehran states that pop music quickly overtook traditional music, even compelling music producers to follow this trend. However, he continues by saying that rock music, after those years, neither gained the permission to operate nor received support, and instead, it proliferated spontaneously among young people in homes and private gatherings.
Shahram Sharbaf, frontman of O-Hum band, who has felt the barriers imposed by the Ministry of Culture, has acknowledged that “the height of the barrier has become shorter.”
However, the 2010s truly marked a new era for rock music in Iran. During this period, many groups, both inside and outside the country, innovated and created music and lyrics, utilizing musical elements that had never been employed before, thus giving a fresh shape to the landscape of Iranian rock music.
Sharbaaf believes that the momentum in Iranian rock music and fusion music will undoubtedly continue, but only those whose motivations and reasons for working stem solely from their love for music will succeed in overcoming the obstacles, as money or fame cannot provide sufficient motivation to endure the existing pressures.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, looking at the journey of music over these four decades and considering the rich heritage of Iranian music, which has a history spanning over three thousand years, these questions come to mind: Has this art form now returned to its rightful path? Would Iranian music have reached its current status if that gap or interruption had not occurred? Has this interruption led to the detachment of pop music from its Iranian roots, or is it the changing tastes of the audience and the influence of global music that has brought Iranian music to this point?
Moreover, a crucial point to consider is that poetry is the voice of the soul, and when it intertwines with the beautiful art of music, it becomes unforgettable. Is the measure of whether this art is on the right track determined by audience satisfaction, or should it be based on adhering to the guidelines set by the experts in the field?