Synthesizers were introduced to the world of rock music by Robert Moog – creating previously unknown sounds with the creation of a voltage-controlled and keyboard-accessible synthesizer.

This prompted musicians to think outside the box when it came to sound production and manipulation, with musicians’ curiosities increasing and causing synthesized sounds to become increasingly popular in mainstream music.

Because technology was revolutionizing popular music, musicians and performers alike had the opportunity to explore and maximize the potential of synthesizers in music. Synthesizers were originally used for background, similar to electronic pianos or organs to make "spacey" sounds in background tracks, but curiosity had musicians pushing the synthesizers to center stage – creating the now iconic image of synthesizer musicians in casual suits and platform shoes.

By the early 70s, bands like Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Tangerine dream were using rock synthesizers explicitly due to the unique sounds and the versatility that they provided. This form of music influenced the growth of synthesizers into the 1980s. The 1980s were incredibly influential when it comes to music, with the rise of underground music, the use of rock synthesizers has increased as well.

The 80s gave rise to new genres of rock music: new wave, experimental rock, and even goth rock. Synthesizers increased in popularity, with rock bands using them purposefully in modern rock in order to experiment with new sounds, and new rhythms – a trend that has continued.

The increased prevalence of rock synthesizers has led to many artists to be known as "synth rock artists," with leaders like Devo, The Buggles, and Gary Numan popularizing synthesizers in pop music as well. With so many bands in the 80s experimenting with new styles, sounds, and the use of new instruments – like synthesizers – experimental rock music was born.

Experimental rock refers to the new sounds that emerged from combining the existing rock sounds with the new sounds from synthesizers – an experimentation led to the self-titled album The Residents (or Meet the Residents). Unfortunately, this album struggled early to find an audience – mainstream audiences were initially reluctant to accept anything but the traditional rock sounds that they were used to, like the space rock, ethereal sounds, or the old electric piano.

In the 1990s, a new genre arose – combining 80s new wave, 90s industrial music, glam rock, goth rock, and heavy metal – and using synthesizers in a new way that was still not generally accepted by mainstream audiences. In the last decade or so, bands that make the most of synthesizers have exploded in popularity.

Experimental melodies influenced by new wave rock of the 80s broke from independent into mainstream music. The mainstream popularity of the unique sounds from rock synthesizers has cleared the myth that synthesizers were only good for creating "spacey" sounds – they’ve been created amazing melodies for decades.