Rock music became known in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and quickly broke free from its western roots. According to many music critics, its "golden age" years were the 1980s (especially the era of perestroika), when the Soviet underground rock bands became able to release their records officially. Since then, Russia and Russophone artists in various other countries developed a varied rock scene that covers virtually all rock genres, from classic and alternative rock to punk and heavy metal. The majority of the Russian bands perform in the Russian language.