PIGTRÅD (for reasons beyond purpose its not possible to use the danish letter å, on last fm tags!!!!!!!) is the name used in Denmark for the danish beatscene of the 60s. It literally means "barbed wire" - probably a denotation of the use of electric amplification.

Pigtråd is mainly - and most accurately - used for the wave of danish bands inspired first by english artists like Cliff Richard & The Shadows and Tommy Steele- who were both HUGE in Denmark - later by The Beatles. Many of the bands played only covers. Despite abundant amateurism, a few quality acts emerged as did some teen idols like Otto Brandenburg and Peter Belli. By circa 1966 the succes was all but over - and the musicians on the scene split in three directions. The soft rockers chose dansktop inspired by american country and german schlager and named after a radio hitlist "Dansktoppen" - a few joined the new emerging progressive/hardrock/psychedelic scene - in Denmark anachronistically called "beat music", and the rest joined the civil world or the entertainment industry.

Pigtråd compilation have emerged on CDS like Pigtrådsmusik 1 . They mainly show a scene learning to play and produce american and english pop music- as such laying the foundation of danish rock in the next decades. It was an open and radical break with the popular music culture of the former generation - a generation that foremost played entertainment music, cabaret music and jazz (and with much more professionalism and experimentalism than the newcomers) - Pigtråd was not a scene where harder edged rock ´n roll, experimental folk, and blues was succesful. That inspiration and succes came to Denmark later in the 60s alongside hippie culture. (Steppeulvene for instance can only be called pigtråd if a misunderstanding national press of the time is taken into account). Pigtråd did however introduce the rock band as the new format of selfexpression and layed the foundation for bands like Steppeulvene coming up with original material and thus mirroring the development on the english (and swedish) scene - but NOT without a tendency to be unfashionably late.

In the 70s danish rock split in multiple directions.