Rock may not have been invented in the ‘60s, but it’s certainly when the genre came into its own.
After decades of evolution – pulling influences from blues, jazz, folk, country and soul – rock was finally a living, breathing entity ready to be explored. As such, musicians began to experiment with just how far they could push the burgeoning genre’s boundaries.
Add some funk? Absolutely. Get trippy with psychedelia? Sure. Try bold new recording techniques? Go for it. No innovation was off the table.
Much like the world of music, society at the time was changing at a furious pace. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, political discourse and the Space Race were just some of the historical events that played out during the decade. And since music is so often a reflection of society, these seismic cultural shifts inspired an array of famous songs.
READ MORE: Top 100 ’60s Rock Albums
“The ’60s was one of the first times the power of music was used by a generation to bind them together,” Neil Young once famously declared. Other future icons who came to prominence in the ’60s include the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.
Whittling down a list of Top 10 ‘60s Bands was no easy feat. For the sake of this task, solo artists were excluded (apologies to Young and Bob Dylan). Honorable mentions should also be given to Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds and the Velvet Underground, who were among our most difficult acts to leave off. So who did make the cut? See for yourself in our list of the Top 10 ‘60s Bands below.
Top ’60s Bands
Rock may not have been invented in the ‘60s, but it’s certainly when the genre came into its own.
Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin