5 Rock Legends Of The ’60s You Hated But Now Love

A lot of people consider the 1960s to be a musical golden age, with each song being a masterpiece. Let’s face it, though, there were also a lot of jerks. That even the greatest decades had their share of musical failures is demonstrated by the fact that some of those not-so-great songs somehow went on to become legends.

The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys began as a group of young Californians who were interested in surf music. Although the Wilson brothers, their buddy Al Jardine, and their cousin Mike Love initially had no musical skills, their vocal harmonies were a sight to behold. They decided to write music for young listeners, emphasizing lighthearted subjects like cars, girlfriends, and surfing. Brian Wilson co-wrote the majority of their early tracks, which helped to shape their distinctive sound, even though Jardine left for a short time and was replaced by David Marks.

Fairport Convention
The Fairport Convention was categorized as the British equivalent of the Jefferson Airplane, while West Coast music was generally described as rock with psychedelic elements. Singer Judy Dyble, who provided the vocal for some of the unrecorded pre-King Crimson tracks by Fripp and the Giles brothers that would be included in the amazing The Brondesbury Tapes, makes her first and only appearance here.

Alice Cooper
At first, Alice Cooper referred to a Detroit band that embraced post-psychedelic rock’s quirky side. Lead singer Vincent Furnier did not legally adopt the name for himself until the middle of the 1970s when he changed it to Alice Cooper. As time went on, the band’s name grew so associated with him that many people forgot its original origins. Though their early sound was very different from what they would later be renowned for, they had enough distinctiveness to attract Frank Zappa, who signed them to his label and even assisted in producing their music.

The Monkees
During the height of Beatlemania in the 1960s, someone came up with the concept of making a television program about four musicians. They had no idea that it would not only be popular but also serve as a model for music-based entertainment for many years to come. Like the ancestors of contemporary pop singers like Miley Cyrus, the Monkees became pioneers of the formula, charming audiences with their made-for-TV charm while performing songs written by professional studio composers.

The Who
The Who are without a doubt one of the best rock bands ever. Roger Daltrey’s explosive vocals (at his best, one of the best in rock), Keith Moon’s crazy drumming, John Entwistle’s famed bass talents, and Pete Townshend’s forceful rhythm guitar were all the proper components. However, the band’s first album reveals that they are still determining their course. Similar to how they changed their name from The Detours to The High Numbers, they tried out many musical styles before settling on their distinctive sound.