Best Pioneer Rock Bands Of The 60’s

The 60’s were a great time for rock music to develop and further spread its reach throughout the world. The decade ushered bands that pioneered the genre, paving the landscape for their successors, and establishing the signature sound for rock music. These wouldn’t be possible without the enablers of rock, bands and artists who were testing the waters, and were at the right place and time to pursue their passion. Here are some bands that pioneered rock music in the ’60s.

The Byrds

Starting out as a cover band, The Byrds pioneered folk rock by using its roots, along with hits from artists such as Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger, into their own masterpieces that stood out, even among more prominent acts of the time. The Byrds were known for their immaculate sound, with crystal clear vocal harmonies, and that rich, 12-string guitar jangle courtesy of Roger McGuinn. The Byrds also dabbled with jazz fusion and psychedelia in their later material.

The Kinks

While some may mistake punk rock to have originated from The Sex Pistols, The Kinks are the real MVPs of the genre. Dave Davies innovated his sound just because he didn’t like it, and did so by slicing his amplifier speaker with a razor blade. From it came forth a sound that was later dubbed as the “punk” rock sound, a highly distorted and dirty tone that was gritty down to the core. While the band was dysfunctional due to the rocky relationship of the Davies brothers, The Kinks led the charge for punk to proliferate.

The Beatles

At the top of the British invasion was The Beatles. The four young lads were brought together by destiny, and was separated by the same force as well. But before all of that happened, The Beatles was a fresh take on the developing rock scene, with an immaculate, crisp image and sound that soon made them household names overnight. From simplistic arrangements in their earlier years, with songs and covers that hardly left the 2 minute mark, up to more diverse and complicated compositions into their final years, The Beatles’ combined creative genius couldn’t be toppled over by any of their contemporaries at that time.

The Moody Blues

The rock act from the early 60’s dove into the psychedelic side of things, and are also credited to be one of the forebears of progressive rock. A homegrown sound cultured in Birmingham, The Moody Blues recreated acid trips through hallucinatory compositions that bombarded the auditory senses but didn’t overload them. Combining classical elements and their signature mellotron sound, The Moody Blues crafted hits that were worthy of recognition, just like their mainstream counterparts.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The power trio led by virtuoso Jimi Hendrix propelled the brash, overdriven electric guitar sound into the airwaves, taking credit for their influence to blues rock, hard rock, and psychedelia altogether. Hendrix’s playful nature in his playing, from easy and slow songs, to touting, heavy progressions, gave The Experience a signature sound that drove their style to the mainstream. Hendrix’s wide grasp of rock was his strength, from which music easily flowed from him like a fountain of creative juices.