"Whole Lotta Love"
Artist - Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was created from the ashes of the Yardbirds; when the band broke up in 1968 lead guitarist Jimmy Page was left with a handful of touring obligations. Page, one of the most active and successful studio musicians in England in the 1960s (he can be heard on a number of English singles of the era, including "I Can't Explain" by the Who and Donovan's "Sunshine Superman"), put together a new group consisting of fellow studio musician and bass player John Paul Jones, drummer John Bonham, and vocalist Robert Plant. Though nearly every popular singer in England was considered for the lead vocalist position (including Rod Stewart!), the relatively unknown Plant was chosen after Page found himself haunted by the singer's "primeval wail." The name Led Zeppelin was suggested by the Who's drummer, Keith Moon, who thought the new group would go over like a lead balloon! Nonetheless, the band succeeded brilliantly, forging electric blues and acid rock into a brand-new rock sound that spawned both hard rock and heavy metal. However, Led Zeppelin was also greatly influenced by Celtic, Indian, and Arabic music; Jimmy Page described the Zeppelin sound as a combination of both light and shade. This sonic ideal is reflected in much hard rock of the 1970s.
Also see: Chicago blues, especially the work of Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon; Cream, the Yardbirds, and other British psychedelic rock bands; Celtic folk music; Arabic music; and Indian (Karnatic) music
Must Haves:
- "Stairway to Heaven "
- "Kashmir"
- "Dazed and Confused"
- "Heartbreaker"
- "Fool in the Rain""
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Virtually every hard rock and heavy metal band has been influenced by Led Zeppelin to some degree. However, Aerosmith, the Black Crows, Heart, Slash (of Guns 'n' Roses and Velvet Revolver), and Tori Amos claim particularly direct lineage.
"Whipping Post"
Artist - The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band created the blues-based, southern rock style. Brothers Duane and Gregg Allman started playing guitar in their early teens but were more influenced by blues players like T-Bone Walker and B. B. King than Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. They played in a number of local garage bands before forming the Escorts Allman Joys; the band opened for the Beach Boys, cut a few demos, and even had a single released (a cover version of the blues song "Spoonful"), but white groups playing black music in the Deep South were not selling records. The brothers moved to Alabama and formed a new band called Hour Glass; they recorded several albums, but they were so blues-oriented that their record company released them only in England, where blues-based rock bands like Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Cream were quite popular. They didn't sell well or get good reviews, and after the company refused to release a third album they broke up. Duane Allman ended up in Florida, jamming with a blues-country band called the Second Coming, which included bassist Berry Oakley and Dickey Betts and Larry Reinhardt (later of Captain Beefheart) playing twin lead guitar. Duane came to the attention of Rick Hall, owner of the Fame studios in Muscle Shoals. He hired Allman as a studio musician, and he played on records for soul acts like Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge. Jerry Wexler, the head of Atlantic Records, was so impressed that he encouraged Duane to form his own band. He recruited Muscle Shoals drummer Jai Johanny Johansen, and then called the members of Second Coming, his brother Gregg, and his friend Butch Trucks. They assembled at Trucks's house and jammed; Duane Allman then proclaimed them a band and threatened to fight anyone who thought otherwise!
The Allman Brothers Band was still based in the blues and soul, but they incorporated country, psychedelic rock, and jazz. They also adopted the dual lead guitar format of Second Coming. Their records did not initially sell well, but they developed a reputation as an exciting live act; the 1971 album At Fillmore East reached the Top Ten and established them as a major band. Tragically, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident later that year, and Berry Oakley died in an eerily similar accident a little over a year later. The band split in 1976, but reunited periodically, eventually reforming in 1990 with guitarist Warren Haynes (of Gov't Mule) in the second guitar slot.
Also see: B. B. King, T-Bone Walker, the Yardbirds, Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Must Haves:
- "Trouble No More (from Eat a Peach)"
- "It's Not My Cross to Bear (from The Allman Brothers Band)"
- "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (from Idelwind South)"
- "Ramblin' Man"
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- .38 Special
- Steve Miller Band
- ZZ Top
"Roundabout"
Artist - Yes
It is no surprise that by rock's third generation classically trained musicians would start to form bands and infuse rock and roll with what they considered loftier musical standards. Some desired to improve rock music, some wanted to prove to the "musical establishment" that rock and roll could be a vehicle for artistic expression, and others just wanted to find an environment in which they could combine the types of music they loved. The term "progressive rock" emerged to define bands with ambitious musical goals and superlative, even virtuosic, technique.
Yes was among the first generation "prog" rock bands to emerge in England, at a time when psychedelic pop was being transformed by infusions of Delta blues, Stax soul, English folk, and avant-garde classical music. All of its initial members, save drummer Bill Bruford, had been part of the "beat boom" sparked by the Beatles; their pop bands had stalled, and they were looking for something different. Anderson and bassist Chris Squire wanted to approach rock music with greater precision and care than most acts; the fashion in London was for long, blues-based jams that were sometimes transcendent but often sloppy and uninteresting. Their eponymous first album was interpreted as an exploration of the intersection between folk music and pop in the spirit of contemporary bands like Pentangle and the Incredible String Band. Their next album, which introduced guitarist Steve Howe, was radically different; some tracks used a symphony orchestra, the songs were longer, and their themes were more mystical.
With the exception of Anderson and Squires (who have played on every Yes album since 1968) the membership of the band has fluctuated, and each new combination of musicians yielded a slightly different sound. The "classic" lineup, which produced most of the hits of the 1970s, included keyboardist Rick Wakeman, one of the most flamboyant performers in rock and roll. After he joined the band in 1971 their "signature" sound emerged; long, multisectional compositions that allowed for extended improvisations, virtuoso musicianship, and lyrics dealing with space or Eastern spirituality. They found audiences receptive and became one of the most popular bands of the early 1970s. They not only weathered the transition to the 1980s, but their 1983 album 90125 sold six million copies and placed three singles in the Top Ten. It was a radical departure in style and fractured the "classic" lineup for a time, though Anderson, Squires, Howe, and Wakeman reunited in 1994 and have more or less remained together since.
Also see: The Beatles, the Fifth Dimension, the Moody Blues, Procol Harum
Must Haves:
- "Leave It"
- "I've Seen All Good People"
- "Close to the Edge"
- "Parallels"
- "And You and I"
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Renaissance
- Rush
- Styx
- Emerson
- Lake and Palmer
- Utopia
- Asia
"You’ve Got a Friend"
Artist - Carole King
By the time Carole King began recording her own songs she was a veteran of the music business. She started playing piano at the age of four and formed her first band in high school. King discovered rock and roll on the radio in her native New York and was frequently to be found at Allan Freed's popular live rock and roll showcases. At Queens College she met Neil Sedaka, Paul Simon, and Gerry Goffin, who were also budding singer/songwriters, and they began to collaborate. Simon left the city shortly thereafter but King, Sedaka, and Goffin found work at Alden Music Publishing, called the Brill Building, where they and other songwriters were charged with creating rock and roll tinged pop songs that would be acceptable to mainstream, white America. King and Goffin quickly formed a partnership (as songwriters and as husband and wife) and turned out a succession of hits, including "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "Take Good Care of My Baby," and "The Locomotion"; the last was recorded by their babysitter, Little Eva, whom they had pressed into making a demo.
King had never given up on her dreams of becoming a singer, and during the sixties she released a number of singles with various groups but none took off. She and Goffin divorced and she moved to Los Angeles, where she tried again with band called City. Though the group yielded her second husband, it did not produce a hit album. King was ready to give up when James Taylor, who had recorded "You've Got a Friend," encouraged her to try recording as a soloist. Though her first album didn't sell well the follow-up, Tapestry, remained in the Top Forty for six years and was the best-selling album of all time until bested by the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever in 1977. She produced several more hit albums before semi-retiring from show business; she has been more active in the last five years, and in 2004 she mounted the Living Room Tour, playing only in small clubs, community centers, and even the occasional living room.
Also see: Neil Sedaka, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, James Taylor
Must Haves:
- "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman"
- "I Feel the Earth Move"
- "It's Too Late"
- "Been to Caanan"
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Stephen Stills
- Carly Simon
- Joni Mitchell
- Linda Ronstadt
- Todd Rungren
"Evil Ways"
Artist - Santana
Carlos Santana is a native of Mexico and has done more than any other rock artist to highlight the contributions of Latin American music to the American soundscape. He is hailed as one of the finest guitarists in rock for his elegant, searing, and soulful blues-based solos. His trademark is long, melodic lines filled with piercing, sustained notes that soar above complex, polyrhythmic accompaniments, perhaps the legacy of the first instrument he learned to play¿the violin. Santana is also known for his spiritual investment in his music; his self-proclaimed goal is to "utilize sound, resonance, vibration, to bring people closer to their own hearts."
Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico, to a musical family; his father was a Mariachi violinist. He started playing violin at age five, but at age eleven he devoted himself to the guitar, influenced by electric blues stalwarts like John Lee Hooker, B. B. King, and T-Bone Walker, who he heard on American radio stations whose signals reached across the border. He crossed into the United States himself in 1961 and settled in San Francisco.
In 1966 he founded the Santana Blues Band; according to Santana, he was playing "blues, like everybody else," but added Afro-Latin rhythms "so now the women could dance." This was accomplished by adding two auxiliary percussionists¿dedicated conga and timbales players¿to the standard rock drum kit. Though Afro-Cuban rhythms (often called the "Latin Tinge") have played an important role in rock 'n' roll, they were mostly relegated to subtle accompaniments in a larger texture. Santana was one of the first artists to foreground Latin influences, along with jazz, soul, rock, and blues. His new, fresh sound was particularly welcomed by the burgeoning San Francisco music scene and his band made regular appearances at major clubs like the Winterland Ballroom and the Fillmore West.
Though popular in the Bay Area, he gained a nationwide audience after his electric, breakthrough performance at Woodstock. His set was so influential that within months most of the major rock bands in the country had added congas to their standard percussion battery. His eponymous debut album was released in October 1969 and by December it had gone gold; Santana remained on charts for two years and eventually sold upwards of 3 million copies. His follow up, Abraxas, went gold in a matter of weeks.
A master collaborator, Santana was long willing to forgo commercial gains in order to explore new styles and influences. In the 1970s, he formed a long-standing partnership with John McLaughlin and became a central figure in jazz-rock fusion, recording with Wayne Shorter, Alice Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. Though his albums received glowing reviews by jazz critics, they sold poorly. In the 1980s, he returned to a more rock-oriented style and revisited his blues and Latino roots; his 1983 album Havana Moon was produced by legendary R&B producer Jerry Wexler and included Booker T. Jones (of Booker T. and the MGs) and a Mariachi band. He also paid tribute to Richie Valens, the first Latino rock 'n' roll star, by doing music for the biopic La Bamba. Later in the decade he began incorporating world music influences, collaborating with West African vocalists and Nigerian drummers.
Santana returned to the rock and pop charts in 1999 with Supernatural, an album that paired Santana with a number of younger artists, including Lauryn Hill, Everlast, and Dave Matthews. "Smooth," a collaboration with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, topped the pop charts for twelve weeks (officially making it the last number one single of the 1990s), and Supernatural went on to sell 15 million copies¿more than all of Santana's other albums combined¿and won eight Grammy awards. His recent albums have been collaborative projects in a similar vein.
Carlos Santana was inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Also see:Tito Puente, B. B. King, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Bloomfield
Prince, Joe Satriani, Ace Frehley, Los Lonely Boys, Raimundo Amador
Must Haves:
- "Soul Sacrifice (live at Woodstock)"
- "Smooth"
- "Oye Como Va"
- "Black Magic Woman"
- "Jingo"
"Take It Easy "
Artist - The Eagles
The Eagles were not just one of most successful rock acts of 1970s but one of the highest grossing bands of all times. Their record sales are topped only by those of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, and their 1976 greatest hits compilation (Greatest Hits 1971-75) has sold 25 million copies to date, placing it in competition with Michael Jackson's Thriller as the best-selling album of all times.
In the 1960s Los Angeles became the center of a pop music scene that was grounded in folk rock, the fusion of Dylanesque folk songwriting and the rock eclecticism of the Beatles. Many groups began exploring country music as well, a natural by-product of a flourishing and stylistically diverse scene in nearby Bakersfield. The small and somewhat insular group of musicians that explored this fusion of country, folk, and rock came to be known as the "Avocado" mafia.
Though all of the Eagles were part of the "mafia" by 1970, none was a California native. They had all come to Los Angeles with their hometown rock bands with hopes of being discovered and signed to a major label. Don Henley came closest—his group Shiloh released an album on the local Amos label—but all remained in LA after their groups dissolved, and they became part of the local scene.
Bassist Randy Meisner played with a number of bands before founding the group Poco; he left to join the Stone Canyon Band, which backed former teen idol rocker Ricky Nelson. In Poco he met Bernie Leadon, who had also played with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Glenn Frey partnered for a few years with the country-folk songwriter J. D. Souther and toured with Souther's girlfriend Linda Rondstadt. There he met Henley; the two were just discovering their similar musical interests when Meisner and Leadon were hired to fill out the band for a gig at Disneyland. The four musicians formed the Eagles at the end of the tour.
Though all were saturated with country and folk influences they also drew from rockabilly, surf music, and the San Francisco sound to create a popular rock style that appealed to the American mainstream. After four albums Leadon quit and was replaced by Joe Walsh, who brought a harder-edged sound to the band.
The Eagles broke up in 1982. When asked about the possibility of a band reunion the various members pledged to do so "when hell freezes over." The band did reform in 1994 and called their first new album called, naturally, Hell Freezes Over.
Also see: The Byrds (Sweethearts of the Rodeo), Flying Burrito Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Dillard and Clarke
Must Haves:
- "Hotel California"
- "Lyin' Eyes"
- "Heartache Tonight"
- "The Best of My Love"
- "Witchy Woman"
Performers Influenced By This Artist:
- Pure Prairie League
- Firefall
- Travis Tritt
- Ozark Mountain Daredevils
- Vince Gill