The Beatles (1960-1970)
Members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe, Pete Best
John Lennon was in a band in Liverpool, England known as The Quarrymen. In July of 1957 he met Paul McCartney who ended up joining the band. Paul invited his friend George Harrison to see them play in early 1958. After pestering John Lennon to join, Lennon finally relented and allowed the young (14 years old) Harrison to join the band. Lennon's school buddy Stuart Sutcliffe joined the band in 1960 and recommended changing the name of the band to the Silver Beetles as a tribute to Buddy Holly's Crickets. They soon changed their name to the Silver Beatles, playing on the word "beat", then dropped the Silver altogether, becoming known as The Beatles. The band didn't have a full-time drummer, using whoever could play with them at the time (Sutcliffe played bass guitar), until Pete Best joined in August of 1960. Stuart Sutcliffe decided to leave the band in July of 1961 amid strife within the band and his desire to continue studying art. Tragically, on April 10, 1962, Sutcliffe died from a brain aneurysm. He was only 21. After a few recording sessions Pete Best was fired as the drummer of The Beatles on August 16, 1962. There are varying stories on why he was fired, but ultimately Ringo Starr was hired as his replacement. The rest, as they say, is history.
Albums: Please Please Me (1963); With The Beatles (1963); Introducing...The Beatles (1964); Meet The Beatles (1964); The Beatles' Second Album (1964); A Hard Day's Night (1964); Something New (1964); Beatles For Sale (1964); Beatles '65 (1964); Beatles VI (1965); Help! (1965); Rubber Soul (1965); Yesterday...And Today (1966); Revolver (1966); Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967); Magical Mystery Tour (1967); The Beatle [White Album] (1968); Yellow Submarine (1969); Abbey Road (1969); Let It Be (1970).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: She Loves You (1964); Love Me Do (1964); I Want To Hold Your Hand (1964); I Feel Fine (1964); Can't Buy Me Love (1964); A Hard Day's Night (1964); Yesterday (1965); Ticket To Ride (1965); Help! (1965); Eight Days A Week (1965); We Can Work It Out (1966); Paperback Writer (1966); Penny Lane (1967); Hello Goodbye (1967); All You Need Is Love (1967); Hey Jude (1968); Get Back (1969); Come Together (1969); The Long And Winding Road (1970); Let It Be (1970); For You Blue (1970)
The Rolling Stones (1962 to present)
Members: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor, Tony Chapman
Mick Jagger and Dick Taylor formed a garage band in the late 1950's. They played mostly Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry songs. Mick and Keith were childhood friends who reunited in 1960 after moving away from each other years earlier. Richards joined forces with Mick and Dick. They met Brian Jones in 1962 playing for a band that also included Ian Stewart and Charlie Watts. Jones and Stewart decided to form a band together with Mick, Keith and Ian, which also included drummer Tony Chapman. When Brian Jones was talking on the phone to Jazz News about the new band they asked him for a name. Looking around the room he was in, Jones saw a Muddy Waters LP lying on the floor and focussed in on the track "Rollin' Stone". The band was named. Bill Wyman joined the band in December 1962 when Dick Taylor decided to return to school and drummer Charlie Watts came on board in January of 1963 when Tony Chapman felt he didn't like the direction of the group. When Andrew Oldham was made manager of the band he removed Ian Stewart from the lineup, although Stewart played piano on many studio tracks and in concert for many years to come. After some great success, Brian Jones, because of his problematic drug use, was let go from the band on June 8, 1969. He was replaced by Mick Taylor almost immediately. Less than a month later Jones was found dead at the bottom of his pool. He was 27. The Stones went on for years until Mick Taylor decided to leave the group in December of 1974. In March of 1975 Ronnie Wood stepped in to replace Taylor and has been a member ever since.
Albums: The Rolling Stones (1964); 12 X 5 (1964); The Rolling Stones No. 2 (1965); The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965); Out Of Our Heads (1965); December's Children [And Everybody's] (1965); Aftermath (1966); Got Live If You Want It! (1966); Between The Buttons (1967); Flowers (1967); Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967); Beggars Banquet (1968); Let It Bleed (1969); Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out (1970); Sticky Fingers (1971); Exile On Main St. (1972); Goats Head Soup (1973); It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974); Black And Blue (1976); Love You Live (1977); Some Girls (1978); Emotional Rescue (1980); Tattoo You (1981); Still Life (1982); Undercover (1983); Dirty Work (1986); Steel Wheels (1989); Flashpoint (1991); Voodoo Lounge (1994); Stripped (1995); Bridges To Babylon (1997); No Security (1998); Live Licks (2004); A Bigger Bang (2005); Shine A Light (2008); Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live (2013).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: Get Off Of My Cloud (1965); (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1965); Paint It, Black (1966); Ruby Tuesday (1967); Honky Tonk Women (1969); Brown Sugar (1971); Angie (1973); Miss You (1978).
The Doors (1965-1973)
Members: Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Krieger
In July of 1965 two former students of UCLA's film school met on Venice Beach in California. They were Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison. Morrison sang a rough draft of the song "Moonlight Drive" to Manzarek. Manzarek was currently in a band with his two brothers. Morrison joined them, recruited John Densmore in August of '65 to play drums along with Patty Sullivan on bass guitar. Patty recorded some songs for a demo but was eventually replaced with Robby Krieger when she and Ray's two brothers left the band. The band's name came from Aldous Huxley's book The Doors Of Perception, particularly from a line in the book that read "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is: infinite". On July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison was discovered dead in a bathtub in his Paris apartment. He was 27 years old.
Albums: The Doors (1967); Strange Days (1967); Waiting For The Sun (1968); The Soft Parade (1969); Absolutely Live (1970); Morrison Hotel (1970); L.A. Woman (1971); Other Voices (1971); Full Circle (1972); An American Prayer (1978).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: Light My Fire (1967); Hello, I Love You (1968).
The Beach Boys (1961 to present)
Members: Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, David Marks, Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin
Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson began singing harmonies with their father Murry in the late 1950's. They brought their cousin Mike Love into the fold, along with a classmate of Brian's, Al Jardine, who was already part of another band, and their longtime neighbour, David Marks. They started to create the distinctive sound of The Beach Boys, but at first named their band The Pendletones. (The Pendleton was a style of popular shirt of the time, mixed with the word "tone"). The first song they actually pressed into a single was "Surfin'" in 1961. A young promo worker changed the name of the band to "Beach Boys" without permission to tie-in with the single and the popularity of the music coming out of California at the time. The name stuck. After some great success, Brian Wilson began to withdraw more and more and had a debilitating anxiety attack in late 1964. Glen Campbell replaced him on their live tours until April of 1965. Bruce Johnston replaced Glen Campbell and became a full time member of the band on May 19, 1965. In March of 1972, Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chapman were asked to join the group after Dennis Wilson suffered a hand accident and couldn't play drums. They remained with the band for a couple of years before leaving. On December 28, 1983 Dennis Wilson drowned at Marina Del Rey in Los Angeles after drinking all day. He was 39.
Albums: Surfin' Safari (1962); Surfin' USA (1963); Surfer Girl (1963); Little Deuce Coupe (1963); Shut Down, Vol. 2 (1964); All Summer Long (1964); Concert (1964); The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964); Today! (1965); Summer Days [And Summer Nights!!] (1965); Beach Boys' Party (1965); Pet Sounds (1966); Smiley Smile (1967); Wild Honey (1967); Friends (1968); Stack-o-Tracks (1968); 20/20 (1969); Live In London (1970); Sunflower (1970); Surf's Up (1971); Carl And The Passions - So Tough (1972); Holland (1973); The Beach Boys In Concert (1973); Beach Boys '69 (1976); 15 Big Ones (1976); Love You (1977); M.I.U. Album (1978); L.A. [Light Album] (1979); Keepin' The Summer Alive (1980); The Beach Boys (1985); Still Cruisin' (1989); Summer In Paradise (1992); Stars And Stripes, Vol. 1 (1996); That's Why God Made The Radio (2012); Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour (2013).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: I Get Around (1964); Help Me, Rhonda (1965); Good Vibrations (1966); Kokomo (1988).
Led Zeppelin (1968-1980)
Members: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham
Jimmy Page was a member of The Yardbirds. When they broke up, Page kept the name to fulfill tour obligations, but needed new members. He was turned on to Robert Plant from singer Terry Reid, the original choice of Page. Plant impressed and convinced to bring drummer John Bonham along, the two of them playing in a band called Band Of Joy previously. The new lineup included bassist Chris Dreja, but Dreja decided to drop out to become a photographer. Page remembered playing with a bass player during his session work, and when he was approached by this bassist to join the band, Page accepted. This bassist was John Paul Jones, and the band was complete. They toured Scandinavia as The New Yardbirds until Page received a cease and desist letter from Dreja over the name. Their new name came about before they were even formed. Page, after The Yardbirds disbanded, wanted to create a supergroup the would have included John Entwistle and Keith Moon from The Who, along with Jeff Beck. Entwistle and Moon apparently thought that idea would go over "like a lead balloon", meaning it would be disastrous. Page remembered the phrase, dropped the "a" from "lead" (so nobody would pronounce it as "leed") and changed the small balloon image to a huge zeppelin. Led Zeppelin was born. After a number of successful albums and gaining millions of adoring fans, Led Zeppelin broke up less than two months after drummer John Bonham died of asphyxiation from vomit on September 25, 1980. He was 32 years old.
Albums: Led Zeppelin (1969); Led Zeppelin II (1969); Led Zeppelin III (1970); Led Zeppelin IV (1971); Houses Of The Holy (1973); Physical Graffiti (1975); The Song Remains The Same (1976); Presence (1976); In Through The Out Door (1979); Coda (1982); Celebration Day (2012).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: None
Highest Song Rank: 4 - Whole Lotta Love (1970).
Queen (1970 to present)
Members: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon
In 1968, Brian May and his friend Tim Staffell started a band that needed a drummer. They put an ad in the paper, one that Roger Taylor saw. He auditioned and was hired. The new band was called Smile. A friend of Staffell's became a fan of Smile's stuff and began to follow them. When Staffell decided to leave the band, they recruited this friend of his named Farrokh Bulsara, who was going by his English name, Freddie. Freddie suggested to rename the band Queen, simply because of the strength of name and the visual possibilities that came along with the moniker. The others agreed and Queen was born. After playing with a number of bassists, the band decided to keep John Deacon in February of 1971. For the next 20 years Queen became one of the biggest bands in the world. On November 23, 1991 Freddie Mercury announced to the world that he was dying of AIDS. The very next day, Mercury died at the age of 45. Queen continued, and still continues, to tour with a number of different artists, keeping the memory of Freddie alive.
Albums: Queen (1973); Queen II (1974); Sheer Heart Attack (1974); A Night At The Opera (1975); A Day At The Races (1976); News Of The World (1977); Jazz (1978); Live Killers (1979); The Game (1980); Flash Gordon (1981); Hot Space (1982); The Works (1984); A Kind Of Magic (1986); Live Magic (1986); The Miracle (1989); Innuendo (1991); Made In Heaven (1995); Return Of The Champions (2005); The Cosmos Rocks (2008); Live In Ukraine (2009).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: Crazy Little Thing Called Love (1980); Another One Bites The Dust (1980)
The Who (1964-1982; 1989; 1996 to present)
Members: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Kenney Jones, Doug Sandom
Daltrey, Townshend and Entwistle all grew up in a part of London, England called Acton. Townshend and Entwistle first got together to form a jazz band called The Confederates. Roger Daltrey started his own band in 1959 called The Detours. By chance, Daltrey met Entwistle on the street in 1961 as Entwistle was carrying his bass guitar. They started talking and began playing together. Entwistle introduced Townshend and the three of them, along with drummer Doug Sandom formed the band that would become The Who. Pete Townshend's roommate actually came up with the band name after a night of trying to figure out what to call the band. (They were still going by The Detours until they realized there was another band called Johnny Devlin and the Detours). Townshend liked "The Hair" and his roommate liked "The Who". Daltrey heard both suggestions the next morning and decided on The Who. Sandom eventually left the group after getting into a verbal altercation with Townshend (they didn't speak for 14 years after). In April of 1964 the band met Keith Moon and the legacy began. On September 6, 1978 Keith Moon took 32 clomethiazole pills (a sedative and hypnotic used for alcohol withdrawal). He died early the next morning, he was 32. Kenney Jones, ex-Faces and Small Faces drummer, was asked to replace Moon in 1979. (Jones was with Moon the night before he died).
Albums: The Who Sings My Generation (1965); A Quick One [Happy Jack] (1966); The Who Sell Out (1967); Tommy (1969); Live At Leeds (1970); Who's Next (1971); Quadrophenia (1973); The Who By Numbers (1975); Who Are You (1978); The Kids Are Alright (1979); Face Dances (1981); It's Hard (1982); Who's Last (1984); Join Together (1990); Endless Wire (2006).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: None
Highest Song Rank: 9 - I Can See For Miles (1967)
Black Sabbath (1968-2006; 2011 to present)
Members: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice, Ian Gillian, Bev Bevan, Eric Singer, Glenn Hughes, Ray Gillen, Tony Martin, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Bobby Rondinelli
Tony Iommi and Bill Ward played in a band called Mythology that broke up in 1968. They wanted to form a new band with a heavy, blues rock sound. Bassist Geezer Butler and singer Ozzy Osbourne played together once in a band called Rare Breed. They were enlisted to join Iommi and Ward's new band after Osbourne placed an ad in a local music shop looking for gigs. They initially called themselves The Polka Tulk Blues Band after a brand of talcum powder Ozzy spotted at his mom's house. The eventually changed there name to Earth and started playing gigs and recording under that name. Iommi left the band for a bit to play with Jethro Tull, but returned very quickly. Upon his return the band realized they were being mistaken for another band named Earth and decided to change their name again. While rehearsing, the band noticed a large lineup across the road for a horror movie called "Black Sabbath". That inspired them to write the song "Black Sabbath" which, for it's time, was very heavy sounding, much different from the popular music of the late 1960's. Because of their newfound love of the heavy sound they created they decided to name the band Black Sabbath. They have gone through a great many lineup changes through the years, (follow this link for all the band members through the years http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Black_Sabbath_band_members) but the original members reunited in 2011 to release a new album and tour again, much to the pleasure of millions of fans and critics alike.
Albums: Black Sabbath (1970); Paranoid (1970); Master Of Reality (1971); Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 (1972); Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973); Sabotage (1975); Technical Ecstasy (1976); Never Say Die! (1978); Heaven & Hell (1980); Live At Last (1980); Mob Rules (1981); Live Evil (1982); Born Again (1983); Seventh Star (1986); The Eternal Idol (1987); Headless Cross (1989); TYR (1990); Dehumanizer (1992); Cross Purposes (1994); Forbidden (1995); 13 (2013).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: None
Highest Song Rank: 52 - Iron Man (1972)
Kiss (1973 to present)
Members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Eric Carr, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick
Gene Simmons formed a rock band in the early 1970's called Wicked Lester. A mutual friend of Gene's and Paul Stanley's introduced the two to each other. Stanley joined Wicked Lester. They recorded an album on Epic Records, but were dissatisfied with the band. They quit, looking to form a new band, in 1972. Through an ad in Rolling Stone magazine, Peter Criss came in to audition for the new band and was hired. Ace Frehley auditioned, wearing two different colour shoes, and impressed the trio. Soon, the Wicked Lester name was dropped. Peter Criss said he played in a band called Lips, and Paul Stanley said "What about Kiss?". The name stuck, as they all liked the idea of the giant SS as a visual in the name. There have been many changes to the lineup over the years, some being fired for heavy drug use (Simmons and Stanley have claimed to never have done drugs), some quitting because of the attention given to the two founding members. Through it all have been Simmons and Stanley, who both came up with the idea of the stage persona and makeup, and making Kiss one of the most successful bands in rock history.
Albums: Kiss (1974); Hotter Than Hell (1974); Dressed To Kill (1975); Alive! (1975); Destroyer (1976); Rock And Roll Over (1976); Love Gun (1977); Alive II (1977); Peter Criss (1978); Paul Stanley (1978); Gene Simmons (1978); Ace Frehley (1978); Dynasty (1979); Unmasked (1980); Music From "The Elder" (1981); Creatures Of The Night (1982); Lick It Up (1983); Animalize (1984); Asylum (1985); Crazy Nights (1987); Hot In The Shade (1989); Revenge (1992); Alive III (1993); MTV Unplugged (1996); Carnival Of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997); Psycho Circus (1998); Kiss Symphony: Alive IV (2003); Kiss Symphony: The Single Disc (2003); Sonic Boom (2009); Monster (2012).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: None
Highest Song Rank: 7 - Detroit Rock City (1976); Beth (1976).
Eagles (1971-1980; 1994 to present)
Members: Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Randy Meisner, Don Felder, Bernie Leadon, Timothy B. Schmit
In the Spring of 1971, Linda Ronstadt was looking for some session musicians and came upon Don Henley (member of a band named Shiloh) and Glenn Frey (member of the band Longbranch Pennywhistle). Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner joined Ronstadt on her Summer tour of that year. After playing together with Ronstadt, Henley and Frey approached Meisner and Leadon to form a band. They did, and signed a recording contract right away with a new label started by David Geffen called Asylum Records. During a drug influenced outing in the Mojave Desert, Leadon started talking about the Hopi's reverence for the eagle. The band liked the name "Eagles", but without the "The" usually attached. Bernie Leadon left in late-1975, making way for Joe Walsh to step in. Randy Meisner quit the band in 1977, making way for Schmit. In late 1980, after battling each other's huge egos, the band decided to call it quits. Many solo albums by the former band members followed, some successful, some not so much. In 1993 the band re-united for a Travis Tritt video for his version of "Take It Easy". This got the talks going for one of the most unlikely reunions ever and, in April of 1994, the band (Frey, Henley, Walsh, Felder and Schmit) got back together for the highly successful Hell Freezes Over tour and live album.
Albums: Eagles (1972); Desperado (1973); On The Border (1974); One Of These Nights (1975); Hotel California (1976); The Long Run (1979); Eagles Live (1980); Hell Freezes Over (1994); Long Road Out Of Eden (2007); New Zealand Concert (2009).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: One Of These Nights (1975); Best Of My Love (1975); New Kid In Town (1977); Hotel California (1977); Heartache Tonight (1979).
U2 (1976 to present)
Members: Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton
In Dublin, in September of 1976, Larry Mullen Jr., then 14 years old, posted a note in his school for band tryouts at his house. Six people came by to jam, three of them stayed for nearly 40 years! The band first called themselves Feedback because it was the only technical term they could think of. In 1977 they changed their name to The Hype. A punk rock musician and friend of Clayton's, Steve Averill, came up with six alternate names to call the band. They decided on one of them, "U2", because it was the one they disliked the least. Soon, they would become one of the most successful (winners of 19 Grammys) and loved bands in the world, never splitting up and always re-inventing themselves.
Albums: Boy (1980); 2 Sides Live (1981); War (1983); Under A Blood Red Sky (1983); The Unforgettable Fire (1984); The Joshua Tree (1987); Rattle And Hum (1988); Achtung Baby (1991); Zooropa (1993); Pop (1997); All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000); Hasta La Vista, Baby!: Live From Mexico (2000); How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (2004); Live From Paris (2008); No Line On The Horizon (2009).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: With Or Without You (1987); I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (1987).
Nirvana (1987 - 1994)
Members: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Aaron Burckhard, Dale Crover, Dave Foster, Chad Channing, Jason Everman
Cobain and Novoselic were schoolmates at Aberdeen High. Although they knew each other they didn't get together to form a band until three years after the two first met. Novoselid approached Cobain after hearing a demo tape of Cobain's then band Fecal Matter. They brought in drummer Aaron Burckhard and began writing new material. After going by the names Skid Row, Pen Cap Chew, Bliss and Ted Ed Fred, Cobain decided on Nirvana because it was a pleasant sounding name that contrasted the punk music they were playing. After Cobain and Novoselic moved to Olympia, Washington (Burckhard didn't move with them) they recruited Dale Crover of The Melvins to record their first demos. Dave Foster stepped in as drummer after Crover moved down to San Francisco in 1988. Foster left the band a few months later, eventually being replaced by Chad Channing. Jason Everman was brought in as a second guitarist when he funded their debut album "Bleach". Everman ended up leaving the band, saying he didn't quit and was never fired. Cobain and Novoselic were disenchanted with the drumming of Channing and fired him in 1990. Soon after the band auditioned a drummer brought to them by Buzz Osborne of The Melvins. It was September of 1990, and Dave Grohl became the band's new drummer after one audition. As I said at the beginning of this post, you may not like Nirvana, but there is no denying their influence on the music scene in the early 1990's.
Albums: Bleach (1989); Nevermind (1991); In Utero (1993); MTV Unplugged In New York (1994).
Number 1 Songs on Billboard: None
Highest Song Rank: 6 - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)
Ok, that's all for now...hope you enjoyed!
