The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool that released twelve albums between 1963 and 1970. They had seventeen No. 1 hits on the UK Singles Chart and twenty No. 1’s on the US Billboard Hot 100. With global estimated sales of 600 million units, they are the biggest-selling musical act of all time. […]
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 by guitarist Brian Jones with singer Mick Jagger and rhythm guitarist Keith Richards. They emerged in London’s R&B–beat boom with bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts. In November 1963, they scored their first UK hit with The Beatles cover “I Wanna Be Your […]
King Crimson are an English rock band, active at multiple intervals since 1969. The original lineup of guitarist Robert Fripp, bassist–singer Greg Lake, reedist–keyboardist Ian McDonald, and drummer Michael Giles made one album, In the Court of the Crimson King, the catalyst for symphonic-rock. When Lake departed for Emerson Lake & Palmer and McDonald and […]
Genesis was an English rock band that released fifteen studio albums between 1969 and 1997. They formed as a baroque-psych quintet at Charterhouse school and cut their debut album, From Genesis to Revelation, under the guidance of producer Jonathan King. The original lineup featured singer Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, guitarist Anthony Phillips, and bassist […]
Curved Air are an English symphonic-psych band that released four albums on Warner Bros. between 1970 and 1973, followed by two mid-decade albums on RCA Victor. They formed around the creative core of violinist Darryl Way, guitarist–keyboardist Francis Monkman, and alto vocalist Sonja Kristina. With a fluctuating rhythm section, Curved Air released the 1970–72 albums […]
Electric Light Orchestra is an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986. Conceived by multi-instrumentalists Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, ELO started as an avant-garde spinoff of The Move with drummer Bev Bevan. After one album of psychedelic baroque rock, Wood departed for Wizzard, leaving Lynne to head a septet […]
Renaissance are an English rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1969 and 1983. The original concept behind the name — a fusion of multi-century folksiness and ivory-laden classicism — was expanded and modernized over the years, culminating with the neon-powered, precision-fueled trio lineup of the early 1980s. They formed from the ashes of […]
Chicago are an American band formed in 1967; noted as one of the first rock acts with an integrated three-piece brass section. Between 1969 and 1980, they released twelve studio albums on Columbia, followed by five albums on Warner. For eleven years, they maintained the same seven members: keyboardist–singer Robert Lamm, guitarist–singer Terry Kath, bassist–singer […]
The Who are an English rock band that released ten studio albums between 1965 and 1982, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia. They started during the early sixties beat boom when singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist–songwriter Pete Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle evolved from West London hopefuls The Detours. In 1964, drummer Keith Moon joined […]
Gentle Giant was an English art-rock band that released eleven studio albums between 1970 and 1980. Their original lineup featured multi-instrumentalist brothers Phil, Derek, and Ray Shulman, plus guitarist Gary Green and composer–keyboardist Kerry Minnear. Derek, Phil, and Kerry traded lead vocals. In 1972, John Weathers joined as their permanent drummer. After the fourth album, […]
McDonald and Giles were an English symphonic-rock duo that released a self-titled album on Island in January 1971. The duo consisted of multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer–percussionist Michael Giles, who commenced the project fresh off their one-album stint in King Crimson. Michael cut an earlier album in Giles Giles and Fripp, a pop-psych trio with […]
Giles Giles and Fripp were the English pop-psych trio behind the 1968 Deram album The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp. They consisted of guitarist Robert Fripp and brothers Michael and Peter Giles. After the album, they demoed songs with singer Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention, Trader Horne) and keyboardist Ian McDonald. They morphed into […]
Nirvana was an English orchestral-pop duo comprised of Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos. They debuted with the 1967 rock opera, The Story of Simon Simopath, recorded with the four-piece Nirvana Ensemble. After their 1968 psych hit “Rainbow Chaser,” they released All of Us and the string-laden opus Dedicated to Markos III. Campbell-Lyons continued the name […]
Colosseum was an English brass-rock band that released the 1969 albums Those Who Are About to Die Salute You (Fontana) and Valentyne Suite (Vertigo). They were led by drummer Jon Hiseman and reedist Dick Heckstall-Smith, fellow travelers in the Graham Bond Organization and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. As an instigator of pop’s shift into maximalism, they […]
Byzantium was an English rustic-rock band that released the 1972/73 albums Byzantium and Seasons Changing on A&M, followed by a self-issued demos album. They were formed and managed by ex-Ora songwriter and frontman Jamie Rubinstein. Guitarist/singer Chas Jankel later served as the keyboardist and musical director of Ian Dury and the Blockheads and issued a […]
Jodo was an English hard-rock/blues band that released the album Guts on Decca in 1970. That same year, two members appeared on the MCA release Green Bullfrog, an impromptu jam session with members of Deep Purple. Members: Rod Alexander (lead guitar, vocals), Brian “Chico” Greenwood (drums), Earl Jordan (vocals), Bill Kimber [William E. Kimber] (vocals), […]
Jasper was an English blues-psych band that released the album Liberation on Spark Records in 1969. Half its members drifted soon afterward into Jodo and Trifle. Members: Nick Payn [aka Nick Payne] (vocals, harmonica, flute), Steve Radford (guitar), Jon Taylor (bass), Brian “Chico” Greenwood (drums), Alan Fealdman (keyboards) Formation Jasper formed in 1967 as Union […]
Please was an English pop-psych band that recorded two albums worth of material during 1968 and 1969. They emerged from Neon Pearl and underwent three iterations over a two-year period. Their constant was drummer Pete Dunton, who moonlighted in The Flies and Gun. Bassist Bernard Jinks formed Bulldog Breed, which cut the 1969 Deram album […]
Westwind was an English folk trio that released the album Love Is… on the Penny Farthing label in 1970. Members: Chris Stowell, Nick Storey, Sarah Dyson The Band Westwind consisted of singer-songwriters Chris Stowell, Nick Storey, and Sarah Dyson. Their light harmonies and arrangements drew from soft ’60s folk-pop à la Gale Garnett, The Seekers, […]
Wild Turkey was an English progressive hard-rock band that released the album Battle Hymn on Chrysalis in 1971, followed by Turkey in 1972. The band was formed by Jethro Tull‘s original bassist Glenn Cornick, who subsequently joined German rockers Karthago and later played in the stateside trio Paris. Members: Glenn Cornick (bass, 1971-74, 1995-97, 2006-14), […]
