3 Rock Bands From the 60s That Have Been (Wrongfully) Swept Under the Rug

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Kinks, Jimi Hendrix, and many more bands and acts were the talk of the town in the 60s. As a matter of fact, when folks talk about the 60s, those are usually the rock bands and musicians who come up in conversation. They are worthy of such praise; however, there are so many other bands out there that are too.

Don’t blame yourself for listening to the biggest names of the 60s. After all, with the amount of music that came out of the decade, it might be overwhelming and quite difficult to find something a bit more obscure. That being said, we’re going to help with your search by giving you the names of three 60s rock bands that were swept under the rug.

The Grass Roots

Weirdly enough, The Grass Roots‘ mainstream popularity is primarily not due to their music. Rather, it mostly has to do with their lead guitarist, Creed Bratton, who plays a fictionalized version of himself on the iconic television show, The Office.

Forget that fact, as these guys are much more than just that. During their heyday, The Grass Roots had three Top 10 hits and had a total of 21 songs appear on the Billboard Hot 100. Yet despite these accolades, their sound was seemingly bogged down due to the larger bands and musicians of the decorated decade.

The Flying Burrito Brothers

When it comes to the development of alt-country, alt-rock, and country rock, The Flying Burrito Brothers moved mountains. Headed by former Byrds member Gram Parsons, FBB existed for a short period of time in the 60s. However, they dropped a bomb with the release of their 1969 debut album, The Gilded Palace of Sin.

The album only peaked at No. 164 on the Billboard 200. Though more importantly, it became a foundational work in regard to the development of country rock and Americana music. FBB never acquired much commercial success before its end, but the group is still incredibly worthy of a listen.

The Sonics

Do you remember a little band called Nirvana? Surely, but what you might not remember is the name The Sonics. If not for The Sonics, the music of the 90s might have sounded drastically different. They were one of the most important rock bands of the 60s. Formed in 1960, The Sonic predated the grunge, punk, and garage rock boom of the 90s and early 2000s.

Despite being ahead of their time, The Sonics never acquired loads of mainstream success during their run in the 60s. However, as decades have passed, people outside of their scene have come to appreciate their work and its lasting influence.

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