Summertime is a special time for Classic Rock fans. Outdoor festivals, weekends at the beach, memories of youthful summers danced away to a rock beat.
Summers have also been significant as part of the genre's history. Here are some of the most memorable Summers of Classic Rock.
1967 - Summer of Love
1969 - Summer of Woodstock
1970 - Summer of Discontent
1972 - Summer of Transition
1976 - Summer of Platinum
1967 – Summer of Love
In spite of (or, perhaps, because of) the prevailing social and cultural upheaval, and the growing generational divide between the hippies and anybody over the age of 30, the summer of 1967 came to be known as the Summer of Love. The primary influence was the burgeoning West Coast “flower power” movement, centered in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon rock music enclaves.
Rock music in the summer of ’67 reflected the growing conflict in Viet Nam, the drug experimentation of the counterculture, and the ongoing civil rights struggles. Groups like the Byrds, Crosby Stills & Nash, and the Turtles were defining the Los Angeles rock scene. San Francisco contributed Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane. The Doors broke through with their self-titled debut album. The British sound was starting to mature, with the emergence of The Who and the shift of the Beatles from purely commercial pop to concept albums and issue-oriented music.
All of these elements came together at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. The Who made their first U.S. appearance there. It was the first major gig for Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. It was the first major rock festival ever staged, and it served as the model for the genre.
Sounds of the Summer of ’67:
The Byrds – Byrds Greatest Hits - Compare CD Prices
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? - Compare CD Prices
Moby Grape – Moby Grape - Listen | Compare CD Prices
Mothers of Invention – Absolutely Free - Compare CD Prices
Yardbirds – Little Games - Compare CD Prices
Top 10 Oldies of 1967
Top Movies of 1967
Timeline of the 20th Century: 1960-1969
1967 - 2nd Day of Christmas Past
1967 - Summer of Love
1969 - Summer of Woodstock
1970 - Summer of Discontent
1972 - Summer of Transition
1976 - Summer of Platinum
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