3 Bands That Came From the Infamous Laurel Canyon Folk Rock Scene

The Greenwich Village folk scene, the development of the Nashville Sound, and the psychedelic rock wave are just three of the movements that robustly defined the popular music of the 20th century. One other movement to add to that list is the one that transpired in a neighborhood in the hills of Hollywood called Laurel Canyon.

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Now, you devout music heads are surely well aware of what Laurel Canyon is and its significance to 20th-century rock ‘n’ roll. However, if you’re not familiar with the landmark, the importance behind it has to do with the musicians and the revolutionary sound that came out of it. Its musical influence is up there with locations such as Nashville, the Mississippi Delta, Greenwich Village, New Orleans, Austin, and Kansas City. Though it would not have received that prestige if it weren’t for the acclaimed bands that came from there. Here are just three of them!

The Mamas & The Papas

The Mamas & The Papas helped introduce the Laurel Canyon sound to the mainstream, and impressively, they did so primarily with their vocals. The folk rock vocal group got its start in Laurel Canyon after leaving Greenwich Village. After the move was made, they became a product of the neighborhood, and consequently, the neighborhood became a product of them.

The Mamas & The Papas’ career only lasted from 1965 to 1968. However, during those years, the group released iconic 60s staples “California Dreamin’”, “Monday, Monday”, and “Dream A Little Dream Of Me”. For a while, they were the band from Laurel Canyon, and consequently, one of the most popular groups of the 1960s.

The Byrds

The Byrds helped define the Laurel Canyon sound, and given the sound’s importance in the evolution of folk rock, The Byrds also inherently helped define that genre. Regardless, like many other bands, The Byrds walked, talked, played, and did their stuff in the storied Hollywood Hills, and if they resided elsewhere during the beginning of their careers, their is a liklihood their sound and likeness would have been much different.

The Byrds are, of course, known for their hit songs “The Airport Song”, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, and their several Bob Dylan covers. In addition to creating their own legacy, they also inadvertently created the legacy of another Laurel Canyon band, and that band was Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

The Eagles

The Eagles are arguably the most famous folk-rock band of all time. They didn’t emerge into the mainstream during the thick of the Laurel Canyon folk rock movement. Rather, they emerged towards the tail end of it. So, in a way, The Eagles marked the end of both the movement and the 1960s sounds that the location was producing.

We need not remind you of The Eagles’ highly decorated soundtrack. However, that soundtrack would not be the epitome of California folk rock if it weren’t for the formative years the band spent in Laurel Canyon.

(Side note: if you want to learn more about Laurel Canyon, check out this documentary.)

Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns