3 Classic Rock Songs From the 1960s That Changed Forever After One Live Performance

These three live versions of classic rock songs from the 1960s forever changed how audiences viewed them. It’s impossible to return to the studio recordings after you experience even a fraction of what it might’ve been like to hear these live in their day. These songs support the idea that rock music is best experienced rather than idly listened to.

“My Generation” — The Who

The Monterey Pop Festival hosted many iconic music moments, including an explosive performance of The Who’s “My Generation.” This anthemic 1960s rock song got even more powerful as Keith Moon and Pete Townshend destroyed their instruments.

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Moon set off some explosives, causing his drums to go up in a thick cloud of smoke. Downstage, Townshend smashed his guitar into pieces, completing the destructive picture. This became the portrait of “My Generation” for decades to come. To add even more fuel to the fire of this iconic moment, Jimi Hendrix famously lit his guitar and smashed it up right after The Who’s set, on the same stage.

“Crossroads” – Cream

Cream famously covered Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. They turned this blues staple into a 1960s rock song with the help of Eric Clapton’s searing guitar work. Clapton’s playing here completely reshaped the guitar hero era, paving the way for rock to turn up the amps and let loose.

Being the building block of rock, this blues song was just begging for a genre makeover. Cream provided that, earning one of their signature songs. They took this story about life’s struggles and made it an anthem for the origin of rock music, performed by one of its greatest purveyors in the 1960s.

“All Along The Watchtower” — Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix’s version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” was always going to switch things up from the original. But it’s the scorching live versions he delivered in the 1960s that really drove home the differences. Hendrix turned this meditative Dylan classic into a punked-up, guitar-heavy anthem. His live renditions of this song were the stuff of mystifying rock legend.

In fact, his live versions of this song were so powerful that he effectively adopted this song as his own. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a Hendrix write. The endurance of his version certainly speaks to that claim.

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