Rock ‘n’ roll bands are pressure cookers. Fame, fortune, drugs, romance, ego, and so many other things are so conducive to conflict and catastrophe. Consequently, some of the greatest rock bands have been incredibly short-lived when they had the legs to run for decades upon decades.
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While short-lived rock bands are a shame, there is something poetic about them. Poetic in the sense that their music has outlived them by so many years. That being said, we are going to remember three short-lived rock ‘n’ roll bands that still managed to make history.
Cream
Cream is one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. However, they only stayed together for two years. Consisting of Eric Clapton on guitar, Ginger Baker on drums, and Jack Bruce on bass, Cream had the makings of becoming a giant that spanned across generations. However, the band members’ intense personalities led them to break up.
Together from 1966 to 1968, Cream released four iconic albums. Thanks to those four albums, Cream acquired several Billboard Hot 100 singles and received a Grammy nomination at the 11th annual awards show. Other than their tangible success, the band has remained to be of a pinnacle figure of 60s counter-culture music.
The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols are one of the most memorable bands of all time. While their music surely helped them achieve that feat, it was their gung-ho and rattling attitude that truly helped them solidify their memorability. Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten, and other band members were highly controversial, but this controversy seemingly got in the way, as the band broke up after being together for just around three years.
The Sex Pistols were together from 1975 to 1978. During their time together, they released the notable singles “God Save The Queen”, “Anarchy In The UK”, and “Holidays In The Sun”. The Sex Pistols never won any major awards, but that is not what they were about. What was seemingly more important to them was creating the subculture of punk rock, which they accomplished with flying colors.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Jimi Hendrix is often considered the greatest guitar player of all time. Although he likely would not have had the platform to acquire that unofficial title if it wasn’t for his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Which, unfortunately, only lasted for roughly three years after bassist Noel Redding quit.
Active from 1966 to 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three studio albums. These three albums hosted the hits that made Jimi Hendrix one of the most influential guitarists in music history. Furthermore, thanks to their monumental music, the group received an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and two Gold certifications for their albums, Are You Experienced and Axis: Bold as Love.
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