5 Forgotten Rock Bands From the 1960s Worth Rediscovering

The 1960s have long since passed, but that special era of rock and roll still lives on in the hearts of listeners and fans alike. We think these five forgotten rock bands from the 1960s deserve as much love as their more-famous contemporaries. Let’s take a walk through music history, shall we?

1. The Youngbloods

Folk rock’s heyday was definitely in the 1960s. The Youngbloods were one of many forgotten folk rock bands from the 1960s that deserves a bit more attention than they got. Originally a coffee house act, The Youngbloods really fit into the vibe and music trends of the 60s. 

The trio began as a house band for the famed Café Au Go Go in Greenwich Village before making their breakthrough with “Get Together”. It was a charting hit that gave the band a lot of potential, but The Youngbloods inevitably broke up in 1972.

2. Manfred Mann

This English bluesy rock outfit was comically named after their keyboard player, Manfred Mann. They had quite a few hits in 1960s London. In fact, three of their songs hit no. 1 on the UK charts: “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”, “Pretty Flamingo”, and Bob Dylan’s original “The Mighty Quinn”. The band eventually broke up in 1969, and they deserved international attention when they were still together.

3. The Left Banke

The Left Banke was a stellar baroque band that fell through the cracks in the 1960s. The New York-based outfit had a few hits early on in their career, such as “Pretty Ballerina” and “Walk Away Renee”. Unfortunately, the band broke up in 1969 due to interpersonal tensions.

4. Herman’s Hermits

Herman’s Hermits put in the work when they were active in the 1960s. They penned seven whole albums and appeared in three films. And we can’t forget their no. 1 Billboard chart-topping hits, “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” and “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”. 

Herman’s Hermits was one of the most iconic acts to come out of Manchester, England at the time. They’ve since faded into obscurity, and we just don’t think that’s fair. They were an incredible rock-pop outfit and still are today. 

5. Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs

This proto-punk rock and roll outfit did not exactly age well. Almost comically offensive costuming aside, Domingo Samundo and his band put out some seriously addictive tunes in the 1960s. “Wooly Bully” wouldn’t leave the Hot 100 chart for 18 weeks. Nobody was doing garage rock quite like they were.

Photo by Michael Putland

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