In the 1960s, music was a cultural export. It actually all started the decade before. Blues music from the United States made it across the Atlantic Ocean and British kids started to mimic the songs. Those kids later grew up and formed rock bands that came to America as part of the “British Invasion” craze.
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We’ve all seen the clips from The Ed Sullivan Show—American teens going nuts for groups like The Beatles. Well, here below, we wanted to highlight three more British Invasion bands that inspired fans. Indeed, these are three British Invasion bands from the 1960s who inspire us to sing.
The Animals
Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the early 1960s, The Animals released their self-titled debut album in 1964. Chances are you’ve heard at least one track from that LP—the band’s famed version of the classic New Orleans ode “The House of the Rising Sun”. The group’s iconic rock frontman Eric Burdon was known for his powerful singing voice and later in the decade he went on to front the band War, an outfit known for songs like “Low Rider”.
The Hollies
What started in Manchester, Lancashire, England, in the early 1960s would go on to change the world. The Hollies helped to introduce the world to artists like Graham Nash, who would later form Crosby, Stills & Nash in the late 1960s. Known for their lilting, blissful harmonies, The Hollies released their debut LP, Stay With The Hollies, in 1964. They released their sophomore record, In The Hollies Style, later that same year.
The Kinks
The Kinks are likely one of the best-known British Invasion bands. While they are not as famous as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones (in part because of an American tour ban that hurt them at their height), many songs from The Kinks have persisted throughout the years, including tracks like “You Really Got Me”, “All Day And All Of The Night”, and “Lola” The Kinks were such an influential band that it’s said the band’s lead guitarist Dave Davies is said to have invented distortion by slicing a bit of his amp with a razor blade.
Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images









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