Underrated Rock Bands That Fell Through the Cracks During the British Invasion

We all know The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. But what about the underrated bands that never go quite as big during the infamous British Invasion musical movement? For those not in the know, the British Invasion was a musical and cultural movement that kicked off in the 1960s. British bands in the rock and pop genres gained international fame during those years, but a few genuinely good bands didn’t make it big. Let’s look at a few bands that deserve some love!

1. The Shadows

The Shadows never made it big, but they definitely could have gone from underrated to mainstream darlings out of many of the British Invasion bands out there. The rock outfit started out as Cliff Richard’s supporting band. 

Their sound was new, interesting, and focused more on the integration of the electric guitar. And we all know how important the electric guitar was to evolving rock music at the time. The Beatles were even fans of The Shadows, so it’s surprising that they weren’t more well-known. Though, it is worth noting that they were absolutely massive in England; just not as famous on an international level.

2. Pretty Things

Pretty Things’ lead guitarist, Dick Taylor, was once the bassist for The Rolling Stones. He even went to school with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

This band was a unique one, and it isn’t clear why they didn’t resonate with international audiences. They managed to go from beat music to psychedelic rock seamlessly, and few musicians took that route at the time. S.F. Sorrow is one of the earliest rock operas in music history, and it’s definitely essential listening.

3. The Big Three

The Big Three were known for the song “Some Other Guy”, and they were also quite a bit ahead of their time. The underrated outfit came together in the late 1950s before the British Invasion really took off. The Big Three’s Brian Casser was even in a band with The Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman. Johnny Hutchinson almost became The Beatles’ drummer, too.

They had managed to dodge the pop leanings of British music during their time and sounded almost American in a way. It doesn’t make sense why they didn’t get more famous.

4. The Merseybeats

These Liverpool rockers gained some national fame with “I Think Of You” and “Sorrow”. David Bowie even covered the latter. Unfortunately, The Merseybeats struggled to get any international attention, but they were quite loved in their native Briain throughout the 1960s.

Photo by Dezo Hoffman/Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.