The sound of rock music came primarily from American rock and roll, blues, and country music. But strangely it was the British bands that took in the spirit of these musical forms and reshaped it into the popular genre of rock as we know it. There have been many great American rock bands that became prominent, particularly after the explosion of the modern rock style. But it was the British groups that truly became the ambassadors for this style and made it universally recognized and liked.
Here are a list of five of the most iconic British bands that put rock music on the map
The Beatles
There is virtually no artist in contemporary popular music who wasn’t influenced, either directly or indirectly, by The Beatles. After their first single became a hit in 1962, it took only two more years for them to become international superstars. They led what is known as the ‘British invasion’ from the front (it refers to how British bands popularised blues-rock or rock music in the United States). They became so popular and influential because of their astounding originality. They sounded like no one else and they made music that rocked people. The band’s notable albums include Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) are some of the notable early albums. The album cover of Abbey Road (1969) has immortalized by frequent references in music and pop culture.
Cream
Cream was formed as a super group with bassist Jack Bruce, drummer Ginger Baker, and guitarist Eric Clapton. The band stayed together for only three years. But that was enough for these three young musicians to change the face of popular music forever. Their powerful blues driven sound opened up a new horizon of musical frontier. Ginger Baker’s strange drumming coupled with Clapton’s guitar work and Bruce’s song writing created a unique sound that forged a path for others to follow. All of the four albums by Cream are great in their own ways. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Pink Floyd
All of the bands listed here have their own unique sound but none were perhaps quite as irreverently dismissive of all the conventions of writing music. Formed in London in 1965 by Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, one of the most known members of the band David Gilmour joined later. Despite their apparent lack of concern for creating radio friendly pop music, Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of all time. The band continues to be relevant and widely listened. Pink Floyd released fifteen studio albums and three live albums. The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and The Wall (1979) by Pink Floyd are two of the best-selling albums of all time.
Led Zeppelin
Some regard Led Zeppelin to be as influential in the 1970s as The Beatles were in the 1960s. Whether or not that is true, Led Zeppelin caused an earthquake with their immense overdriven guitar sound and unique riffs. The guitar player and primary songwriter Jimmy Page was a session musician and played in the famous group called The Yardbirds before founding Led Zeppelin. He already had a vision of the sound he wanted to create. Once he found the other members, everything just fell into place and the legendary Led Zeppelin was born. The band tragically disbanded after the death of drummer John Bonham. According to various estimates the band sold over 200 million units of records worldwide, becoming one of the best selling artists in the history of audio recording.
Queen
Who is the most charming and loved rock front man and singer of all time? While there is no right answer and it’s all subjective, the least controversial answer to this question is probably Freddy Mercury of Queen. Formed in London in 1970 Queen quickly became one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s. The first and original lineup consisted of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor. Freddie Mercury was not just the most awesome singer and front man, he was a gifted song writers and wrote most of Queen’s biggest hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are the Champions”, “Under Pressure”, “Killer Queen”, “Innuendo” and many more. But the other members of Queen were very important and were integral parts of the band’s sound even though they are overshadowed often by the extraordinary image of Mercury. The band’s songs “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” became anthems at sporting events. According different estimates, the number of record sales range from 170 million to 300 million, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists.
