5 Bands Formed in 1964 That Shaped Rock ‘N’ Roll as We Know It

We often think of Beatlemania within the context of screaming, crying female fans, but there was another side effect of this cultural phenomenon that was even more pervasive in its own way: countless bands forming across the globe, inspired by seeing four lads from Liverpool work together as an ensemble, as opposed to a backing band that supports one lead star, like Elvis or Chuck Berry. The bands that formed in 1964 were a part of this massive influx of group projects, and these five, in particular, would go on to shape rock ‘n’ roll and its many subgenres as we know it today.

The Who

Several members of The Who had been playing together in various projects across London as early as 1961. However, they didn’t become The Who until the early winter of 1964. That was also the same year that Pete Townshend destroyed a guitar on stage for the first time, setting a standard that countless musicians would replicate after him. The Who helped pioneer the ear-splittingly loud, full-of-bravado brand of rock ‘n’ roll that would help spawn subgenres like heavy metal and punk rock bands like The Stooges, The Clash, and Pearl Jam. 

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Lynyrd Skynyrd began its earliest incarnations in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, though they wouldn’t be officially called Lynyrd Skynyrd until 1969. In the years in between, the lineup solidified their Southern rock sound that would go on to define this particularly swampy and gritty subgenre. For as much as their band legacy is defined as the tragic plane crash that took so many founding members’ lives, the legacy is just as rooted in songs like “Free Bird”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Gimme Three Steps”, and “Simple Man”.

The Band

Of all the bands formed in 1964, The Band is arguably the only group that was so rare in the town they lived in that other townspeople simply referred to them as “the band” and everyone knew who they were talking about. Members of The Band had previously played together as the backing group for rockabilly artist Ronnie Hawkins before splitting with Hawkins and pursuing their own projects. Shortly thereafter, The Band got a gig as Bob Dylan’s backing band, where they would achieve even greater notoriety and cement themselves amongst other pioneers of the burgeoning folk-rock movement.

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper began as a student parody band of The Beatles called The Earwigs. The group came to be specifically for the Cortez High School’s annual talent show in Phoenix, Arizona. They eventually changed their name to Alice Cooper under the guidance of frontman Vincent Furnier, who would later adopt Alice Cooper as his stage name as well. Alice Cooper—both the person and the band—helped introduce and define shock rock to the rest of the world. What seems commonplace among heavy rock ‘n’ roll acts these days started with the daring stage antics of Cooper and crew.

The Velvet Underground

Lou Reed and John Cale met each other in New York City in late 1964 and quickly developed a close bond over their love of experimental music. They began playing together under the name The Primitives but quickly changed their name to The Velvet Underground by the following year. As The Velvet Underground, the musicians helped lay the groundwork for subgenres like art rock and proto-punk. Songs like “Sweet Jane”, “Venus In Furs”, and “Rock & Roll” helped establish their place as pioneering figures of these rock ‘n’ roll offshoots.

Photo by Mark Hayward Archive/Redferns