What Happened to the Biggest Bands of the 1960s?
The music scene of the 1960s continued with the rise of pop and rock ‘n roll genres and ended with rock music’s popularity. Bands from Britain especially gained worldwide fame and dominated the charts. Join us as we explore some famous bands from the 1960s and their present conditions.
The Beatles
English band The Beatles is the best-selling band in history, with over 600 million units of their albums sold. Decades after their release, songs like “Here Comes the Sun” and “Hey Jude” remain fan favorites. Today, only original band member Paul McCartney and long-time drummer Ringo Starr are alive and pursuing individual careers.
Led Zeppellin
Led Zeppellin is widely regarded as the founder of heavy metal and hard rock. They dominated the music scene with hit songs, selling around 250 million copies of their albums. Led Zepellin disbanded in 1980, with all but one of the original members maintaining solo careers.
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees were a band composed of siblings Robin, Barry, and Maurice Gibb. Known as the disco kings, they achieved mainstream success primarily in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. Although the band remained together for most of the years since their formation, they disbanded after losing some members.
Queen
Decades after their release, songs like “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” still resonate with rock music lovers. British band Queen made waves in the music scene of the 1960s, selling over 250 million records. Today, the band’s original members, except Freddie Mercury, perform solo occasionally.
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English band comprised of Ray and Dave Davies, Pete Quaife, and Mick Avory. Although they achieved mainstream success in the U.K., they also made the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Top 100. The band split in 1997, with the three surviving members pursuing individual careers.
