Despite the band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the Yardbirds are far more famous for introducing the world to Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, to three of the most prolific guitarists of all-time. Although the band started off as somewhat of a blues-based cover band known for their instrumental breaks, over the years the Yardbirds began experimenting with various musical styles from punk to psychedelic rock. Although Ten Years After popularity was growing in overseas, it wasn’t until the band’s nine-minute performance of “I’m Coming Home” at Woodstock in 1969 that they received notoriety in the United States. Some hallmarks of the band’s sound include David Byron’s strong vocal performances and a heavy use of keyboards. Formed in 1975 by Gil Moore, Mike Levine, and Rik Emmett, Triumph is a legendary Canadian rock band known for their guitar-driven sound and outstanding live performances.
Following brief mainstream success with the aforementioned single “Go All The Way,” the band inadvertently shot themselves in the foot by experimenting with their sound over their next few records; a decision that produced plenty of great music that no one listened to. Well, even though they were a mainstream favorite, they were absolutely roasted by most music critics who wrote them off as just another generic rock act. An English rock band formed in 1969 right around the same time as other pioneering hard rock acts such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, UFO arguably played just as significant a role in kick-starting the heavy metal genre as those more popular bands, but only managed to achieve moderate success through the 1970s and early 1980s. In particular, their creative period between 1974-78 produced some of the most consistently excellent heavy music of the era, thanks to the addition of 18-year-old guitar prodigy Michael Schenker, who left the Scorpions to join the group. That’s a shame because Uriah Heap are a true music fan’s band, with melodic songs, multi-part harmonies, and music that draws on a range of diverse influences from progressive rock and jazz to even a bit of country.
Though one could argue that the inclusion of the Raspberries’ 1972 hit “Go All The Way” on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack – as well as being briefly featured in an episode of HBO’s short-lived series Vinyl – represents a bit of a cultural rediscovery of the Cleveland, Ohio pop rock band, the truth is that the group remains mostly forgotten. Due to a combination of drug abuse and bassist Felix Pappalardi’s declining hearing, Mountain disbanded in 1972 and though they’d reform the very next year, the band was never able to recapture the brief success of “Mississippi Queen” and their certified Gold debut album Climbing! Formed in 1969 by bass guitarist Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton, Wishbone Ash is best known for albums like Argus (1972), There’s the Rub (1974), Wishbone Ash (1970), and Pilgrimage (1971). Even though the band wasn’t as popular as classic rock bands like The Beatles, both Judas Priest and Iron Maiden have said on various occasions that Wishbone Ash was a major influence on their work. Schenker’s guitar heroics were the band’s main draw, but UFO featured virtuoso-level talent across the board, from Phil Mogg’s spectacular vocals, Pete Way’s chugging bass lines, and Andy Parker’s hard-hitting drum work.
That said, despite the band’s success in breaking into the U.S. Unfortunately, despite the band’s success, Savoy Brown has yet to receive the recognition they truly deserve, especially considering the band’s discography and relentless touring schedule. Nowadays, Savoy Brown is still touring and is made up of original member Kim Simmonds, alongside Pat DeSalvo and Garnet Grimm. Unfortunately, right as they were on the verge of making it big in the US, Schenker left the band and UFO began to fade from view, though they still tour to this day. Sure, you’ll still hear “We’re an American Band” and “Some Kind Of Wonderful” in heavy rotation on classic rock radio, but these reliable classic tunes only scratch the surface of Grank Funk Railroad’s accomplishments. “You kids don’t know Grand Funk? So why would we call a band as popular as Grand Funk were underrated? Once can definitely hear Uriah Heap’s influence in later prog-metal acts such as Queensryche and Dream Theater, but the band as a whole is right up there with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, austin fc jerseys and the aforementioned UFO in helping to create what would become heavy metal.