British Invasion
tagStarted 1964Peak 1964-1966Last big hit 1967From United Kingdom
Located in 1 route
The mid-60s flood of British beat groups onto US charts: jangly Rickenbacker guitars, tight close harmonies, R&B-derived backbeats and two-and-three-minute pop singles in matching suits and moptop haircuts. Bright, energetic, melody-first — American rock and roll and Chicago blues reflected back across the Atlantic with sharp new gloss.
History
The Beatles' February 1964 Ed Sullivan appearance triggered a commercial deluge as US labels signed any UK beat group they could find. The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Animals and Herman's Hermits crowded the charts through 1966, reshaping American pop before psychedelia and homegrown answers shifted the landscape.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Invasion
- https://www.britannica.com/event/the-British-Invasion
- https://www.history.com/topics/1960s/british-invasion