Yardbirds

Of the bands that rose from British blues and R&B scene of the 1960s, few were as influential and adventurous as the Yardbirds. They started out as blues purists, but with time they blazed trails in experimental pop, psychedelia, and hard rock, as well as introducing three of the most celebrated British guitarists of the era: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. They pioneered what they called the "rave-up," adding intense, high-energy instrumental passages to their shows with frantic guitar and harmonica soloing, and while their recorded legacy was not large, few of their peers could match them for both power and originality. The 2001 collection Ultimate! is a well-curated career overview, 1964's Five Live Yardbirds is a riveting document of their blues period, and 1966's Roger the Engineer captured them at the peak of their psychedelic era and is arguably their best album.