Artist Playlists
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Formed in 1968, trailblazing Florida band Lynyrd Skynyrd released a string of platinum-selling albums in the '70s. Known for their killer live shows, Skynyrd's swampy mix of blues, R&B, and vintage rock 'n' roll made them the definitive Southern rock band. Their lyrics spun affecting tales about alcoholism, drug addiction, and the futility of racism. This playlist includes signature songs and essential cuts recorded both before and after the tragic 1977 plane crash that claimed the lives of three Skynyrd members, including original singer Ronnie Van Zant. - How did Lynyrd Skynyrd cement their Southern sound? By blending bluesy gusts of guitar from The Rolling Stones (“Wild Horses”) with the freewheeling jams of The Allman Brothers (“Jessica”), and adding Clapton's straight-ahead grooves on a “Bottle of Red Wine” to the airy heaviness of Led Zeppelin (“Stairway to Heaven”)—creating an unmistakably original vibe based around laidback-yet-tight guitar, seasoned singing, and mellow beats.
- After losing their lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant to a plane crash in 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd found an unexpected second life in the ‘80s with the help of Van Zant's younger brother Johnny. On brass-fueled rockers like “Good Lovin's Hard to Find,” the troupe taps into the same Southern-fried energy that made early country-rock gems like “Every Mother's Son” so vital.
- If any band defines the spirit of Southern rock, it's Skynyrd. The Florida band blazed the path for fiery, towering guitar sagas like The Outlaws' “Green Grass and High Tides” and paved the way for road tunes like The Marshall Tucker Band's lonesome, busted “Can't You See.” Drive-By Truckers wear their Skynyrd love on their sleeves, and you can hear it in the muscled-up crunch of “Sink Hole.”