- Turn! Turn! Turn! · 1965
- Mr. Tambourine Man · 1965
- Fifth Dimension (Bonus Track Version) · 1966
- Younger Than Yesterday · 1967
- Mr. Tambourine Man · 1965
- Greatest Hits · 1966
- Forrest Gump (The Soundtrack) · 1965
- Sweetheart of the Rodeo · 1968
- Younger Than Yesterday · 1967
- Greatest Hits · 1967
- Sweetheart of the Rodeo (Legacy Edition) · 1968
- Greatest Hits · 1965
- Mr. Tambourine Man · 1965
Essential Albums
- In 1968, Gram Parsons blew through The Byrds like a hickory wind, resulting in this country-rock touchstone. They adopted The Louvin Brothers’ God-fearing sentiments and country-gospel leanings on “The Christian Life” and fitted out Bob Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” with a crisp canter and whirring organ. Parsons provided a couple of gems with hay in their hair—the gentle cluck and twang of “One Hundred Years from Now” and “Hickory Wind,” where the pedal steel, the harmonies, and everything else sigh in plaintive waltz-time.
- The Byrds started recording this 1968 album with four members and ended up with two, but the internal turmoil isn’t reflected in the harmonious songs and adventurous spirit. While there’s a golden glow to the nostalgic reverie of “Goin’ Back” and country picking of “You Ain’t Going Nowhere,” the group also push boundaries: “Artificial Energy” soundtracks a drug trip with blaring horns and phased guitars. And on the anti-conscription song “Draft Morning,” tinkling instrumentation and gentle vocals run into careening brass and gunfire sound effects.
- If Fifth Dimension is The Byrds' Revolver, then the follow-up, Younger Than Yesterday, is their Sgt. Pepper. While songs like "Eight Miles High" were the band's entry point into psychedelia, YTY is a full-blown head trip. C.T.A.-102 is a tune about alien life, replete with spacy electronic effects. Backward tapes add a disorienting feel to the dreamy "Thoughts and Words" and the Eastern-influenced "Mind Gardens," and trippy lyrics abound throughout the album. But tracks like the country-rocker "Time Between" and the harmony-heavy Dylan cover "My Back Pages" keep the band in touch with their rootsy side.
- Working quickly after the success of “Mr. Tambourine Man” and their debut album, The Byrds confirmed their place in the new folk-rock vanguard with an equally confident follow-up. Adapted from Pete Seeger’s own adaptation of the Book of Ecclesiastes, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” provided a hopeful salve for listeners in troubled times. Two more Bob Dylan covers and originals like Gene Clark’s stately “If You’re Gone” saw The Byrds refine their signature mix of jangle and harmony while also providing a preview of country rock.
- By adding rock electricity to four Bob Dylan covers, The Byrds created a jangly new pop hybrid on their innovative 1965 debut album. Gene Clark's five bittersweet originals balance Dylan's poetics with dolorous Beatles-influenced tunes like "I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better" and the winning bonus track "She Has a Way." The Byrds' distinctive harmonies and Roger McGuinn's electric 12-string guitar generate a signature sound that has influenced everyone from Dylan himself to R.E.M.
Artist Playlists
- Meet the founding fathers of folk-rock and country-rock.
- Jangly hits that turned on a generation.
- You'll find it's stranger than known.
- Building on the band's jangling guitars and soaring harmonies.
- Showcasing their serious songwriting chops.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
- 2006
- 2003
- 2001
- 2001
- 1998
About The Byrds
Folk rock, psychedelic rock, country rock—The Byrds helped pioneer them all in the ’60s and forever changed the face of popular music. ∙ Emerging from the L.A. folk scene, the group formed as The Jet Set in 1964, later changing their name to The Byrds as a tribute to the misspelled moniker of The Beatles. ∙ They twice hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965—first with their debut, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and then with “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season).” ∙ The 1966 single “Eight Miles High” ushered in the band’s psychedelic era, best exemplified by that year’s LP Fifth Dimension and 1967’s Younger Than Yesterday. ∙ South African jazz artist Hugh Masekela played trumpet on their 1967 single “So You Want to Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star,” which went on to be covered years later by Patti Smith and Tom Petty. ∙ Gram Parsons was drafted into the band in 1968 and featured heavily on that year’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo, one of the very first country-rock albums. ∙ Following numerous personnel changes, the group’s original lineup reunited in 1972 to record one final, self-titled LP, which surfaced the following year as the members went their separate ways. ∙ The Byrds were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and the band was later included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
- HOMETOWN
- Los Angeles, CA, United States
- FORMED
- 1964