10 Best American Classic Rock Bands Of All Time

The 60's saw the rock scene absolutely explode thanks to the British Invasion. The great sounds of bands like The Beatles and The Stones reignited many kids' love for rock and roll. Though Britain may have dominated the starting point, the real rock and roll was always front and center in American culture.

From Chuck Berry onward, rock and roll has been ingrained in the DNA of many American musicians since the first time they picked up a guitar. With the rock tendencies being nearly second nature, these bands were poised to take the genre in new and exciting directions from the word go. While many rock bands get by making the typical sounds of the era, these artists have taken bold sonic leaps that have given them the ability to expand further than just the 3-minute rock single.

Whether it be innovations through instruments, presentation, or just raw attitude, these bands were the true originals of their day whose impact can still be felt all these years later. It's easy to judge some of these acts based on the sheer amount of success they received, but success can only carry you so over. Becoming classic comes from hitting a nerve that hits much deeper than a #1 single.

At the tail end of the 1960's, many rock fans were still immersed in the psychedelic haze. Out of all the trippy music to come from places like San Francisco, something a bit more organic was festering out of Texas.

Starting out as a psych-rock act called The Moving Sidewalks, ZZ Top quickly abandoned their more mind-expanding vision and created some of the most earthy blues rock that had ever been produced. The grooves that were laid down on tracks like "Tush" and "La Grange" could always get any rock audience moving. Though the group is known best as a collective, the undisputed star is Billy Gibbons, who uses his Les Paul to create some of the tastiest blues licks that would leave any guitarist itching to play.

That didn't necessarily mean the band was a one-trick pony either. As the band made their way through the video era, they quickly adapted to the 80's look with bright synths and some of the most luscious beards that have ever been achieved in the rock scene. There were certainly many musicians looking to use their music as an escape from their everyday life, but ZZ Top were the blues masters who taught every self-respecting rocker how to boogie.