10 Legendary Rock Shows In Music History
3. Woodstock 1969
At the end of the ‘60s, rock music was definitely starting to move in a much more psychedelic direction. In the wake of bands like the Beatles getting involved with Eastern music and the Rolling Stones changing up their usual bluesy formula, you had bands from across the pond also getting a buzz with their own brand of rock and roll. The times were a-changin, and we got some of the best performances in one field in New York.
When people describe what happened at Woodstock back in 1969, it almost feels like a utopia, with hippies interacting with each other in an act of peace and love. The music was at the forefront though, and every band on the bill gave you a different flavor of what rock could be. There were your typical blues bands to be sure, but the fresh faces really lit up the stage, from Santana bringing more exotic scales into the mix to Jimi Hendrix taking the stage early in the morning with his now legendary take on the Star Spangled Banner.
Even some of the seasoned veterans of the rock scene held their own as well, with the Who being on the tour for Tommy and opening listeners' minds to what could really be done with rock and roll outside of the 3 minute pop song formula. The Vietnam War was still raging half a world away, but for a brief moment in this field, it felt like world peace may have actually been possible.