Golden Age Rock: 10 Wild Facts About Iconic Bands

The 60s brought Beatlemania, mini-skirts, and lava lamps, while the 70s were all about bell bottoms and David Bowie. The 80s had us rocking to The Clash on our Walkmans, and the 90s introduced the Sony Discman filled with Alanis Morrissette and Pearl Jam. For many hardcore music fans, these decades are the ‘golden age’ of music, a time of influential bands and iconic artists.

Studies even suggest that music from the 60s to the 90s is more memorable than modern songs, even among millennials. Let’s dive into some interesting facts about these bands that left a lasting mark on the music industry.

10. Cetera Has No Time for Chicago

Chicago, originally the Chicago Transit Authority, has sold over 40 million albums in the U.S. alone. Peter Cetera, co-founder and frontman, left in 1984 for a solo career. In 2016, he declined to perform with Chicago at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction because they wouldn’t lower the key of “25 or 6 to 4,” stating that “nothing about the event sounded like fun.”

Robert Lamm, another co-founder, responded that Cetera could have at least stood with them, even if he didn’t want to perform.

9. The Amp, The Amp, Is On Fire

AC/DC, a band synonymous with Brian Johnson’s iconic screams, got their name from Malcolm and Angus Young’s sister, who saw the initials AC/DC on a sewing machine. She also came up with Angus’s school uniform stage outfit.

During a 1977 recording of “Let There Be Rock,” Angus’s guitar amplifier caught fire. Malcolm urged him to keep playing, and he did. The same thing happened during “Rock or Bust.” Angus thought the glow was from a cigarette.

8. Led Zeppelin and Aleister Crowley

Led Zeppelin’s music is often linked to conspiracy theories, particularly the idea that Jimmy Page sold his soul to the devil. This idea gained traction after Page bought occultist Aleister Crowley’s former home in Scotland in 1971. Page, a Crowley fan, had Crowley’s sayings inscribed on Led Zeppelin III vinyl records.

Rumors suggest Page asked his bandmates to participate in a ‘magick’ ritual inspired by Crowley’s writings, but only John Paul Jones declined. In 1972, Page worked on the soundtrack for the movie, Lucifer Rising, but parted ways with the filmmaker, Kenneth Anger, in 1975. Anger, a ‘magick practitioner,’ allegedly put a curse on Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page, which was blamed for the troubles that followed.

7. Heart & Van Halen

Heart, formed in 1970, featuring sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, faced a rocky road to success, including a comeback in 1985. In their 2012 biography, the Wilson sisters share stories about other bands, including one night when Led Zeppelin walked in while they were playing Stairway to Heaven in a small club. The night ended with Jimmy Page passed out cold.

The sisters also recall meeting Eddie and Alex Van Halen in 1979. After Ann and Nancy declined their advances, the conversation shifted to music. When Nancy learned Eddie didn’t own an acoustic guitar, she gifted him hers. Overcome with gratitude, Eddie serenaded her the next morning with a song he had written in her honor.

6. Airplay Thanks to a Student

Roxette, formed in 1986, achieved massive success with 19 UK Top 40 hits and four number one songs in the US. Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were established artists when they recorded “Neverending Love” as Roxette. The song was a hit in Sweden, marking the start of their global success. Roxette has sold over 75 million records worldwide.

Their first global hit, “The Look,” gained airplay after an American exchange student, Dean Cushman, shared it with his local radio station. One of Roxette’s most popular songs, “It Must Have Been Love”, wasn’t written for Pretty Woman. They chose a song they had written two years prior due to time constraints.

5. The Band Who Outsold The Beatles

The Monkees, consisting of Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones, were formed for the TV sitcom, The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968. Despite their success, The Monkees are banned from the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame because co-founder Jann Wenner insisted that they were hired as actors, not musicians.

Despite this, in 1967, The Monkees outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined.

4. The Animals’ Influence

The Animals, known for their distinctive sound in “The House of the Rising Sun,” included Eric Burdon, Alan Price, Chas Chandler, Hilton Valentine, and John Steel. The band’s sound inspired Bob Dylan’s shift to electric instruments.

Bruce Springsteen credited The Animals at the South by Southwest Festival in 2012. After The Animals disbanded, Chas Chandler discovered Jimi Hendrix and helped him form The Jimi Hendrix Experience, financing their first single and suggesting he set his guitar on fire.

3. A Band of Trouble

Oasis, formed from a previous group called the Rain, featured brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. With over 75 million records sold, they are one of the best-selling bands of all time.

The feud between the Gallagher brothers became infamous. Noel quit in 1994 after Liam threw a tambourine at him, and in 1995, Noel hit Liam with a cricket bat. In 1996, Liam heckled the band from the crowd at an MTV Unplugged show he pulled out of.

Oasis faced lawsuits for allegedly ripping off a Beatles parody band member and a Coca-Cola jingle. Their ‘war’ with Blur escalated to the point where Noel wished Damon Albarn and Alex James would “catch AIDS and die.”

2. First Choice for Friends’ Opening Song

R.E.M. is known for “Shiny Happy People,” which was almost the opening song for Friends, and “Everybody Hurts.” Michael Stipe disliked “Shiny Happy People” due to its peppy lyrics, calling it “a fruity pop song written for children.”

R.E.M.’s song “Monty Got a Raw Deal” was inspired by actor Montgomery Clift, not Monty Hall. Stipe wrote the song after a photographer who worked on The Misfits visited R.E.M. in the studio and showed them photos from the movie set.

1. Cobain and Vedder Slow Dancing

Eddie Vedder joined Pearl Jam, originally known as Mookie Blaylock, in 1990. They have sold over 85 million albums worldwide and are considered one of the most influential bands of the 90s.

Labeled ‘sell-outs’ by Nirvana after their album ‘Ten’ became a hit, rumors spread of a feud between Nirvana and Pearl Jam. However, at the 1992 VMA’s, Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain shared a slow dance as Eric Clapton played ‘Tears of Heaven,’ setting aside their differences.