In spite of (or, perhaps, because of) the prevailing social and cultural upheaval, and the growing generational divide between the hippies and anybody over the age of 30, the summer of 1967 came to be known as the Summer of Love.
Rock music in the summer of '67 reflected the growing conflict in Viet Nam, the drug experimentation of the counterculture, and the ongoing civil rights struggles.
The primary influence was the burgeoning West Coast "flower power" movement, centered in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and Los Angeles' Laurel Canyon rock music enclaves.
Groups like The Byrds, The Turtles and Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention were defining the Los Angeles rock scene. San Francisco contributed Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane.
The Doors broke on through to the other side with their self-titled debut album. The British sound was starting to mature, with the emergence of The Who and the shift of the The Beatles from purely commercial pop to concept albums and issue-oriented music.
All of these elements came together at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. The Who made their first U.S. appearance there. It was the first major gig for Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. It was the first major rock festival ever staged, and it served as the model for the genre.
Sounds of the Summer of ’67:
The Byrds – Byrds Greatest Hits - (MP3 download | Compare CD prices)
The Doors – The Doors - (MP3 download | Compare CD prices)
Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow - (MP3 download | Compare CD Prices)
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? - (MP3 download | Compare CD Prices)
Moby Grape – Moby Grape - (MP3 download | Compare CD Prices)
Mothers of Invention – Absolutely Free - (Compare CD Prices)
Timeline of the 20th Century: 1960-1969
1967 - 2nd Day of Christmas Past
1967 - Summer of Love
1969 - Summer of Woodstock
1970 - Summer of Discontent
1972 - Summer of Transition
1976 - Summer of Platinum
