Any introduction to southern rock and its key bands should begin with the blues. The style has one massive foot firmly within the blues, and one other – perhaps barely smaller – foot in nation music. All of it comes collectively in a singular model that has a little bit of Elvis Presley boogie, Jerry Lee Lewis angle, Muddy Waters talent, and Buddy Man swing whereas touring a street fully its personal. The non secular dwelling of this music is Macon, Georgia, the place Phil Walden based Capricorn Information. The label’s artist roster learn like a who’s who of Southern Rock: There was Moist Willie, Grinderswitch, Elvin Bishop, The Marshall Tucker Band, and, after all, The Allman Brothers Band. Since these heady days, the style has grown to embody the complete area and past. On this introduction to southern rock bands and artists, we provide a pathway into the style for these seeking to get acquainted. – Richard Havers
On the lookout for some tunes to accompany this text? Take a look at our Southern Rock playlist on Spotify.
Allman Brothers Band
In the event you’re on the lookout for the beginnings of Southern Rock, there could also be no higher place to begin than the Allman Brothers. Shaped in Jacksonville, Florida by the brothers Allman, they had been the catalyst for quite a few different bands to introduce their very own southern-ness to rock. There’s Duane Allman and his sinuous slide guitar solos, brother Gregg Allman hunched over his Hammond B3 pounding out the ambiance in addition to dealing with a lot of the vocals, and there’s Dickey Betts whose rippling counterpoint guitar affords an incredible different to Duane. The 1973 album Brothers and Sisters topped the charts in America and broke the band in lots of international locations all over the world. And, for a lot of, their dwell album At Fillmore East is certainly one of rock’s definitive live performance recordings. It was additionally the final full recording on which Duane Allman performed, as he was killed in a bike accident in October 1971. – Richard Havers
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington shaped a band in 1964 and, by 1970, had lastly settled on the identify of a trainer from Rossington’s college – Leonard Skinner. The group’s debut album beneath that identify, Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd came out three years later. It featured “Free Bird” and “Simple Man,” two of the biggest Southern rock songs ever put to tape. While the Allman Brothers had a hint of jazz about them, Lynyrd Skynyrd were the epitome of a driving, bluesy hard rock band. This sometimes prevented people from appreciating just what a fine songwriter Ronnie Van Zant was. In four short years, however, the group put together an incredible Southern rock catalogue including eternal hits like “Sweet Home Alabama.” Then, tragedy struck. Their 1977 album, Street Survivors, had been out for just a week and the band two days into a major tour when their chartered aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed in Mississippi, killing Van Zant, a brilliant guitarist Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie, a backing singer for the band. Their legacy lives on, and their songs ensure their place at Southern Rock’s high desk is assured. – Richard Havers
Ozark Mountain Daredevils
A real bunch of mountain-dwelling hippies, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils may play something from folks and bluegrass, to straight-ahead pop and fist-wavers like their regional hit “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” (which after all entails elevating slightly hell). Their peak-era albums had been finely polished within the studio by star English producer Glyn Johns, who inspired their variety. Pretty much as good as it’s, their one massive hit “Jackie Blue” doesn’t actually sum up their sound. You actually need to pay attention to a couple tunes to get a really feel for what this group was all about. Begin with the aforementioned songs, then take a look at “Standing on the Rock,” “You Made It Right,” and “Chicken Train.” – Brett Milano
ZZ High
ZZ High all the time stood aside musically from the remainder of the Southern rock crowd, as a stripped-down blues-rock trio who had been by no means into lengthy jams. They stood aside much more as soon as they acquired into synthesizers. However the “little ol’ band from Texas” all the time wore their Southern roots as a badge of honor, together with locally-slanted songs like “My Head’s in Mississippi” on the synth albums and the plain swing of “La Grange” from Tres Hombres. – Brett Milano
The Black Crowes
Brothers Chris and Wealthy Robinson picked up the Southern rock banner within the 90s and waved it proudly, revitalizing the style with an Otis Redding cowl (“Hard to Handle”) and a stack of stable albums together with the traditional Southern Concord and Musical Companion. In later years they’d make a couple of personnel shifts and go off in a rootsier, jam-based route with Luther Dickinson on guitar. – Brett Milano
Potliquor
If ever an album lived as much as its title, it was Louisiana Rock ‘n Roll, the third and best album from this Baton Rouge band in 1973. They seemed to have it all, including a raunchy guitar sound, a Jerry Lee-style piano pounder, a few touches of deep soul, and some ace covers. (Their “Born Under a Bad Sign” arguably beats Cream’s). However regardless of relentless touring and some extra good albums, they by no means fairly broke out nationally and cut up at decade’s finish. – Brett Milano
Hank Williams Jr.
A lot of the main Southern rockers nodded towards nation music; Hank Jr. was the primary main nation determine to nod again, tearing down plenty of nation/rock boundaries within the course of. 1975’s Hank Williams Jr. and Associates was his breakthrough, fusing the spirit of his father’s music with the electrical energy and insurgent spirit of Southern rock (and a number of the gamers as properly, together with Toy Caldwell from Marshall Tucker and Chuck Leavell from the Allmans). He’d have a good time his kinship with the rock outlaws a few years later in his defining tune, “Family Tradition.” – Brett Milano
Michelle Malone
If Southern rock had been slightly extra modern within the early 90s, this Georgia native may have been the style’s first feminine celebrity. Her one major-label album, Relentless, confirmed her as a gutsy singer with boundless power; round that point she teamed with an all-star solid (three Heartbreakers and two Georgia Satellites) for “U.S. Blues,” the hardest-rocking monitor on the tribute album Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Lifeless. She’s remained productive as an indie artist, often turning up together with her pals within the Indigo Ladies. – Brett Milano
Molly Hatchet
If one lyric line can sum up the greatness of Southern rock, a positive contender could be “Flirtin’ with disaster, y’all/Damn sure you know what I mean!’ Anthemic songs like that one and “Beatin’ the Odds” had been their inventory in commerce, that includes gritty vocals from Danny Joe Brown and, later, Jimmy Farrar. Flying the flag for the style, the group paid tribute to fellow vacationers Skynyrd and Allmans on their dwell album Double Bother. – Brett Milano
Black Oak Arkansas
Arguably the wildest of the lot, Black Oak Arkansas featured three shredders who performed lead guitar on a regular basis and a raving maniac of a frontman in Jim Dandy Mangrum, along with his unearthly croak of a singing voice. The lyrics had been equally steeped in whacked-out spirituality and a “back to the earth” ethos which included loads of free love. Hit singles appeared extremely unlikely till some genius at Atlantic got here up with the thought of masking LaVern Baker’s R&B traditional “Jim Dandy,” and damned in the event that they didn’t match the unique. – Brett Milano
Atlanta Rhythm Part
Atlanta Rhythm Part developed out of one other hitmaking band, Classics IV of “Spooky” and “Traces” fame. So even after they shifted gears, they knew their means round successful single, and essentially the most memorable Atlanta Rhythm Part songs – “Imaginary Lover,” “So Into You,” and the witty “Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight” – all maintained a radio-friendly, blue-eyed soul groove. Coming full circle, they closed out their hit streak with a remake of the Classics IV’s first biggie, “Spooky.” – Brett Milano
Drive-By Truckers
The Drive-By Truckers hit the nationwide radar with Southern Rock Opera, a double album that took the Lynyrd Skynyrd story as a jumping-off level for deeper ideas on rock and Southern-ness, together with some nice guitar solos. Leaders Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley have since guided the band by means of a couple of lineups, shedding some key members (together with Jason Isbell and his then-wife Shonna Tucker), however all the time coming again robust. Their songwriting is invariably sharp and topical, and typically downbeat, with two albums taking the pandemic head-on. – Brett Milano
Jason Isbell
As soon as upon a time, Jason Isbell was the younger gunslinger within the Drive-By Truckers. After enduring some onerous years and turning his life round, he’s now certainly one of alt-country’s flagship artists. As a songwriter, he can do all of it, wrapping the hardest of life points into a couple of succinct verses, then supplying you with causes to have a good time love and survival. – Brett Milano
Rossington-Collins Band
A Lynyrd Skynyrd repair was onerous to return by in the dead of night days after the crash, however the Rossington-Collins Band was the primary to rise from the ashes, with 4 Skynyrds within the lineup. Their 1980 radio hit “Don’t Misunderstand Me” sounded virtually like one thing Skynyrd may have accomplished, however the funkier groove and male/feminine vocal tradeoffs each added recent touches. The band ended after two albums when its members relaunched the Skynyrd mothership. – Brett Milano
Blackberry Smoke
A contemporary band steeped in Southern rock traditions, Atlanta’s Blackberry Smoke have performed and recorded with a lot of their position fashions together with ZZ High’s Billy Gibbons and Moist Willie’s Jimmy Corridor. They’ve acquired a couple of delicate nation songs of their set, however the rowdy stomping numbers are their actual calling card. Whenever you hear their hit “Live It Down” (as in, “Let’s live it up till we can’t….”), you’ll surprise why no one ever considered that one earlier than. – Brett Milano
The Kentucky Headhunters
Good style in cowl tunes has been a requisite for any nice Southern band, ever because the Allmans borrowed “Stateboro Blues” from Blind Willie McTell. However the Headhunters outdo all of them, making first-class barroom raveups out of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” “Spirit in the Sky,” and Roger Miller’s high-spirited “Chug-a-Lug.” Their originals aren’t any slouches both, particularly on the important Meet Me in Bluesland album with the good Chuck Berry pianist Johnnie Johnson. – Brett Milano
The Wild Feathers
A part of a brand new technology of Southern bands, Georgia’s Wild Feathers have absorbed plenty of what got here earlier than, taking in every thing from Tom Petty’s craftsmanship to the Eagles’ harmonies to the Black Crowes’ guitar assault. Having three singer/writers within the lineup permits them to change gears with ease, and to tug off some grabbing harmonies. – Brett Milano
The Marshall Tucker Band
The Tucker boys had extra jazz in them than a lot of the classic-era Southern bands, being the one one to characteristic a flute participant – which gave a Tull-ish contact to their first radio hit, “Take the Highway” – plus a drummer (Paul Riddle) who specialised in swing. Additionally they had two lead singers with fully totally different kinds; Doug Grey took the extra lyrical tunes and most important author/guitarist Toy Caldwell did the more durable, bluesier ones. They had been respectively featured on “Heard It in a Love Song” and “Can’t You See,” two classics that sound nothing like one another. – Brett Milano
Creedence Clearwater Revival
No, Creedence weren’t from the South, and even southern California. However Bay Space native John Fogerty’s creativeness positive lived in Louisiana and Mississippi, and the landmark Creedence songs “Green River,” “Proud Mary,” and “Born on the Bayou” all caught the romance and the spirit of the area. Even his guitar sound was distinctively swampy. He’d attribute all this to his childhood love of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis himself was one of many many who wound up masking “Proud Mary,” as did New Orleans maestro Allen Toussaint who lower a 2000’s model with Fogerty. – Brett Milano
38 Particular
Any band fronted by Donnie Van Zant, Ronnie Van Zant’s youthful brother, is mechanically Southern rock royalty. However 38 Particular additionally earn their place on this record with a streak of hit singles that ran all by means of the 80s, starting with the infectious fist-waver “Rockin’ Into the Night,” From there they flirted efficiently with extra mainstream rock, touring with Bon Jovi and scoring once more with the Bryan Adams-penned rocker “Teacher, Teacher.” They closed out the last decade with “Second Chance” which grew to become their biggest hit, even when its sound was nearer to the Police’s “Every Breath You Take” than something Southern rock. – Brett Milano
Sprint Rip Rock
Singer/guitarist Invoice Davis has pushed this Louisiana band down loads of street prior to now 30 years, taking in punk, rockabilly, energy pop, and nation; however all the time with a uncooked and raucous Southern really feel. (Early drummer Fred LeBlanc later shaped one other well-liked Louisiana band, Cowboy Mouth). Sprint’s good-natured sendup “Let’s Go Smoke Some Pot” made nationwide waves within the 90s, however they’ve acquired loads of more durable and swampier songs as properly, even a couple of jangly and lyrical ones. On any given evening they’ll get you dancing to all of it. – Brett Milano
Dickey Betts
The world remembers Dickey Betts because the guitarist who swapped licks with Duane Allman, then largely grew to become the Allmans’ lead guitarist and point of interest within the post-Duane years. However he additionally has a declare as one of many best songwriters in Southern rock, giving the band its signature tune in “Ramblin’ Man” in addition to its cornerstone instrumentals “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Jessica.” Outdoors the group, he first explored nation on the Freeway Name album, then returned to rock along with his band Nice Southern. – Brett Milano
Lucinda Williams
There’s all the time been a skinny line between Southern rock and different nation, and Lucinda Williams has sufficient rock in her soul to suit into both class. One of many extra eloquent songwriters round, she will be thrilling when she rocks out; and there’s good purpose why “Changed the Locks” (from her self-titled breakthrough album) grew to become a bar-band commonplace. Her most outright rock album, Little Honey, consists of a few of her most joyful music; AC/DC cowl and all. – Brett Milano
Missed certainly one of your favourite bands like Blackfoot, Charlie Daniels Band, or Black Stone Cherry? Tell us within the feedback beneath. On the lookout for extra? Take a look at our Southern Rock playlist on Spotify.
