“If someone thinks that peace and love are just a cliche that must have been left behind in the 60s, that's a problem. Peace and love are eternal.” 

― John Lennon

The Sixties was a decade of transformation and exploration. While a countercultural ethos gradually engulfed the social and political fabric of the nation, musicians were staging a revolution of their own. Leading musicians of the 1960s extensively explored musical and lyrical possibilities like never before and had an incalculable impact on the consciousness of future musicians.

The Beatles

Hailed almost universally as the most influential figures in popular music history, the Beatles established the prototype of a self-contained rock band that wrote and performed their own material. Since they grabbed the imagination of the world in the early 60s, the Beatles went on to record and perform a wide and diverse body of work that transformed the entire realm of popular music.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan revolutionized popular music through his groundbreaking lyrical genius. He pioneered various forms of songwriting and his songs reflected the social & political realities of the times in an unparalleled and unprecedented manner. Dylan's songwriting greatly influenced his peers, from the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix. 

Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix is celebrated as the single most innovative and influential guitarist in rock history. In his four year stint as a superstar, Hendrix explored unchartered territory and expanded the grammar of the electric guitar more than any single figure before or since. He was also renowned for his live shows, in which he entertained audiences through an extravaganza of loud noises, occasionally playing guitar solos with his teeth, and sometimes even setting his guitar on fire.

Grateful Dead

With their never ending live performances and celebration of peace, love and psychedelia, Grateful Dead gained a cult following and brought Bay Area musical traditions into the national limelight. They redefined the possibilities of live shows and popularized a unique psychedelic sound.

Ravi Shankar

Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar was introduced to the West in the 1960s, most famously marked by his appearance at Woodstock. As a mascot of the Indian classical tradition of music at the world stage, he influenced numerous Western musicians such as George Harrison and Philip Glass.

Reach Staff Reporter Adi Radia here and follow him on Twitter here.