The Best Classic Rock Bands You’ve Never Heard Of

2024-09-29

Classic rock band.

There are a lot of great classic rock bands you’ve never heard or or likely have never heard of. – Author: Anne Erickson, Photo via Fletcher Moore

Classic rock is a mammoth genre, filled with big names such as Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. But, there are really a lot of great classic rock bands that you’ve never heard of, or likely never heard of, out there, in music history. The classic rock era of the 1960s and 1970s really birthed rock ‘n’ roll as we know it, and because of that, so many bands popped up during that time period. While it’s great that the world got enduring rock music in the ’60s and ’70s, because there was just so much great, new rock music coming out at that time, a lot of bands that could have been bigger got left behind. Taking a stroll through memory lane reveals some of those delightful names.

Classic Rock Bands You’ve Never Heard Of

April Wine

April Wine hailed from Canada, and while they got some attention in their native land, they were certainly downplayed compared to Rush and other Canadian blockbuster bands at the time. The Canadian Music Hall of Famers had some incredible, anthemic rock songs such as “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” and “Say Hello,” but a lot of rock fans never discovered their catchy tunes. Regardless, April Wine has worked hard over the years to stay relevant and keep a stead career going. They’re one of the best groups out of Canada in the 1970s and should have been bigger.

Little Feat

Little Feat formed in the late 1960s and were contemporaries to bands such as the Eagles and Aerosmith. They never quite got a fair shake, but they got some praise from those in the industry. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview back in 1975 that Little Feat was his favorite American band. So, Little Feat was one of those bands that those in the industry loved, but they didn’t quite go mainstream. The band, featuring former Frank Zappa guitarist Lowell George, churned out an imaginative mix of folk, funk, country, rock and blues. They’re still very active today and released a new album in 2024, the fantastic “Sam’s Place.”

Squeeze

English rockers Squeeze were popular in the United Kingdom, but their fame didn’t really go mainstream around the world, at least not compared to massive bands such as Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. The band rose up in the new wave time of the late 1970s and released some chart-toppers in the 1980s and 1990s. If you live in the U.S., you may have heard of songs such as “Tempted” and “Black Coffee in Bed,” since those songs did get airplay in the States. Squeeze were also dubbed part of the second British invasion. Squeeze’s music had a strong pop sound but also mixes in elements of rock. Some of their music is even Beatles-inspired, in a good way. They’re still fairly active, too, and released a new album in 2017, “The Knowledge.”

Traffic

Traffic were contemporaries of the Beatles, but they never rose to the fame of the Fab Four. The Steve Winwood band got together in the late-1960s and incorporated a range of sounds, with a heavy emphasis on psychedelic, but also some pop and experimental rock ‘n’ roll. Traffic had super catchy choruses and hooks, plus lots of melody, so they really were akin to the Beatles. Not many rock bands are able to work sitars and brass into their music, but Traffic did. It’s a shame they never got the attention that they deserved.

Find Audio Ink Radio’s list of the best classic rock songs of all time here.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Music, Rock