3 Southern Rock Groups From the 1960s You’d Never Skip on the Radio

In the late 1960s, southern rock music was just rounding into shape. Just as rock music itself was starting to take over the world, there were subgenres popping up all over the place, dotting the musical landscape.

Here below, we wanted to highlight three groups from back in the day that showed audiences just what the South was made of. Indeed, these are three southern rock groups from the 1960s you would never skip on the radio.

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater Revival raises an interesting question. When it comes to Southern rock music, what are the key features? Is it sound? Is it the way a band transports you? Or is it all about origin? Well, when it comes to CCR, the group was formed near the Bay Area in California. That’s pretty far from the sweaty, humid regions of the American South. But when you hear CCR perform—indeed, when you hear lead vocalist John Fogerty sing—well, there’s a whole different story. The band, which released its first four albums in the late 1960s (including three records in 1969 alone), sounds like it was born in the froggy swamps of the bayou. For that, we believe Creedence Clearwater Revival is as Southern rock as it gets.

Hour Glass

Most southern rock fans—indeed, most rock fans—have heard the names Gregg and Duane Allman. Most have even heard of the band The Allman Brothers. But many music fans might not know that before that group got going, Gregg and Duane were in another project called Hour Glass. This was another group that came from the West Coast—this time from SoCal in Los Angeles. But no matter how you slice it, Hour Glass, which released its first two albums in the late 1960s, oozes that Southern rock charm and appeal. With Gregg and Duane onboard, how could it not?

Knowbody Else

In the 1970s, the southern rock group Black Oak Arkansas rose to fame and fortune thanks to a number of popular albums. But before that group got going, they were known under a different moniker: Knowbody Else. That group was formed in 1963 by some high school friends. Later, in 1969, the band moved to Memphis and recorded its debut self-titled album. But while that LP didn’t get much play, when the members remade their musical vision and changed the name to Black Oak Arkansas, things started to take off.

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