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Course Catalog > Courses: Winter

HYBRID (ZOOM): The British Invasion: British Rock of the 1960s   

**This class is a Hybrid. This section of the class will be taught on Zoom**

An in-depth overview of how British rock of the 1960s changed popular music and culture forever. Led by  the Beatles, the British Invasion stormed the US with the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, Pink Floyd,  Dusty Springfield, and the first bands of stars like Van Morrison (in Them), Jeff Beck (the Yardbirds), and  Jimmy Page (the Yardbirds), as well as many others. Using both common and rare recordings and video  clips, the course will trace the British Invasion from Liverpool Merseybeat through the blues rock, hard  rock, psychedelia, and progressive art rock British artists innovated. 

Week 1 

The Roots of the British Invasion and The British Beat Boom 

British teenagers graduate from skiffle groups of the late 1950s to forming fully electric rock bands in the  early 1960s as they emulate American rock'n'roll, but then form their own original take on the music.  Liverpool is the first center of the British Beat Boom, as it was called in the UK, with first the Beatles and  then other Merseybeat acts taking over the British charts in 1963. By the end of the year, the Beatles are  the biggest entertainment phenomenon Britain's ever seen, but are still virtually unknown in the US. 

Week 2

The British Invasion Hits America 

The Beatles overrun the US radio airwaves in early 1964, at one point holding down all Top Five positions  on the national record charts. Other Merseybeat bands like Gerry & the Pacemakers and the Searchers  quickly follow with their first US hits. But by mid-1964, more serious challengers to the Beatles emerge  from the tougher and bluesier side of the British scene with bands like the Rolling Stones, the Animals,  and the Kinks. Women solo singers like Dusty Springfield and Marianne Faithfull also get US hits with a  poppier style. 

Week 3 

The British Invasion in 1965: The Second Phase 

The British Invasion continues unabated with the ongoing success of the Beatles, the rise of the Rolling  Stones as their biggest rivals, and more hits and creative evolution by the likes of Manfred Mann and the  Zombies. Other innovative acts keep on emerging from the UK, like Them (with Van Morrison on lead  vocals); the Yardbirds, who bring electric guitar virtuosos into vogue with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and  Jimmy Page, as well as bringing middle eastern and improvisational elements into rock that look ahead to  psychedelia; the Moody Blues, who combine rhythm and blues with haunting pop harmonies; and the  Who, whose power-chord and distortion-riddled guitars are matched by a more exhibitionistic, destructive  stage show than any band that's preceded them. 

Week 4 

British Psychedelia 

The top British groups—including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, and Yardbirds—pioneer psychedelic  rock by moving into more adult, poetic, and socially conscious lyrics, as well as experimenting with new  technological possibilities in the studio and incorporating non-rock influences into their work. Donovan  

becomes the major UK folk-rock star, also using psychedelic elements. Psychedelic groups like Pink Floyd,  Procol Harum, Traffic, and the Crazy World of Arthur Brown emerge from a newly developing British  underground scene. Pure British pop-rock continues to thrive with acts like the Hollies, Herman's Hermits,  and Petula Clark. 

Week 5 

Back to Basics: The British Invasion Enters the Late 1960s 

As psychedelia peaks, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones get back to a more basic rock-oriented sound,  though now using studio techniques and lyricism that hadn't even been envisioned when they started  making records five years earlier. Blues-rock booms with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, the first incarnation  of Fleetwood Mac, Cream, and Free. Other acts like Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues, and Procol Harum take  on classical influences and venture into ambitious conceptual albums that forge the way for progressive  rock. 

Week 6

The British Invasion: The End of the First Wave 

As the 1960s end, the Beatles herald the end of the decade's British Invasion by starting to split after one of  their most popular albums, Abbey Road. The Rolling Stones suffer a lineup change with the death of  founding member Brian Jones even as their aggressive hard rock brings them to new peaks of artistic and  commercial success. The Who reach global superstardom with their rock opera Tommy; David Bowie has his  first hit, "Space Oddity"; and Pink Floyd and the Moody Blues keep developing progressive rock, with  newcomers like King Crimson. There's still always room for catchy pop-rock, however, with the likes of the  Bee Gees, Badfinger, and Mary Hopkin. 

 
  • HYBRID (ZOOM): The British Invasion: British Rock of the 1960s
  • Fee: $125.00
    Dates: 1/31/2025 - 3/7/2025
    Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Days: F
    Sessions: 6
    Building: Online
    Room:
    Instructor: Richie Unterberger
    Seats Available: 66
    **This class is a Hybrid. This section of the class will be taught on Zoom**

    An in-depth overview of how British rock of the 1960s changed popular music and culture forever. Led by  the Beatles, the British Invasion stormed the US with the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, Pink Floyd,  Dusty Springfield, and the first bands of stars like Van Morrison (in Them), Jeff Beck (the Yardbirds), and  Jimmy Page (the Yardbirds), as well as many others. Using both common and rare recordings and video  clips, the course will trace the British Invasion from Liverpool Merseybeat through the blues rock, hard  rock, psychedelia, and progressive art rock British artists innovated. 

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