Sixty years ago this month, some music was being released that changed the game of not only rock and roll, but popular culture and music in general.
May 17, 1966 is the day the barn doors blew open in rock and roll.
kAm~?=J 2 4@FA=6 @7 >@?E9D 62C=:6C[ %96 q62E=6D 925 C6=62D65 #&qqt# $~&{[ 2? 64=64E:4 2?5 :?EC@DA64E:G6 4@==64E:@? @7 D@?8D 3J y@9?[ !2F=[ v6@C86[ 2?5 #:?8@ E92E 762EFC65 C25:42==J 5:776C6?E :?DECF>6?E2E:@? 2?5 DF3;64E >2EE6C 7C@> 2?JE9:?8 E96J 925 C6=62D65 AC6G:@FD=J] $:IEJ J62CD @?[ :E >2J 36 E92E #&qqt# $~&{ :D E96 8C62E6DE @7 2== q62E=6D C64@C5D :? E92E :E 4CJDE2==:K65 2 >@>6?E 2?5 :?7=F6?465 E96 5:C64E:@? @7 A@AF=2C >FD:4 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am
kAmpE E92E E:>6[ q@3 sJ=2? 925 2=C625J 366? 2?@:?E65 W282:?DE 9:D H:==X “DA@<6D>2? @7 2 86?6C2E:@?[” 32D65 @? 9:D 8C@F?53C62<:?8 H@C< :? E96 7@=< >FD:4 >@G6>6?E @7 E96 62C=J `he_D] qFE 96 H2D?’E 5@?6j :? 724E[ 96 H2D ;FDE 86EE:?8 DE2CE65] WsJ=2? A6C7@C>65 C:89E 96C6 :? s@E92?[ p=232>2 =2DE %9FCD52J ?:89E[ DE:== 8@:?8 DEC@?8]Xk^Am
kAmq{~}st ~} q{~}st H2D C@4<’D 7:CDE 5@F3=6 {![ 2?5 :E :D 2 H:=5 2DD@CE>6?E @7 >FD:42= DEJ=6D 2?5 86?C6D E9C@H? E@86E96C H:E9 sJ=2?’D C2F4@FD[ DEC62>\@7\4@?D4:@FD?6DD A@6ECJ] }62C=J 6G6CJ EC24< 6IA=@C6D 2 5:776C6?E 7246E @7 sJ=2?’D >FD:42= A6CD@?2=:EJ H9:=6 96 H2D :? 9:D[ 2D #@==:?8 $E@?6 >282K:?6 =2E6C D2:5[ “7C:KK65\@FE ;6C6>:25 A6C:@5”]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D BF:6E q2C@BF6 4@F?ECJ @? “cE9 %:>6 pC@F?5” 2?5 “yFDE {:<6 2 (@>2?”j 7FKKJ 3=F6D C@4< @? “~3G:@FD=J d q6=:6G6CD” 2?5 “{6@A2C5\D<:? !:==\3@I w2E”j 249:?8=J A6CD@?2= 56E2:=D @? “$25 tJ65 {25J @7 E96 {@H=2?5D” 2?5 “':D:@?D @7 y@92??2”j 6G6? 2 E@F49 @7 s:I:6=2?5 ;2KK @? “#2:?J s2J (@>6? R`a 2?5 bd”] sJ=2?[ H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 4C62> @7 }2D9G:==6 >FD:4:2?D[ >256 2? 2=3F> E92E D@F?565 =:<6 ?@E9:?8 6=D6 367@C6 @C D:?46] xE 42? 36 D2:5 E92E sJ=2?’D 6IA2?D:@? @? q{~}st ~} q{~}st :D C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 9:D 4@?E:?F65 42C66C DF446DD]k^Am
kAmq@3 sJ=2? :D 324<65 3J ?@E @?=J E96 }2D9G:==6 D6DD:@? >6?[ 3FE 2 8C@FA 7@C>6C=J 42==65 E96 w2H<D – =2E6C <?@H? E@ E96 H@C=5 2D %96 q2?5] %96C6 2C6 D@ >2?J 8@@5 >FD:4:2?D A=2J:?8 @? E9:D C64@C5[ :E’D ;FDE 2 762DE 7@C E96 62CD] tG6CJ E:>6 x AFE :E @?[ x 962C D@>6E9:?8 ?6H]k^Am
kAm~? E92E D2>6 52J :? |2J `heeWPX[ %96 q6249 q@JD C6\6>6C865 7C@> 2 A6C:@5 @7 C6=2E:G6 :?24E:G:EJ H:E9 !t% $~&}s$[ @7E6? C2?<65 2D E96 ?F>36C\@?6 >@DE :?7=F6?E:2= C@4< {! @7 2== E:>6] %96 4C62E:G6 86?:FD 369:?5 E96 q6249 q@JD[ qC:2? (:=D@?[ 4C27E65 2 >2DE6CA:646 @7 DJ>A9@?:4 C@4<[ 3F:=E FA@? =2J6CD @7 G@42= 92C>@?:6D 2?5 :?DECF>6?E2E:@? F?=:<6 2?J 962C5 @? 2 C@4< 2=3F>]k^Am
kAm%96 q6249 q@JD’ C64@C5 =236= 925 AC6DDFC65 E96> 7@C ?6H >2E6C:2= 7@C >@?E9D[ 3FE 2D E96 8C@FA E@@< FA C6D:56?46 2E E96 DEF5:@ H96C6 2== @7 E96 (C64<:?8 rC6H A=2J65[ 2 ?6H <:?5 @7 >FD:42= 2=496>J H2D E2<:?8 D92A6]k^Am
kAm!t% $~&}s$ :D 2 D@=:5 D6E @7 D@?8D[ H@C<:?8 282:?DE E96 DF?\DFC7\42CD\8:C=D 7@C>F=2 @7 A2DE q6249 q@JD DF446DD] %9:D 2=3F> 762EFC65 D@?8D 23@FE F?46CE2:?EJ :? C6=2E:@?D9:AD 2D H6== 2D E96 D25?6DD E92E 4@>6D H:E9 E96 C62=:E:6D @7 8C@H:?8 FA]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 >2?J DF3=:>6 >@>6?ED @? E9:D C64@C5[ 2?5 >2?J 2C6 4=2DD:4Di “(@F=5?’E xE q6 }:46[” “v@5 ~?=J z?@HD[” “$=@@A y@9? q”] qFE E96 =6E92C8:4 “s@?’E %2=< W!FE *@FC w625 ~? |J $9@F=56CX” 2?5 “x yFDE (2D?’E |256 u@C %96D6 %:>6D” A@:?E E@ E96 2=3F>’D 7:?2= EC24<[ “r2C@=:?6 }@” – 2 D@?8 D@ A6CD@?2= 2?5 5:C64E[ :E’D 92C5 E@ 36=:6G6 E92E @?=J 2 76H >@?E9D 367@C6[ E96D6 D2>6 8FJD H6C6 D:?8:?8 23@FE 36:?8 ECF6 E@ E96:C D49@@=]k^Am
kAm%96 724E E92E 3@E9 !t% $~&}s$ 2?5 q{~}st ~} q{~}st H6C6 C6=62D65 @? E96 D2>6 52J D9@F=5 E6== FD 2== D@>6E9:?8 23@FE E96 E:>6 A6C:@5 E92E 7@==@H65i 2 76CE:=6 A6C:@5 @7 F?DFCA2DD65 4C62E:G:EJ :? E96 H@C=5 @7 A@AF=2C >FD:4 E92E >2J ?6G6C 92AA6? 282:?]k^Am