The Monkees came together in 1965 following a sitcom show under the same title. The music credits on the show were, unsurprisingly, played by The Monkees. During the 1960s, they were one of the most popular and successful bands being played on the radio.
The Monkees sold almost 80 million records worldwide. It was thought they had outsold The Beatles at one point, however, there was no base for that claim. Their discography includes 13 albums, the latest of which, “Christmas Party,” came out in 2018.
Recommended Listening: “Daydream Believer,” “She,” and “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.”
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American Rock band that was around for just under 15 years. Quite an impressive number. Especially in this industry. They played funk music laced with a touch of rock and were pioneers in their style back in the 1970s. Two of their most successful albums were "Maggot Brain" and "One Nation Under a Grove."
Later in time, Funkadelic would influence many hip-hop artists and the hip-hop scene in general. Artists like Snoop Dogg and MC Hammer, among others, were influenced tremendously by the band.
Recommended Listening: "Super Stupid," "Wars of Armageddon," and "Hit It and Quit It."
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips were formed in 1983 and are still active to this very day, releasing their flaming hot hits for their loyal fans. There are over ten names who used to form this band, however, today, Wayne Coyne, Dave Kostka, and Richard English are the ones keeping the band together.
In 2009, one of the band's greatest number-one hits, "Do you Realize," became Oklahoma's (the state) official rock number. Their last album was released in late 2021, and according to them, they haven't said their last word. Recommended Listening: "The Spark That Bled," "Race for the Prize," and "Turn It On."
Parliament
By the late 1960s, George Clinton formed the funk rock band Parliament. They had their minutes of fame and released a few top-ten hits, one of them being the 1976 hit "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)." Good luck getting that earworm out of your head in the next few hours. (We recommend giving in to it and dancing until it goes away on its own.)
After breaking up and getting back together again in 2018, parliament released "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me," which came almost 40 years after their previous release.
Recommended Listening: "Chocolate City," Flash Light," and "Do That Stuff."
Stone Raiders
Also known as Black Stone Raiders, this group is a blues, funk, and rock band. Darryl Jones, the band's bass player, is obviously a man who knows what he's doing, as he used to play with The Rolling Stones and Will Calhoun, delivering his Jazzy background.
The Stone Raiders didn't release many hits that are as memorable as some of the other bands and performers on this list. However, their dedicated audience and committed listeners can name a few songs that, in their eyes (and ears), are huge releases.
Recommended Listenings: "Red, Meth, and Be," "Here is Something You Can't Understand," and "L.I.F.E."