But due to discrimination and Racism, most Black musicians could not gain a wide range of national success until after the British invasion because US Black R&B, Blues, Jazz and Gospel Records influenced young British kids in the 1950s and they brought "American" music back to the US. What is interesting to note is that American Rock & Roll music started out as Black R&B in 1951 with "Rocket 88" by Ike Turner. Rather, the Byrds were a phenomenon that evolved because the time was ripe for musicians who had diverse musical backgrounds to stage a coup d'état in the increasingly stagnant American Rock & Roll scene. The Byrds were purported to be America's answer to the Beatles but that was just a marketing ploy developed by the record industry. Overall, they remain one of my favorite music artists and a true genius in the music field. They were also very influential in the country rock genre as well - they might as well be one of the most original, innovative and influential bands of all time right up there with The Beatles. No wonder that album was a huge influence on The Beatles' Rubber Soul. To me, even their original "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" is a direct precursor to The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" lyrically - it was the first instance of Beatles writing mature love songs. The title track from this not only shot Bob Dylan up the charts but also showed The Beatles the scope of a pop song being meaningful rather than just about silly love. Their 1965 seminal album, "Mr Tambourine Man" still remains as one of the most revolutionary records of all time and a total game changer. They not only influenced majority of the New Wave and indie bands (that would emerge in the 1980's) with their jangle guitar but also influenced both Bob Dylan and The Beatles. They were huge on the influence part as well. Also, The Byrds had superb vocal harmonies comparable to that of The Beach Boys. Indeed, Roger McGuinn's 12-String Rickenbacker guitar sound is one of the most timeless sounds, sounding as fresh as if it were just recorded yesterday. But to every respectable rock music listener, The Byrds remain one of those rare bands that perfectly maintained their balance between being melodious as well as innovative and have hence emerged as one of the most exceptional and timeless musicians of all time. I'm a graduate student from India and I honestly feel that The Byrds are very underrated in the eyes of general public, very much like The Kinks.Īlthough they have secured their rightful place among the pantheon of legends such as Bob Dylan and The Beatles, The Byrds remain very underrated in terms of the eyes of the general public compared to their brethren.