The best all-time rock bands from the San Francisco Bay Area (2024)

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A major product of San Francisco's legendary psychedelicmusic scene from the 1960s, Big Brother and the Holding Company is likely best known for showcasing the bluesy, smokey, whiskey-laden vocal brilliance of Janis Joplin. The group's second studio release Cheap Thrills (1968) is regarded as one of the great albums to surface from the northern California psychedelic rock era. Its version of "Piece of my Heart," with Joplin's memorable and bombastic vocals, is one of the most iconic musical performances of all time.

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Certainly the musical happenings in northern California played a big part in Blue Cheer's success — in a heavier way, however. Fusing psychedelic and acid rock with a pinch of punk and experimental, Blue Cheer put that all together for a sound that influenced many heavy metal acts that followed, notably Motley Crue. Rock legends such as Jim Morrison and Eric Clapton also praised this San Francisco outfit, which began turning heads in the mid-1960s and kept playing, in one variation or another, well into the 2000s. Blue Cheer's version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" should be considered one of the great covers of all time.

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As time went on, Counting Crows — or frontman Adam Duritz at the very least — embraced the culture and musical vibe of Los Angeles. However, the origin of these 1990s alternative pop/rockers can be traced to San Francisco, when Duritz and guitarist David Bryson hooked up as a musical duo, at first. Then the pair branched out to the eventual Counting Crows ensemble that brought the world three stellar albums right out of the gate with August and Everything After (1993), Recovering the Satellites(1996)andThis Desert Life(1999).

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Friends John Fogerty (and brother Tom),Doug Clifford, andStu Cook met while in high school in El Cerrito, but Creedence's sound spanned all of Americana — and truthfully, whether music fans wanted to listen or not. While CCR liked to sing about lazy, country living, the group was also quite political in its tone, tackling issues of racism, poverty, and oppression throughout its catalogue, which features some of the greatest songs of any rock band in history. Like many acts of the 1960s and '70s, CCR took an anti-Vietnam War stance — perhaps none more prominent than classic rock and pop culture favorite "Fortunate Son."

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Widely considered the most influential of the hardcore punk bands in the United States, and led by famed frontman Jello Biafra (Eric Reed Boucher) and guitarist Klaus Flouride(Geoffrey Lyall) on bass, the Dead Kennedys were formed in San Francisco in 1978. The band made a living with their anti-establishment and government stance. Political preference didn't matter. As time passed, the band — and specifically Biafra — fought censorship, with the brunt of its energy aimed at Tipper Gore's Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). Classics include "Too Drunk to F*@%" and"Kill the Poor."

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Since coming together just south of San Francisco in San Jose in 1970, the Doobies have been going strong for five decades, perhaps because of the versatility among its various lineups and musical stylings. Rock, country, soul, yacht-rock — it's all there for a legendary career. Showcasing the talents of famed musicians such as Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, Michael McDonald, Keith Knudsen and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, the Doobies are responsible for such classic rock favorites like "China Grove," "Listen to the Music,""Jesus is Just Alright," "Black Water,""Takin' It to the Streets" and"What A Fool Believes."

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Exodus formed in the late 1970s in Richmond, Calif., within the East Bay, and co-founded by guitarist Kirk Hammett — who, as we'll see in a bit, went on to earn massive success in another Bay Area metal band. Though these thrashers have never enjoyed consistent commercial success, Exodus has long been hailed one of the true pioneers of the northern California thrash/speed metal movement. Exodus has released 12 studio albums (with 1989's Fabulous Disasterstill the gem of the collection), featured several lineup changes, plenty of in-fighting, and its share of issues with drugs and alcohol. Veteran guitarist Gary Holt and singer Steve "Zetro" Souza are the most notable current members of the band..

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Alternative rock/funk/metal outfit Faith No More was spawned from the band Sharp Young Men in the last 1970s in San Francisco. From there, the band's unique sound captivated the Bay Area and beyond. The antics and stage presence of frontman Mike Patton made Faith No More a popular live band, which made a name for itself with the 1985 debut We Care a Lot. In the 1989, the band enjoyed more significant mainstream success with The Real Thing, and hit single "Epic."

Flamin' Groovies

Formed in 1965 in San Francisco, the Flamin' Groovies have been quite the influence when it comes to laying the foundation for punk and garage rock, notably in the United States. However, the band, formed by guitarist Cyril Jordan, also excelled in producing what would be an edgier form of power pop. The group's 1971 release Teenage Headhas long been considered its masterpiece. So much so that Mick Jagger is reportedly a big fan of the record.

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The Dead is arguably the most recognized and cherished band to come out of the San Francisco area (though technically formed south in Palo Alto). Encompassing rock,blues,jazz, bluegrass, gospel, and psychedelia, among other genres, the Dead blossomed from a fun jam band to musical legends. Throughout the late ’60s and ’70s, the Dead never found radio success. Instead, it made a name for itself, and earned acclaim, through playing live. Anybody who ever attended a Dead show knows it’s an experience, from time spent in the parking to the loving community of music and camaraderie once through the gates.

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Frontman/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt started making music together in high school, located on the northern edge of the East Bay area in the tiny town of Rodeo. Eventually wunderkind drummer Tre Cool joined, and Green Day's road to pop rock dominance truly began. The band earned superstardom with 1994's Dookie, but as its popularity grew, the trio had to defend its credibility against the pop-punk posers label. However, Green Day started showing signs of maturity with albums like Nimrod(1997) andWarning(2000). Then, 2004's conceptual gem American Idiotmerged its political interests with catchy hooks and riffs.

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One of the more celebrated bands of the 1960s San Francisco music scene. Jefferson Airplane's acid/psychedelic rock sound was in step with the usual socially conscious issues of the '60s (anti-government, anti-war, and peace and love). Perhaps the Airplane's most politicized song was 1969's "Volunteers," a shot at the United States government and the Vietnam War. Of course, the trippy "White Rabbit"and infectious "Somebody to Love" have also mightily contributed to this version of the band's stellar legacy. Meanwhile, there was still much to love about what followed from the re-invented Jefferson Starship of the 1970s, but we won't go into the Grace Slick-led Starship era that begin in the 1980s.

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Spawned from Santana (more on that topic in a bit), with ex-members Neil Schon and Gregg Rolie as the driving forces of the San Francisco-based band, the early Journey years from the 1970s featured a steady dose of jazz fusion and progressive rock. However, things truly took off when singer/songwriter Steve Perry joined in 1977, and featured an ode to the city of San Francisco on the rock ballad "Lights." Journey enjoyed extensive mainstream success as an arena rock/Album Oriented Rock (AOR) outfit with 1979's Evolution.Whenkeyboardist/guitarist and songwriter Jonathan Cain came aboard following Rolie's departure for the massively popularEscape (1981) record, Journey's musical direction shifted again to a pop-rock arena sound.

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Led by harmonica-playing singer Huey Lewis, the News was a creation that spawned from two popular Bay Area bands — Glover and Soundhole — in the late 1970s. With raspy-voiced Lewis as the driving force, the band's early sound was steeped in new wave with a hint of blues rock ("Do You Believe in Love" and "Heart and Soul"). As the '80s went on and MTV ruled the world, the group took more of a power-pop turn and became one of the most successful groups of the decade thanks to hits like "I Want a New Drug," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," and "The Power of Love." The band often used San Francisco as the setting for its music videos.

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Sure, Metallica was formed in Southern California, but it likely would not be the titan of a band it is today if not for relocating to the Bay Area, mainly so Oakland-area bassist Cliff Burton could join the band, then grabbing the aforementioned Kirk Hammett, a San Francisco native, from Exodus. The rest, as we know, is history. Mixing thrash metal with classic rock and punk, Metallica has earned icon status with more than 125 million albums sold worldwide. There aren’t many better career-beginning albums than Kill ‘Em All(1983), Ride the Lightning(1984) and Master of Puppets(1986). Oh yeah, and the band’s self-titled effort from 1991, aka The Black Album, went 16-times platinum and produced one of the great hard rock/heavy metal songs of all time in “Enter Sandman.”

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Though Miller formed his first serious rock/blues band in Chicago during the mid-1960s, he soon moved to San Francisco, where The Steve Miller Blues Band was born.Though some of the band's early sound featured a psychedelic influence, blues rock was still its heart and soul. Fellow legendary guitarist Boz Scaggs was a one-time member, and thanks to string of hits throughout the 1970s, like "The Joker," "Jungle Love," and "Take the Money and Run," and into the '80s, the Steve Miller Band remains a classic rock staple. In fact, the band's greatest hits album continues to span generations.

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Hailing from El Sobrante, Primus made a name for itself via a uniquely eclectic sound and entertaining live sets. Led by eccentric and extremely talented bassist Les Claypool, Primus stayed alternative even when the genre went mainstream in the 1990s. Guided by Claypool's slap-happy bass playing, Primus delivered their brand of alternative funk and metal, with progressive tendencies, to critical acclaim, The group has received multiple Grammy Award nominations, while not really caring what the establishment thought. Some favorites include "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver," "Tommy the Cat," and "My Name is Mud."

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Though the members of what would become The Residents came together in Louisiana, this unique band didn't fully develop until it headed west and landed in suburban San Francisco in the mid-1960s. Obviously, there was plenty of musical experimentation going on in the Bay Area at the time. The act features a sound that could best be described as avant-garde, experimental and conceptual pop. It also included the introduction of multimedia, notably the CD-ROM, to the production side. Over the years, prominent artists such as George Harrison, the aforementioned Les Claypool, and Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh have been tied to the act, but highly respected musician/composerHardy Foxwas the most dominant force for years. Beginning with 1974's Meet the Residents, the band has put out more than 40 studio albums and several live releases.

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Born in Mexico, Carlos Santana and his family eventually made their way up to San Francisco, where the legendary guitarist began his legendary career, and formed his band in 1966. The king of the Latin-influenced rock sound, Santana is a player first and foremost. He was experimental thanks to a number of influences, most notably jazz and the blues, a true representation of the musical melting pot that was going on in the area at the time. Santana fused both, along with some heavy African beats and plenty of soul, to form a sound that was groundbreaking in the late 1960s and into the ‘70s. The popular “Black Magic Woman” and “Soul Sacrifice”are two of Santana’s greatest guitar achievements.

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Led by singer, songwriter and producer Sly Stone, along with other family members, the band blended an infectious mix of funk, soul and rock, which influenced the likes of The Roots and Aerosmith to take a soulful approach, and add more rock and pop to the recipe. During the early days of the group, which was rooted in the Bay Area, Sly and Co. would tour throughout northern California, which led to critical praise. Songs like “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People” remain torchbearers for the funk movement. Its performance of “I Want to Take You Higher”remains a highlight from 1969’s Woodstock celebration.