British Invasion

The British Invasion was the name given in the 1960s to the success in the United States, beginning with the Beatles, of British rock and roll bands, that changed rock music forever.

The British bands had themselves been inspired by American music – 50s rock and roll and rhythm and blues, and the bluesmen before them.

Essential works

Some British Invasion singles include:

• The Animals, “House of the Rising Sun” (1964)
• The Beatles, Meet the Beatles (1964)
• Petula Clark, “Downtown” (1964)
• Donovan, "Sunshine Superman" (1966)
• The Kinks, “You Really Got Me” (1964)
• Peter and Gordon, “A World Without Love” (1964)
• The Searchers, “Needles and Pins” (1964)
• The Swinging Blue Jeans, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (1964)
• The Zombies, “She’s Not There” (1964)
• Herman’s Hermits, “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” (1965)
• The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965)
• The Yardbirds, “For Your Love” (1965)
• The Hollies, “Bus Stop” (1966)
• The Troggs, “Wild Thing” (1966)
• The Who, "My Generation" (1965)
• Lulu, “To Sir with Love” (1967)
• The Small Faces, “Itchycoo Park” (1967)