Picture this. You’re listening to a classic rock radio station, kind of as background music with the volume turned low.
All of a sudden, the first guitar chord from Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” crashes out from the speaker. What do you do?
You race over to crank it!
Admit it, that’s what you do.
All at once, you’re envisioning flying down some winding country road on your Harley. You’re wearing your beat-up black leather jacket and the wind is rushing through your hair!
It feels like…freedom! You’re Wyatt in “Easy Rider,” just keeping it real while you and Billy ride your bad-to-the-bone choppers to Mardi Gras.
Uh, stay in your lane, Mr. Civilized. You’re much too safety-conscious to ever ride a motorcycle without a helmet. And you don’t like your hair getting messed up anyway. By the way, don’t forget you have a 9 o’clock meeting.
But, isn’t that vision a fun diversion from your everyday life? And aren’t motorcycle bands like Steppenwolf and others sort of the ultimate rebellion against polite society?
Yes and yes. Hallelujah!
Rock on and read on!
5 Motorcycle Bands You Should Be Listening To
You may not own a motorcycle or even want one. But, you can still vicariously enjoy the badass lifestyle that loud, guitar-driven rock bands conjure up.
And you can always look the part. Check out Frankymouse.com for some really cool swag!
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held for 10 days every August in Sturgis, located in South Dakota’s Black Hills. It started in 1938. The rally in 2018 earned the title of world’s largest motorcycle event, with 500,000 bike enthusiasts attending.
Sturgis is a non-stop party, a life experience unlike any other. The area’s Buffalo Chip venue hosts a music festival during the rally, featuring a variety of sounds.
There are classic rock bands from the 70s and 80s, metal bands, rocking country artists, and others as well. Yes, live concert music is thriving!
But, even if you can’t make it to the annual Buffalo Chip festival, you can still get your groove on. There are plenty of “oldie but goodie” rockers still touring around the country, even the world. And they can still crank up the Marshall amps!
If you want some solid rock bands to help channel your inner biker and visit the nearest tattoo parlor, try these:
1. Guns N’ Roses
Their first album, Appetite For Destruction, hit the airwaves back in 1987. Led by charismatic frontman Axl Rose and featuring the blistering guitar work of Slash, G n’ R continues their raw assault on audiences over 30 years later.
Substance and drug abuse problems once threatened to derail the band. But, the group has stormed back with a vengeance in the last few years. Their concert tour from 2016-18 grossed over $563 million, the second highest of all time!
G n’ R was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.
2. George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Legendary blues rockers, George Thorogood and the Destroyers have been pounding out high-energy, slide-guitar and saxophone-driven boogie-woogie since 1977.
Audience favorites like “Move It On Over” and “Bad To The Bone” continue to make them a huge concert draw today, including big performances at Sturgis.
3. Collective Soul
Based in Atlanta, Collective Soul’s blend of grinding guitars and catchy melodies have been putting them at the top of the charts since their first album dropped in 1993. Lead singer Ed Roland has one of the most recognizable voices in rock.
The group’s hits, “Shine”, “December”, “Gel”, “The World I Know” and many others are testimony both to their talents as musicians as well as their longevity.
4. ZZ Top
Speaking of hard-driving blues-rock, ZZ Top, those tres hombres from Texas, are still getting it done after nearly 50 years. They can still wow a rowdy biker crowd, no doubt about it.
The same trio of musicians has been together since 1970: vocalist/guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard. Billy is the group’s leader and main lyricist.
With songs like “Tush,” “Gimme All Your Lovin,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” and many more, ZZ Top keeps the party rolling.
They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
5. Three Days Grace
This group may not have the name recognition of others on this list, but they have been hugely successful. They are four lads from Canada who comprise one of the most successful hard rock bands of the new millennium.
With a record 14 number 1 songs on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, they broke a record previously held by Van Halen for 20 years. They released their sixth album in March 2018.
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