The group initially performed under several names before settling on “The Yardbirds,” reportedly inspired by the writings of author Jack Kerouac, who used the slang term “yardbird” to describe a drifter or someone living on the margins of society.
The Yardbirds emerged from the vibrant rhythm and blues scene that flourished in London during the early 1960s, becoming one of the most influential British bands of the decade. Although they would later gain worldwide recognition for helping launch the careers of three legendary guitarists—Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page—
The album Rumours became a phenomenon almost without precedent, eventually spending 31 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Fleetwood Mac began in London in 1967 during the peak of the British blues explosion, growing directly out of the enormously influential circle surrounding John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
