What the fuck was in the British water during the 1960s? Obviously if I haven’t mentioned it enough, or the sixty, sixties movies video didn’t do it either, I think it’s easy to understand how awesome a time I think the 1960s were. I wanted to write something in particular about a few certain individuals, who really grew up around the same time (1960s), in around the same area (the UK). This is pretty much just my version of the British Invasion.

The people that I’m going to mention below like it’s not all perfect. Trying to categorize it is hard. They didnt all hit the scene at the same exact time or you know, not from the same exact areas in the UK, but I just constantly keep telling myself the same shit; now, what the fuck was in that fucking British water. These normal individuals all were drinking some form of magic water in the UK during the 1960s that created these just, God like humans amongst us. Figures larger than life itself. 

Okay so who are these people that come to mind when I talk about sipping the sixties British water? You want to talk about “great” bands and you’ll find yourself messing around with various genres and decades. But what I truly believe is the Mount Rushmore of Bands, all came from drinking that water; The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. There’s maybe only two or three other bands that I wouldn’t argue with you against in terms of greatness, but that just comes down to preference. I write this pretty confidently when saying those four are the Mount Rushmore of bands, in really anyway you want to justify it. And there’s one more lad worth noting, who is of that god-like figure who came up drinking that same exact water as well, David Bowie. 

These four bands and Bowie are just about the pinnacle of “modern” music for me. I’m not going to try to single any of them out but just continue to talk about the bands and Bowie almost like a group in itself. Each of them created their own extremely unique and timeless music that I just keep coming back to. Music that I know I’ll never not feel a certain way about. Just artistically and musically really pushing boundaries and I know there’s still shit that each of them have done that I’m still yet to find and enjoy. 

I cant tell you when it really hit me, most likely in my late teens where I really realized that these guys were from the UK. Another continent. Aside from soccer I had never really understood what it meant to come from across the pond. I almost just assumed, stupid enough, that if I knew of you at a younger age, like Elvis, Dylan or The Doors, that you were from my side of the Earth. 

I think what really surprises me the most is the impact these foreigners had on the USA and North America culture as a whole. Led Zeppelin had major success in the US before ever selling out any shows in London. But the major impact these guys still currently have over here today is just so strong. Like truly what an impact. It’s not really like alot of European pop culture made its way here at the time. Sports didnt. We invented and embraced our own. Yeah there’s some solid British films from this time, but they are so distinctly British and obviously not Hollywood, anyone could tell the difference. When it came to the music the lines just seemed so much more blurred but at the same time these guys were just a level above everyone else in the US. Once again It makes me think, what the fuck was in the british water they grew up drinking in the sixties? It created Gods. 

I find it super rare and maybe the only true time where something not American, these four bands and Bowie, were just really embraced and enjoyed so hard, to the point where someone who grew up much after the fact, never realized the difference. I’ve never been to the UK but I would love to contrast with how they are all still received there, I’d like to imagine its very similar. There should be fucking statues everywhere for these guys. 

One of my absolute favorite things is asking people well older than me to rank; Stones, Beatles, Floyd and Zeppelin, in order of what they have listened to the most in their life. I mean it isn’t really much but it’s a quick and light way for me to think that I’m maybe getting to know someone a little better. Its a personality opener. Personally, I’d always rather not answer that one, the answer could change depending on the type of week I’m having, but there’s like an evil joy I get in pinning others to a difficult situation like that. 

Also without going too deep into the rabbit hole there’s other great bands/artists I’d like to mention here who would have drank that same water, whether it was a little bit later or not as strong; Queen, Elton John, The Who, The Kinks, Cream/Eric Clapton, even Fleetwood Mac. Just fucking insane what came out of the UK.

I find it hard to relate to people who don’t feel the same way. You should never not know what to play because these artists exist, I am sorry there is no excuse. Like how the fuck are the Beatles not in somewhat of even a monthly rotation of what you listen to? Do you have any clue of the run of greatness that Led Zeppelin went on in just under a five year span? How do you not just smile anytime you see Mick Jagger still kicking it? How do you not feel the power of David Bowie? I can’t even begin to start with how much Pink Floyd means to me because what I write would be double the size of what you have already read, but realistically, that’s the case with all five of these artists. They each deserve their own post. Maybe someday. 

So, to save you some time right now I’ll call it quits here and leave you with the five songs (not favorite or best) in no order, that I find myself listening to the most today, just for something to look back on. Next week each one could have five different, but that’s just what happens when you’re dealing with five of maybe the top ten greatest discographies of all time. They don’t ever fucking quit or go bad.