Jefferson Airplane

They came together in 1965, from many different directions, united at a crossroads in sunny San Francisco where chaos and beauty, spirituality and upheaval all coexisted. In short order, thanks to early tours de force like "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit," Jefferson Airplane became the city's — and the entire hippie movement's — house band.

Jefferson Airplane's classic lineup — Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen, and Jack Casady — assembled in a singular juggernaut of inspiration and expert musicianship. Their greatest creative achievements — songs like "Plastic Fantastic Lover," "Wild Tyme," and "Pretty As You Feel" — merge the period's hippie folk feel with wonderfully psychedelic, high-voltage experimentation.

Crown of Creation, the fourth (and some say best) Jefferson Airplane album, may not have included the commercial hits of its predecessors. Still, it did accomplish what the band's previous albums failed to do, capturing their explosive live sound in the studio, best heard on Deep Cuts like "Share a Little Joke," "Ice Cream Phoenix," and "If You Feel."

For several years during the mid- to late '60s, San Francisco ignited the world with a mighty upheaval of musical energy and inspiration, serving up a supersized, unparalleled helping of countercultural rock 'n' roll. With landmark cuts like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane could be found at the very center of that revolution. It's virtually impossible to envision what those heady San Francisco daze would have sounded like without the electrifying vibes of Grace Slick and her kaleidoscopic company of men.