Motown Records was founded in Detroit, Michigan in the late 1950s by songwriter Berry Gordy. This record label was heavily influential in the development of soul and pop music throughout the '60s. According to Time Magazine, some primary characteristics of Motown Records songs were great melodies, hand clapping and a mixture of vocals from the bands' lead singers and background vocalists. During the '60s, Motown's all-male bands who acquired fame were The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5 -- whose lead singer was a young Michael Jackson.
The British Invasion in the rock 'n roll music world was a movement of British-born bands and singers who came to perform in the United States in the mid-1960s. Some of these bands made an immediate impact on the Billboard charts and are among the most legendary names in rock 'n roll music. Two of the most influential bands of the British Invasion were The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. According to Billboard Magazine, the Beatles were the number one band in the magazine's Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists List. The Rolling Stones features lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards and remain an active band as of the date of this publication. Other all-male bands in the British Invasion were The Troggs, The Animals and Herman's Hermits.
Psychedelic rock was a rock 'n roll music movement starting in the mid- to late 1960s. This genre of music infused rock music with psychedelic drug culture. Psychedelic rock incorporated the use of Asian Indian musical techniques such as ragas and drones. Some of the earliest all-male psychedelic bands were from the United States, including The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Byrds and The Doors -- whose lead singer was Jim Morrison. This movement led to the creation of the "San Francisco Sound," a mixture of psychedelic rock and folk music. All-male bands from the "San Francisco Sound" movement were the core members of the Grateful Dead -- Donna Jean Godchaux joined the band in 1972 -- and Country Joe and the Fish.
Throughout the '60s, folk music artists used acoustic instruments and primarily sang about political issues, including civil rights, labor union disputes and anti-war sentiment. Many of the folk bands of this era were singer-songwriters. The leading figure in this movement was Bob Dylan, who wrote and sang "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." The Lovin' Spoonful, Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills and Nash were some of the most popular folk bands in the '60s.