Folk rock was huge in the '60s because it was music with a message. Many of the folk rock heroes of the day were considered modern-day poets. Bob Dylan wrote and sang anthems for his generation, such as "The Times, They Are A 'Changin'," and helped move folk rock forward in 1965 when he "plugged in" and played electric guitar in a genre that had mainly been acoustic. Other folk rock stars of the day included Phil Ochs who sang powerful messages in songs such as "Power and the Glory" and Leonard Cohen, with hits such as "Suzanne."
On the other end of the spectrum from the mellow sounds of folk rock were the wailing '60s screams of electric guitar. Jimi Hendrix was considered by many to be the undisputed king of the electric guitar. Hendrix performed loud, psychedelic solos on hits songs such as "Hey, Joe" unlike anything anyone had heard from a guitar. Eric Clapton also was considered an amazing guitar player of the '60s and became a solo rock star in his own right when he left his band, Cream, in the late '60s and released hits such as "After Midnight."
Huge bands of the day, such as The Rolling Stones, began experimenting with fashion and outrageous looks in the '60s. Solo rockers like David Bowie took these trends even further and ushered in experimental rock styles that mixed outrageous fashions and sounds. Bowie wore makeup and everything from boas to space suits as he performed hits such as "Space Oddity." Frank Zappa was another huge '60s experimental rocker, whose album "Freak Out" earned him praise for pushing musical limits.
Women were rocking in the '60s and fronting bands, such as Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, but others were solo rockers in their own right. Possibly the most popular female rock star of the '60s was Janis Joplin. Her powerful, throaty voice belted out tunes such as "Bobby McGee" and "Piece of my Heart," and she earned her spot among the heavy hitter rocker men of the time. Other women delivered messages through their music in the '60s, such as Joni Mitchell with "Big Yellow Taxi" and Joan Baez with the soulful hit "We Shall Overcome."