
The stories of some of the biggest names in rock music history, from the beginning of their career to the height of their success.

With its rock-ribbed, austerely precise arrangements and a catalog of songs that linked American folklore to primal myths, the Band -- four Canadians and a Southerner -- makes music that is both earthy and mystical.

The Kinks were a key part of the 1960s British Invasion, and their early hits such as "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" paved the way for the next decade's hard rock.

Founded in 1981 in Queens, N.Y., Grammy-nominated hip-hop trio Run-DMC help usher in the genre's increasing popularity in the 1980s.

The pioneering blues-based combo, The Yardbirds, introduced three famous and influential guitarists of the rock era: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page; their innovations paved the way for rock, heavy metal, Southern boogie and even punk.