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Grateful Dead

Rock's longest, strangest trip, the Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring survivors, spreading their message of peace, love, and mind-expansion across the globe throughout the better part of three decades. The object of adoration for popular music's most fervent and celebrated fan following -- the Deadheads, their numbers and devotion legendary in their own right -- they were the ultimate cult band, creating a self-styled universe all their own; for the better part of their career orbiting well outside of the mainstream, ...read more

Rock's longest, strangest trip, the Grateful Dead were the psychedelic era's most beloved musical ambassadors as well as its most enduring survivors, spreading their message of peace, love, and mind-expansion across the globe throughout the better part of three decades. The object of adoration for popular music's most fervent and celebrated fan following -- the Deadheads, their numbers and devotion legendary in their own right -- they were the ultimate cult band, creating a self-styled universe all their own; for the better part of their career orbiting well outside of the mainstream, the Dead became superstars solely on their own terms, tie-dyed pied pipers whose epic, free-form live shows were rites of passage for an extended family of listeners who knew no cultural boundaries. The roots of the Grateful Dead lie with singer/songwriter Jerry Garcia, a longtime bluegrass enthusiast who began playing the guitar at age 15. Upon relocating to Palo Alto, CA, in 1960, he soon befriended Robert Hunter, whose lyrics later graced many of Garcia's most famous melodies; in time, he also came into contact with aspiring electronic music composer Phil Lesh. By 1962, Garcia was playing banjo in a variety of local folk and bluegrass outfits, two years later forming Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions with guitarist Bob Weir and keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan; in 1965, the group was renamed the Warlocks, their lineup now additionally including Lesh on bass as well as Bill Kreutzmann on drums. The Warlocks made their electric debut that July; Ken Kesey soon tapped them to become the house band at his notorious Acid Tests, a series of now-legendary public LSD parties and multimedia "happenings" mounted prior to the drug's criminalization. As 1965 drew to its close, the Warlocks rechristened themselves the Grateful Dead, the name taken from a folk tale discovered in a dictionary by Garcia; bankrolled by chemist/LSD manufacturer Owsley Stanley, the band members soon moved into a communal house situated at 710 Ashbury Street in San Francisco, becoming a fixture on the local music scene and building a large fan base on the strength of their many free concerts. Signing to MGM, in 1966 the Dead also recorded their first demos; the sessions proved disastrous, and the label dropped the group a short time later. As 1967 mutated into the Summer of Love, the Dead emerged as one of the top draws on the Bay Area music scene, honing an eclectic repertoire influenced by folk, country, and the blues while regularly appearing at top local venues including the Fillmore Auditorium, the Avalon Ballroom, and the Carousel. In March of 1967 the Dead issued their self-titled Warner Bros. debut LP, a disappointing effort which failed to recapture the cosmic sprawl of their live appearances; after performing at the Monterey Pop Festival, the group expanded to a six- piece with the addition of second drummer Mickey Hart. Their follow-up, 1968's Anthem of the Sun, fared better in documenting the free-form jam aesthetic of their concerts, but after completing 1969's Aoxomoxoa, their penchant for time-consuming studio experimentation left them over 100,000 dollars in debt to the label. The Dead's response to the situation was to bow to the demands of fans and record their first live album, 1969's Live/Dead; highlighted by a rendition of Garcia's "Dark Star" clocking in at over 23 minutes, the LP succeeded where its studio predecessors failed in capturing the true essence of the group in all of their improvisational, psychedelicized glory. It was followed by a pair of classic 1970 studio efforts, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty; recorded in homage to the group's country and folk roots, the two albums remained the cornerstone of the Dead's live repertoire for years to follow, with its most popular songs -- "Uncle John's Band," "Casey Jones," "Sugar Magnolia," and "Truckin'" among them -- becoming major favorites on FM radio. Despite increasing radio airplay and respectable album sales, the Dead remained first and foremost a live act, and as their popularity grew across the world they expanded their touring schedule, taking to the road for much of each year. As more and more of their psychedelic-era contemporaries ceased to exist, the group continued attracting greater numbers of fans to their shows, many of them following the Dead across the country; dubbed "Deadheads," these fans became notorious for their adherence to tie-dyed fashions and excessive drug use, their traveling circus ultimately becoming as much the focal point of concert dates as the music itself. Shows were also extensively bootlegged, and not surprisingly the Dead closed out their Warner's contract with back-to-back concert LPs -- a 1971 eponymous effort and 1972's Europe '72. The latter release was the final Dead album to feature Pigpen McKernan, a heavy drinker who died of liver failure on March 8, 1973; his replacement was keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who brought with him wife Donna Jean to sing backing vocals. 1973's Wake of the Flood was the first release on the new Grateful Dead Records imprint; around the time of its follow-up, 1974's Grateful Dead From the Mars Hotel, the group took a hiatus from the road to allow its members the opportunity to pursue solo projects. After returning to the live arena with a 1976 tour, the Dead signed to Arista to release Terrapin Station, the first in a series of misguided studio efforts that culminated in 1980's Go to Heaven, widely considered the weakest record in the group's catalog -- so weak, in fact, that they did not re-enter the studio for another seven years. The early '80s was a time of considerable upheaval for the Dead -- the Godchauxs had been dismissed from the lineup in 1979, with Keith dying in a car crash on July 23, 1980. (His replacement was keyboardist Brent Mydland.) After a pair of 1981 live LPs, Reckoning and Dead Set, the group released no new recordings until 1987, focusing instead on their touring schedule -- despite the dearth of new releases, the Dead continued selling out live dates, now playing to audiences which spanned generations. As much a cottage industry as a band, they traveled not only with an enormous road crew but also dozens of friends and family members, many of them Dead staffers complete with health insurance and other benefits. Still, the Dead were widely regarded as little more than an enduring cult phenomenon prior to the release of 1987's In the Dark; their first studio LP since Go to Heaven, it became the year's most unlikely hit when the single "Touch of Grey" became the first-ever Dead track to reach the Top Ten on the pop charts. Suddenly their videos were in regular rotation on MTV, and virtually overnight the ranks of the Deadheads grew exponentially, with countless new fans flocking to the group's shows. Not only did concert tickets become increasingly tough to come by for longtime followers, but there were also more serious repercussions -- the influx of new fans shifted the crowd dynamic considerably, and once-mellow audiences became infamous not only for their excessive drug habits but also for their violent encounters with police. Other troubles plagued the Dead as well: in July 1986, Garcia -- a year removed from a drug treatment program -- lapsed into near-fatal diabetic coma brought on by his continued substance abuse problems, regaining consciousness five days later. His health remained an issue in the years which followed, but the Dead spent more time on tour than ever, with a series of dates with Bob Dylan yielding the live album Dylan & the Dead. Their final studio effort, Built to Last, followed in 1989. Tragedy struck in October of that year when a fan died after breaking his neck outside of a show at the New Jersey Meadowlands; two months later, a 19-year-old fan on LSD also died while in police custody at the Los Angeles Forum. As ever, the Dead themselves were also not immune to tragedy -- on July 26, 1990, Mydland suffered a fatal drug overdose, the third keyboardist in group history to perish; he was replaced not only by ex-Tubes keyboardist Vince Welnick but also by satellite member Bruce Hornsby, a longtime fan who frequently toured with the group. In the autumn of 1992 Garcia was again hospitalized with diabetes and an enlarged heart, forcing the Dead to postpone their upcoming tour until the year's end; he eventually returned to action looking more fit than he had been in years. Still, few were surprised when it was announced on August 9, 1995, that Garcia had been found dead in his room at a substance abuse treatment facility in Forest Knolls, CA; the 53-year-old's death was attributed to a heart attack. While Garcia's death spelled the end of the Dead as a continuing creative entity, the story was far from over. As the surviving members disbanded to plot their next move, the band's merchandising arm went into overdrive -- in addition to Dick's Picks, a series of archival releases of classic live material, licensed products ranging from Dead T-shirts to sporting goods to toys flooded the market. Plans were also announced to build Terrapin Station, an interactive museum site. In 1996, Weir and Hart mounted the first Furthur Festival, a summer tour headlined by their respective bands Rat Dog and Mystery Box; in 1998, they also reunited with Lesh and Hornsby to tour as the Other Ones. In spirit if not in name, the Grateful Dead's trip continued on. « hide

Similar Bands: The Allman Brothers Band, Phish, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, Donna Jean Godchaux Band

LPs

Built to Last
1989

2.6
66 Votes

In the Dark
1987

3.5
113 Votes

Go to Heaven
1980

2.8
74 Votes

Shakedown Street
1978

3.2
109 Votes

Terrapin Station
1977

3.6
157 Votes

Blues for Allah
1975

4.1
204 Votes

From the Mars Hotel
1974

3.7
140 Votes

Wake of the Flood
1973

3.8
153 Votes

American Beauty
1970

4.2
602 Votes

Workingman's Dead
1970

4.2
399 Votes

Aoxomoxoa
1969

3.8
259 Votes

Anthem of the Sun
1968

3.7
246 Votes

The Grateful Dead
1967

3.5
196 Votes

Live Albums

RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. 6/10/73
2023

3.7
3 Votes

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81
2022

4
4 Votes

Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 12-10-71
2021

3.7
3 Votes

Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR (5/19/74)
2018

4.5
2 Votes

Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
2018

4.5
5 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 27
2018

4.3
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 26
2018

4.5
2 Votes

Dave's Picks 2018 Bonus Disc
2018

4.8
2 Votes

Fillmore West 1969: February 27th
2018

4.5
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 25
2018

4.8
2 Votes

R.F.K. Stadium, Washington, D.C., July 12 & 13, 89
2017

4.5
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 24
2017

4
4 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 23
2017

4.5
7 Votes

Cornell 5/8/77
2017

4.5
36 Votes

May 1977: Get Shown The Light
2017

4.8
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 22
2017

4.5
2 Votes

Dave's Picks 2017 Bonus Disc
2017

3.5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 21
2017

4.2
3 Votes

Kingswood Music Theatre Maple Ontario June 21St 19
2017

Dave's Picks Volume 20
2016

4
2 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 19
2016

4
2 Votes

July 1978: The Complete Recordings
2016

4.3
3 Votes

Dave's Picks 2016 Bonus Disc
2016

4.5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 18
2016

4.5
2 Votes

Capital Theatre, Passiac N.J. 4/25/77
2016

4.3
4 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 17
2016

5
1 Votes

Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA 11/10/1967
2016

4.8
2 Votes

Fare Thee Well
2015

3
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 16
2015

5
1 Votes

30 Trips Around The Sun
2015

3.6
4 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 15
2015

5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 14
2015

4.5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks 2015 Bonus Disc
2015

4
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 13
2015

5
1 Votes

Houston, Texas 11-18-1972
2014

4.5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 12
2014

4.8
2 Votes

Spring 1990 (The Other One)
2014

4.6
5 Votes

Wake Up To Find Out
2014

3.9
8 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 11
2014

5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks 2014 Bonus Disc
2014

5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 10
2014

4.5
1 Votes

Live at Hampton Coliseum
2014

2.8
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 9
2014

5
1 Votes

Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA
11/29/2013

3.5
2 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 8
11/01/2013

4.8
2 Votes

Sunshine Daydream
09/17/2013

4.7
11 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 7
08/01/2013

5
1 Votes

May 1977
06/11/2013

5
3 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 6
05/01/2013

4.5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks 2013 Bonus Disc
05/01/2013

4
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 5
02/01/2013

5
1 Votes

Winterland: May 30th 1971
11/23/2012

4
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 4
11/01/2012

5
1 Votes

Spring 1990
08/31/2012

4.5
8 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 3
08/01/2012

3.5
2 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 2
05/01/2012

4
2 Votes

Dave's Picks 2012 Bonus Disc
05/01/2012

4.5
2 Votes

Dark Star
04/21/2012

5
1 Votes

Dave's Picks Volume 1
02/01/2012

4.8
2 Votes

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 5
2011

4.3
2 Votes

Europe '72: The Complete Recordings
2011

4.6
16 Votes

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 4
2011

3.4
4 Votes

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 3
2011

3.8
2 Votes

Road Trips 2011 Bonus Disc
2011

4.3
2 Votes

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 2
2011

4.8
2 Votes

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 1
2010

4
3 Votes

Formerly The Warlocks
2010

4.5
4 Votes

Road Trips Volume 3 Number 4
2010

3
1 Votes

Road Trips Volume 3 Number 3
2010

4.3
2 Votes

Crimson White & Indigo
2010

3.8
3 Votes

Road Trips Volume 3 Number 2
2010

5
1 Votes

Road Trips Volume 3 Number 1
2009

5
1 Votes

May 12, 1977, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
2009

4.5
1 Votes

Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings
2009

4.6
7 Votes

Road Trips Volume 2 Number 4
2009

4.5
1 Votes

Road Trips Volume 2 Number 3
2009

5
1 Votes

To Terrapin: Hartford '77
2009

4.3
6 Votes

Road Trips Volume 2 Number 2
2009

5
3 Votes

Road Trips Volume 2 Number 1
2008

4.5
1 Votes

Rocking the Cradle: Egypt 1978
2008

4
4 Votes

Road Trips Volume 1 Number 4
2008

4.8
2 Votes

Road Trips Volume 1 Number 3
2008

4
2 Votes

12/4/73 Cincinnati Gardens, OH
2008

4
1 Votes

Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings
2008

4.5
6 Votes

Road Trips Volume 1 Number 2
2008

5
1 Votes

Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79
2008

3.5
1 Votes

Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/6/79
2008

3
1 Votes

Road Trips Volume 1 Number 1
2007

3
1 Votes

Three from the Vault
2007

4.3
2 Votes

Spirit of '76 — Live at the Cow Palace Bonus Disc
2007

5
1 Votes

Live at the Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976
2007

3.9
26 Votes

Download Series Volume 12
2006

3.5
1 Votes

Download Series Volume 11
2006

5
2 Votes

Download Series Volume 10
2006

3.5
1 Votes

Download Series Volume 9
2006

4.7
3 Votes

Download Series: Family Dog at the Great Highway
2005

5
2 Votes

Download Series Volume 8
2005

4
1 Votes

Download Series Volume 7
2005

3.5
1 Votes

Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings
2005

5
5 Votes

Download Series Volume 6
2005

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Vol. 36
2005

4.6
5 Votes

Download Series Volume 5
2005

5
2 Votes

Download Series Volume 4
2005

4.8
2 Votes

Download Series Volume 3
2005

4.8
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 35
2005

3.8
2 Votes

Download Series Volume 2
2005

4.8
2 Votes

Truckin' Up to Buffalo
2005

4.5
4 Votes

Download Series Volume 1
2005

3.5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 34
2005

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 33
2004

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 32
2004

4.3
3 Votes

Rockin' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead
2004

4.3
14 Votes

Academy of Music, New York City March 1972
2004

4
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 31
2004

3.7
3 Votes

The Closing of Winterland
2003

4.2
33 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 30
2003

4
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 29
2003

4.7
3 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 28
2003

5
2 Votes

View from the Vault IV
2003

5
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 27
2003

4.7
3 Votes

Go to Nassau
2002

3.9
14 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 26
2002

4.8
3 Votes

View from the Vault III
2002

4
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 25
2002

3.3
2 Votes

Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead
2002

3.9
15 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 24
2002

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 23
2001

4.5
3 Votes

Nightfall of Diamonds
2001

4.3
6 Votes

View from the Vault II
2001

4.5
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 22
2001

3.9
5 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 21
2001

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 20
2001

5
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 19
2000

4.6
4 Votes

Fillmore East: April 1971
2000

4.2
22 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 18
2000

4.6
5 Votes

View from the Vault
2000

4.5
1 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 17
2000

3.8
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 16
2000

5
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 15
1999

4.3
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 14
1999

4.5
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 13
1999

4.5
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 12
1998

4.3
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 11
1998

4.5
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 10
1998

3.8
6 Votes

Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69
1997

4.4
11 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 9
1997

3.9
4 Votes

Terrapin Station (Limited Edition)
1997

3.8
2 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 8
1997

4.3
17 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 7
1997

4.5
5 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 6
1996

4.3
5 Votes

Dozin' at the Knick
1996

3.9
7 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 5
1996

4
4 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 4
1996

4.5
8 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 3
1995

4.3
10 Votes

Hundred Year Hall
1995

4
10 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 2
1995

3.6
18 Votes

Dick's Picks Volume 1
1993

4
7 Votes

Two From the Vault
1992

4.3
20 Votes

Infrared Roses
1991

3.4
11 Votes

One from the Vault
1991

3.9
30 Votes

Without A Net
1990

3.8
9 Votes

Dead Set
1981

3.5
39 Votes

Reckoning
1981

3.7
56 Votes

Steal Your Face
1976

3.3
8 Votes

History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One
1973

3.8
36 Votes

Europe '72
1972

4.2
113 Votes

Grateful Dead
1971

4
102 Votes

Historic Dead
1971

3.6
4 Votes

Vintage Dead
1970

3.8
4 Votes

Live/Dead
1969

4.3
197 Votes

Compilations

The Music Never Stopped
2025

Enjoying the Ride
2025

Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need
2018

4.1
4 Votes

The Best Of The Grateful Dead Live
2018

3.5
2 Votes

Smiling on a Cloudy Day
2017

2.5
1 Votes

Long Strange Trip Soundtrack
2017

3.5
2 Votes

30 Trips Around The Sun: The Definitive Live Story
2015

3.3
2 Votes

The Best Of The Grateful Dead
2015

4.3
5 Votes

Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It
09/18/2012

4.2
3 Votes

Europe '72 Volume 2
2011

4.8
2 Votes

Flashback with the Grateful Dead
2011

2
1 Votes

Eternally Grateful
2007

2.5
1 Votes

Fillmore West 1969
2005

4.5
31 Votes

Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966
2005

3.6
4 Votes

The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack
2004

4.1
18 Votes

Beyond Description (1973–1989)
2004

5
1 Votes

The Very Best of the Grateful Dead
2003

4.2
13 Votes

Birth of the Dead
2003

4.3
3 Votes

Postcards of the Hanging
2002

3.8
2 Votes

The Golden Road (1965–1973)
2001

5
1 Votes

So Many Roads (1965-1995)
1999

4
5 Votes

So Many Roads (1965-1995) Sampler
1999

4
1 Votes

Fallout from the Phil Zone
1997

3.8
2 Votes

The Arista Years
1996

3.8
15 Votes

Grayfolded
1994

3.6
4 Votes

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been
1977

4.8
2 Votes

Skeletons From The Closet : The Best Of
1974

3.8
46 Votes

Pop History Vol. 23
1972

3.5
1 Votes

History of the Grateful Dead
1972

2.5
1 Votes

Contributors: Divaman, Frippertronics, Britch2tiger, freakout, Pestiferous, rockandmetaljunkie, tarkus, dub sean, Nexion, Med57, CaliggyJack, rockandmetaljunkie, GratefulJerry, Frippertronics, wham49, Jom, aaronrkc, freakout, BMDrummer, ValentinoPacino, JamieTwort, Ire, tarkus, Voivod,

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