ABSTRACT
The Yardbirds are generally considered to be one of the most influential bands in rock history. They anticipated progressive rock by experimenting with an eclectic array of musical styles and helped usher in a new virtuosity, particularly for the electric guitar. They were at the forefront of virtually every notable technical innovation for that instrument during the mid-1960s, including feedback, fuzztone, and modal playing. Nevertheless, the Yardbirds remain best known for extramusical developments: the presence of three of England’s greatest rock guitarists-Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page-within the band at one time or another, and the evolution of Page’s New Yardbirds into the leading heavy-metal act of the 1970s, Led Zeppelin.
