n terms of music history, the British Invasion is one of the most interesting times in American history, kicking off in the early '60s.

Spencer Davis, the British rock musician whose namesake band turned out such '60s hits as 'Gimme Some Lovin,' 'I'm a Man,' and 'Keep on Running,' has died at 81.

Here we have a reminder that the 60s were not just a time when Britain had the best pop music, best fashion and (briefly) the best football team in the world, but also the best television.

Every kid should know some basic rock history, so we present these performers and groups as the fundamentals of their '60s education.

Columns How the ’70s Dethroned the ’60s as Popular Music’s Golden Age Without us quite noticing, the ’70s have carved out as exalted a place in the pop-music canon as the ’60s.