The Yardbirds

The Yardbirds are an English blues rock band formed in London in 1963. The band started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton (1963–1965), Jeff Beck (1965–1966) and Jimmy Page (1966–1968), all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's 2011 list of 100 greatest guitarists.The Yardbirds were formed in London in 1963 by vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf and fellow musicians Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty and Anthony “Top” Topham. Relf remained the band's frontman throughout its original 1963–1968 existence and was central to its development from a blues-based club band into one of the most innovative British rock groups of the decade.

During those years, the Yardbirds successively featured three lead guitarists who later became among rock’s most celebrated figures: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Their presence has sometimes overshadowed the importance of the band’s founding members, particularly Relf, whose vocals, harmonica playing and songwriting were integral to the Yardbirds’ distinctive sound. The band's other members during 1963–1968 were vocalist/harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, with Dreja switching to bass when Samwell-Smith departed in 1966. The band had a string of hits in the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Evil Hearted You", "Still I'm Sad", "Shapes of Things", "Over Under Sideways Down", and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago".

Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, mixed raw rockabilly and blues, pioneered psychedelic rock and early hard rock, and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed Renaissance, and Page formed Led Zeppelin. The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring McCarty and Dreja as the only original members. Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at No. 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked No. 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.