The Yardbirds
| Group Members | Andy MitchellChris DrejaBen KingDavid SmaleJim McCarty |
| Former Members | See: Members section for detailed list |
| Genre | Blues rockpsychedelic rockrhythm and blues |
| Genre Links | Pop/Rock |
| Origin | London, England |
| Year(s) Active | 1963–1968, 1992–present |
| Music Style | Rock & Roll, Blues, Blues-Rock, British Invasion, Psychedelic, British Blues, British Psychedelia, Regional Blues |
| Music Mood | Confident, Passionate, Energetic, Gritty, Earnest, Stylish, Sexual, Street-Smart, Freewheeling, Reverent, Confrontational, Bravado, Brittle, Knotty, Swaggering, Visceral, Rousing, Playful, Rambunctious, Messy, Self-Conscious, Group |
| Labels | ColumbiaCapitolEpic |
| Official Website | theyardbirds.com |
| Associated Acts | The Jeff Beck GroupCreamLed ZeppelinRenaissanceBox of FrogsBand of Joy |
The Yardbirds are an English rock band that had a string of hits in the mid 1960s, including "For Your Love", "Over Under Sideways Down" and "Heart Full of Soul". The group is notable for having started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, all of whom were in the top fifteen of Rolling Stone's 100 Top Guitarists list (Clapton as #4, Page as #9, and Beck as #14). A blues-based band that broadened its range into pop and rock, The Yardbirds were pioneers in guitar innovations of the '60s: fuzz tone, feedback, distortion, backwards echo, improved amplification, etc. Pat Pemberton, writing for Spinner, holds that the Yardbirds were "the most impressive guitar band in rock music". After the Yardbirds broke up in 1968, their current lead guitarist Jimmy Page founded what became Led Zeppelin.
