Jefferson Airplane was
an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the
psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from
the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical
success.
The band performed at the three most famous American rock festivals of
the 1960s Monterey (1967), Woodstock (1969) and Altamont (1969) as well
as headlining the first Isle of Wight Festival. Their recordings were
internationally successful, and they scored two US Top 10 hit singles
and a string of Top 20 albums. Their 1967 record Surrealistic Pillow is
regarded as one of the key recordings of the so-called Summer of Love
and brought the group international recognition. Two chart hits from the
album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are listed in Rolling
Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
Successor bands to Jefferson Airplane include
Jefferson Starship and
Starship; spinoffs include
Hot Tuna and
KBC Band. Jefferson Airplane was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
