21 June,2026 10:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Suhana Saha
PICS/PINTEREST
This Sunday, don't forget to rock out with your old man to his favourite '70s rock legends. He may complain about his neck pain after conveniently forgetting the air guitar solo and neck-denting headbanging he indulged in after three beers the night before, but let it go for today. Here are a few classic "dad-rock" bands you shouldn't skip for their music and lore.
The band's lead guitarist, Dimebag Darrell, who this writer believes is the best live performer of all time (no we're not biased at all), was known for his never-ending frat-boy-style parties that lasted entire weeks. Their home had so much chaos going on that they literally released a series of VHS tapes and DVDs called Pantera Home Videos. With fans saying these videos were almost as legendary as their music, the tapes included drunken wrestling matches, crashing golf carts, and questionable decisions.
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Listen to: Psycho Holiday
Hotel owners would be horrified to host them! The Continental Hyatt House on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles was nicknamed "Riot House". It became a staple for '70s rock-and-roll debauchery. The band was known for pulling stunts; tossing televisions, tables, and beds from their hotel windows, hosting groupies and other big-shot bands were just random Tuesday night activities.
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Listen to: When the Levee Breaks
This wasn't just a rock band, this was a demolition crew. They walked so Zeppelin and Crüe could run. They were smashing guitars and blowing up drums before anyone else. In 1967, during a performance of My Generation on the American TV show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, drummer Keith Moon secretly packed his drum kit with way more explosives than planned. The audience thought it was all part of the act. However, it is said that crew members allegedly went flying, and guitarist Pete Townshend later said that this incident may have contributed to his hearing loss.
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Listen to: Getting In Tune
The band that birthed metal was notoriously known for its on-stage theatrics with Ozzy Osbourne. The band's lead singer took it to another level after choosing to bite off the head of a live bat on stage, thinking it was made of rubber. The rock star later said, "I thought it was a toy. Then suddenly my mouth filled with warm, gooey liquid." This soon became a defining moment in rock history.
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Listen to: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
If Zeppelin was known to be "too much" in the '70s, this band was the definition of chaos in the '80s. Their bassist Nikki Sixx once overdosed on heroin and came back to life a few minutes later. Paramedics revived him with adrenaline shots, and he later walked out of the hospital, and reportedly got high again the same day. Even drummer Tommy Lee and Sixx once filled a hotel room with fireworks and explosives for fun.
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Listen to: Too Young To Fall In Love