Many regions or cities have been important in the development of rock music including Southern California (surf music), Detroit (Motown), New York (punk, rap and hip-hop), San Francisco (acid rock), etc. The Northwest has also been important in rock history. It was a significant center of protopunk music during the early 60s and again in the late 1980s when grunge emerged. Quite a few prominent bands have played roles in Northwest rock music including but not limited to The Wailers, The Sonics, The Ventures, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Kingsmen, Heart, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Seattle is of course, also the birthplace of rock icon Jimi Hendrix.

 The late 1950s and early 1960s

 This was an especially rich period in the Northwest. The Sonics and The Wailers were top bands in the Puget Sound area and the Ventures, from Tacoma, became the most successful instrumental band in rock history. The Wailers recorded “Louie, Louie” before the Kingsmen hit it big with the song in 1963 and the Ventures had a long progression of blockbuster instrumentals beginning with “Walk Don’t Run” in 1960.

A little later, the Kingsmen from Portland, and the Boise-based Paul Revere and the Raiders enjoyed national success in the early 1960s. Also, in the mid- 1960s, Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts had several national hits.

 The 1970s

 The 1970s weren’t a particularly fertile period for the region but one band did have quite a bit of success during that decade. Heart, led by sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson, had a string of national hits including “Magic Man”, “Barracuda”, and “Crazy on You”.

 The 1980s

 The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the Northwest return to national prominence with the explosion of grunge bands led by Nirvana. Their album Nevermind was a mega platinum juggernaut and other bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains also enjoyed considerable success.