Over the course of its three decade existence, the California-based band the Grateful Dead would go on to pretty much invent the quintessential jam band archetype. Formed in 1965, the group would move to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and personify the hippie culture that existed in the district in the late 1960s. With a style that stresses an adherence to instrumental improvisation and meandering jams, the band became extremely popular with individuals experimenting with psychedelic substances. Spending an impressive amount of time on tour, where the Grateful Dead would constantly change its set list from night-to-night, the band built an ardent group of fans known as Deadheads who'd travel across the country with the band to witness every song played. The Grateful Dead disbanded with the 1995 death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
