One of the preeminent bands in the bluesy 1960s garage scene, the MC5 enjoyed a successful career full of anti-establishment lyrical content and wildly loose rock and roll. The Detroit-based band formed in 1964, when its members met and bonded over mutual touchstones such as Chuck Berry and classic blues music. The group stormed out of the gates in 1969 with its debut album, Kick Out the Jams, which was also the name of its main single. Loud, rabidly-energetic and intentionally meant to incite a visceral response, the song is considered a foreshadowing of the soon to emerge punk scene. The MC5's anti-authority and politically-minded lyrics may have kept the group from ever reaching the level of popularity it probably deserved, as it repeatedly had to deal with censorship and legal hassles. Its influence, however, can still very much be found in the output of modern bands that pay homage to the original crop of garage rock bands.
