LA's Whisky a Go-Go Named 'Greatest Rock Venue Of All Time'

For decades, The Whisky stage was home to pre-legendary artists The Doors, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix The Beach Boys, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Johnny Rivers, Cream, Van Halen, Motley Crue, Guns n Roses and hundreds of other musicians.

If there’s a characteristic shared by many great rock venues, it’s that they’re rarely about glitz, glamour, or Vegas-style flash. Oftentimes, the best venues have a raggedly dilapidated quality that feels part and parcel of rock music itself. Many great artists served apprenticeships and honed their crafts in such settings, performing on low-tiered rickety stages. With just a couple of exceptions, the legendary venues below prove that shifts in the direction of rock can sometimes occur in the unlikeliest of places.

Whisky A-Go-Go (Los Angeles, California)

The L.A. rock scene was essentially born on the day the Whisky A-Go-Go opened its doors in 1964. Located on Sunset Strip, the club served as the breeding ground for such acts as Alice Cooper, Buffalo Springfield and The Doors. As its name implies, the club also spawned the relatively short-lived phenomenon of go-go dancing. The Who, Led Zeppelin, Cream, and countless other pioneering bands made their southern California debut on The Whisky’s stage.

So lets raise a glass to the Whiskey for being the nesting ground for many wild acts of Rock and Roll!






The Doors. 1966, Los Angeles, Whisky a Go Go



Gene Clark Group. June 1966, Los Angeles, Whisky a Go Go



Debbie Harry of Blondie performing in a spray-painted wedding dress at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles in February 1977.


For the complete list of 'Greatest Rock Venue's' visit gibson.com