Quest for the Top Southern Classic Rock Band – Part One

Southern Rock is a sound that combines good old boy Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, the 4th of July, Pickup Trucks, and the Confederate Flag. There have been many Southern sounds over the years, adding home southern home cooking to the menu. In our humble opinion, here’s part one of our top 10 ‘Southern Rock’ classic rock bands of all time…

Molly Hatchet (Jacksonville, Florida) had a distinctive southern blues/rock appeal that drove the band to early 70s fame and fortune. Steve Holland is the most underrated guitarist of the southern rock movement.

The Charlie Daniels Band (Leland, North Carolina) is both a rock and country sensation that earned Charlie a membership in both the Grand Ole Opry and Musicians Hall of Fame.

Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers (Gainesville, Florida) began when Tom worked on campus the University of Florida, driving his father crazy by choosing to be a rocker and not a college student.

The Outlaws (Tampa, Florida) wanted to be a 60s counter culture protest band, but their hooks drove them to commercial success, so they made money instead.

38 Special (Jacksonville, Florida) was driven by the talents of Donnie Van Zant. The band had a ton of hits in the 70s and 80s. Yes, Donnie is the middle brother of the Van Zant sons. Ronnie died in the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, and 3rd brother Johnny is 38 Special’s lead singer.

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