The Band

THE BAND. Canadian-American rock band formed in Toronto in 1967. The Band combined elements of Americana, folk, rock, jazz, country and R&B, influencing musicians such as ; George Harrison / Elton John / the Grateful Dead and Eric Clapton. Between 1958 and 1963, the group was known as the Hawks, a backing band for rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. In the mid-1960s, they gained recognition for backing Bob Dylan and the 1966 concert tour was notable as Dylan's first with an electric band. After leaving Dylan and changing their name to "The Band", they released several records to critical and popular acclaim including their debut album Music from Big Pink in 1968. Their most popular songs included ; "The Weight" / "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and “Up on Cripple Creek”. Music critic Bruce Eder described the Band as "one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world, their music embraced by critics ... as seriously as the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones". The Band was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them 50th on its list of the 100 greatest artists of all time and ranked "The Weight" 41st on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time