See all 20 pictures

Play The Sonics Radio

The Sonics

On Tour

1,600,570 plays (131,059 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

Listening now: titnazi, bigwednesday

196 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Get Ringtones

Tacoma, Washington, United States (1960 – 1968, 2008 – present)

The Sonics are a garage rock band formed 1960 in Tacoma, Washington, United States, the band’s original members were Gerry Roslie (vocals, piano, organ), Larry Parypa (guitar), Andy Parypa (bass), Rob Lind (saxophone) and Bob Bennett (drums). The band’s loud, powerful sound is often considered to be extremely influential on the later psychedelic and punk genres.

Forming in the wake of the early-’60s success of local favorites The Kingsmen and The Wailers (whose Etiquette label they recorded for), the Sonics combined classic Northwest-area teen band raunch with early English band grit (particularly influenced by The Kinks), relentless rhythmic drive, and unabashed ’50s-style blues shouting for a combination that still makes their brand of rock & roll perhaps the raunchiest ever captured on wax.

Lead singer Gerry Roslie was no less than a white Little Richard, whose harrowing soul-screams were startling even to the Northwest teen audience, who liked their music powerful and driving with little regard to commercial subtleties. With hit after hit on the local charts (and influencing every local band that ever took the stage), the band inexplicably was never able to break out nationally, leaving its sound largely undiluted for mass consumption. Breaking up between 1966 and 1968 (after one ill-fated album attempt to water down their style for national attention), the Sonics continue today to be revered by ’60s collectors the world over for their unique brand of rock & roll raunch.

Tagged as:

garage rock, 60s, garage, proto-punk, rock
See more…

Similar Artists

Top Albums

Here Are The Sonics
The Sonics
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $19.95
- eBay Search
Psycho-Sonic
The Sonics
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Boom
The Sonics
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $32.22
- eBay Search
Introducing the Sonics
The Sonics
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $18.03
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	Have Love Will Travel	1,281
2	Strychnine	538
3	Psycho	501
4	The Witch	473
5	Do You Love Me	357
6	Boss Hoss	313
7	Roll Over Beethoven	286
8	Dirty Robber	275
9	Good Golly Miss Molly	239
10	Money	221
11	Louie Louie	208
12	Night Time Is the Right Time	206
13	Keep a Knockin'	194
14	Shot Down	189
15	Cinderella	183

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

kentocobain wrote:
15 days ago

great band

View Profile | Leave kentocobain a shout
Eraldor wrote:
21 days ago

yeeeeeaaaaah!

View Profile | Leave Eraldor a shout
moeramone wrote:
last month

<3muahmuahmuah

View Profile | Leave moeramone a shout
Waes-GOD wrote:
last month

http://www.last.fm/group/Fans+of+the+old+music

View Profile | Leave Waes-GOD a shout
luckystoned wrote:
last month

the best garage band of the world. if you don't believe that run for your life ;-)

View Profile | Leave luckystoned a shout
janco7 wrote:
last month

I agree they was very good

View Profile | Leave janco7 a shout
neilis01 wrote:
last month

best band ever

View Profile | Leave neilis01 a shout
satanfan wrote:
last month

The Best Rock & Roll Band Of All Time, From My Beautiful Hometown...

View Profile | Leave satanfan a shout
BizSAR wrote:
September 2009

YEAHHHHH!!!!! baby! Oh to have heard them in their prime...

View Profile | Leave BizSAR a shout
Stjaernstoft wrote:
September 2009

There's so much about them that's not punk.

View Profile | Leave Stjaernstoft a shout
DP9Hb wrote:
September 2009

Adorable!!

View Profile | Leave DP9Hb a shout
willywonka091 wrote:
August 2009

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOW, BABY!

View Profile | Leave willywonka091 a shout
Flakessp wrote:
August 2009

ahuenno

View Profile | Leave Flakessp a shout
free-movies wrote:
August 2009

the best videos

View Profile | Leave free-movies a shout
Kentsaurus wrote:
August 2009

wizarddick: which song? o:

View Profile | Leave Kentsaurus a shout
Julian-Thome wrote:
August 2009

When he screams they sound like The Animals!

View Profile | Leave Julian-Thome a shout
boumalhab wrote:
July 2009

Garage rock band from 1960, sweeeeet.

View Profile | Leave boumalhab a shout
Feanorr wrote:
July 2009

Funny how Psycho, Do You Love Me, Boss Hoss and Roll Over Beethoven switched being top songs all the time, and now Have Love Will Travel just killed them all so fuckin much. Rock'n'Rolla, rite... I think The Witch is their best song.

View Profile | Leave Feanorr a shout
wizarddick wrote:
July 2009

does anyone kinda feel bad listening to that song where they make fun of the retarded guy?

View Profile | Leave wizarddick a shout
Leticiaaaaa wrote:
July 2009

Shot Down is great!!!

View Profile | Leave Leticiaaaaa a shout

See all 196 shouts

Videos

Events

Nov 29 The Sonics Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland
1 shout | 35 attendees
Nov 30 The Sonics Brew House, Göteborg, Gothenburg, Sweden
2 shouts | 14 attendees
Dec 2 The Sonics Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway
1 shout | 10 attendees

Add event See more

Listeners

nysos
Listening now
to Have Love Will Travel
bigwednesday
Listening now
to Mashed Potato Time
BurntReynolds
Listening now
to Good Golly Miss Molly
jarlandersen
Top Listener
youngdrunklover
Top Listener
Just_suN
Top Listener

Recent Activity

jjsmash2000, gabriferesin, danglasser and 7 other people added The Sonics to their libraries. 1 hour ago
yellowcosmo tagged The Sonics with proto-punk, 60s and garage rock. yesterday afternoon
Deriaan, billcutts, push_and_listen and 30 other people added The Sonics to their libraries. yesterday morning
sufi17 tagged The Sonics with ‘60s’. Sunday morning
yayablahblah, bunbunb, slackimagine and 1 other person added The Sonics to their libraries. Saturday evening
Parisblues tagged The Sonics with ‘rockin party’. Saturday afternoon
luanamarinho3 and GentleMachine added The Sonics to their libraries. Saturday afternoon
tuRRtuRR tagged The Sonics with protopunk and garage rock. Saturday afternoon
bilgee0629 tagged The Sonics with ‘crazy’. Saturday morning
lamagicienne_, franciscobalbi, espurness and 8 other people added The Sonics to their libraries. Friday evening