July 1, 1968 the band called the Band released Music from Big Pink

They changed American music forever

But not just American music was widely influenced by this scraggly group of Americans and Canadians. Eric Clapton heard the record and decided to quite what he was doing and go do something else. He even considered moving to Woodstock, NY to meet these guys and talk them into letting him join the Band.

Here’s the Band 30 years later, joined by the Staple Singers, performing the most iconic song from that first record.