arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter tiktok youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin

Play it Loud: San Diego's Pop Music History

Meet some of the music stars from San Diego

San Diego's history of pop-music achievement reaches back decades.

San Diego's track record of musical milestones dates back decades and includes a whole lot of famous artists. And with its combination of great venues and seriously tuned-in audiences, San Diego is bound to remain a musical launching pad for a long time to come.

1960s

1962 - Rosie & The Originals' "Angel Baby" is a nationwide hit in 1962, and is later referenced in song by John Lennon.
1966 - Iron Butterfly is formed in San Diego. Their 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" won them a reputation as the first heavy-metal band.
1967 - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap forms in San Diego and goes on to record major hits from '67 through '71.
1967 - Frank Zappa, former student at Grossmont and Mission Bay high schools, forms The Mothers of Invention. Their eclectic/progressive rock sound eventually help give Frank Zappa legendary status.

1970s

1972 - Tom Waits is working as a doorman at The Heritage Club in San Diego. The next year, he releases the first album of what will be a long and storied career: "Closing Time." 
1974 - The Belly Up Tavern opens in Solana Beach, providing a venue for local and nationally touring artists.
1974-1978 - R&R radio station KGB begins the "Homegrown" album series. Local artists are invited to write and record songs about San Diego County. Approximately 10-12 songs are selected per album, and proceeds go to a selected charity. (The liner notes for the first two albums are written by San Diego's Cameron Crowe, then a teen-age correspondent for Rolling Stone magazine, who would go on to write and direct such hit movies as "Jerry Maguire" and win an Oscar for "Almost Famous.")
1976 - Stephen Bishop submits a song to KGB's Homegrown Album series. The submission is rejected because it was submitted too late, Bishop later reveals. He eventually releases the song, "On and On," on his first album, with a lyrical reference to Jamaica instead of the original La Jolla. The song goes on to reach No. 11 on the national charts in 1977.

1980s

1981 - The first Adams Avenue Street Festival. Every year in September, local and national artists perform in Southern California's largest free music festival.

1982: The San Diego band The Monroes records a minor national hit, "What Do All the People Know?," and performs on the nationally televised "Merv Griffin Show."
1983 - The Beat Farmers combine alternative rock and country music to create an original sound and quirky songs. Known for their wild live performances, they build a huge fanbase.
1984 - The first San Diego Street Scene music festivals in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. For many years, this annual festival brings new talent to San Diego for a three-day, multistage event.

1984: With three San Diegans in its lineup, the metal band Ratt drops its platinum debut album "Out of the Cellar," featuring the hit single "Round and Round." The band goes on to record three more platinum albums. 

1986 - The Rugburns, led by Steve Poltz, meet at UCSD and start playing in the San Diego area.

1989 - The Casbah, a close-quarters (75 capacity) music venue, opens near downtown. Bands renowned in various underground music movements make the Casbah a staple in the San Diego scene.

1990s

1990 - San Diego singer Eddie Vedder receives a demo tape of songs from three Seattle musicians. After adding vocals to the demo, Eddie travels to Washington State to join them, and Pearl Jam is born.
1990 - The punk band Rocket From The Crypt forms in San Diego.
1991 - Buck 'O Nine, a mutation of metal/punk/reggae/ska, forms in San Diego.

1992 - The Christian nu metal band P.O.D. forms in San Diego's South Bay. The group will go on to record 10 albums, earn three Grammy Award nominations and tour internationally.
1992 - Stone Temple Pilots builds a fan base in San Diego to avoid the Los Angeles corporate scene. Their first album, recorded after moving back to Los Angeles, is a major national hit.
1992 - With roots in Poway, Blink-182 starts playing and recording irresistible pop/punk tunes. They sign with Geffen Records and go on to become a multi-hit, internationally recognized band.
1992 - The Rugburns' first release on Bizarre Planet Records, Morning Wood, gains the duo some national notoriety.
1994 - The Casbah moves to a larger (200 capacity) venue near San Diego International Airport.
1995 - Jewel Kilcher is singing at the Innerchange Coffeehouse. Not long after, she is noticed and signed by Atlantic Records. Her first album goes platinum. Two of the hits were co-written with Steve Poltz of the Rugburns.
1996 - Switchfoot forms to create spiritually evocative alt-rock music. They receive acclaim in the Christian music market.

2000s

2001 - Jason Mraz is playing with a trio in local coffeehouses. He signs with Elektra Records in 2003 and releases his first CD, Waiting For My Rocket To Come. A single, The Remedy, receives radio, MTV and VH-1 attention. Mraz goes on to win two Grammy Awards, and continues to record as well as operate an avocado farm in a rural part of Oceanside in North County.
2003 - Switchfoot releases its major label debut, "The Beautiful Letdown." The band is still releasing new work and touring. Switchfoot also sponsors the Annual Bro-Am Surf Contest and Concert Benefit.
2009 - Adam Lambert is a runner-up contestant in American Idol Season 8, which launches him into a singing and acting career.

2010s

2015 - The singer-songwriter Andra Day, a graduate of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, releases her debut album, "Cheers to the Fall." It makes the national charts, and Day receives two nominations for the 2016 Grammy Awards, at which she also performs.

2019 - Singer-songwriter Kat Hammock of Encinitas makes it into the Top 5 of "The Voice," the much-watched NBC-TV singing competition. She releases her debut album, "Better Than I've Been," in October 2022.


Check out San Diego's Live Music Venues to discovers the future stars from San Diego.

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert

Related Articles and Features

Deals just for you

Restaurants

The Best Date Night Downtown!

Osteria Panevino
Valid: Apr 18, 2024 - ongoing

Experience the ultimate date night in downtown San Diego at Osteria Panevino!  Our new couples menu features cheese wheel pastas starting at just $79 per couple plus a delightful appetizer, and a...

Restaurants

Couple's Night

The Butcher's Cut
Valid: Apr 19, 2024 - ongoing

Experience culinary bliss at Couples Night at The Butcher's Cut! For $75 per couple, revel in shared moments over Lobster Bisque for 2. Indulge in the Trio Special featuring a 6oz New York, Lobster...

Activity

$3 Off Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Valid: Dec 19, 2023 - ongoing

Use code SDTA at checkout to save $3 off admission for up to six people. Tickets must be reserved online in advance for a specific date and time. 

Events to check out

Event

San Diego International Auto Show

Dec 28, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025

Where the cars are the stars! The San Diego International Auto Show features the widest variety of new vehicles under one roof.

Event

Barbara Hannigan & Bertrand Chamayou

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
Dec 5, 2024

Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. She has given nearly 100 premieres, the majority of which...

Event

Wild San Diego Film

San Diego Natural History Museum
Nov 22, 2024 - ongoing

They call it the perfect city. With surf, sand, and superb weather, millions of visitors flock to San Diego every year. This oasis at the crossroads of desert and sea is a natural marvel and boasts...

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Partners

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Georgian
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Yiddish