Don’t let the matching haircuts fool you; the Animals represented the edgier side of the British invasion. Best remembered for their dramatic cover of the old folk song “House of the Rising Sun,” the Animals blazed a rocky but influential path in the 1960s.

Originally called the Alan Price Combo, the group welcomed front man Eric Burdon to its ranks in 1962. Performing in their hometown, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the Animals were thus nicknamed for their wild stage antics so they adopted that moniker officially. Their set consisted mostly of rousing versions of rhythm & blues songs and they covered artists like Nina Simone, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed. The Animals’ ardent stylings attracted a record contract and in 1964 they released their first single, “Baby Let Me Take You Home,” another cover of an R&B tune. “House of the Rising Sun” followed soon after and catapulted the band to international fame. The song was roughly 30 years old by the time the Animals gave it a go and had been interpreted by several other artists already. Regardless of previous versions though, Alan Price’s skillful keyboards and Burdon’s gritty vocals helped the single reach #1 in both England and the U.S. An original song, “I’m Crying”, released the same year also made it to the Top 20. The Animals stayed at the top of the charts in 1965 with “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.” Again, Price’s organ playing and Burdon’s moody, impassioned vocals ensured the songs would appeal to every disenfranchised youth pining for something better.

Alan Price left the band to pursue other projects, just before “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” was released. The Animals had a few more hits with “It’s My Life” and “Don’t Bring Me Down" but disbanded soon after their tour in 1966. Eric Burdon put together a new lineup--dubbed the New Animals--and continued to perform. In the late 60s, the (New) Animals moved away from their R&B roots and embraced the psychedelic movement and its influences. The hippies embraced them right back; hit singles from this period include “San Franciscan Nights” and “Monterey.”

In 1969, Eric Burdon decided to retire the Animals and joined the band War, which had a smash hit with “Spill The Wine” in 1970.  The original band reunited in 1977 and again in 1983, going on tour and releasing new songs. The Animals title didn’t stay retired either, as most band members have put together new ensembles that perform using some version of that name.