The Grateful Dead formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. They were known for their eclectic style and live performances which included lengthy instrumental jams as well as their loyal fanbase who were known as Deadheads who followed the band from show to show.
Throughout their career, The Grateful Dead were never known as a radio-friendly band, which explains why they only charted six songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during all their years. They rarely released a song as a single, but in 1987, they released the song Touch of Grey as the first single from their 1987 In the Dark album. With the help of an incredibly popular music video on MTV, Touch of Grey became their first and only top 40 hit on the Hot 100 chart, peaking at number nine. It also became their first and only number one hit on the Mainstream Rock chart. After the success of Touch of Grey on the Rock chart, four of their next six singles were top 40 hits on the Rock chart, with two top ten singles for Hell in a Bucket, peaking at number three in 1987, and Foolish Heart, peaking at number eight in 1989.
Enjoy this look back at The Grateful Dead’s music video for Touch of Grey from 1987 as well as their music videos for Hell in a Bucket and Foolish Heart!
For a look at what the Dead were like in their heyday, check out this video of the Dead performing Sugar Magnolia, Scarlet Begonias, and Fire on the Mountain during the opening of their 1978 New Year’s Eve concert in which the entire concert was recorded and released on an album titled The Closing of Winterland. The opening acts for the concert were the New Riders of the Purple Sage and the Blues Brothers. The Dead didn’t hit the stage until midnight, and they played for approximately five hours, and then had breakfast with the audience at dawn. Incredible!
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