Phish

The fact that Phish emerged from the college-rock era is vital to fully appreciating their unique legacy in the jam-band tradition. After all, the group’s playful mashing of genres (including bluegrass, jazz, funk and more) and loopy experimentation are more rooted in Gen X slacker mischief than hippie idealism. This isn’t to downplay the formative influence of the Grateful Dead and Frank Zappa as the Vermont ensemble honed their improvisational skills and proggy songwriting in the late ’80s. But as key releases like 1992’s A Picture of Nectar, 1996’s Billy Breathes and the 2009 reunion album Joy all demonstrate, Phish relish disrupting their own complexity with alt-pop’s caffeinated bounce. The band’s archive of live releases—arguably the most important titles in the Phish catalogue—drives these points home. Sprawling takes on vintage blues and reggae tunes rub shoulders with left-field covers from indie rock and New Wave; meanwhile, beloved originals like “Llama” and “Tweezer (Reprise)” achieve frenetic paces unrivalled in the jam-band canon.