Trashmen

Over one of the most primitive 1-4-5 backing tracks ever recorded, the Minneapolis surf rock band the Trashmen declared, in 1963, that "the bird is the word." As far as the band's legacy is concerned, truer words were never spoken. "Surfin Bird" was the group's biggest hit, and decades later the song remains a garage-rock standard and a beloved oldie, solidifying the Trashmen's place in the annals of rock. The song--which was in reality a blatant hybrid of two songs by Minneapolis soul band the Rivingtons--has been covered by the Cramps, the Ramones, and the Beach Boys, among many others.