The Ventures

The Ventures formed in Tacoma, Washington in 1958 and became the best-selling instrumental rock group in history. Walk, Don't Run (1960) established their template: clean, reverb-drenched guitar playing covers and originals with impeccable technique and infectious melodies. They recorded over 250 albums across six decades, selling over 100 million records — primarily in the United States and Japan, where they are cultural icons. Their Play Guitar with the Ventures instructional albums taught more people to play guitar than any formal program. Hawaii Five-O (1969) became one of the most recognizable television themes ever recorded. Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwards, Don Wilson, and Howie Johnson created a sound that influenced surf rock, garage rock, and instrumental guitar music worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.