(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Stills / ABC)
Mon 26 January 2026 0:00, UK
Many musical acts enjoyed a surge of success after appearing on a variety show, from The Beatles to the Jackson 5.
Once upon a time, a chance to appear on one of the major shows – including The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand and Shindig! – was as good as a direct ticket to mass audiences. Just look at the countless musicians who name the Fab Four’s Ed Sullivan performance as the one that sparked their interest in becoming musicians, or similarly, how important their Shindig! performance was for early hype among British audiences.
Launched in 1966, Shindig! was initially slated as a replacement for folk revival show Hootenanny. As with many things, The Beatles and other pioneers of the British invasion destroyed Hootenanny because it was no longer capturing the cultural zeitgeist. As such, Shindig! was drafted in to give the slot a fresh and current flavour, showcasing new and emerging talent from a variety of different styles and genres.
The first episode got off to a flying start with acts including Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers and The Righteous Brothers. Once again, the Fab Four turned up as revolutionaries when they were billed on the first-ever UK-taped show, laying the groundwork for other major rock and British invasion bands like The Who and The Rolling Stones.
Many performers experienced significant breakthroughs after appearing on the show, like The Mamas & The Papas, for instance, performed ‘California Dreamin’’ on the show, propelling it to new heights and cementing it as one of their career-defining hits, but as with most iconic shows, there must be an equally iconic finality once its run has come to an end, and with Shindig!, the final curtain call featured two of the biggest names in rock history.
Who were the last band to appear on Shindig!?
On January 8th, 1966, the final episode aired with featured performances from The Who and The Kinks. They were also joined by rising star Billy Preston, Jackie DeShannon, Dick and Dee Dee, The Blossoms, and more. However, the show was already having ratings issues by this point, and was subsequently cancelled, being replaced in its usual slot by the action series Batman.
However, while it was hot, Shindig!’s roster speaks for itself. After all, many icons of 1960s rock passed through its walls, their careers boosted by exposure to Shindig!’s captive audience. Leon Russell and Glen Campbell also got their boost from the show, while future stars like Bobby Sherman even got their start after performing.
Its main selling point was just that: showcasing new talent and bridging the gap between music and culture in a way that gave people a chance. The passion project of producer Jack Good, Shindig! was precisely what culture needed to address its longstanding stagnation, with shows like Hootenanny, which were just too far behind the times.
As Toni Basil reflected to Ultimate Classic Rock, “This was Jack Good’s baby. Before Jack Good put Shindig! on the air, there was no connection to pop culture. Everybody was mind-blowing, whether it was Tina Turner or Jeff Beck or Donovan, it was quite an eclectic group of people and performers that Jack Good put together.”
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