There are no shortage of Rock n Roll Landmarks in Los Angeles. I mean, can you think of a more rock ’n roll city than Los Angeles? Whilst London may have a longer heritage, and no shortage of New York Songs, it is LA that really encapsulates the success and excess of rock & roll.
Where else can you find such a rich vein of history and infamy than Los Angeles? From the Riot House to the Whisky on Sunset, from Venice Beach to Laurel Canyon the myths and legends of rock and roll flow through the city like a drug through the vein.
Over the past decade, I have started reading so much more about the music this West Coast icon, learning about how and why Los Angeles became the centre for a cultural revolution. Books like Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters and Cocaine Cowboys in the LA Canyons, 1967-1976 by Barney Hoskyns just fired my imagination and sealed my resolve to take a pilgrimage to these locations.
In 2016 I dragged the family out to LA, en route to Desert Trip in Palm Springs, and set about my own musical pilgrimage. In preparation for this trip, I researched the stories and the locations to help better understand where I was going and what I was looking for
From recording studios in LA to album covers featuring Los Angeles landmarks, the infamous hotels and live music venues. Let’s take a trip Los Angeles..
The most Iconic Los Angeles Rock n Roll Landmarks
I’ve grouped the Los Angeles Rock n Roll landmarks into four categories.
- Album Covers
- LA Locations
- LA Rock Star Hotels
- Recording Studios
- Live Music Venues
Los Angeles featured on Album Covers
‘Hotel California’ – The Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills (Map)
One of the most famous album covers was shot at the Beverly Hills hotel in east LA. Taken with a cherry picker, up high, the cover shows the tops of the hotel taken into the sunlight. If you love the album check out the meaning of Hotel California.
The back cover was taken at the Lido Apartments, 6500 Yucca St, Los Angeles.
Crosby Stills & Nash Album Cover
815 Palm Avenue, Los Angeles. (Map)
Photographed by the great Henry Diltz, the album cover location was a 15 minute drive down the hill from Joni’s house on Laurel Canyon. The cover shows the band sitting on an old sofa in front of a shack. The photos themselves were great, but when the band saw the processed photos (nothing digital back then!) they realised the seating order was wrong! From left to right, the cover shows Nash, Stills and Crosby. The trio returned to the same shack the following day for a reshoot only to find it had been pulled down overnight. So the cover stayed!
The location has been flattened for a long time so all you can see is a parking lot. Check this article for more of the story.
Morrison Hotel – The Doors
1246 South Hope Street, Los Angeles (Map)
Another famous Doors cover and another Los Angeles Rock n Roll Landmark. Sadly the hotel no longer exists but you can take a drive past and maybe get your picture taken!
Another photo taken by Henry Diltz. The name ‘Morrison Hotel’ lives on with a gallery co-owned by Diltz and other photographers now located in the lobby of the The Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood.
This site has a great backstory on the album cover and its location.
The Byrds – ‘Untitled’
The Griffiths Observatory 2800 E Observatory Rd, Los Angeles (Map)
The Griffith Observatory is one of LA’s most iconic landmarks. Set high up in the Hollywood Hills, it has more connections to movies than music.
This cover for the Byrds 1970 ‘Untitled’ album was shot on the stairway up to the observatory. The background was edited to feature a desert, not a city backdrop!
The Griffiths Observatory also has a connection to the Beatles, with a tree planted in honour of George Harrison. Sadly the original tree was eaten by ‘killed by beetles‘ and had to be replaced in 2014.
The Doors Waiting for The Sun
Laurel Canyon
The cover of ‘Waiting for the Sun’ was photographed on Laurel Canyon by Paul Ferrara.
Pink Floyd ‘Wish You Were Here’
3400 Warner Blvd, Burbank
The ‘burning man’ cover for Wish You Were Here was shot on the backlot of Warner Brothers Studios just over the way in Burbank. The album designers Hipgnosis (Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell) hired two stunt men to perform ‘the handshake’ for real whilst Po took as many photos as possible.
For more movie cover locations in LA, check out the ‘Rock n Roll Roadmap‘ for Joni Mitchell’s ‘Miles of Aisles‘, The Beach Boys ‘Wild Honey‘ and more.
LA Rock Star Hotels
Chateau Marmont
Location: 8221 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, (Map)
Possibly no greater Rock n’Roll Landmark exists in Los Angeles.
“If you must get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont,” Columbia Pictures founder Harry Cohen famously advised his young stars. An adage that has remained true to this day. Back in the Sixties, it played host to visiting rock bands (if they weren’t’ staying at the Riot House, below.)
The challenge here is separating fact from fiction. Did John Bonham ride his motorcycle through the lobby? Having seen the size of that lobby, I suspect he did that at the Riot House. Gram Parsons lived here for a while, Jim Morrison dangled from the roof and John Belushi died (in 1982) from an overdose. James Dean jumped through a window for a part. And those are just the stories we know about!
Even today, the Chateau is the rock star home of choice, featuring in the brilliant ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ series on Amazon Prime.
Read more about my stay at the Chateau Marmont here.
‘The Riot House’
Location: 8401 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, Los Angeles (Map)
With the exception of the Chateau, no other hotel embodied the ‘Rock n Roll’ culture of excess in LA. This is where Keith Richards threw his television out of the window. Led Zeppelin allegedly rode motorcycles through the hotel.
Now called the Andaz West Hollywood, you can stay and enjoy some of the memories. The balconies have been enclosed so you won’t be able to throw TVs out the window anymore!
The Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills (Map)
Not just an album cover but a hotel beloved by A-Listers. Whilst you are more likely to see Movie Stars than Rock Stars you could well bump into Jay-Z and Beyoncé or Keanu Reeves rocking out with Jimmy Kimmel. This is LA after all!
LA Locations
LA is so rich in music culture and folklore that whole districts are musical icons. From the hanging out in Laurel Canyon to watching the sun set over Sunset Boulevard, even the places are important LA Rock N Roll landmarks.
Canyon Country Store, Laurel Canyon
Location: 2108 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046, USA (Map)
Just up from Sunset Strip, the Canyon Country store was the local store for Laurel Canyon residents. Featuring local produce and a cafe, the store remains a magnet for music history buffs.
“There’s a store where the creatures meet” is how Jim Morrison referred to it in ‘Love Street’ – a poem for his home on 1812 Rothdell Trail (map) that he shared with Pamela (Courson).
Two great articles on Jim Morrison’s former home here.
Laurel Canyon
(Map)
With the exception of the Troubadour Club, Laurel Canyon is the centre of the Sixties counterculture. Residents including Mama Cass, Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Joni Mitchell and many more.
Laurel Canyon is a neighbourhood located in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California, and it was a popular place for musicians and artists in the 1960s. One reason for its popularity was its proximity to the music industry and other cultural institutions in Hollywood. Many musicians found the community of Laurel Canyon to be an inspiring and creative environment that allowed for collaboration and experimentation with new sounds and ideas. The area was also known for its relaxed and bohemian atmosphere, which attracted many artists who were looking to break free from the mainstream culture of the time. The Laurel Canyon music scene was characterised by a diverse range of genres, including folk, rock, and psychedelic music, and it produced some of the most influential musicians of the era, such as The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Overall, Laurel Canyon was a unique cultural and artistic hub that played a significant role in shaping the music and cultural landscape of the 1960s.
Eric Burdon (The Animals), David Byrne, Alice Cooper, David Crosby, Micky Dolenz, Cass Elliot, Fabian, Glenn Frey, Jackson Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Chris Hillman, Anthony Kiedis, Carol King, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, John Mayall, Peter Tork, Brian Wilson, and Neil Young.
Our House was written by Graham Nash about the cottage he shared with Joni. ‘Ladies of the Canyon’ was written by Joni about the neighborhood, whilst John Phillips wrote Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon), the last great single for The Mamas and Papas.
Mama Cass (Elliot) was for a time ‘the queen’ of Laurel Canyon acting as introducer and matchmaker to Crosby, Nash, Stills and Joni Mitchell.
Blue guitarist John Mayall spent time in the Canyon, after recording ‘Blues from Laurel Canyon’ based on visits to the area.
(Note: Laurel Canyon Road, not Laurel Canyon Boulevard is what you want.)
Blue Jay Way
Laurel Canyon (Map)
Not strictly part of the LA scene, but George Harrison wrote ‘Blue Jay Way’ for the Magical Mystery Tour album whilst waiting for a friend in Blue Jay Way.
“There’s a fog upon L.A.
And my friends have lost their way
We’ll be over soon they said
Now they’ve lost themselves instead.”
Paul Simon recorded the percussion for ‘Cecilia’ whilst hanging at a friends house on Blue Jay Way. If you watch ‘The Harmony Game’, Paul explains how he was sitting in a circle on the floor with friends. They started clacking and dropping chopsticks onto the floor. Paul recorded this and it became part of the rhythm for the ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ classic.
‘Our House’ – Joni Mitchell in Laurel Canyon
Location: Lookout Mountain Avenue (Map)
Joni Mitchell bought a house up on Lookout Mountain with the proceeds of her first album, ‘Song to a Seagull’. It is where this iconic photo was taken by Rock photographer Henry Diltz, and where her lover Graham Nash wrote, ‘Our House’ about their time together.
It was also where Joni wrote some of her greatest work including most of ‘Ladies of the Canyon’ and ‘Blue’. Canned Heat lived next door for a time and around the corner was the Houdini Estate.
Venice Beach
(Map)
The Boardwalk and beaches of Venice Beach are where Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek got together to form what became The Doors.
Head to Speedway & 18th Place Venice, CA 90291 to see this huge mural to Jim Morrison. A few years back the mural was updated, changing the colour from blue to red. Still looks cool!
Republic Liquor – U2 Video
On March 27, 1987 U2 performed their new track, ‘Where the Streets Have no Name’ on the rooftop of the liquor store 7th and Main. The location is now a Mexican restaurant (Margarita’s Place) but still draws tourists to this day.
Heart Attack & Vine – Tom Waits
Hollywood
Immortalised in song by Tom Waits, covered by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and featuring in a Levi’s Commercial the phrase is a play on Hollywood and Vine.
Legendary LA Music Venues
The Whisky a Go Go, Sunset Boulevard
The ‘Whisky‘ is just one of three famous music venues located in the same block of Sunset. Starting first as a ‘Go Go’ bar with disco, the venue soon started to attract young live acts.
For a time, The Doors were the house band, with regular performances from The Byrds, Love and Buffalo Springfield. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin also played here. Still an active Live Music venue, you can check the site for upcoming acts.
Right across the street is the Viper Room, the club once owned by Johnny Depp, where River Phoenix died from an overdose in 1993.
The Roxy Theatre
Sunset Boulevard (Map)
Another famous club, The Roxy was owned by Lou Adler and for a time David Geffen. The first week saw Neil Young perform and Genesis performed a number of shows just three months later.
In December 1973, Laurel Canyon resident Frank Zappa recorded most of his album ‘Roxy & Elsewhere’ at the club. Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded ‘Live at the Roxy’ was recorded here in 1976.
The adjoining bar, ‘On the Rox’ had its share of hell-raisers. The bar was a regular hangout for John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper, and Keith Moon during Lennon’s “lost weekend” in 1973-74.
The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Sunset Boulevard
(Map)
The Rainbow opened in 1972, with a party for Elton John. John Belushi ate his last meal here (died in a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont.)
As the Seventies became the Eighties the club became more of a heavy metal scene with performances Poison, Motley Crue and Guns n’ Roses. Parts of the music videos for November Rain were filmed at the club.
A regular hangout for Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, Alice Cooper and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. In later years, when not touring with Motorhead, Lemmy was a fixture at the end of the bar. Not content with rock stars hanging out, the Rainbow has a lot ofrock and roll memorabilia, which lines the walls and pays homage to the many famous musicians who have passed through the restaurant over the years. The restaurant also hosts live music events and other special events from time to time.
The Troubadour, Santa Monica Boulevard
(Map)
In the late Sixties, the Troubadour was the place to perform. It was a key early venue for performers including Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, the Eagles, The Byrds, Love, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Bonnie Raitt, J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison & Buffalo Springfield. Elton John played his first US performance here. Comedians Cheech & Chong, and Steve Martin were discovered here.
Did you know that Doug Weston visited London’s own Troubador club? He loved it so much he came back and created his own!
It remains a key place for up and coming as well as established artists including Coldplay Bastille and a reformed Guns n Roses in 2016.
By day there isn’t much to see here but you can still stop for a selfie outside 🙂
Next door is Dan Tana’s Restaurant where Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote the key lines for ‘Lyin Eyes’ after observing young girls ‘comforting an old friend.’
The Forum, Inglewood
Not strictly in Los Angeles, but half an hour south of Hollywood is the Forum. A purpose built indoor arena that played host to some of the iconic concerts of the Sixties & Seventies.
Cream played their farewell gigs here in ’68, with support from Deep Purple. Some of the tracks for ‘Wings over America’ were recorded here by Paul McCartney & Wings in 1976. These were the first US gigs for Paul since The Beatles at Shay Stadium.
The Eagles played three nights here on their Hotel California Tour in 1976 and The Rolling Stones played here countless times between ’69 and ’75.
(Website)
Los Angeles Recording Studios/Venues
Capitol Records
750 Vine St, Los Angeles (Map)
Shaped like a pile of records, the Capitol building was one of the most important labels in the sixties and seventies. Possibly their most famous bands included the Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, and The Band. (They also represented Dean, Martin, Frank Sinatra, and the Beatles!)
You can take a tour of the building which rates highly on TripAdvisor. Something I have yet to do!
Sunset Sound
6650 Sunset Blvd, (Map)
From the outside there isn’t much to see at Sunset Sound, on Sunset, but you can imagine the music recorded in these studios. Originally created by Walt Disney’s Director of Recording the early studios recorded audio for Bedknobs & Broomsticks, 101 Dalmatians, and Mary Poppins.
Subsequently over 200 Gold records have been recorded here including; Exile on Main Street (one of the classic albums recorded in the South of France), Purple Rain, Pet Sounds and two albums by the Doors – their eponymous album and Strange Days.
The Record Plant
1032 N Sycamore Avenue, Hollywood (map)
A selection of the albums recorded here. Hotel California, Rumours, Joe Walsh – So What, Appetite for Destruction and Kanye West’s The College Dropout. The Record Plant, on 1032 N Sycamore Avenue is still an active studio. Thank U – Next is just the latest smash hit to come from this place.
East West Studios
6000 Sunset Blvd
Another active studio with a rich history. In 1965 the Beach Boys recorded California Girls, the Mamas and Papas recorded California Dreaming. Frank Sinatra recorded ‘The Summer Wind’ here in 1966 as Scott McKenzie recorded ‘San Francisco’. This was the home of the Pet Sounds recording sessions. In the Eighties, the studio hosted Michael Jackson for Thriller. U2 for Rattle & Hum, Elvis Costello for Spike and Madonna for Like a Prayer. Oh, and the opening themes to Hawaii Five-O and Hill Street Blues.
Recommended Hotels for an LA Music Experience
The obvious answer would be the Hotel California, The Beverly Hills Hotel but you’d actually be quite away from the key places on the list. Whilst it’s only a 25-minute drive away, you may prefer to stay in the heart of the action. Chateau Marmont or Andaz West Hollywood (Riot House) are two rock n’ Roll locations. Across two visits we stayed at the Chateau and at the London West Hollywood which looks onto The Viper Room and across to the Whisky a Go Go, Rainbow and the Roxy.
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