02-03-2013, 14:24
I think the Grateful Dead had a huge impact on the music industry. They were responsible for the trend of bands starting their own record companies and showed the industry how important merchandising is. Their business model was incredible, they made more $ than most groups in their heyday and sold fewer albums than any. Musically they are responsible for an entire genre of music - Jam Band, and to this day they continue to be extremely popular with college age listeners.