Diane M:  Good for you, that is, teaching this music history. And, the thing is about this era -- the music is strongly linked with the major political, social, and cultural changes of the day so you get to talk about those issues too. It's all one in my mind.

One reason I was so amped up about the rock scene in those days was that I was lucky to have a mother who grew up on New York City and was going to Harlem to see all the jazz greats of that day --- Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Count Basie. So she turned me onto that music that was not considered hip by people of my age. But, she also told me about the scene and what it meant and actually facilitated my involvement in the "new" music.  She drove me to my first Fillmore concert and picked me up at midnight when I was 16 years old. BTW, I saw the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Roland Kirk.  She did not like the noise Hendrix made, but understood the sea change he was helping to bring about by his dress, his manners, and his wild playing. Her Hendrix was Charlie Parker.

I have met and talked (and read online) comments from many young people who say "I wish I was born earlier" or something to that effect.  I have to say that honestly and as objectively as I can be feel that the music (and other cultural changes) of that time (say 1966-70) was the best we have seen and the most influential we have seen.   When I listen to "progressive rock" today, I still hear the Who, the Kinks, and others (including of course the most influenctial group of all - The Beatles, who are strangely but understandably not part of the Wolfgang thing) in their music.  But, that is logical and the way it has to be.  Pete Townshend, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and all of them would readily admit they took their most of their ideas from people like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly, so it all comes around.