2131 South Michigan Ave. V/A

Though the '60s garage band explosion was felt in every corner of the country, the local uprising of talent in Chicago thrived unlike anywhere else. The Windy City had the perfect infrastructure in place; from a booming population of teenagers, to hip music stores in every suburb, a proliferation of teen clubs willing to take their money, and a powerhouse radio station (WLS) equally up to promoting local bands. When it came to giving local groups a shot at 45 rpm fame, no Chicago label--not even the hallowed Dunwich Records--was more prolific than USA Records. USA's Jim Golden was such a strong supporter of Midwest talent that he started up a second label focused solely in this area, Destination Records.