- This article is about the American rock band from the 1960s; for information on the Madchester rock band, see Charlatans UK.
The Charlatans was an influential psychedelic rock band that played a pivotal role in the development of the San Francisco scene in the 1960s. More similar to earlier jug band and blues influences than the later heavy psychedelia from the same scene, The Charlatans set the stage with their rebellious attitude and appearance. Their recorded output was small, and their first nationally distributed album (The Charlatans ) was not released until 1969 (see 1969 in music), long after the band's heyday.