The 13th Floor Elevators found some commercial and artistic success in 1966-67, before dissolving amid legal troubles and drug use in late 1968. As one of the first psychedelic bands, their contemporary influence has been acknowledged by 1960s musicians such as Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Peter Albin of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Chris Gerniottis of Zakary Thaks. Their debut 45 "You're Gonna Miss Me", a national Billboard #55 hit in 1966, was featured on the 1972 compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968, which is considered vital in the history of garage rock and the development of punk rock. Seminal punk band Television played their "Fire Engine" live in the mid-1970s. In the 1980s-90s, the 13th Floor Elevators influenced important bands such as 14 Iced Bears who use an electric jug on their single Beautiful child, Primal Scream and Spacemen 3, both of whom covered their songs. Noted Hollywood actor Johnny Depp praised the Elevators in a 2005 interview.
In 2009 the International Artists released a ten CD box set entitled Sign of the Three Eyed Men, which includes mono and stereo mixes of the original albums together with two albums of previously unreleased material and a number of rare live recordings.
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