Although conceived and promoted as Australia's Woodstock, the Sunbury Pop Festivals signalled the end of the hippie peace movement of the late 1960s and the beginning of the reign of pub rock. The early festivals were financially successful and featured performances by Australian and New Zealand bands including, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Max Merritt and the Meteors, Chain and Wild Cherries. Various live albums were recorded at the festivals including "Aztecs Live! At Sunbury" issued in September 1972, which peaked at No. 3 on the "Go-Set" Top 20 Albums; and the triple live album, "Sunbury 1973 - The Great Australian Rock Festival" which was the inaugural release by Mushroom Records.