Freak Out!, the 1966 debut album by Frank Zappa's band the Mothers of Invention, is a satire of American pop culture and the Los Angeles "freak" scene. It mixes doo-wop, blues-rock, orchestral passages and avant-garde sound collages, and it is often cited as one of rock's first concept albums. The album was initially poorly received in the US but sold well in Europe, and it built a cult following in America. Zappa later said producer Tom Wilson signed the band believing they were a white blues act.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.