Drawing from a diverse range of influences, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band created music that has occasionally been dubbed "avant garde-blues", with a loud complex weave of guitar work that would come to influence the punk movement in the following decade, unusual use of percussion, free jazz solos, and surreal lyrics. His album Trout Mask Replica (1969), which was produced by Frank Zappa, is number 58 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list (beating albums like Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti, Prince's Purple rain and John Lennon's Imagine) and is his most popular album, regarded by some as the most original musical work to come out of the 1960's.

The Magic Band's first formation was in 1965 when Don Glen Vliet was contacted by Alex Snouffer, a local Lancaster, California rhythm and blues guitarist. Together they assembled the first Magic Band, and at this point "Don Vliet" became "Don Van Vliet", whilst "Alex Snouffer" became "Alex St. Claire". Nearly all the musicians that Van Vliet worked with were given stage names; Van Vliet's being Captain Beefheart. The first Magic Band was completed with Doug Moon on guitar, Jerry Handley on bass and Vic Mortenson on drums, who was soon replaced by Paul Blakely.

Van Vliet left the music business around 1982 to focus on painting. Though the influence of his music is almost immeasurable, his art career has arguably been more commercially successful, seeing his paintings often command prices in excess of $50,000 US dollars.

Van Vliet currently lives in Humboldt County, California. It is reported by those close to Van Vliet that he is currently suffering life-threatening effects from his Multiple Sclerosis, and is bed-ridden.

BBC disc jockey John Peel stated, "If there has ever been such a thing as a genius in the history of popular music, it's Beefheart…I heard echoes of his music in some of the records I listened to last week and I'll hear more echoes in records that I listen to this week." Many artists have cited Beefheart as an influence, beginning with the Edgar Broughton Band, The Clash, John Lydon of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., Sonic Youth, The Membranes, XTC, Franz Ferdinand, Minutemen, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has also cited Beefheart as a prominent influence on the band's 1991 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik as well as his debut solo album Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt. Tom Waits' shift in artistic direction, starting with his album Swordfishtrombones in 1983, was, Waits claims, a result of his wife introducing him to Beefheart's music.

In 2004 and 2005 former members of Beefheart's Magic Band, lead by John "Drumbo" French reformed and toured as The Magic Band giving fans worldwide the chance to experience Captain Beefheart's music live again. They were received with wide critical acclaim.