All these bands, and noone has mentioned Simple Minds? At least one has referred to Echo and the Bunnymen, and a couple of references to Joy Division. Got to have The Clash in there and Pink Floyd and Genesis had their moments. The best of all were an Irish band called Something Happens - not punk or speed or thrash or metal or grunge or any of those subgenres - just pure rock...though maybe it could have been pop rock...
1. The Beatles 2. The Kinks 3. The Rolling Stones 4. Badfinger 5. The Ramones 6. The Sex Pistols 7. The Who 8. Cheap Trick 9. Queen 10. Led Zepplin
These are not truly representative of their talent and are overplayed FM staples. Get ahold of some of their live material- it's much better.
Jeez! No votes for Neil Young!? Nearly a 40 year carreer spanning more than one musical genre and influencing countless performers. From acoustic folk rock to grunge-the man does it all.
aye neil young is incredible he's been a solo star and a star within a group either way, he is a great rocker, a class guy and given us the bridge school benefit concert every year (to raise funds for a school that helps children with an illness that escapes me at present time... he has 2 with it) cheap trick above was another good one... not necessarily for me... but glad someone threw it in theirs... i've got some class stuff of them playing with pj and pumpkins
The definitive list - accept no substitutes 10 The Clash 9 Genesis 8 The Jam 7 Black Sabbath 6 The Doors 5 The Who 4 Pink Floyd 3 Led Zeppelin 2 Rolling Stones 1 Beatles
Thanks, that's much better. Now if we could just get foxhound to take The Jam off his list and slide Aerosmith into that number 8 slot, then we're getting towards something of an acceptable list. For a decent list, see Doctor Stamen's on page 1.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words... So after careful deliberation, I've narrowed my list down to the number 1 greatest rock band of all time. I think Rudi's handlebar mustache gives these gentlemen the edge over the Stones:
I'm amazed that we are 2 1/2 pages into this thread and nobody has mentioned the Velvet Underground. They are one of the most influential bands ever. Practically ever major band from the 80's and 90's was influenced by VU. Velvet Underground Bob Dylan The Who The Rolling Stones REM Pavement Yo La Tengo Lambchop The Pixies The entire Elephant 6 Recording Co. Murf
You beat me to it, Murf. The fact that the VU made nobody's list but yours and mine is a crime. I'm also a bit surprised that Iggy Pop was not mentioned. My list, in no particular order: The Velvet Underground The Ramones The Clash REM (pre-"Green") U2 (pre-"Zooropa") The Beatles The Police Nirvana The Sex Pistols Iggy Pop (both with the Stooges and as a solo artist) Close to making the cut: The Rolling Stones Smashing Pumpkins The Replacements Talking Heads The Cure The Doors David Bowie The Dead Milkmen (just kidding) Led Zepplin
Well Simple Minds did cover a few VU songs... Anyway, thought of another two bands Big Country INXS Toto IV is a great album. Does Toto appear on any list? I presume New Romantic music is not classified as rock and Duran Duran or Roxy Music don't make the grade. Though seeing the lists above I may be barking up the wrong tree. Howard Jones and Nik Kershaw anyone? Visage? Gary Numan?... Think I'll retire to my room and play some really loud goth music to remind me of how good the 80's were...
No Yardbirds? The Yardbirds were a tremendously influential band where Clapton, Beck and Page reworked the blues and developed guitar technolgy that made Led Zep and bands that followed what they were.
The Beatles (#1, no doubt, greatest band ever. Just accept it.) Husker Du The Kinks Radiohead The Ramones The Smithereens The Smiths Talking Heads U2 The Who
No way Dude am I putting the "I dont wanna miss a thing " band in for anyone. The Jam are the bees knees, Smithers Jones, Eton Rifles, Little Boy Soldiers, To be Someone, Set the House Ablaze ~ how can you advance Aerosmith over that ?
No offence - cause I'm sure The Jam is a great band - but how influential can they possibly be if I've never heard of them? And BTW, Aerosmith had quite a career even before I don't Want To Miss A Thing. But it's a moot point anyway. If you people were looking at this objectively, you'd have to agree that the Scorps are the greatest band ever.
Cos Matt in America you were rocking to sounds of Styx and Journey while The Jam were tearing up Europe. Any man worth his salt will know who the Jam are - The greatest band never to crack America (your loss )
Foxhound, that "greatest band never to crack America" award must surely go to the magnificent Stone Roses. I can't believe they haven't been mentioned in any post yet. They were pure genius. Another band that I don't particularly like but am surprised that they are not featuring on a lot of lists is Queen. And for pure rockers, another band that I don't really like but have to grudgingly concede were good at their stuff is Thin Lizzy.
In no particular order: Led Zeppelin The Who Pearl Jam The Beatles Rush Rolling Stones Cream The Eagles Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band The Doors Honorable mention: Nirvana Yes Collective Soul (hey, they rock!) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers P.S.-Being an American, I've never heard The Jam, though I've heard good things about them. What are their essential albums?
No order The Ataris Audio Karate Audiovent Homegrown Something Corporate Julianna Theory Midtown No Use for a Name Green Day Slick Shoes Our Lady Peace Saves The Day Unwritten Law Finch
The Stone Roses would be considered if they made more than the one album. I don;t think any British Bands crack the lucrative American market now, most have given up trying. I still think The Jam were the best nevet to have done. Maybe a bit too "Quintessentially English" (like The Kinks) to have mass Stateside appeal and when you think they were around when British singers had the fake American accent going on (Rod Stewart, Jagger, Plant etc etc) Paul Weller sounds as English as you can get.
I'm going to skip the obvious ones-Stones, Beatles etc... Can Neu Suicide Love Hawkwind Sonic Youth My Bloody Valentine Birthday Party T.Rex Wire ...in no particular order
Not many fans of Guns N' Roses I guess out there with only a couple of votes. Their "Appetite of Destruction" album is one of the best of all-time.