The Ten Best Rock Bands Ever
I just came upon this article and top ten list, by MSNBC Contributor, Eric Olsen from last March. Below I list his choices, followed by a bit of my commentary.
1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. U2
4. The Greatful Dead
5. Velvet Underground
6. Led Zeppelin
7. Ramones
8. Pink Floyd
9. Bob Marley and the Wailers
10. Sly and the Family Stone
First, it's agreat list, but how can any all-time top ten list of rock bands exclude The Who? Olsen has been legitimately swayed by "cool" over "big;" still...Lou Reed (Velvet Underground) may have been a Punk innovator, but he is nearly unknown to the masses (quick: name three of his songs) and Jerry Garcia (Greatful Dead) once graced Haight Ashbury when it was really happening, but his following was greater in the years before his death, when the Dead was a "continue to celebrate the 60s on weekends band." If the Ramones are included, why not The Clash?
A lot of great acts one might consider are known more for their lead performers (e.g. Springsteen, Bowie).
If readers Comment in any significant number below, by naming their top ten all-time favorite bands, I'll dedicate a future post to blog readers' choices.
Here's the link to Olsen's article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4595384/
1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. U2
4. The Greatful Dead
5. Velvet Underground
6. Led Zeppelin
7. Ramones
8. Pink Floyd
9. Bob Marley and the Wailers
10. Sly and the Family Stone
First, it's agreat list, but how can any all-time top ten list of rock bands exclude The Who? Olsen has been legitimately swayed by "cool" over "big;" still...Lou Reed (Velvet Underground) may have been a Punk innovator, but he is nearly unknown to the masses (quick: name three of his songs) and Jerry Garcia (Greatful Dead) once graced Haight Ashbury when it was really happening, but his following was greater in the years before his death, when the Dead was a "continue to celebrate the 60s on weekends band." If the Ramones are included, why not The Clash?
A lot of great acts one might consider are known more for their lead performers (e.g. Springsteen, Bowie).
If readers Comment in any significant number below, by naming their top ten all-time favorite bands, I'll dedicate a future post to blog readers' choices.
Here's the link to Olsen's article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4595384/
posted by Man of Ages at 9:23 AM
24 Comments:
That guy's crazy. Here's my list of favorites:
1. AC/DC
2. Led Zeppelin
3. Kiss
4. Black Sabbath
5. Metallica (okay, pre-1995)
6. Van Halen
7. Aerosmith
8. Jimi Hendrix
9. Alice Cooper
10. ZZ Top
Honorable Mentions: Guns N' Roses, Deep Purple, Queen, Johnny Cash, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Sammy Hagar, The Doors, George Thorogood, Ted Nugent, Sublime, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Judas Priest, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani.
For the record, I think that Pink Floyd is terribly overrated and while the Beatles were great and one of the most influential bands of all time, they simply don't quite make my favorites list. Anyway, I know everyone's list is different, but come on...Sly and the Family Stone?!
My top ten:
1. Eric Clapton, (all of his bands)
2. Led Zepplin
3. Van Halen
4. Sammy Hagar
5. Rolling Stones
6. ZZ Top
7. Stevie Ray Vaughn
8. Guns N Roses
9. George Thorogood
10. Pink Floyd
I don't think Pink Floyd is over rated. Personaly I don't think they get enough credit.
Eric Clapton is by far the best in my opinion.
Therewill never be another band like Zepplin.
I do accknowledge the influence of the Beatles, but I personally don't like them, with the exception of a few songs.
My List is close to Olsen's.
1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. The Who
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Pink Floyd
6. The Clash
7. U2
8. Bob Marley and the Wailers
9. REM
10.Sly and the Family Stone
I am lucky enough to have seen five of these bands live.
Honorable mention: The Doors, Steely Dan, Earth Wind and Fire.
Springsteen, Bowie, Clapton are better known as individuals, but they're among the greats.
My list based on influence:
Beatles
Buddy Holly and the Crickets
The Everly Brothers
U2
The Rolling Stones
Jimi Hendrix Experience
REM
Led Zepplin
The Ramones
The Velvet Underground
Can you put together a better list?
My honorable mentions
Green Day (yes, Green Day)
Social Distortion
Van Halen
The Smiths
The Animals
The Doors
The Talking Heads
Shit... I forgot Nirvana and Sublime
Best Rock Deaths
1. Elvis
2. Kurt Cobain
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. (Tie) John Bonham or Bon Scott
5. Janis Joplin
6. Sid Vicious
7. Jim Morrison
8. Keith Moon
9. Stevie Ray Vaughan
10. Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens
Steve-
I would have included Talking heads, but I think of David Byrne as such a solo act. Same with Hendrix. I like your honorable mentions, too. I thought of Nirvana, too, but Kurt died young.
Rock Deaths #10- "The day the music died."
John Norton- I see where you're coming from and included some of your choices, but Kiss and AC/DC ahead of so many? I'm glad you qualified "pre-1995" for Metallica. I think I read that even last year, Metallica made more money than any other band and Lars is still the shrill voice of the RIAA.
Hurricane Bob- Nice list. I like many of your choices, but I think of some of them less as bands than individuals with bands. I'd put Clapton's "Cream" ahead of "Derek and the Dominoes."
I'm diggin this list brutha.
Holla!
AC/DC is simply my all-time favorite band, I know they're not very innovative but I still love them. Kiss is the band that got me into rock music, so they're mainly so high for sentimental purposes. I regret that I left Eric Clapton off my list, as he's another favorite. Add him to the honorable mentions!
Top ten "Best" eh?
Ok in order of Bestestness:
1. The Beatles
2. Led Zeppelin
3. Jimi Hendrix (With the Experience)
4. Cream
5. Eric Clapton (with himself)
6. Santana (with Abraxas)
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan (with Double Trouble)
8. Pink Floyd
9. Sublime
10. Matchbox Twenty
If the question were "favorite" the list would be pretty mucht he same but different order, but hte question here was "best". Also everything after #5 is foggy at best.. things get diluted fast. But The Bealtes, The Mighty Zep, Cream and Jimi are solid.
Au contrare, Paul...
If readers Comment in any significant number below, by naming their top ten all-time favorite bands, I'll dedicate a future post to blog readers' choices.;)
Well favorite would have to go like this:
1. Led Zeppelin
2. Sublime
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. Clapton
and then I don't care.
Well... how exciting. I don't listen to any of their stuff, but whatever tickles ppl's fancy :-)
I went to a Sly concert in the 70's and I swear he was in and out in 45 minutes.
well my list of favorites to whom it may consern
1. Led Zeppelin
2.Kiss
3.AC/DC
4.MetallicA(great, pre-95)
5.Black Sabbath
6.Dio
7.Johnny Cash
8.Guns and Roses
9.Judas Priest
10.Divo
I'm Canadian, my 10 choices are:
(posted, Fri. Oct. 21/05)
Boston
Chicago
BTO (Bachman, Turner, Overdrive)
Deep Purple
Van Halen
Aerosmith
Rolling Stones
April Wine
Cheap Trick
Blondie
hey
nah you guys got it all wrong its
1. HIM
2. Audioslave
3. Rage Against The Machine
4. System Of A Down
5. Korn
6. Iron Maiden
7. Nirvana
8. Slayer
9. Rammstein
10. Judas Priest
the best ever:
1.Queen
2.Rolling stones
3.Led Zeppelin
4.Nirvana
5.Jimi hendrix
6.Guns N'Roses
7.Bob Marley and The Wailers
8.AC/DC
9.U2
10.Run Dmc
Hi Everybody,
My list of favorites is:
The Beatles, The Rolling Sones,
Led Zeppein, Jimi Hendrix Experience
Black Sabbath, The Who, Santana
Pink Floyd, Cream, Stevie Wonder
Hon. Mention: The Isley Brothers,
The Doors, David Bowie, Van Halen, Sly and the Family Stone, Neil Young Crosby-Stills- Nash, Queen, Johny Cash, John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top.
BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn,(Also Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, and John Coltrane.)
I could go on and on! Everyone's list is cool.
P.S
I forgot to mention:
AC/DC, Bob Marley, The Cars Parliament/Funkadelic and Chuck Berry
An addendum to my Honorable mention list:1. Blue Oyster Cult,
2. Earth-Wind& Fire,3. Aretha Franklin,4.Frank Zappa and the Mothers 5.Deep Purple,6.The Four Tops,7. The Temptations 8.Emerson-Lake-and Palmer, 9.Yes, 10.Genesis, 11.Bachman Turner Overdrive, 12.Chicago, 13. Rush,
14.Ted Nugent,15.Blood,Sweat and Tears, 16.Janice Joplin, 17.War,
18. Otis Redding, 19. Metallica,
20. Nirvana, 21.Buddy Holly and the Crickets, 22.Aerosmith, 23. Allman Brothers Band. 24. Lynard Skynard. 25. Alice Cooper, 26. Tina Tuner, 27.UFO
1.U2, 2.The Beach Boys, 3.Talas,
4.The Animals, 5.Jeff Beck,
6.Robin Trower, 7.The Eagles, 8.Heart,
9.Kiss, 10. Peter Frampton.,
11. Prince, 12. The Clash 13. R.E.M.,
14. The Talking Heads, 15. Styx,
16. Supertramp, 17. The Roots,
18 Grand Funk Railroad, 19. Jill Scott
20 Carole King, 21. Lauryn Hill
I think we should thank the Beatles for sending us the British Invasion and help inspiring many American bands like Kiss, The Byrd's and many others.
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