The Definitive Greatest Band Ever Thread

[wsteineker]

After much searching of the forums, I've come to the realization that, while we've occasionally discussed music and even particular songs here in the forums, we've never laid it all out when it comes to our absolutel favorite bands and solo artists. I want to know what bands get you guys going, what just excites you and wakes you up in the morning. What makes you feel like a million damn dollars and what you listen to when you're depressed. I want to know the whos, whats, whens, wheres, whys, and hows of it all. Here are the rules: List your top 5 bands/solo artists of all time in no particular order. In keeping with the Nick Hornby-esque theme of the thread, feel more than free to give reasons why. Let's get to talking about something that really tells us about each other. I'll start.

My Top Five:
The Rolling Stones
U2
Bob Dylan
The Band
The Who

It's that simple, folks. Let's see what you've got. :)

[medea]

Originally posted by wsteineker
My Top Five:
The Rolling Stones
U2
Bob Dylan
The Band
The Who

It's that simple, folks. Let's see what you've got. :)
Gee man, U2 might be considered great for their earlier stuff, but defintely not top 5 material....The Who is somewhat questionable as well and The Band has no reason in my opinion to even be listed in the Top 50, and Bob Dylan is not really a band....

Now that that is aside, here are my choices"
1.The Beatles
2.The Velvet Underground
3.The Ramones
4.Sonic Youth
5.Radiohead

[howard]

radiohead
led zeppelin
nine inch nails
pink floyd
aphex twin


...wow that was tough...i'm not so sure its 100% accurate

[guitargeek]

My top five:

1. Dream Theater - For me, they have it all. Heavy parts. Sad parts. Happy parts. Wacked out syncopation in 19/16. There is nothing better that I have found.

2. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia really brought me around, and they're now number two on the list. Great playing, OUTSTANDING production, and very hummable :)

3. Ben Folds Five - They used to be number two until Porcupine Tree came along. My girlfriend got me into them, and I discovered some amazingly creative pop music (something I had never heard before). Sadly, my favorite album by them was also their last....

4. King Crimson - They define "weird". Really. Some of their stuff is just completely ****ed up. Go download "Lark's tounge in ASPIC part IV" and you'll see what I mean. REALLY ****ed up. But, on the contrast, they'll write something completely perfect and beautiful, like Mate' Kudasai, or Eyes Wide Open. Amazing live show, as well.

5. Transatlantic - This was a side project group, and they only produced two albums. 10 songs in total. 160 minutes of music. I wish they would continue, but, alas, it was not meant to be. If you have a good connection, go download "Duel with the Devil". It's an amazing song, and flawless. Mystery Train is excellent as well.

I had trouble choosing number 5, because I realized there aren't too many other bands that I get excited about merely because it's that band. Mostly there will be several albums, or an era of a band that I enjoy, but not the group on a whole. Other possibilities were Frank Zappa, PInk Floyd, Spock's Beard, Steve Vai, and even Rush :eek: If for the rest of my life I could only listen to music by these musicians, though, I think I could continue to enjoy it, and that's what really says something.

EDIT: Also, it has come to my attention that this board has a profanity blocker, which means that words like, " **** " and " **** " get turned into "***. But fill it in accordingly.

[wsteineker]

The Beatles were a close call for me, as was VU (I'm listening to White Light, White Heat right now), but like I said this really comes down to an issue of personal taste. It's not "the" definitive top 5, it's "your" definitive top 5. That said, I'll defend a few of my choices.

First, the easiest: The Who. Ok, like them or not they are easily one of the greatest bands EVER. I mean come on. You've got what is arguably the greatest pure rock album ever (Who's Next), the greatest rock opera ever written (Tommy), and a whole spate of great concept albums (ie Who Sell Out) and incredible Brit-rock standard setters (ie My Generation). If an argument can be made for bands like Led Zeppelin, then we have to include The Who.

I'll admit that The Band seems out of place, but it's one of the purest bands ever. They established the sound of Americana better than any other band before them. Not an easy task considering that all members save one were Canadian. They may not have had the longevity that other bands of that era did, but they were absolutely fantastic while it lasted. Doubt it? Listen to The Basement Tapes, Songs From Big Pink, and The Band. Then go out and actually watch The Last Waltz. Insanely talented, awesomely powerful in concert, and vital to the establishment of a style that, up until they appeared, was still emerging. They're the Nirvana of their genre. Bands like Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, and solo artists like Springsteen and Steve Earle (maybe even Tom Waites) owe The Band a huge debt.

U2's early stuff is, in a word, fantastic. There's no doubting that. I think their later stuff (save the travesty that was Pop) is just as good, if not a little better. I mean Achtung Baby is absolutely fabulous! One of the greatest albums of the 90s. The newest release (All That You Can't Leave Behind) is proof positive that, 20 years after they got started, they've still got it. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 other bands that can claim to have remained vital for that length of time, especially ones that are still recording. And let's face it, they're hard to top live. The intensity of their performance really shows the passion that they have for the music, and that really helps their case. I think they take a lot of flack because they're popular, really.

As for Dylan, well I've edited the original post to include "artists" as well as bands. ;)

Why did you choose some of your artists/bands? I'm interested in the why of this whole thing just as much as the how.

Anyone else? Come on, folks. This should be a lot of fun! :)

[howard]

ok heres why i chose them

led zeppelin:...the greatest with out a doubt rock and roll band in history. heavy riffs..insane solos. i just love there style

radiohead:...the music of my generation...in fact the online music of it that i actually like. but what can i say...who doesn't like radiohead? there songs just hit so deep and there totally revolutionary.

nine inch nails: trent reznor is a god in the realm of music. you just can't compare. his layers...his lyrics...his melodies...so beautiful hes the only musician that can be so heavy and powerful with so small a volume...his tones are perfection.

the next two were harder...

pink floyd...love gilmours guitar work and you can't beat them when it comes to concept albums. the entire field of psychology should follow "the wall" as its bible.

aphex twin: something just hits me with a lot of his songs....

[vollspacken]

Originally posted by wsteineker
List your top 5 bands/solo artists of all time in no particular order.

1. brian wilson/beach boys (60s)
2. kraftwerk (70s)
3. new order (80s)
4. underworld (90s)
5. nils petter molvaer (2k?)

my favorites for every decade... :D

vSpacken

...oh, and here's my favorite album of all time:

[brogers]

Beatles
Rolling Stones
Boston
Van Halen
AC/DC....To me this is the greatest band that ever was.

I love all types of music. I loved the '90 alternative rock and the rock of the '80's, but to me, they were good and the bands today are good. However, when I listen to the above bands, I feel like I am listening to "greatness". Bands today just don't break the 100 million copies sold mark before they fade out. Hootie tried it, but lost it.

Just my 2 cents.

[lmalave]

1) Rolling Stones
2) Beatles
3) U2
4) Radiohead
5) David Bowie (not a band, but I notice someone above had Bob Dylan)

[edit]
The rationales:

1) Stones - so many good songs. So cool and badass. The Stones are rock 'n roll
2) Beatles - wow, so much quality, breadth, and depth in the few short years they existed as a band
3) U2 - they always surprise with what they come up with for their next album. Kinda like the Beatles in their day.
4) Radiohead - the only recent band that has established itself with the greats, in my opinion. In the 90's they totally epitomized for me millenial angst.
5) David Bowie - Wow, one of the true originals. Defined a style that still reverberates to this day 30 years later...

[beez7777]

The Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Bob Dylan
The Who

god, there's so many other great artists and bands, it's hard to make such a small list, but you asked for my top 5, so there they are.

[eyelikeart]

I'm not gonna say these are the top 5...but definitely favorites & important as far as I believe...

1) Depeche Mode
2) Pink Floyd
3) The Doors
4) Radiohead
5) New Order
6) Led Zeppelin

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by beez7777
The Beatles
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Bob Dylan
The Who

god, there's so many other great artists and bands, it's hard to make such a small list, but you asked for my top 5, so there they are.

That's the reason it's a top 5, man. A top 10 would be way too easy. Choosing a top 5 says a lot more about a person. It's supposed to be tough, making a decision like that. Still, I'd say you did a FANTASTIC job of picking a top 5. ;)

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by eyelikeart
I'm not gonna say these are the top 5...but definitely favorites & important as far as I believe...

1) Depeche Mode
2) Pink Floyd
3) The Doors
4) Radiohead
5) New Order
6) Led Zeppelin

Hey man, good stuff all around.

I feel like people aren't getting the point of this. It's not some sort of Rolling Stone magazine all time greatest or anything, it's your all time top 5. Christ man, haven't any of you ever read or seen High Fidelity? ;)

[howard]

Originally posted by wsteineker
Hey man, good stuff all around.

I feel like people aren't getting the point of this. It's not some sort of Rolling Stone magazine all time greatest or anything, it's your all time top 5. Christ man, haven't any of you ever read or seen High Fidelity? ;)

well theres a reason these bands are so popular :)

[lmalave]

Originally posted by wsteineker
U2's early stuff is, in a word, fantastic. There's no doubting that. I think their later stuff (save the travesty that was Pop) is just as good, if not a little better. I mean Achtung Baby is absolutely fabulous! One of the greatest albums of the 90s. The newest release (All That You Can't Leave Behind) is proof positive that, 20 years after they got started, they've still got it. You'd be hard pressed to find 5 other bands that can claim to have remained vital for that length of time, especially ones that are still recording. And let's face it, they're hard to top live. The intensity of their performance really shows the passion that they have for the music, and that really helps their case. I think they take a lot of flack because they're popular, really.


Hear hear. So many good albums for so long, they gotta be included. And I agree with you, the 90's stuff was just as good. Achtung Baby will forever symbolize for me the transition in the 90's from grunge malaise to mid/late 90's decadent/futuristic millenial angst. Awesome. And Zooropa was underrated, IMHO. "Stay", "Lemon", and the title song. Man, those were good.

[rainman::|:|]

hmm... if it's my top 5... i'll probably catch hell for listing bad bands, but... in no particular order

b52's
duran duran
goo goo dolls
counting crows
REM

The latter two primarily because of their lyrics. i love deep lyrics that make you think about the song... so much better than this "come over here so i can have sex with you, have sex with you, yeah" stuff that's all over anymore...

music is about a hell of a lot besides sex... there's drugs and depression too... ;)

edit: Tommy alone puts The Who in the all-time top 5...

pnw

[lmalave]

Originally posted by wsteineker
Hey man, good stuff all around.

I feel like people aren't getting the point of this. It's not some sort of Rolling Stone magazine all time greatest or anything, it's your all time top 5. Christ man, haven't any of you ever read or seen High Fidelity? ;)

Hehe. Yeah, I have to include Massive Attack in there to show I'm down with the new stuff ;)

[vniow]

Originally posted by paulwhannel


music is about a hell of a lot besides sex... there's drugs and depression too... ;)



I don't believe my ears, someone is actually implying that there's more to music than sex, what is the world coming too!!?http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=251718

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
hmm... if it's my top 5... i'll probably catch hell for listing bad bands, but... in no particular order

b52's
duran duran
goo goo dolls
counting crows
REM

The latter two primarily because of their lyrics. i love deep lyrics that make you think about the song... so much better than this "come over here so i can have sex with you, have sex with you, yeah" stuff that's all over anymore...

music is about a hell of a lot besides sex... there's drugs and depression too... ;)

pnw

Hey man, there's not a damn thing wrong with R.E.M. And I totally agree with what you're saying in regards to the recent spate of date rape rap/rock that's so prevalant. It's nice to see that the subtleties of other subject matter such as the eternal drugs and depression isn't lost on everybody. ;)

[lmalave]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
hmm... if it's my top 5... i'll probably catch hell for listing bad bands, but... in no particular order

b52's
duran duran
goo goo dolls
counting crows
REM


Awww, yeah man. REM. So many good albums. Oh well, it was hard to limit it to 5.

[howard]

Originally posted by vniow
I don't believe my ears, someone is actually implying that there's more to music than sex, what is the world coming too!!?http://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=251718

music is actually a verb for ear sex.

[Spike Spiegel]

I take a lot of flak for the bands I listen to the mosty due to their stereotypes(some of them unfair)
No particualr order:
-Weezer
-Ozma
-Dashboard Confessional
-Beatles
-Radiohead
(Also, if no one has heard any Ozma, i encourage you to do so; especially Flight of Yuri Gagarin, Shooting Stars, Domino Effect, Apple Trees, and Game Over)

[howard]

wow radiohead and the beatles are a popular one....thats cool

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by howard
wow radiohead and the beatles are a popular one....thats cool

That's because they're rockin'! Come on folks, more top 5s! :)

[voicegy]

Kraftwerk
The Grandfathers of techno. I have every album they've made, in several languages, and have seen them twice in concert. They are my gods.

The Alan Parsons Project
Thematic, modern, enviornmental and emotional...every album an opera.

Tangerine Dream
Masters of soaring, Euro sounds and head visions. They have so many albums and soundtracks now I've lost count. Saw them in concert as well.

The Beatles
What can be said?

The Rolling Stones
Classic rock 'n' roll and still going strong.

[MrMacMan]

No real order:
The beatles
Gorillaz
Daft Punk
Chemical Brothers
The White Stripes

Yeah they all haven't been around long, well expect the beatles... :(

[sillymacgirl]

The Eagles...my all time favorite music for whatever mood, whatever reason.

Norah Jones...definitely good music to relax you.

The Steve Miller Band...funky and just fun to listen to!

The Monkees...they make me laugh :)

And no one laugh here, Air Supply...they have great love songs.


Too bad this list is only 5 long...I have lots more favorites! :D

[shadowfax]

1. Pink Floyd -- you can't deny! the most ingenious, biting, flowing lyrics and music this side of the moon. just about everything i hear these days can be in some way traced back to these guys.

2. Radiohead -- a band after #1's own heart, and almost as good. better, occasionally.

3. The Beatles... sold my soul to sargeant pepper. some of their pop is crap, but they have a lot to take credit for in defining american culture and music.

yeah, top 3 is good enough for me. spike, i can't believe you put weezer at the top. the rest of your list was cool. weezer though, they are catchy at first, and then it just gets far too repetitive and not too insightful or anything. not a fan.

[vniow]

Originally posted by howard
music is actually a verb for ear sex.

Aha!

Got to get that earwax lube!

Anyhoo, my list:

1. Miles Davis
2. The Beatles
3. James Brown
4. Ravi Shankar
5. Ray Charles

[trebblekicked]

and mine:

1. pavement
2. belle & sebastian
3. olivia tremor control
4. jeff mangum/neutral milk hotel
5. john pizzerelli trio

and honorable mention to:

6. ween

[trebblekicked]

or the classics (si vous prefarit {sp?})

1. the kinks
2. steely dan
3. the beatles
4. parliament
5. the temptations

[szark]

Originally posted by voicegy
Tangerine Dream
Masters of soaring, Euro sounds and head visions. They have so many albums and soundtracks now I've lost count. Saw them in concert as well.

Too tired to come up with a top five right now, but had to comment on one of my all-time favorites.

When I saw them in concert in 1993 (?), they had music on approximately 27 albums and soundtracks. They've added many more since then. I wish I'd been able to see them in concert during the first few years, when they would walk out on stage knowing only what key they would use to start their synths -- the entire concert was improvised.

http://www.tangerinedream.org (http://www.tangerinedream.org/)

[mymemory]

1. Depeche Mode: But until Songs Of Faith and Devotion because the keyboard player left the band and now they sond like the bands that wanted to sound like them.

2. Erasure: Vince Clark was part of Depeche Mode in the early days.

3. Pet Shop Boys: The masters of electro pop music.

4. OMD: Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark, very corny well produced electronic music.

The rest are:

Alan Wilder: The member of Depeche Mode that left the band, he made a CD calle "Recoil" which I recomen with all my heart to vniow :*

Then William Orbit, Falco, and some others.

[MacBandit]

Pink Floyd is probably my all time favorite but as the definitive greatest. It's go to be the Rolling Stones. While they are not my favorite by a long shot they have defined a culture of music and they have been around so long that there original songs are true classics. The reason I say they are the greatest is for one simple reason. They are still touring. Name one great band I mean truly great with tons of tons of top tens that still saturates television and radio and still tours.

Man I wish Pink Floyd was still together. I went and say Roger Waters a couple years ago. It was really great but not in comparison to the tours Pink Floyd did.

[hugemullens]

Lets see.....

in no order

Nine Inch Nails
Pearl Jam
Jewel
System of a Down
The Ramones

I know most people won't agree but there's a little glimps into the dysfunctional person that is me

[Amadeus]

These were chosen on who I'd want to see perform live, the most -- which, these days, is the only reason to have a "band" (you can do the rest with computers). -- Dylan doesn't count because he is a man, not a band (sure he played with bands, but one man a band does not make)

So,

1. The Grateful Dead -- I can't believe no one has metioned them yet
2. Pink Floyd
3. The Beatles
4. The Rolling Stones
5. The Beach Boys

The Dead always generated the most revenue from touring, and always put on a great show -- they had the best musicians of all these bands, and they ran the gamut from folk to blues to rock to disco. They were truly amazing and unique.

Pink Floyd -- best trip ever, man. Been playing forever.

The Beatles -- You say you want a revolution? Too bad they stopped touring once they got good.

The Rolling Stones -- they've been around forever. Good blues. However, Jagger will never be as good as Garcia, Lennon, McCarntney, or Waters.

The Beach Boys -- nice and creative. Wilson was a genius. But, in the end, too much California surfer music, and Pet Sounds isn't nearly as good as Sgt. Pepper.

enjoying the opinions

-- Amadeus

[eyelikeart]

since some of us are naming other than "bands"...these are my top 5 in no particular order...

1) Depeche Mode
2) John Coltrane
3) Beastie Boys
4) Pink Floyd
5) Frank Sinatra

I'm only doing this because I was under the initial impression it was just bands...not performers/bands/groups/etc... ;)

[idkew]

don't forget

Phish!

[lmalave]

Originally posted by MacBandit
It's go to be the Rolling Stones. While they are not my favorite by a long shot they have defined a culture of music and they have been around so long that there original songs are true classics. '

Yeah, man, Stones! They just had such a freakin badass and attitude, man. I love 'em. They just had so much coolness, not the petulance that passes for badassedness today.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by lmalave
1) Rolling Stones
2) Beatles
3) U2
4) Radiohead
5) David Bowie (not a band, but I notice someone above had Bob Dylan)


Dang, I just realized that from my list, 4 are from the U.K. and the other is Irish. Not a Yank in the bunch! Strange, I certainly like a lot of American music, but I guess although I listen to many, many different American artists, I didn't consider any to have a body of work that I enjoyed as much as the 5 above.

[GUIduct]

Stones
Eagles
Replacements
Simon & Garfunkel
Sex Pistols

[zarathustra]

In no particular order:

Radiohead
U2 (before POP)
Pearl Jam
The Smiths
Built to Spill


I had to think to myself: If I don't get to hear ANY other music for the rest of my life, what wouldn't drive me insane after listening to it over and over.

[Foxer]

These are in rough order, but they can change with my moods. Eclectic, I know...

The Best of the best

1. Pet Shop Boys - My favorite since 1988. Every album has some great gem, but "Introspective," "Behaviour" and especially "Very" run the gammit of dance, maturity, and techo-pop. Add "Bilingual" for a dose of latin influenced dance. Oh, and I hate the song "West End Girls." Always have.
1.1 The Wedding Present - Little known, but SOOO good. Wonderful guitars, great lyrics for those who've been on the recieving end of a bad relationship. I recommend "Seamonsters," "Biazzaro" or "George Best" for beginers. Loved and respected by all who have heard them, except my wife. Basically the one-man band of one David Gedge, they "broke up" in the late '90s and he know records as Cinerama, singing about the same topics, but more melodic and with less urgency.
2. Pulp - The song "Common People " is the best song of th e'90s. Very smart, humorous and slyly subversive songs about sex, women, sex and life. Check out "His n' Hers" or "Different Class." Listen to the lyrics of "P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)" and see if you can't just smile in stuned disbelief.

Bands for the Ages

3. The Smiths - Witty, literate and great music. Reputation for "gloom and doom" is overstated.
4. New Order - Solid, consistantly excellent albums for 20 years.
5. Belle & Sebastian - Best band to emerge in the past 5 years.
6. Elvis Costello - Huge library of angry songs. Who can't love that?

Runners-up

7. Radiohead - Would be listed for OK Computer alone, but the rest is great, too.
8.They Might Be Giants - Quirky and fun. Great concerts.
9. Depeche Mode - Haven't cared much for anything since Violator in '90, but the string of Black Celebration, Music for the Masses, 101 an Violator are four EXCELLENT albums.
10. Beatles - The band without which....


Opps, I didn't realize we were limted to five. Sorry, can't do it. I could have stopped with Elvis Costello at six....

[Taft]

OK here's mine...

1) Paul Simon - Many people would have Bob Dylan in my spot for Paul Simon, but I personally feel Simon was a superior artist. Dylan was obviously a very important lyricist and influenced many artists, but Simon has an eloquence and musical ear that Dylan never had. His words are poetry and his sense of harmony and songwriting is sublime. His career has by far had the most impact on me as a musician. Listen to his first album (self titled) to see what I like most about him. It perfectly straddles his career with Garfunkle and what was to come later.

2) Ray Charles - He's a genius, plain and simple. He defined soul with his early work at Atlantic records (pick up The Birth of Soul to hear some of the most groundbreaking work ever written), and went on to become a huge hitmaker and legendary blues player. He is often overlooked for his contribution to the industry and he's one of my favorites to listen to...over and over and over...

3) The Beatles - Others here have captured why the Beatles are important far better than I ever could. And beyond that, they are still a damn fine listen, even after all these years. Plus, the individual members had some great careers of their own. While I'm a bit dissappointed with Lenon's post-Beatle career, and I respect McCartney, but don't care for his music, I really love Harrrison's post-Beatle work. In any case, the Beatles were still great even after the Beatles broke up...if you know what I mean.

4) The Who - These guys really kicked some butt. And while some of their work ends up sounding very dated (I find Who's Next is falling into that category), most of their catalog is nonetheless classis song writing executed with more passion and angst than any of their predecessors and few of the angry bands that came after them ever could. Their live recordings and performances are a testiment to this. Plus, Quadraphenia is one of my all-time favorite albums.

5) The Sea and Cake - This is my answer to everyone who said Radiohead. Not that the two are all that similar, but to me, TSAC captures that "My Generation" feeling. They are contemporary and ever changing in their styles and sounds. Made up of some of the biggest creative forces in the Chicago area, they really came together to define a sound after the early nineties style of rock. Many label the style "post-rock" but thats a bunch of crap. Its rock, but its innovative and sounds fresh. Just like the Beatles, The Who and Ray Charles must have sounded like in their day. Their catalog is large and varied for the short number of years they have been around and their evolving sound is a testiment to the creative spirit of the rock industry and small record labels. These guys are not to be missed.

Taft

[phrancpharmD]

Yikes!
Only five? Well, most of what I would pick have already been said (Beatles, U2 (ending with the Joshua Tree, of course, or at most Rattle and Hum), Ramones, Zeppelin, the Who, Floyd, NIN, Pet Shop Boys, Smiths, DM, Radiohead, Ween etc etc etc) so I will try to go with five that haven't been mentioned yet:

Black Sabbath (Best Metal / Rock)

The Verve (Best Pop)

Pixies / Frank Black and ALL associated endeavors including Kim Deal era Breeders (Best Indie / College)

James Taylor (Best Mellow)

Two way tie:
EARLY (pre-1978) Rush (Best Concept)
Butthole Surfers (Best Partying)

WHEW, that was hard, if y'all can't tell I'm waiting for a 30GB+ iPod for all my CD's. . .

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally posted by Shadowfax


yeah, top 3 is good enough for me. spike, i can't believe you put weezer at the top. the rest of your list was cool. weezer though, they are catchy at first, and then it just gets far too repetitive and not too insightful or anything. not a fan.

while i had mentioned that the list was in no particular order, i still firmly believe rivers can write really insightful songs(not so much on green or maladroit, but definately on pinkerton and the unreleased songs).

[mactastic]

vniow- nice choices, i'd love to icommune with your itunes collection!
personal faves
(no particular order)
Jerry Garcia- everything from GD, the JG Band, Old and In the Way etc.
John Coltrane
Bela Fleck
Frank Zappa
Allison Krauss + Union Station

And so many more I can't sort through them all... you'll get a different answer tomorrow I'm sure

[mcrain]

My all time favorite is Prince.

After him... in no particular order:

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's Chronic Album - life changing. Really told the story of my life in the gangs on the streets of Southern Illinois.

Pink Floyd - I can't add to what others have said, I just love their music.

Dave Bruebeck/Bill Evans/Miles Davis/Etta James/Dianna Krall - I've included them all together because I discovered them at about the same time, and they all are incredible, but in very different ways.

Bob Marley - Life changing. Really spoke to me, reminds me of my life growing up in Jamaica as a kid.

Marilyn Manson - I know he's very odd, but I like his music.

Metallica - Sometimes the hard rock aspects can be a little heavy, but as far as that genre is concerned, no one does it better.

Honorable mention goes to:
Beastie Boys - Two of them have voices that are odd like mine, so I've always liked their music.

The Doobie Brothers - great sound and great songs.

Garrison Keiller - not purely about the songs, but when he does sing or have guests, they are usually very interesting.

Gn'R - Good music that happened to be very big while I was college...

James Taylor - wonderful music

Jimmy Buffett - I want to move to the beach when I hear him.

Leon Redbone - something very odd that I grew up with, and it stuck.

No Doubt - A tough woman lead is wonderful, but backed up by great vocals, great tunes and good songs... great band.

Rob Zombie / White Zombie - I don't know why I like him, but I do.

Violent Femmes - If you know them, you need no explanation.

and finally... Smashing Pumpkins and now Zwan - When I first heard them, I didn't like them, but now I really enjoy their music.

Ok, sorry for going way beyond a top 5.

[iGav]

R.E.M.

That should cover it.... heh-heh...

[jelloshotsrule]

dashboard confessional????? ahhhhhhh


my problem is that with the exception of u2 (pop was amazing fools!), i don't like any of the top 5 greatest bands...

but i'd still list them, because of their overall appeal to dumb people. ;)

something like

beatles
elvis
beach boys..

and whoever else

but as i said, hate all those bands. especially rolling stones... uggh

now my own personal 5 best bands. that's different

sense field
farside
boy sets fire
toad the wet sprocket
ghost of an american airman.

[iGav]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
dashboard confessional????? ahhhhhhh


my problem is that with the exception of u2 (pop was amazing fools!), i don't like any of the top 5 greatest bands...

but i'd still list them, because of their overall appeal to dumb people. ;)

something like

beatles
elvis
beach boys..

and whoever else

but as i said, hate all those bands. especially rolling stones... uggh

now my own personal 5 best bands. that's different

sense field
farside
boy sets fire
toad the wet sprocket
ghost of an american airman.

I can't stand the Beatles or Elvis either... or the Stones.... :eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm tryimg to think of my main list....

Hmmm... it's a toughie....

[lmalave]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
but as i said, hate all those bands. especially rolling stones... uggh


WTF :confused:

Any band that can go from the pure rock fervor of Street Fightin' Man/Jumping Jack Flash/Gimme Shelter to the swaggering bassadedness of Emotional Rescue/Miss You get props from me. I guess I'm using the rationale mentioed above of: if I was on a desert Island and I could listen to only 5 bands for the rest of my life. Stones would definitely have to be in there...

[Warren]

The Smashing Pumpkins - Before i heard MCIS in 1995 I listened to more sports radio then music and the only CD I owned was Tom Petty and the heartbreakers greatest hits. Now I have everything they ever released and countless bootlegs. Along with hundreds of other albums.

Tom Petty (and the heartbreakers) - first band I ever got into.

Metallica - Good rock

Pearl Jam - Great band i think will be around until they are to old to do it anymore.

DMB - Just good listening.


Honorables:
Foo Fighters
Jimmy Buffet
Zwan

[tcolling]

This is tough, because some people are listing their favorite bands/artists, and some are trying to list who they think are the greatest all time, regardless of whether they like them or not.

For fun, and of course, my opinion only, those that fall into the greatest of all time are:

Thelonius Monk - incredible jazz innovator, there are so many others that would deserve honorable mention here, that I couldn't begin to list them all.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra - helped define and solidify the big band sound, mostly "pop" of their era, but very musical and still able to incorporate a lot of fun into their music.

Les Paul - Here's one of the few musicians that really changed and shaped music. Along with Jimmy Hendrix, two of the most innovative guitarists to ever walk the planet. You couldn't even imagine how much of the guitar music that is played today stems from what these two have done.

The Beatles - I struggle with this one. This is a band that came to the US at exactly the right time, taking America by storm. The US needed someone besides Elvis, an Arnold Palmer to Jack Nicklaus, if you will. But when they did, they were playing "nice" tunes, with well-written melodies that were easily recognizable, with an English accent/sound. But they weren't really doing anything amazing. It wasn't until later that they started to challenge themselves musically (although you may argue that at the beginning, they were musically challenged, because they weren't all that talented, c'mon, Paul McCartney got into the band originally because he knew how to tune a guitar, and Ringo Starr is at least an OK drummer, but debates have been written about whether he intentionally played sloppy, behind and in front of the beat, to give a little different character to the music, or if he just wasn't very good. I'm guessing more of the latter than the former). It wasn't until they became wealthy, (and probably bored) that they really started to attempt innovation, and some of that was just experimenting. HOWEVER, if you want your criteria to include influence on popular culture, far and away the Beatles above anyway get the blue ribbon.

I guess Elvis needs to be mentioned, too, but again not because of his musicianship, because of his cultural influences. (bleh)

The Rolling Stones - I can't decide here, either. Again, if longevity, record sales, and popular icons are your criteria, then they get the nod. Otherwise, they are a reasonably talented band with acceptable music. (I dare say Madonna may fall into that category Uhhhhggg!)

Yes - No one has mentioned them yet, and certainly not anywhere near one of my favorite listening bands, but arguably the best collection of musical talent, top to bottom, that has ever been assembled as a band (not just a project). This is probably what led to their demise, as there was so much musical ego (sound like John and Paul?) between those guys that there was no way they could co-exist for an extended period. That's why they had so much turnover. Their reunion several years ago read like a who's who of musicians. Rush comes close, but Geddy doesn't have the great vocal sound, and their were only three of them, so Yes gets the nod.

The Who - have to be included, argued elsewhere in this thread.

Led Zeppelin - have to be included, for no other reason than penning arguably the best rock song ever recorded - "Stairway to Heavan".

Kansas - Great prog rock band, but keeping it in the pop rock genre and mass marketable, a real trick. Of course, they died when Kerry Livgren left. Chicago is a very close second to Kansas, and of course they've lasted a lot longer and survived, for awhile, lead singer turnover.

Journey - category: Super pop rock. Steve Perry is one of the best sounding, and has one of the best ranges among male vocal pop singlers. I'm sure there are better, but for popularity and longevity, Journey's the one.

Michael Jackson - I know, say what you will, but for the same reasons the Beatles and Stones get mentioned, Jackson does. And, believe it or not, in spite of being really messed up (so many musicians are), this guy is actually pretty darn talented.

Queen - They did so much with a basic four-piece setup. Very well-planned, harmonious music.

Abba - Oooh, I'm gonna get slammed to the wall for this one. But listen to their stuff. There is so much going on behind that sticky sweet psuedo disco, and none of it interferes with itself or sounds forced.

Stevie Wonder - Innovative, great influence. Once recorded an album under the guise Eivets Rednow (backwards), to see if he was selling albums because of his name, or because the were good. I think it hit number 3, if I remember, but either way, it did real well. (Anybody out there remember what an "album" is?)

I wish I could comment more on the groups like OMD, Fine Young Cannibals, Thompson Twins, etc., but I just haven't heard enough of the other groups in that genre/era to form an intelligent opinion. Plus, I don't listen to a lot of new stuff (I know I should), to really decide who's best now. I like Goo Goo Dolls, but I don't have enough point of reference to say how they fit. (I haven't heard a single song from Radiohead, at least to my knowledge - better head to the CD store!)

Wow, I listed 15! Sorry I broke the top five rule.

[tcolling]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
dashboard confessional????? ahhhhhhh

now my own personal 5 best bands. that's different

sense field
farside
boy sets fire
toad the wet sprocket
ghost of an american airman.

Don't know the other ones, but Toad the Wet Sprocket gets my validation (which of course means nothing in the great scheme of things)

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by tcolling
Don't know the other ones, but Toad the Wet Sprocket gets my validation (which of course means nothing in the great scheme of things)

ha. thanks kind sir. ;)

[jayscheuerle]

see ahead

[Rower_CPU]

1. Tenacious D
2. Tenacious D
3. Tenacious D
4. Tenacious D
5. Tenacious D (http://tenaciousd.com/)

'nuff said.

[jayscheuerle]

Bandwise..

1) Beatles (you don't have to like them to give 'em their due!)
2) Zeppelin
3) REM
4) Eagles
5) U2

Solo Artists

1) Paul Simon
2) David Byrne
3) Elvis Costello
4) Lyle Lovett
5) Stevie Wonder

Second Runnings

1) B-52s
2) The Police
3) Traveling Wilburys
4) Chris Isaac
5) Yaz

This is just for pop/rock...

Don't even get me talking about Ella... - j

[billyboy]

My 5.


Number 1 - Neil Young because he's such a sensitive soul with his acoustic stuff, yet has it in him to poetically rock the house down with a track like Big Green Country before degenerating into almost unlistenable heavy metal karrang feedback - examples of which are too many to list, but usually found on any album containing the words "LIVE" in the title. He's flexible and I like that. Hes older than me, which makes me feel old age neednt be pipe and slippers time.

2- Santana is the boy too because he is so flexible and adaptable. His Latino music is definitely him, but when he collaborates, he seems to complement rather than take over the qualities of other musicians and their style. Supernatural QED. He's mellowing but that is only relative to his original 900mph percussion and zillion strokes per second guitar rifts of yesteryear.

3 - I could only come down in favour of those 2 artists, the rest of the spots go to the dozens of bands who had a run and lost their sparkle in my current lifetime, (U2 to name but 1), or the majority of bands that only produce the odd song that gets my gooses pimpling eg Its Something by Movielife, or Finisterra by Celtic Rock band Mago de Oz - or Slow me Down by the ex Goths band, Spear of Destiny.

Thank God for iTunes and streaming internet to keep the music fresh

[jayb2000]

Or at least as yet unmentioned.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (along with associated bands - Einsturzende Neubauten, Crime and the City Solution, The Birthday Party, The Boys Next Door, and Barry Adamson's solo work)
Possibly the best Southern Gothic band, even though they are from Australia, Germany, and the UK. Southern Gothic like William Faulkner - nothing to do with dying your hair black and wearing mascara (not that there is anythign wrong with that)

2. The Residents. The world's greatest anonymous rock band. They were doing loops, political messages, and videos long before most people. Great concept albums and great in concert - I have seen them twice.

3. Crass - one of the best and earliest punk bands. No love songs, no songs about pity, just brutal politics and anti-goverment.

4. Fugazi - the best fools. Great and true to the end - always the best $5 show in town.

5. Tom Waits (ok, not a band) The best singer ever to listen to while drinking whiskey - and not that Single Malt stuff, pure american burboun, the stuff that makes your voice get rough and your mood angry and nostalgic.

For all the NIN fans out there - check out Skinny Puppy, Nitzer Ebb, and 808 State - you might enjoy Trent's predecessors.

Oh, and Lynryd Skynynrd always rocks javascript:smilie(':p')

[mc68k]

1. pink floyd
2. beatles
3. jimi hendrix
4. led zeppelin
5. alan parsons project

pop - fleetwood mac/tom petty

[JPGR_Fan]

Beatles
Sir Paul
John and George (tie)
Ringo
That's five, but I'll go on:
Eagles
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Beach Boys/Stones (tie)
Simon & Garfunkel/Mamas & Papas (tie)

[Ambrose Chapel]

How do you count stuff that blew you away when you were younger but that now makes you cringe? I guess I'll stick with my "evolved" taste...(in no real order I guess)

The Beatles - sooo good. They have 4 or 5 true masterpieces, were able to grow musically and artistically and experimentally and still be the most popular band of their time, and their work holds up where so many 60s rock does not. So much contemporary music is still building on their ideas.

Bob Dylan - the best lyricist of the second half of the 20th century, for sure. He has a song for every emotion, every situation that can just blow you away. I admit that his voice isn't for everyone, but nobody can deny his writing (and if you think you can, just check out Blood on the Tracks)

Radiohead - they brought me back to current music. I spent the mid/late 90s devouring all kinds of older stuff and other kinds of music because I had given up on anything decent being made, outside of one or two aritists. But then OK Computer just destroyed me, and now I realize that there is so much great music being made today that I've accepted that Ill never know about all of it.

R.E.M. - they were the band that really got me into "good music" in the first place. I had been into Top 40 of the time (late 80s) and then their Green album turned me on to stuff that was way more interesting and real.

Phish - they showed me the power of live music, plain and simple. I admit that their songwriting is only so-so and most of their albums are lacking, but onstage they do amazing things (or did when I was obsessed with them in the mid-90s).


Well maybe this isn't a greatest band ever post but more of a most important bands to my musical development post
:)

[the future]

all time

Suede
The Smiths
Pulp
Manic Street Preachers
Oasis

runners up

Blur
Placebo
Pixies
Nirvana
The Stone Roses

hot right now

The Vines
The Libertines
The Strokes
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
JJ 72

tragically unknown

Built To Spill
These Animal Men
Tindersticks
Super Furry Animals
Ultrasound

also quite good

The Beatles
Radiohead
U2 (the later stuff, obviously)
David Bowie
Kraftwerk

[jayscheuerle]

Most of these bands listed here are OLD bands!

It's not that there isn't good music today, but the music industry is extremely fickle and their insistence on quick followups (because of the public's gnat-like attention span) has hurt the craft of album making. Who's around for 4 or 5 albums these days? You need a catalog to be a great band. One or two killer releases won't do it. Nirvana was killer. They had a sound that was their own and could go WAY up or WAY down. EVERYONE tried to copy them. A good band with great albums, but not a great band...

Yep, Neil Young rocks. I love his haunting song about my hometown...

[Mark James]

Tricky as in difficult not Tricky the recording artiste (though he'd make my Top 50).

These are the five I'd say had the greatest impact upon me 'at the time', eg I'd still say Joy Division are alltime greats but I'm ******** if I'd listen to them now!

in alphabetical order:
1. Gobetweens
2. Joy Division
3. Van Morrison
4. Sonic Youth
5. Scott Walker

1. Just utterly fantastic. Buy all their albums, NOW.
2/3. Amazed that neither of these have been 'nominated'.
4. Honourable mentions to Butthole Surfers and Husker Du.
5. Drink gin and cry.

[guitargeek]

Originally posted by tcolling
<Snip>



Excellent post! Thelonius was an absolute master in jazz, and is often overlooked. I'm glad someone else remembers him...

I almost mentioned Yes in my number five slot, but I really don't listen to them enough. Fragile is still one of my favorite albums, though, and should be required listening. Bill Bruford is an amazing drummer, although I like his work with Crimson better :D

[bokdol]

i think you guys must be mistaken as you have not mentioned the greatest band of all time DEE LITE

[jayscheuerle]

Stone Roses!

[dstorey]

dam five is hard

1)Beatles - just shades it but gets it cause of the amount of great stuff

2)Stone Roses - I just love this band, one of the best guitarists, bassists and drummers of any band....only two albums but the first is the influence that reborn guitar music in the 90's in the uk and the second is led zeptastic.

3)Velvet Undergroud - new entry, just go into this band not so long ago and just think they are so good. Amazing that they didn't sell many records.

4)The Doors....what can you say that hasn't been said already. Jim Morrisons a great poet, has that amazing voice and the music sunds like it has the rythem you want to make love too....or is it just me?

5)Ramones - another old one I'm afraid but just gets it cause the music is so simple and so well dumb but it sounds so good, but could have been any band from the mod bands i first got into like the who, to the stooges, the strokes or Led Zep. Could have chosen a brit pop band too as I used to be really into that like Ocean Colour Scene, dam there is even Joy Division...they all sit pretty close to getting in there.

Five solo artists

I'm not so much one for solo artists but here goes

1) Jeff Buckley - He is absolutly amaxzing, great songwriting, great voice

2) Elvis - can't say anything more about elvis

3) Bob Dylan - can't sing for toffee but song writing skills are first class

4) jimi Hendrix - can i get away with calling him solo?

5) Joni Mitchell - had to sneak a girl in there somewhere, i love yellow taxi

nick drake, cat stevens, and the white duke almost got in there but just failed...also britney and alizée as they are hot ;)

[Flowbee]

Sticking to Pop/Rock/RnB (jazz, classical, etc. would be a whole other list):

Bands:
- Queen
- Tool
- Public Enemy
- Bad Brains
- Love

Individual artists:
- Steve Earle
- James Brown
- Serge Gainsbourg
- David Bowie
- Curtis Mayfield

[jethroted]

S.O.A.!

[P-Worm]

For me, this one is easy:

It's between Bela Fleck and the Flecktones or Victor Wooten's band.

Insane.

P-Worm

Edit: I'm not sure if these two are classified as pop, but they are mainstream enough for it I think. Whatever.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by Mark James
2/3. Amazed that neither of these have been 'nominated'.


Well, a couple people came close with New Order

[MacFan25]

Here's a few of my favorites:

Eagles
Beatles
Weezer

[medea]

well though I may disagree with some of you, actually a lot of you, I am just glad that no one has posted Linkin Park, Korn, Limp Bizkit or any similar nu-metal bands, there might be hope here afterall.....

[vniow]

Originally posted by Rower_CPU
1. Tenacious D
2. Tenacious D
3. Tenacious D
4. Tenacious D
5. Tenacious D (http://tenaciousd.com/)

'nuff said.

Long live me!

Uhhh....I mean the D!

[BrittasMac]

The Who
Cream
Hendrix
Queen
Beatles

[actripxl]

Nine Inch Nails
The Cure
Depeche Mode
Oasis(love them or hate them they had an impact in the 90's)
U2

The Band? The Who? Pink Floyd? Personally I think they suck, maybe its just cause they were before my time? nah :D I do enjoy Elivis, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, so that can't be the reason.:D

[Vanilla]

1. Pink Floyd
2. RadioHead
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. Joy Division
5. Talking Heads

[noel4r]

The Beatles
Joy Division
New Order
The Cure
Nine Inch Nails

[RBMaraman]

My Top 5:

1. Dave Matthews Band.
2. Radiohead.
3. Weezer.
4. Dixie Chicks.
5. Ben Folds.

[janey]

backstreet boys
n*sync
dixie chicks
train
linkin park...
just kidding!!
linkin park is cool though
but my favorites:
radiohead, red hot chili peppers, nerd, creed, crystal method, enya, marilyn manson, propellerheads, beastie boys, white stripes, queens of the stone age, eminem (only two songs off the Eminem Show), linkin park (only meteora)

[guitargeek]

It's between Bela Fleck and the Flecktones or Victor Wooten's band.

Excellent choice! Every time I've seen the Flecktones, they've been awesome. Victor Wooten's solo at the last show in particular was amazing, even for him!

[void]

System of a down
Weezer
Beatles
Ramones
Soulwax Radio (2manydjs)
everything else sucks

[kettle]

Strapping Young Lad (or any incarnation of Devin Townsend)
Peter Gabriel
Radiohead
Jeff Buckley
Aimee Mann


One CD to a desert island would be -

Ocean Machine - Biomech (devin townsend)

Has to be the greatest unnoticed piece of audio creation in the history of prog rock.

Amazon URL (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LNHM/qid%3D1051417718/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-4990194-4016913)

Trust me.

[stuckwithme247]

The Moody Blues - how dare no one mention them

no order

The Beatles
The Flaming Lips
The Velvet Underground
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Led Zeppelin
Cream
The Clash

Bands that are great, but did not put out enough albums:
Television
Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band
MC5 - most of the stuff out is a crappy live
The New York Dolls

[Winston Smith]

Bands:
1. Pink Floyd
2. Beatles
3. Alan Parsons Project
4. Genesis
5. Yes

The Floyd are great because: (what other bands would people go to this trouble for in photoshop!?)

[boskie]

These are in no particular order:

Electronica
Boards of Canada
Aphex Twin
Two Lone Swordsman
Luke Vibert/Wagon Christ
Squarepusher


Hip-Hop
Dilated Peoples
Roots Manuva
Antipop Consortium
KRS One
NaS


Trip-Hop/Breaks
The Cinematic Orchestra
Coldcut
Amon Tobin
DJ Shadow
Mr Scruff


Rock/Pop/the rest

The Doors
Jimi Hendrix
Björk
Blur (Leisure Album only)
Radiohead