Who's the greatest American band of all time?

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Ripped off Boston for their best known song - so original.

Uh oh.

Them's fighting words.

 

[eastmanc]

The Foo’s

 

[Idesofmarch69]

People naming bands known to maybe 349 people in an effort to show superior knowledge of music and avoid the obvious answer of The Beach Boys.

I may be guilty of that but I've always got more pleasure from bands that don't achieve universal acclaim. REM's first two albums were superb but, despite their subsequent universal acclaim, I still go back to Murmur and Reckoning. Another benefit of lesser known bands is they are more likely to play the Deaf Institute than the local Enormodome. In addition, when bands get more successful, they can, in many circumstances, lose their edge.

 

[bavarian blue]

Steppenwolf and J Geils band were two of my favourites.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I don't want to be controversial, but reading this list of 'best' American bands just shows how good the British bands are. You can't top this list of rock bands:

The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Who, Stone Roses, Oasis, The Jam, T Rex, 10cc, Kinks, Dire Straits, Smiths, Sex Pistols, Clash, Radiohead, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath..

Quite astonishing really for a relatively small place!

If I had to pick a favourite US band it would be a toss up between the Beach Boys and Steely Dan. I regard Good Vibrations as one of the pinnacles of 20th Century music and will never, ever tire of listening to that. Their harmonies are simply amazing. I'd give an honourable mention to The Eagles, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, Buddy Holly and The Crickets as well, I still class rock'n'roll as rock :)

However, but Steely Dan are just superb. Brilliant production, catchy songs and the ability to mix it up. I do think in the UK they are underrated for some reason.

Steely Dan for me!

All right, the gloves are off.

No one cares about The Jam here. I liked them fine but they were derivative -- the early progenitors of Green Day. Not that they sound like Green Day -- I mean that as with Green Day, even their evolution away from their roots was derivative of what other bands had done (until Weller did Style Council, which nearly caused me to strangle my college roommate when he dared to play it once).

10cc is an even bigger nobody here too; had one hit single I liked when I was a kid. I believe I've made my feelings on Radiohead clear many times -- hookless, arid, fake-depressive Pink Floyd rip-off merchants. I've never understood the appeal of Jethro Tull. I think Mark Knopfler is an overrated, overwrought, arrogant gaybaiter -- I cannot stand that guy, even if his music can be okay in small doses. Stone Roses did one record I absolutely loved and then disappeared.

Everyone else, fair enough, and as noted the top four in the pantheon (Beatles, Stones, Led Zep, Who) and arguably top five if you include Pink Floyd are British. The U.S. cannot compete. Not even close.

But all punk owes a debt to the MC5, the New York Dolls and The Ramones, not to mention the Velvet Underground (though Nico was German), great as The Pistols and The Clash are/were.

And when we get to "solo" artists, I think we'll find the US has just as many if not more in the pantheon than the UK, including a number I mentioned before.

And much as we're talking about rock, let's not fail to point out that the UK has IMO failed to produce a single hip-hop artist within ass-sniffing distance of any of the US top 25, maybe even 50, and like it or not, that matters in this day and age to the youngsters (since I think everyone on this thread is as old and white as me).

But at least we agree on the Beach Boys and Steely Dan, both of whom I like more than Springsteen, even though I think Springsteen is probably our greatest true rocker objectively.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I may be guilty of that but I've always got more pleasure from bands that don't achieve universal acclaim. REM's first two albums were superb but, despite their subsequent universal acclaim, I still go back to Murmur and Reckoning. Another benefit of lesser known bands is they are more likely to play the Deaf Institute than the local Enormodome. In addition, when bands get more successful, they can, in many circumstances, lose their edge.

So do I (Murmur in particular) and even farther back -- Chronic Town -- their first -- is the best EP I've ever heard. 5 perfect songs. And I do love Life's Rich Pageant and Document as well.

 

[GoatersLeftShin]

All right, the gloves are off.

No one cares about The Jam here. I liked them fine but they were derivative -- the early progenitors of Green Day. 10cc is an even bigger nobody here too; had one hit single I liked when I was a kid. I believe I've made my feelings on Radiohead clear many times -- hookless, arid, fake-depressive Pink Floyd rip-off merchants. I've never understood the appeal of Jethro Tull. I think Mark Knopfler is an overrated, overwrought, arrogant gaybaiter -- I cannot stand that guy, even if his music can be okay in small doses. Stone Roses did one record I absolutely loved and then disappeared.

Everyone else, fair enough, and as noted the top four in the pantheon (Beatles, Stones, Led Zep, Who) and arguably top five if you include Pink Floyd are British. The U.S. cannot compete. Not even close.

But all punk owes a debt to the MC5, the New York Dolls and The Ramones, not to mention the Velvet Underground (though Nico was German), great as The Pistols and The Clash are/were.

And when we get to "solo" artists, I think we'll find the US has just as many if not more in the pantheon than the UK, including a number I mentioned before.

And much as we're talking about rock, let's not fail to point out that the UK has IMO failed to produce a single hip-hop artist within ass-sniffing distance of any of the US top 25, maybe even 50, and like it or not, that matters in this day and age to the youngsters (since I think everyone on this thread is as old and white as me).

But at least we agree on the Beach Boys and Steely Dan, both of whom I like more than Springsteen, even though I think Springsteen is probably our greatest true rocker objectively.

A fantastic reply as usual @FogBlueInSanFran :)

I take your points and of course, music is subjective. I think if it was who is the greatest "non band" then Louis Armstrong (I know he had a band behind him), James Brown, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, BB King etc and of course Elvis would blast the Brits out of the water!

I'm not an expert on "modern" rapping, but again I take your point although I am partial to Dizzee Rascal and some Grime stuff. It's not something I'd normally listen to, but there's something in it that I really like. I don't think any Grime artists would come close to Public Enemy, NWA etc though.

You always post great, insightful posts on music though mate, always great reading!

Wouldn't life be boring without football and music! :)

 

[Beswick Prize Bands Big Drum]

I take it you are not a Neil young fan ?

Yes I am.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

A fantastic reply as usual @FogBlueInSanFran :)

I take your points and of course, music is subjective. I think if it was who is the greatest "non band" then Louis Armstrong (I know he had a band behind him), James Brown, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, BB King etc and of course Elvis would blast the Brits out of the water!

I'm not an expert on "modern" rapping, but again I take your point although I am partial to Dizzee Rascal and some Grime stuff. It's not something I'd normally listen to, but there's something in it that I really like. I don't think any Grime artists would come close to Public Enemy, NWA etc though.

You always post great, insightful posts on music though mate, always great reading!

Wouldn't life be boring without football and music! :)

You’re very kind — although please note that some of my comments were deliberately wummy:) but in a tongue-in-cheek way I hope!

Except Radiohead. I meant every word :)

BB King and Muddy Waters are especially heroes of mine. And James Brown transcends the word “legend.” Ray Charles too.

In the end I think between the US and the UK one of the enduring impacts on history that will be studied historically will be the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll as a cultural galvanizer in a way most music wasn’t previously. Same as with the transformation of the novel by the great writers of the mid 18th and 19th centuries from straight entertainment to social unifiers.

 

[wagonman]

Metallica.

JJ