Geils were an.unbelieveable live band. Peter Wolf is a legend around these parts. The original deejay turned rockstar. Or one of em...Steppenwolf and J Geils band were two of my favourites.
It's kinda like saying we haven't managed to produce a single country singer to match the US top 25. Hip hop is a pretty young genre in the UK, certainly in terms of mainstream success. Most of the legendary American rappers are in the 50s now, and some are in their 60s. By contrast, Dizzee Rascal is probably the first mainstream success story, and he's still only 36. There are a few earlier ones like Wiley, who are in their 40s, but for the most part, there's not been time to get those legendary figures.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).
Very good post as usual - spot on with The Jam for me, Weller was never better than as a solo artist for me (even though he has a regular band).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.
to clarify for those unaware :)Thanks for the reminder @lloydie
REM another good shout
Not sure they qualify as "bands" (more likely "groups") but, at a s-t-r-e-t-c-h, what about those fantastic Motown acts back in the sixties/seventies?
Diana Ross and the Supremes
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Gladys Knight and the Pips
The Four Tops
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
The Jackson 5 (think they were Motown)
The Temptations
The Commodores
Etc etc
Wasn't really there best song to be fair. Best known doesn't really mean much in terms of influencing other bands either when it comes to rock, that's just mainstream success(pop charts). Far better band than Boston too for me pound for pound. I think credit needs to be given where it's due to Nirvana, the were a massive influence on 90s rock. I wasn't really a massive fan but they do have plenty of songs I like.
Also that was just one song really, they had their own sound. Led Zep plagiarised so many songs without giving any credit but they are often listed as an influence to many other bands too.