The Rock Pantheon

[Dr Morbius]

What are the greatest rock bands of all time?

Let us put to the side the individuals, from Elvis Presley to Neil Young to Eric Clapton; however worthy these rock'n'roll luminaries, the question before us is about rock bands.

I typically envision the Rock Pantheon with Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Who, and the Rolling Stones at the top of the mountain. At a level only slightly below them, there's Pink Floyd and maybe the Kinks. And somewhere on this mountain, there are bands like Black Sabbath, Queen, and the Clash. And The Band, and the Grateful Dead, and Genesis, and so on. I just can't really decide where they go.

I have a few requirements of my own, to decide for myself whether a band truly deserves Rock Godhood. For example, I like Judas Priest. They put out six or seven good albums. But they put out some real crap, too, and they sold out. Sell-outs, like REO Speedwagon and Queensryche, I don't think are worthy. I also love the one album I have by Big Country, but one great album does not a legendary band make. Even two: Captain Beyond had their debut and Significantly Breathless, but that's it. So I figure a band has to release at least four memorable albums. Less than that, they're a flash in the pan.

All these bands had a lousy period. Even the Beatles at the end were mediocre; Led Zeppelin released the forgettable Presence; the Rolling Stones have more crap out there than you can shake a stick at and Pink Floyd of course tried again as a trio. But their great stuff wins out; so I do not disqualify bands for having a bad album or a forgettable period. So I guess I'd consider Aerosmith, if I didn't think they were the ultimate sell-outs.

A last note: yes, the Who did release an album called The Who Sell Out. But they weren't sell-outs. It was kind of a joke.

Would you like to present your top ten rock bands of all time?

[abq e streeter]

1. # 1 , never to be deposed in my lifetime: The E Street Band

2 The Clash
3 The Beatles
4 The Beachboys
5 The Animals
6 Jefferson Airplane
7 Jimi Hendrix Experience ( which if I'm not mistaken, was a band)
8 Rolling Stones
9 The Detroit Wheels
10 The Crickets

honorable mention: Velvet Underground, Rancid, Buffalo Springfield,The Byrds,The Blasters, X, Los Lobos,U2,and REM

[Radical Activist]

2. E street band would have been better

if someone had taken away their synthesizer keyboard. That gawd-awful 80's synthesizer sound kills half their albums. Their pre and post 80's work is better.

[abq e streeter]

3. it works on some of the stuff, but yeah, not my favorite thing of theirs over the years

still an amazing output of great albums for decades and still at 60 years years old, they still somehow put on unbelievably good concerts.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

11. and the addition of a female singer

why was she necessary?

[abq e streeter]

10. How in the hell did I leave the Doors off the top ten??? Shame on me

and the Eagles too,on the honorable mention list though they're much maligned by many here....

[fishwax]

4. I'll go with these ten for now

Though of course the list would change slightly depending on my mood, criteria, etc. But at the moment, these are the ten bands I'd least like to live without.

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd
The Grateful Dead
The Clash
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
U2
The Flaming Lips
Pearl Jam
Wilco

[Lucian]

5. Alice in Chains

with Layne Staley and post-Layne Staley. Black Gives Way to Blue was the greatest album that came out all of last year.

[Radical Activist]

6. Funny how the Brits do great bands but Americans have more famous solo artists.

I wonder about that once in a while. You can't argue with the Led/Who/Beatles/Stones quadrumvirate of epic British rock bands.
As a side note, I think the last two Beatles albums were some of their best work. Much better than the mop head soul covers on their early albums.

I would add the original Allman Brothers, but they may not fit your criteria given their bad years. Otherwise...Pearl Jam. They've been putting out consistently great stuff for a couple of decades now.
And U2.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
People will howl but I'd include Rage Against the Machine. Their talent and originality make them one of the all time greats, despite only having four albums.

[Radical Activist]

7. OK, I'll make an actual list this time...

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Rolling Stones
3. Beatles
4. Who
5. Allman Brothers
6. U2
7. Rage Against the Machine
8. Pearl Jam
9. Ike & Tina Turner Review
10. Iggy & the Stooges

[Dr Morbius]

9. I should note, and should have noted earlier, that these are...

...merely my criteria and you should feel free to substitute your own.

I think the Allman Bros. shouldn't be disqualified for their bad years. After all, a couple guys died on them. According to my criteria, if you can name four memorable albums by the band (or an equivalent amount of solid material) and the band never turned into anything "unrespectable" (see Aerosmith), they're worthy of consideration. After reflection, I suppose Judas Priest has earned a low spot on the mountain. They were the gods of heavy metal and stayed true to themselves. They just never did get as good as, say, the Doors or the Clash.

[old mark]

8. Some of my own top favorite bands -

The Stones - even their crap is better music than most other band's hits.
Cream-still under rated for their influence.
Original Allman Brothers
The Ramones-over 2200 live performances, never a hit album, but lots of great songs on all of them.
Beatles-because they helped break the ice in the mid '60's.
Jimi Hendrix Experience - They REALLY broke the ice!
The Yardbirds.
The Eagles - See the video "Hell Freezes Over" - great musicianship.
Humble Pie-All but forgotten, kings of rock n roll in the '70's.
Bill Haley and His Comets-great stage band, great recording artists - formed rock n roll's sound.

m

[VMI Dem]

12. The Clash is in the upper echelon.

I would move The Who down a notch.

[Dr Morbius]

15. I won't argue about the Clash. A great band.

But the Who! Apart from all those great early singles and a long, fruitful career, they produced two of rock's finest albums: Tommy and Who's Next. Both albums were extremely influential. Arguably rock's greatest drummer and greatest composer; whether one disagrees about Moonie or Townshend, how many bands can you name which claim one of rock's greatest composers and drummers? And can you name five bass guitarists better than the late John Entwistle?

Look at it this way: if there had never been a Clash, the British new wave of the 70's and 80's would have a gaping hole. It would hardly be worth remembering. But if there hadn't been a Who, smashing their guitars and releasing brilliant stuff from the Magic Bus to Eminence Front, I am sure the entire face of rock history would be different. Imagine rock history without concept albums; concept albums predated Tommy but Tommy made the concept album fabulously successful. It isn't greatness that gets imitated; it is success.

I appreciate and respect your difference of opinion. But I can't move the Who off the near top of the mountain. They belong up there, I think.

[MilesColtrane]

13. "Even the Beatles at the end were mediocre;"

"Abbey Road" was mediocre?

Side two alone more than makes up for "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Octopus's Garden".

Throwing in "Come Together", "Something", and "I Want You", tips the balance to make it a very good to great album.

[Dr Morbius]

14. Yesterday; The Long and Winding Road

I think John broke up the Beatles because he knew they were starting to suck.

Abbey Road is a fine album, and I like Maxwell's Silver Hammer; it's a fun tune in the theme of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. But Let It Be was, um, not so good. And while I understand those folks who think the Beatles only got better as the sixties went on, although I don't agree, I think there was a point after Abbey Road came out that they started going through the motions and clearly no longer enjoyed playing together. It was mercifully very brief; this was after all one of the greatest bands ever.

[MilesColtrane]

19. "there was a point after Abbey Road came out that they started going through the motions...

and no longer enjoyed playing together."

Actually "Abbey Road" was the last thing they collaborated on.

The acrimony really began in earnest when they started recording the white album. Things only got worse, which we all got to see, during the making of "Let It Be".

Abbey Road" was an attempt to return to the way they made records before "Let It Be" and the white album sessions. By that time the Beatles felt that the breakup was inevitable and they wanted to go out on a 'high note'.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. hmmmm...

only Ten? tough.

1. Stones
2. Beatles
3. Moody Blues
4. Allman Brothers
5. Byrds
6. Buffalo Springfield/CSNY
7. Zepplin
8. Buddy Holly
9. Sam Cooke
10. The Righteous Brothers/Four Tops

[JCMach1]

17. You left off Jethro Tull

Rush
Roxy Music
Genesis
Sex Pistols (sometimes one great album is good enough if you kick the world in the balls)
REM

Black Sabbath needs to be closer to the top... loved them then, but their stuff has really stood the test of time. Proto-punk metal of the first order.

[Tikki]

18. Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps, The Sonics...

Sir Douglas Quintet, Kinks, LOVE, New York Dolls/Iggy and the Stooges..
The Ramones and X. Plus Los Lobos the best band out there now...

These are not necessarily just my favorites, but bands I feel influenced
important music scenes.


Tikki