so somethingreally terribleIt happened recently and to distract myself I decided to make a list of the 50 best British bands of all time. The actual list only took about an hour, but it took me a few weeks to write the necessary paragraph or two about each artist.
I've done my best to keep my personal tastes off this list if possible. This is not a list ofyouMost popular British bands of all time. I tried to use record sales and listing performance to justify my positions as much as possible. But at the end of the day, my taste in musictattoodictate at least some of the list. Few of those lists would include the Cocteau Twins via, say, Squeeze, but hey, it's my list and I'll do as I please.
Note that the list includes acts derived by implication. If you're wondering how you could remove Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, remember that they're included in Genesis. My reasoning is that if I had given Gabriel his own ticket, he would also have given Collins one. And if it did, there would have to be separate tickets for Joy Division and New Order, Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno, and maybe Marc Bolan. And if I did all that, my '50 Greatest British Bands' list would become '15 Greatest British Bands and Their 35 Spinoff Artists'.
Of course, the list also includes more well-known solo artists like David Bowie. You wouldn't normally call Bowie a 'band', but '50 Greatest British Artists of All Time' just doesn't sound like '50 Greatest British Bands of All Time'.
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50)The moment: They weren't my favorite band ("Don't tell me? Isn't your band #50 your favorite?"), but there's no denying that The Verve had a certain level of magic when they weren't busy fighting amongst their friends. these guys wereing, but seemed to have more staffing issues than Spinal Tap. And it's kind of ironic that his favorite song now is a Rolling Stones song. The band reached an agreement to sample an orchestral version of the Rolling Stones song "The Last Time" for their single "Bitter Sweet Symphony". The deal originally called for a 50:50 profit split between The Verve and the licensee. But when the song became a huge hit, Allen sued Klein (he's the former Stones executive who managed to steal the rights to most of their pre-1970s back catalogue), saying The Verve had "too much" of it. Incredibly, a court agreed. All profits went to Klein and the songwriting was credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. This led Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft to jokingly call "Symphony" "the best song Jagger and Richards have written in 20 years" (and it wasIt's right:"Symphony" was the most successful Jagger/Richards single since 1971's "Brown Sugar"!)
49)Japan– One wonders what British pop music would have been like if Yuka Fujii had never existed. She was the girlfriend of Japanese bassist Mick Karn. In the early '80s, she packed her bags and, without telling Karn, moved in with vocalist David Sylvian. Unsurprisingly, the band broke up soon after. Japan's catalog is inconsistent, flashy, and slightly out of date. They started out as faux glam rock, switched to disco for an album, then settled into art pop. But shetattoocreating some of the most unique pop music in British pop culture history. Their single "Ghosts" reached the top 5 in 1982 and is one of the most exclusive records to climb that high. And Sylvian's solo work ranges from the esoteric to the brilliant.
48)bananarama– I know what you’re thinking: “Bananarama?” But hear me out. By the time the Spice Girls emerged, Bananarama had sold more records than any other girl band in history. The Go-Go's... The Supremes... Salt-n-Pepa... Bananarama sold them bestan. And the band still holds the Guinness World Record for most lists.Appetizerof a girl group: Destiny's Child and Spice Girls may have sold more records overall, but Bananarama had moreTo satisfythan any girl group in history. hehe And it's a sad, sad soul that doesn't wake up when "Vênus" or "Verano Cruel" is playing on the radio. The girls are still together after 33 years, so they're one of the few bands on this list still making new music!
47)Nick Lowe: For most Americans, Lowe is "the cruel type to be nice". And it's true that Lowe hasn't sold a billion records. But he's a great songwriter, and he's also done some excellent production work (including The Damned's "New Rose", which many consider the first British punk rock single). Like Bob Dylan, Lowe is also famous for others covering his work: Elvis Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" and Johnny Cash's "The Beast in Me" were originally songs by Lowes.
46)richard cut– Sure, Cliff Richard is kind of a joke in the music business. It's a bit like Englishman Barry Manilow or Neil Diamond or whatever trendy singer your parents (or grandparents or great-grandparents) used to listen to. But Richard is literally aSymbolof British music. His 1958 single "Move It" is considered by many to be the first British rock song, and in his 53-year career Richard has had 130 top 20 singles and albums. British artist and the only artist to have a No. 1 song in every decade from 1950 to 2010. Like it or not, you can't dispute fourteen singles. No. 1.
45)cocteau twins– It could be argued that my personal bias is shown here. After all, the Cocteau Twins were never very successful in the mainstream. But they certainly changed alternative music forever. In fact, I would argue that the Cocteau Twins were the first true dream pop band (as opposed to, say, "crossover" bands like The Cure, who for whatever reason are often lumped into the dream pop category). But theTRUTHThe reason the band is on the list is because of Elizabeth Fraser's voice. Last namesomePost-Cocteau Twins band with a raspy voice singer: The Sundays, Sixpence None the Richer, Grimes, School of Seven Bells, The Innocence Mission, The Cranberries, and I'll show you someone who was influenced by the band.
44)Blur: Oasis may have won the Battle of Britpop, but Blur were close behind them every time. They aregiganticin the UK around the time they started. your first album,Idleness, "just" peaked at #7, and the sequel,Modern life sucks., only reached number 15. But every album since then (including 1995'sthe great escape, the album that broke worldwide) went to number one. Oh, and every single one of her albums has gone at least gold.life not parkCertified 4x Platinum in the UK. these guys weregigantic.
43)The animals: This is one of those bands that other musicians only haveamar. Of course, "The House of the Rising Sun" is one of them.someThe "Best of the 60s" compilation, but what about songs like "It's My Life" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", which was pretty much the theme song to American soldiers in Vietnam (and to which Bruce Springsteen said: " This is every song I've ever written... This is Born to Run, Born in the U.S.A., everything I've done in the last 40 years, including all the new ones. It hit me so hard it was the first time I felt that I was listening to something on the radio that reflected my home life, my childhood.) I don't know that I would go so far as to call them the "British Doors", to name a few, but there are certainly many similarities in sound between the two bands. Ah , and I have to give the band some love for casting pre-cop Andy Summers in 1968.
42)manic street preachers: Yeah, these guys were on college radio in the States for a short while in the '90s. But at home they've had eight Top 10 albums and fifteen Top 10 singles (and three #1s: the 1998 albumThis is my truth, tell me yoursand two individual). However, one has to wonder if they would have been at the top of this list if Richey Edwards hadn't.mysteriously disappeared.
41)to human league- Of course, they could be "Three Wonders of Success" in the US, and many in the UK would probably prefer to forget they ever existed. But the Human League wasamazinginfluential in the electronic music scene. While many '80s electronic bands were influenced by Kraftwerk, Neu! and other German acts, almosteach oneThe synthpop and electroclash bands that exist today sound like The Human League, were influenced by, pay homage to, cover The Human League, or owe a huge debt to The Human League. I dare say they could even be called The Beatles of Electronic Pop, at least as far as their influence on modern bands is concerned. Without The Human League, acts like La Roux, Marsheaux, Foretaste, Class Atriz, Ambra Red, Sound of Arrows and dozens more would never have existed.
40)bones: To me? I always found the Gallagher brothers insufferable, mainly because they basically killed the goose that lays the golden eggs. The band has won 15 NME Awards, 6 Brit Awards and 9 Q Awards. In fact, at the 2010 Brit Awards(What is morning glory?was voted the best British album of the past 30 years. They had eight No. 1 singles and had an unprecedented 22 consecutive Top 10 singles, the latter a Guinness World Record, one of only two held by the band (the other being for spending 765 weeks in the Top 75 charts). Unfortunately, the gang instills fear and revulsion in many, especially Them.first spouseNoel and Liam always looked like they were engaged. I'm not a huge fan, but it's obvious they were THE British band of the 90s.
39)A cura: What can I say about The Cure that hasn't already been written hundreds of times? They're not the most popular band in the world - selling 27 million albums worldwide in a 36-year career isn't everything, especially compared to others on this list. But the band certainly has a unique style and has made a big impact on alternative music. In fact, I'd say they're almost tied with Depeche Mode as "the most influential alternative band of all time". Sadly, I'm more of a fan of their sad early albums.seventeen seconds,confidenceyPornography. Later albums such asdecairywild mood swings, may be much more complex musically than their simpler earlier works, but I think the band really ran out of gas on it.me beije me beije me beije. I don't want a "Robert Smith teddy bear", I want a "Scary Robert Smith".
38)Buzzcocks: In the early days of British punk rock, many bands were of the screaming three-chord variety. But the Buzzcocks created some of their own.From othersSongs of the time, dammit... the best songs fromsome"Ever been in love (with someone you shouldn't)" and "What do I get?" They count "Stairway to Heaven", "Hotel California" and "Dream On" as some of the greatest rock songs of all time. . Yes, I'm serious. The band's compilation singles album,Singles go steadily, just ranked 358rolling StonesList of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It's in the top 50 in my book.
37)musa:OK, so Muse is kind of a poor radiohead, and while the band has tremendous cultural awareness, the band has sold "only" 15 million records. Still, Muse were a huge 'filler band' in the British music scene of the late '90s, and the fact that the Brits used 'Survival' as the official song for the 2012 Olympics says a lot about what they mean to the Kingdom. United.
36)happy mondays: To paraphrase the old joke: if you can remember The Happy Mondays,you were not there. The band was ground zero for the "Madchester" scene, and although they lacked the chart success of other bands, their songs stirred up enough ecstasy-fueled raves to make the band legendary.
35)pet shop staff: I liked the Pet Shop Boys in the early 80's, but if you had asked me, I'd say they've been around since Ebn-Ozn or Men Without Hats. 100 million records later, the band are the most successful duo in British music history, with 22 top 10 hits. What PSB has going for them is consistency. Their dance-pop style hasn't changed much over the years, except technology has improved. Their latest albums are just as good as the previous ones. But the downside of consistency is similarity. The 2009 single "Love etc. and did you see me eat?" it was as good as any they released... but it might as well have been recorded in 1987. Still, PSB are titans of the UK electronic music scene and deserve praise for releasing great songs over the past 31 years.
34)Tyrian Saurian Rex: Marc Bolan and T. Rex released only four albums, but the number of hit singles was extraordinary: "Bang a Gong (Get It On)", "Jeepster", "20th Century Boy", "Telegram Sam", "Hot Love." ", Children of the Revolution and Metal Guru, to name a few. More importantly, T. Rex (along with Gary Glitter) embodied the entire glam rock movement. Kiss, Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe, Japan, Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Flock of Seagulls, Prince and Marilyn Manson greatly influenced the band's style, if not their music.
33)The police: You know U2 is like that,globalPopular? How can they sell shows not only in English speaking countries but across Europe, Asia and South America? Well, The Police were the first new wave band to do this and they did it in the early 80's. They were the college radio darlings of the 80's and were often dubbed the "thinking man's punk band". but thensynchronicitysuccess, and ended up being one of the best albums of the 1980s. Seriously,synchronicitywas the album that finally blew Michael Jackson awaySuspendedtopping the Billboard charts and the album's most popular song, "Every Breath You Take", was #1 in the US for 8 weeks. Unfortunately, Sting's ego got the better of him and he let Copeland and Summers carry the bag. Had the band stuck together and released a few more great albums, they could have taken the place in pop culture that U2 occupies today (Btw, U2 is an Irish band, not a British one, so they're not on the list).
32)cold game: That's itthe most annoying band in the world, but people seem to love them for some reason. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards and seven Brit Awards (including three for Best British Group). I put it on this list because I feel sothanksoh no because meWillan.
31)problems: I'm not a fan of Dire Straits either. But at least when I listen to them, I'm like, "Hey, this guy can do it."tapthe guitar!" Mark Knopfler and company started with simple pub rock, but over time they added elements of rhythm and jazz to create a unique sound. And, as mentioned before, I believe that Knopfler is one of the most underrated guitarists in history. of all time The band's most popular album,comrades in arms, sold 30 million copies, which is more than Pink FloydsThe wallthe he of Nirvanait doesn't matterand only 2 million less thanBanda Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club. I'm not sure Dire Straits has a rabid fan base, but the band deserves it.
30)the special offers: The Specials brought ska to the UK mainstream, and the band had seven consecutive UK Top 10 singles between 1977 and 1981. "Too Much Too Young" and "Ghost Town" remain great songs all these years later No entanto, no final das contas, I prefer the derivative band Fun Boy Three. But The Specials is on the list because they were the first multiracial band to enter the UK.
29)shrub kate: Does Kate Bush really need an introduction? We all know her and her work, but sometimes you have to put things in perspective. In a world of Kate Nashes, Pixie Lotts, Amy Winehouses and Lilly Allens, it's easy to forget that Kate Bush was Britain's first solo artist.estopped the UK Albums Chart and was the first female artist (British or otherwise) to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. The fact that Bush almostOh noTouring hurts his rankings here (his 1979 "Tour of Life," in which he played 24 shows, is the only tour he's ever done, and he's only played a handful of shows since then). And Bush's music can be... dense and radio-unfriendly. To be honest, I find his music very difficult to listen to. However, with the possible exception of Madonna, Bush has inspired more female singers than any other woman on the planet. Florence Welch, Tori Amos, Alison Goldfrapp, PJ Harvey, KT Tunstall and (particularly) Bjork show clear signs of Bush's influence. And the list of other musicians who are fans - Peter Gabriel, Rufus Wainwright and John Lydon - is also impressive.
28)Fleetwood Mac: OK, so they're notCompletelyBritish, but Fleetwood Mac really were giants in the 1970s. Growing up, it seemed like every white woman I knew had a copy.rumorson 8 tracks or vinyl. And why not? The album stayed at No. 1 on the US charts for 31 weeks and spawned four US Top 10 singles. To date, it is the eighth best-selling album of all time. Of course, the band's lineup has changed significantly over the years, affecting the quality and frequency of their output. Drinkcanine, for example. Not exactly my thing, but decent enough. like an appendixrumors, however, was deemed a failure, prompting the band to record their most commercial album.morgan girl, of which I only remember the catchy but weak "Hold Me".
27)the pink stones: Why? Because if you take New Order out of the picture, The Stone Roses were my favorite band from Madchester. I also liked that they could "rock" but have a soft side, without ballads ("I Wanna Be Adored"). I think the Stone Roses were the first Pixies fans.
26)The Iron Lady: I'm not a metal fan. But my friend Richard certainly is. Then, in high school, I heard him play a lot of Slayer, Metallica, Zepplin, Judas Priest and every other metal or hard rock band you can imagine (and many you've probably heard).Oh noheard about). Of those bands, the only one I really supported was Iron Maiden. As far as rock bands go, Maiden were about as solid and compact as it gets. Bruce Dickinson could sing and his lyrics weren't bad either. But the best thing about the band was that they didn't rely on gimmicks like makeup (like Poison) or fake attack (like W.A.S.P.). You alonehe brought. Other than the fact that they make loud noises, I really can't think of any reason not to like Maiden. And the fact that they are so influential (selling 85 million records with little radio or TV support) tells me they are one of the most popular metal bands of all time.
25)small faces: Small Faces are interesting because they had a big impact on two different music genres: mod and psychedelic rock. They became mod icons in their early years due to their work ethic. Touring almost constantly, they became one of the highest-grossing live acts of the day in the UK. Those early days were slow for the band, but with singles like "Lazy Sunday" and "Itchycoo Park" hitting the shelves, the band finally got the recognition it deserved.Ogdens Walnut Flakeswill be remembered as a classic album, and with good reason. And let's not forget that after the Small Faces broke up, three members persuaded Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart, two other British music icons, to join the reformed Faces.
24)Duran Duran: Duran Duran was one of the most derided bands of their era. Most "serious" music magazines described them as pretty boys with little talent. But guess what? The band made some of the biggest pop hits of the 80's. "Rio"? "Hungry as a wolf"? "Girls at the movies"? They were great songs! What aYes reallyreally puts Duran Duran on this listesthe main complaintRolling Stone: that, for better or worse, Duran Duran changed the way pop music was sold. Sure, the band had 14 UK top 10 singles. But Duran Duran became the biggest band in the world, at least for a while, thanks to their looks, music videos and album art. While they want to be remembered for their music, many will remember the band for their packaging. Which is a shame because John Taylor is the most underrated bassist of all time!
23)Genesis: Genesis is, of course, a tale of two bands. They have the great, albeit slightly above art rock band, fronted by Peter Gabriel. But then he was gone and the world had to deal with the catchy but corny pop of Phil Collins. Fans of the band have long been divided into three camps: those who only like Gabriel-era Genesis; those who only like Collins-era Genesis; and these weirdos who like both. But let's not forget that before the pop blockbusterinvisible touch, Genesis was a band that heavily influenced progressive bands like Yes and King Crimson. If you look at all the acts directly influenced by Genesis, it looks like a who's who in art and prog rock. And of course I feel compelled to mention Gabriel and Collins' solo work. Gabriel wrote some of my favorite songs like "Red Rain", "Solsbury Hill" and "Games Without Frontiers". I didn't like Collins' solo work very much, but there's no denying his talent as a songwriter. His songs seemed to dominate pop radio in the '80s.
22)O status quo: It's hard to think of a band I likeany lessas status quo. There's nothing "wrong" with his music, it's just not my thing. But they've had more songs on the UK charts (over 60) thanany other bandin history, with 22 of them reaching the top 10. More important is the list of popular bands who cover Status Quo songs.literallyabout a mile long, so they were also quite influential.
21)dismiss way: If you had asked me 25 years ago which current band would follow in the 2010s, Depeche Mode would be way down the list. Sure, they released great pop songs with great hooks... but they didn't seem like a band with much staying power. But here we are, twelve Top 10 albums and 100 million records later. DM is probably the most successful electronic bandes, which even trumps New Order by title. And the fact that so many current bands have been influenced by Depeche Mode only helps their cause.
20)The Ham: One of my absolute favorite bands and another British band that wasgiganticin their homeland, but mostly unknown in the US outside of college radio and new wave circles. What was your attraction? On the one hand, they started out as a typical punk band, but quickly evolved into a northern soul/mod revival while still retaining the punk energy. And Paul Weller was a master at painting pictures with his texts. "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight" and "That's Entertainment" paint a grim but moving and beautiful picture of the English working class at the time. But what's more: Weller (at the time) didn't have his politics on the tip of his tongue. While, say, Bono and Sting also wrote songs that shared Weller's sense of social justice,hit your head with it. Weller let his songs speak for themselves. And here's an amazing fact: every single released by The Jam, all 18 of them, reached the UK Top 40, with four of them reaching No. 1. One of my favorite stories about the band is about their fans. According to the story, Weller broke up the band in late 1982 because he "had said all he could to the band". Fans, hurt and angry over the band's breakup, began wearing T-shirts reading "Paul Weller 1958-1982", indicating that he was dead to them. That's love for a band, y'all!
19)craziness: The Crazy Boys of Camden Town are another band considered a "one hit wonder" in the US, but consider this: they have had 22 top 20 singles in the UK, with 15 of them reaching the Top 10. all the crazy albumesregistered in the UK was no. #17 (1999s).Amazing). And from 1980 to 1986 (a total period of 312 weeks) there was a single from Madness on the UK singles chart for 214 weeks. While The Specials were perhaps Britain's first great ska band, Madness made the genre a household name.
18)black saturday: I think it's fair (and pretty obvious) to say that Sabbath was one of the most influential hard rock bands of all time.paranoidit's a classic no matter what your musical background is, and the fact that it's 4x platinum attests to that. Along with Alice Cooper, Sabbath pioneered the occult-inspired dramatic imagery that would be employed by so many later metal bands. Would agendas and references to black masses have become so ubiquitous in the metal world without Black Sabbath? Perhaps. But its origin is evidently on the Sabbath. And, of course, Sabbath made a star out of Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio as well (his previous work with Rainbow notwithstanding).
17)The chain of Jesus and Mary: Sure, these guys were kind of popular with the '80s alternative crowd. But how do they manage to get to number 17 on this chart with only two top 10 singles and a top 10 album in the UK? HaveHeardFor independent radio lately? I swear,each bandComing from Brooklyn and Los Angeles these days, it sounds like "a cross between The Jesus and Mary Chain and [another band]" or "The Jesus and Mary Chain, just with [something different, like a female singer or heavy keyboard effects] ]" . What somehow fits. Like the Ramones, Jim and William ReidamadoGirl bands from the 60s. But when they tried to imitate the Shangri-Las, they ended up sounding like a Scottish version of the Ramones. So they started playing with noise and feedback and created something new... just like Asobi Seksu mixed Cocteau Twins and The Jesus and Mary Chain together to get their sound. And The Radio Dept., Bowery Electric, M83, Over the Atlantic, A Place to Bury Strangers, Sleigh Bells, Beach House, Ringo Deathstarr, The Raveonettes... and 3,000OthersToday's bands have done that. The Mainstream May Not Have Heard of The Jesus and Mary Chainafter, but the bands that make musicnowcertainly
sixteen)lightning head: Radiohead's first single, "Creep", was first released in the UK in 1992 and only reached number 78 in the charts, selling just 6,000 copies. But the music industry can be a funny thing sometimes. An Israeli radio DJ named Yoav Kutner fell in love with the song and played it on his show. The song became a hit in Israel, and the band booked several shows there to capitalize on the success. And then the same thing happened in Spain, then New Zealand, then Scandinavia and San Francisco, where a KITS DJ also fell in love with music. What was a disaster on the charts slowly turned into a worldwide success. And so the Radiohead phenomenon was born. Funnily enough, I'm not a huge fan of the group, which is weird because you'd think that would be my thing. But IagainI love how the band isn't afraid to play around with their sound; any other modern band could have gotten away with it.A little? The band is also not afraid to take on the music industry (its infamous "pay what you want" strategy).in rainbow). The band is one of the most innovative in pop music today.
quince)Elvis Costello: If punk rock had a singer, it would be Elvis Costello. Sure, the music he makes today might be "a little more exciting than John Tesh's", but let's not forget howimpressivelysein früher Katalog war: „Alison“, „(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes“, „Watching the Detectives“, „(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea“, „Pump It Up“, „Radio Radio “. “, „Oliver’s Army“ e „I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down“ aindalittle bittheir first successes. Costello is perhaps the greatest composer alive today. Attentive and intelligent, he studies music. If you've read any of his music articles aboutvanity fairYou know the man knows his music and loves to let the world know about other bands he likes. Other than that, I don't know... Observing his then-girlfriend for an entire show, Costello seems like a nice guy in every way. He may not have sold as many records as others on this list, nor was he a huge influence on later artists, but he's a sweetheart nonetheless.
14)department of joy: I remember the first time I heard Joy Division: I asked for it (and got it).unknown pleasuresCDs for Christmas. After the Christmas celebrations were over, I went to my room, put on my headphones and listened. Of course, I had "heard" songs like "She's Lost Control" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart", but this was the first time I really gave the band my full attention. And once the mess started, I was hooked. For some reason, this song always reminded me of a factory where all the huge industrial machines started going one after the other and ended up making a great song together... and then Ian Curtis' haunting voice drowned it all out. Joy Division wasn't very popular, at least not in a purely commercial sense. But they started the whole post-punk movement and became (for better or worse) the father of all goth rock bands. And that's just Joy Division. Except for Curtis, the band continued as New Order and made some of the most popular electronic music of all time (it's surprising that, despite all the big club hits since the '80s, "Blue Monday" remains the most popular single from 12" of all time). Joy Division and New Order left a huge mark on British music history.
13)rosa floyd- This legendary band was not as big as Lepplin, and its influence on future musicians was perhaps the most subtle on this list. Of course, there are many bands that have copied the Floyd sound, but I don't think their influence was as obvious as most. For example, the opening riff ofanimalsinspired a young David Evans to buy his first delay pedal (you probably know him better as "The Edge"). The Pet Shop Boys and Nine Inch Nails have credited Floyd as an inspiration, two bands for whom Floyd's influence is not immediately apparent. And I don't know if Barrett's or Waters' band has ever released a bad record:The Pied Piper at the Gates of Dawn,A plate full of secrets,Ummagumma,mother atom heart,Interfere,covered by clouds,Dark side of the Moon,wish you were here,animals,The wallythe last cutare all, without a doubt, rock classics, including Klunker. Naturally,Dark side of the Moonit was on the US charts from 1973 to 1988, a streak of 741 weeks that has never been equaled and is unlikely to ever be repeated. and film adaptation ofThe wallwas a cultural phenomenon in its own right, providing endless entertainment for stoned teens across the world.
12)Wrought: There was a time in the 1980s when British music fans were on the cusp of the ultimate heresy: naming The Smiths, rather than The Beatles, the greatest British band of all time. I don't know if I would go that far, but the fact is that The Smiths are perhaps the most iconic band of all time. Hard to believe now, but the band only had one Top 10 single ("This Charming Man" re-released at No. 8 in 1992, long after they broke up). And throughout each of their four #1 studio albums (meat is death) o #2 (Wrought,the queen is deadyStrangeways, here we go) in the UK, its success outside the UK was limited. The No Smiths album topped 55 in the US, 28 in Australia, 27 in Canada, 33 in Germany or 13 in the Netherlands. Still, Johnny Marr's guitar playing was widely emulated, Morrissey's controversial opinions kept him in the music press, and the band's popularity seemed to grow and grow and grow, albeit slowly. To say the band was influential states the obvious: The Smiths spawned the entire Britpop movement, and bands like Blur, The Stone Roses, Oasis and The Libertines owe much of their ethos to The Smiths. And emo, or the act of wearing teen depression on your sleeve, is all Morrissey.
11)musica roxy: If you're a fan of new wave, you probably know that most new wave bands were influenced by two musical acts. Roxy Music was one of them. The band, while not unknown in the US, wasgiganticin the UK and Australia. They have released eight studio albums and their lowest charting in the UK was number 10 (musica roxy). With the exception of the 1979sManifesto(which "only" ranked #7), their remaining 6 CDs made the top 5. And while rock music has been loosely associated with art and fashion since the 1960s, it was Roxy Music that consciously tried to fuse it together to pull together a cohesive package. Roxy's influence on bands such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Japan, ABC and Ultravox was enormous. And let's not forget that Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno were once in the same band at the same time! When you add Ferry's solo singing career to Eno's groundbreaking environmental work and massive production credits, the band is even bigger than you might think.
10)WHO dies: I always felt a little sorry for The Who. They were incredibly popular and a huge influence on many early punk bands, most notably The Jam. They had a huge impact on mod culture, having 18 UK top 20 singles and performing some of the most famous shows in rock history. But they always seemed like a side band to me compared to the Beatles or the Stones. In my opinion, The Who is Wake Forest compared to the Beatles (UNC) and the Rolling Stones (Duke). Maybe I just have a cultural blind spot for The Who...but it seemed that growing up they were everyone's fifth or sixth favorite band, never anyone's favorite band.
9)Elton John: People under the age of 35 have probably always thought of Elton John as a grumpy old gay man who used to be popular. And I can't say I blame them. John has been touring since at least 1985, occasionally appearing on Disney soundtracks, at a charity event or on a single Feed the Sun City Ferry Disaster AIDS Victims. If that's you, then there's no way to imagine how good Elton John was in the late 1960's and early 1970's. He sold over 250 million records.56Top 40 singles, he has had seven consecutive number one albums on the US charts and has won just about every music award imaginable. More important, I think, is that Elton John was perhaps the last "universal" pop star. When I was a kid in the 70's the music was Elton Johneverywhere. Teenagers liked it. Grandmothers liked it. Young children liked it. Rock stations played their more sophisticated tunes while AOR stations played their ballads. Chances were good that you could find an Elton John song on the radio at any time and hear muzak versions of his songs at the doctor's office or the grocery store. Even black people (not usually John's main audience) could name five or more of his songs and probably sing them too. the boy wasgigantic.
8)the problems: Sure, musicians love them, but The Kinks might be the most underrated band of all time. Everyone knows his 1964 hit "You Really Got Me", a song that had agiganticIt influenced later metal and punk bands as they were the first to use what would become basic rock "power chords". But what really sets the Kinks apart is their longevity. From 1964 to 1996 there were few bands, and few that released hit after hit like The Kinks. And it wasn't just the power chords that attracted fans. Ray Davies is perhaps one of the best and most eloquent composers in English music... anyway. Although The Kinks enjoyed fairly decent success on the charts (seventeen Top 20 singles and five Top 10 albums in the UK and five Top 10 singles and nine Top 40 albums in the US), their enduring contribution to music has been his great influence on subsequent generations.
7)sex weapons: The Pistols weren't the first punk band. nor were theyFrom otherspunk band They were together for only two years and released only one album. But no band, not even the Beatles, changed the course of music history more than the Sex Pistols. English popular music of the early 1970s was a drab world of disco and progressive rock, the latter described by Duran-Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes as "men with beards singing songs about gnomes in dark pubs". Artists like David Bowie and Roxy Music ushered in a high society lifestyle the average English teenager could not dream of. And bands like Pink Floyd lived in secluded estates that rivaled Buckingham Palace. It was bad enough for teenagers in England to deal with alienation from the workplace and society at large... but it hit the nail on the head.tragicthat they couldn't do anything with their own music. And suddenly, out of nowhere, the Sex Pistols appeared and begged the youth of the UK to "wake this shit up". And they woke up. While Pink Floyd's music required an army of engineers and a lot of expensive equipment, the Sex Pistols only needed drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Just as the Ramones persuaded thousands of American children to form their own bands, the Pistols did the same for Britain. And though the band crashed and burned too soon, they took their placemilesof bands, all doing their (beautiful) thing.
6)queen: You can't think of '70s music without thinking of Queen. the band wasgiganticin their time they have sold 300 million records worldwide, had 18 No. 1 singles and 18 No. 1 albums and currently hold the UK record for the biggest selling album of all time.The Queen's Greatest Hits, and spent a total of 1,322 weeks on the UK charts, another record. They are also the only band where every member has written a #1 single (sorry Ringo).we will Rock You, a musical based on Queen, opened in London in 2002 and is the longest-running musical in West End history, actually eclipsing itOh MotheryFett. There are more sites hosting Queen bootlegs (there were 12,225 such sites in 2001) than any other band. In fact, the popularity of their bootlegs led to Queen's huge popularity in countries where Western music is banned or frowned upon, such as Iran or the former Soviet Union. A list of musicians who have credited Queen as an influence would take up all 50GB of my allocated space on this server. Countless UK polls voted "Bohemian Rhapsody" the "greatest single of all time" and you must love it for its sheer cornyness and the courage it took to release it as a single. And let's not forget that Queen's Live Aid performance in 1985 was probably rock's greatest televised performance.es.
5)David Bowie: If Roxy Music formed one New Wave mainstay, David Bowie certainly formed the other. After starting his career at the top of the charts with a breakthrough single ("Space Oddity"), Bowie transformed into his alter ego Ziggy Stardust and became the world's biggest cult phenomenon. Bowie's sound continued to evolve throughout the '70s, as evidenced byyoung americansand thenUnder,"Heroes", youtenant. Your sound changed again withScary (and Super Scary) Monsters, which included the smash hit "Ashes to Ashes", a reference to "Space Oddity". Although Bowie had millions of fans at this point, he never found much mainstream success. Of course, teenagers and hipsters knew who Bowie was, but few parents did. To enterLet's Dance, Bowie's most popular album to date. Bowie eventually became a household name thanks to the catchy melodies produced by Nile Rodgers and the heavy rotation of his videos on MTV. But since... uhhh.Tonightynever disappoint methey were embarrassing to her back catalogue, and Tin Machine (and all subsequent solo releases) just screamed “WATCH ME! I AM STILL RELEVANT!” Despair for Me Still, Bowie's mountain of previous quality work, his willingness to try anything and an acting career is all there is.expandedUndeterred, his music cements his place as an all-time musical icon. One thing can be said about Bowie: there is only one of him!
4)die rolling stones: In their early days, The Beatles were cute guys with their adorable accents, haircuts and matching clothes. It was almost as if the mothers had beenstallHave your daughters bring home John, Paul, George or Ringo. but not a fathereverywherehe wanted his daughter to bring home Mick Jagger, Keith Richards or Brian Jones. They were the anti-Beatles. While the Fab Four belted out confident, upbeat songs like "Can't Buy Me Love," the Stones played dirty, sexy rock 'n' roll heavily inspired by American R&B. The Beatles were "safe"; the stones are "dangerous". Girls liked the Beatles; The boys liked the Stones. And in the late '80s, the Stones racked up hit after hit after hit after hit. I'm not even a huge Stones fan, but I watch theirs.singles discographyI know half by heart. Although they are only number 14 on the list of best-selling artists of all time in the United States, their impact is much greater. Every "bad boy" rock act since then has come from Jagger and Richards, two of rock's best-known songwriters.
3)led zepelín: Zepplin was one of the greatest artists in music history. They have sold more records than any other musical act in the US except the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks (disgusting). I think part of that is because Zepplin has something for everyone: drunk rednecks love rock and roll fun; More intellectuals can try to decipher Robert Plant's obscure but apparently significant texts; and musicians can appreciate the great talent that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham brought to the table. And Zepplin hated singles, so he refused to release them, ushering in the era of the rock album. To say that Zepplin "influenced many bands" would be the understatement of the century. Also, I think Jimmy Page should be recognized by the guitar industry with a Lifetime Achievement Award; It is unknown how many millions of whites listened to Zepplin and bought an electric guitar thanks to Page's work.
2)the beatles die: Oh no! The Beatles are not number one? Put down your torches and pitchforks, people. Yes, The Beatles are probably the most popular band of all time. Yes, they inspired at least six million bands. Yes, the radio plays a Beatles song every second. but i'm justfinalizewith the Beatles. Their first efforts, "Love Me Dos" and "I Want To Hold Your Hands", were solid pop for their time, but are now barely audible to me, fancier than a Leicestershire cave. Of course, that all started to change.Revolver, Yes it is,Banda Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club,the beatles dieyAbbey Roadthey're all classics But if ever a band suffered from overexposure, it was these guys. Regarded as some sort of rock gods, the band's material has been repackaged and repackaged so many times it's almost nauseating. What's even worse is a certain type of Beatles fan who can usually be found on the internet who refuse to believe it.someThe band could be as good as the Beatles. Mention The Smiths or Oasis and they'll either argue with you until they're sad or put their fingers in your ears and say they can't hear you. None of this is the band's fault, of course. And Beatles fans are right when they say that no band will ever have that.per personfandom that the Beatles made. But that doesn't mean you have toases.
1)The game: They have been called "the only band that matters" and with good reason. While the Sex Pistols embodied the "angry three-part" side of punk rock, the Clash represented the thoughtful, musically adventurous side. Had Joe Strummer been born a few decades earlier, he might have gone down in history as England's answer to Woody Guthrie. But it wasn't, and while The Clash started out as a standard rock band, they quickly branched out into ska, reggae, funk, dub and rockabilly... . And the band put their money where they were talking... literally. They wanted their third album, the bigLondon is calling, scheduled to be released as a double album, but will be sold at the price of a single album. Their label, CBS, categorically refused, telling them they would either sell the CD for twice the price of the album or reduce the size of the existing album to a single CD. The gang refused, and the two parties negotiated for several days. Eventually, CBS agreed to the release.London is callingas a double album at the price of a single album if the band agrees to shoulder the cost of their share of the profits. The band agreed and the result was one of the most important albums in music history. But the best example of the Clash mentality comes from a music festival the band played in 1977. The crowd was drunk and rowdy, and a chain-link fence was erected to protect the musicians from the hundreds of beer bottles that were thrown around. on the stage. During the set, Strummer jumped off the stage and tried to tear down the fence. The fact that he was more offended by the fence keeping fans back than scared of getting a bottle to the head says everything you need to know about The Clash.
