Greatest Rock Albums

[superpanavision70mm]

Ok,

Let's have fun listing our favorite rock albums of all time...this can be from any time period and of course the word 'rock' can be synonimous with various types of rock in this case. Keep in mind that by 'greatest' we are talking about albums/recordings that are essential and important on various levels. State your reasonings as well if you feel that you need to defend a particular pick.

My List Includes: (no particular order)

Led Zeppelin PHYSICAL GRAFFITI and IV/Zoso/whatever you want to call it.
Pink Floyd's THE WALL and DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
The Who's TOMMY and WHO'S NEXT
David Bowie's ZIGGY STARDUST
The Rolling Stones LET IT BLEED and BEGGERS BANQUET
The Beatles WHITE ALBUM
Chuck Berry CHUCK BERRY IS ON TOP
Elvis self titled
Cheap Trick at BUDOKAN
Alice Cooper SCHOOLS OUT
ELO ELDORADO
Yes FRAGILE
Jethro Tull MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY
Alan Parsons Project TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION
Deep Purple MACHINE HEAD
Black Sabbath PARANOID
Rush MOVING PICTURES and 2112
Jimi Hendrix (everything!)
Eric Clapton SLOWHAND
Smashing Pumpkins SIAMESE DREAM
Pearl Jam 10
Nirvana NEVERMIND
Boston Self Title
The Clash LONDON CALLING
The Ramones Self Titled
Creedance Clearwater Revival WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS
Roy Orbison IN DREAMS
CSNY FOUR WAY STREET (live)

Let me know if I left some out...I am sure there are lots more...

[PAT.P]

There also these for my favorite.
Aerosmith -Big Ones
AC-DC Back in Black
Bowie" Best of Bowie "
Alice Cooper "Greatest Hits"
The Cars "Greatest Hits"
The Doors "The Best of the Doors"
Eagles "Their Greatest
Peter Frampton "Peter Frampton Comes Alive"
Fleetwood Mac "Rumours"
Van Halen"Best of Volume 1"
Kiss "Greatest Hits /97"
Killers "Hot Fuss"
Meat Loaf "Bat out Hell"
Def Leppard "Vault"
Metallica "Sandman"
Nirvana "?"
Nazareth"The Very Best"
The Police "The Very Best Of "
Red Hot Chili Peppers " Greatest"
Babe Ruth "First Base"
R.E.M. "The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003"
Supertramp"Crime of the Century"

[KaiWinters]

Aerosmith: Dream On
Aerosmith: Get Your Wings
Aerosmith: Permanent Vacation
AC/DC: Back in Black
Annie Lennox: Medusa
Led Zeppelin: Runes, 4th album, etc hehehe
Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy
Jethro Tull: Aqualung
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
Queen: Greatest Hits
Phil Collings: Hello I must be Going
Deep Purple: Machine Head
Yes: Fragile
The Who: Greatest Hits
Santana: Abraxas
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Chronicle
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
Van Halen: 1984
The B 52's: Time Capsule
ZZ Top: Greatest Hits
Billy Idol: Vital Idol
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Deja Vu
Grateful Dead: Greatest Hits from "Skeletons in the Closet"
Meat Loaf: Bat out of Hell

[daviethek]

1) Hendrix Band of Gypsies - innvoation in every song.
2) Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing at Baxters ( American Sgt. Peppers, elemental
psych. )
3) Edgar Winters & White Trash - Roadwork. (Sounds like every great concert I
attended in the 70's)
4) John Baldry - It ain't easy
5) Muddy Waters - Eectric Mudd - Blues meets rock. Disaster or Triumph?
6) Black Sabbath - Paranoid - metal with a message
7) Dan Hicks - Last train to Hicksville - Early 70's country swing alternative classic.
8) Joan Armatrading - show some emotion
9) Joni Mitchell- Blue
10) Dylan - Blood on the tracks.

[emack27]

Dudes!
Why is not Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Tool, NIN etc.etc.etc.at the top of your lists?
What decade are you guys living in?
The Who? The Beatles? Jefferson Airplane?
Now Metallica's Sandman was probably the worst Metallica album that they put out.
How bout Metallica's Kill Em All or well hell just about all the other pre-Sandman albums, geez.

[shokhead]

Each there own. I dont like Metallica but thats ok. I do like
1.Grand Funk Railroad-Grand Funk
2.Beatles-MMT
3.Kanasa-Song For America
4.Santanas First
5.Jethro Tull-Benifit
6.Who-Quadrophenia
7.Bostons First

[PAT.P]

Dudes!
Why is not Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Tool, NIN etc.etc.etc.at the top of your lists?
What decade are you guys living in?
The Who? The Beatles? Jefferson Airplane?
Now Metallica's Sandman was probably the worst Metallica album that they put out.
How bout Metallica's Kill Em All or well hell just about all the other pre-Sandman albums, geez.The Metallica I was talking about is the one with black cover( untitle with snake )with the song Enter Sandman (1991) ,put it this way most of their music after this really turn me off.As for what decade were living in ,we are not all born in the same GENERATION!

[superpanavision70mm]

PAT P, while the bands you mentioned fall into the 'rock' genre they are not nearly as important to the rock n' roll movement, which is the entire reason that I began this thread. We are talking about influential bands, not bands that were influenced. And for the record...I did put Nirvana on my list. For the second record....Metallica is considered Heavy Metal, not necessarily rock...at least at one point in time they were before they became a pseudo-country rock metal band.

[PAT.P]

PAT P, while the bands you mentioned fall into the 'rock' genre they are not nearly as important to the rock n' roll movement, which is the entire reason that I began this thread. We are talking about influential bands, not bands that were influenced. And for the record...I did put Nirvana on my list. For the second record....Metallica is considered Heavy Metal, not necessarily rock...at least at one point in time they were before they became a pseudo-country rock metal band.You'll need to go back a few years before Elvis because is music came from Blues ,than to Rockabillies after came Rock n'Roll.

[superpanavision70mm]

That's not the point...the point is to name influential rock artists...not people that influenced them in other genres. I don't think you'll understand considering you think that TOOL should be the top of the list on all-time greatest rock groups. Yeah because when I think classic rock the song STINKFIST is right up there with STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. While I don't think that TOOL is a terrible group...they are not even in the same league as the people that have been mentioned thus far. The only recent artists that have been named have been people/groups that have taken rock to a new level...thus NIRVANA and SMASHING PUMPKINGS or PEARL JAM for taking rock into the Alt Rock movement.

[PAT.P]

That's not the point...the point is to name influential rock artists...not people that influenced them in other genres. I don't think you'll understand considering you think that TOOL should be the top of the list on all-time greatest rock groups. Yeah because when I think classic rock the song STINKFIST is right up there with STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. While I don't think that TOOL is a terrible group...they are not even in the same league as the people that have been mentioned thus far. The only recent artists that have been named have been people/groups that have taken rock to a new level...thus NIRVANA and SMASHING PUMPKINGS or PEARL JAM for taking rock into the Alt Rock movement.Who is Tool?I never mention this group.As for Stairway To Heaven this song gets on my nerve.I call it a put to sleep song.

[PAT.P]

I'll add Elvis Costello and the Attraction "This Years Model"to my list .Where are you going with this also ?Most of us have different opinion of what ROCK is to us and have a different opinion on our influential rock artist.We were not all born at the same time and place.All depend on what was heard at home as a kid (what your parents or older siblings were listening at that time)As a teenage your on your own and have your favorite,after some group steer away in their music and so do you .

[musicoverall]

Live at Fillmore East - Allman Brothers
Berlin - Lou Reed
In Utero - Nirvana
Sgt Pepper - Beatles
Raw Power - Iggy and the Stooges
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Band of Gypsies - Hendrix
Blonde on Blonde - Dylan
Pet Sounds - Beach Boys
II - Led Zeppelin
Superfuzz Bigmuff - Mudhoney
Live Album - Grand Funk
Morrison Hotel - Doors
1st album - Doors
Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth
Never Mind the Bollocks - Sex Pistols

There's a lot more but I just can't think of them at the moment.

[Duds]

That's not the point...the point is to name influential rock artists...not people that influenced them in other genres. I don't think you'll understand considering you think that TOOL should be the top of the list on all-time greatest rock groups. Yeah because when I think classic rock the song STINKFIST is right up there with STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. While I don't think that TOOL is a terrible group...they are not even in the same league as the people that have been mentioned thus far. The only recent artists that have been named have been people/groups that have taken rock to a new level...thus NIRVANA and SMASHING PUMPKINGS or PEARL JAM for taking rock into the Alt Rock movement.

LMAO!!! Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and PEarl Jam.....3 very overrated bands.

TOOL rocks man, but to each his own

[emaidel]

Steely Dan's "Aja." Period

[shokhead]

Who is Tool?I never mention this group.As for Stairway To Heaven this song gets on my nerve.I call it a put to sleep song.

For sure to much airplay for STH but you had to be there when it was happening to have it be alright. I was lucky enough to see most of the greatest in there prime live more then once. LOL I even remember most the concerts. Y&ou know who never gets talked abouit much is Ten Years After. Alvin Lee was hot.Another that had a hot 3-4 year run was Black Oak Ark.

[musicoverall]

For sure to much airplay for STH but you had to be there when it was happening to have it be alright. I was lucky enough to see most of the greatest in there prime live more then once. LOL I even remember most the concerts. Y&ou know who never gets talked abouit much is Ten Years After. Alvin Lee was hot.Another that had a hot 3-4 year run was Black Oak Ark.

About a year or so ago, he came out with a new CD where he plays with Scotty Moore and members of Elvis' early groups, playing in a distinct rockabilly style. To top it off, "I'm Going Home" is on it! If you're a fan of Alvin's and have even a mild interest in rockabilly, you have to check this out. It's great. Just what the doctor ordered for a guy whose road weariness and substance abuse has taken its toll on his classic stadium rock voice.

As a young'un, I think I wore the grooves off "Recorded Live" by TYA.

[musicoverall]

LMAO!!! Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and PEarl Jam.....3 very overrated bands.

TOOL rocks man, but to each his own

Since some folks believe the Beatles are overrated, "to each his own" is a very apt phrase to use when discussing music preferences! :)

[shokhead]

I dont have a word for someone that thinks the Beatles are overrated.

[daviethek]

Dudes!
Why is not Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Tool, NIN etc.etc.etc.at the top of your lists?
What decade are you guys living in?
The Who? The Beatles? Jefferson Airplane?
Now Metallica's Sandman was probably the worst Metallica album that they put out.
How bout Metallica's Kill Em All or well hell just about all the other pre-Sandman albums, geez.

We continue to dig the stuff that we liked back in the day. the Who, the Beatles and Jeferson Airplane were a high level of Pop, interesting music and laid the foundation for all the dissapointing crap since. Someday they will be asking you what decade you are living in. What are you goning to say? those really cool 90's

[audio_dude]

led zeppelin II, period

[shokhead]

We continue to dig the stuff that we liked back in the day. the Who, the Beatles and Jeferson Airplane were a high level of Pop, interesting music and laid the foundation for all the dissapointing crap since. Someday they will be asking you what decade you are living in. What are you goning to say? those really cool 90's

Pop? or rock?

[Duds]

Well, i'm not afraid to say I am one of those who think the BEatles are overrated. I just dont get it


Since some folks believe the Beatles are overrated, "to each his own" is a very apt phrase to use when discussing music preferences! :)

[PAT.P]

For sure to much airplay for STH but you had to be there when it was happening to have it be alright. I was lucky enough to see most of the greatest in there prime live more then once. LOL I even remember most the concerts. Y&ou know who never gets talked abouit much is Ten Years After. Alvin Lee was hot.Another that had a hot 3-4 year run was Black Oak Ark.Your not that older than me.When you dance with somebody to STH,you said to yourself is this (damn) song going to finish or what:ihih:

[shokhead]

Well, i'm not afraid to say I am one of those who think the BEatles are overrated. I just dont get it

What were you listening to pre-Beatle?

[Duds]

i know where you are trying to go...


What were you listening to pre-Beatle?

[uncyogi]

When you dance with somebody to STH,you said to yourself is this (damn) song going to finish or what:ihih:
I seem to remember wishing for a double length - extended version once or twice!
I guess it depends on who you're dancing with. :ihih:

[nightflier]

If we're going to include bands that had an influence on the music in one way or another, whether they pushed "rock" into this or that direction, then here's a few that should be inluded:

Motley Crew
Fleetwood Mac
Billy Idol
REM
Kiss
Van Halen
Green Day
The Ramones
Toto
Iron Maiden
Queen
The Clash
The Rolling Stones
Guns & Roses
Supertramp
Neil Young
Yes
Sabbath/Ozzy
Cream
INXS
Rage Against the Machine
The Cult
Blue Oyster Cult
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Greatful Dead
Pearl Jam
Blondie
The Scorpions
Jethro Tull
Pat Benetar
Bruce Springsteen
The Doobies
Judas Priest
The Police

(not all of these will be to everyone's liking)

[shokhead]

i know where you are trying to go...

I'm just asking. I remember.
Elvis and Mowtown day in and day out on am radio. Then the Beatles made it all fresh.

[shokhead]

If we're going to include bands that had an influence on the music in one way or another, whether they pushed "rock" into this or that direction, then here's a few that should be inluded:

Motley Crew
Fleetwood Mac
Billy Idol
REM
Kiss
Van Halen
Green Day
The Ramones
Toto
Iron Maiden
Queen
The Clash
The Rolling Stones
Guns & Roses
Supertramp
Neil Young
Yes
Sabbath/Ozzy
Cream
INXS
Rage Against the Machine
The Cult
Blue Oyster Cult
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Greatful Dead
Pearl Jam
Blondie
The Scorpions
Jethro Tull
Pat Benetar
Bruce Springsteen
The Doobies
Judas Priest
The Police

(not all of these will be to everyone's liking)

Really,when you say influence,the only ones i see,imo are The Ramones,Neil Young and the Stones because they started when it started.

[emack27]

Pop? or rock?
LMFAO!!!!!

[emack27]

Well, i'm not afraid to say I am one of those who think the BEatles are overrated. I just dont get it

Exactly that. Well put.
Me personally I think the Beatles SUCK and don't exaclty understand what's so great about them. Yeah they put out alot of Pop songs but if you like to listen to them for how much they changed/influenced music then by all means reminense on the good ol' days. They definitely would not be in my top 10 or even top 100 greatest rock albums.

[emack27]

PAT P, while the bands you mentioned fall into the 'rock' genre they are not nearly as important to the rock n' roll movement, which is the entire reason that I began this thread. We are talking about influential bands, not bands that were influenced. And for the record...I did put Nirvana on my list. For the second record....Metallica is considered Heavy Metal, not necessarily rock...at least at one point in time they were before they became a pseudo-country rock metal band.

So what you're saying is that in order to be a great rock n' roll band you have to influence other bands? Or that you're not great unless someone imitates your style?
Michael Jordan will probably never have anyone come close to imitating him so does that not make him great? Now if somebody could surpass his greatness then that would make MJ less great. Correct? Which seems to be the case with music. Now I confess that I don't believe anyone could surpass MJ but if that does happen and it looks like it might then I will graciously admit that MJ is not the greatest.

I used to think that Van Halen, Motley Crue and Def Leopard were the greatest but as time goes on I realize that they were only great for their time. There is one and only one exception of that being Led Zeppelin maybe a distant second to that being Ozzy Osbourne when he played with the late Zak Wilde, excuse the misspelleing.

IMO Led Zeppelin had a chemistry along with raw talent that is still to this day unmatched.
But as far as how much or who they influenced? Well, Hell I don't really give a crap to be honest with you! And neither should you.

[shokhead]

Exactly that. Well put.
Me personally I think the Beatles SUCK and don't exaclty understand what's so great about them. Yeah they put out alot of Pop songs but if you like to listen to them for how much they changed/influenced music then by all means reminense on the good ol' days. They definitely would not be in my top 10 or even top 100 greatest rock albums.

Sorry you miss it. John Lennon was a genius. Sometime when your bored, borrow some beatles and just listen to the JL songs. Hard to find a successful band from maybe mid 90's back that wont have anything but the highest praise for them. They know what they are talking about but hey, different strokes for different folks.

[Mr Peabody]

Some great albums listed here. It's a kick to see others know about bands like Black Oak Arkansas and John Baldry. Also that anyone besides me remembers Ten Years After or Nazareth.

Like them or not we have to recognize the Beatles as being one of the greatest bands, John did say they were more popular than Jesus. I'm more of a Stones fan myself.

Metallica and Dave Mustaine have to be given props for pioneering their thrashing guitar sound that launched a whole new direction for Metal. Also going way back we have to give it up for Judas Priest. There are several of their albums I like all the way through, Stained Class, Unleashed in the East, British Steel. You also have to give it up for Limp Bizkit and those bands that led a short lived music marriage of rock & rap. Some one said the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, definitely. Also, already mentioned, I remember the first Van Halen album coming out, that was definitely an influence. Man, that whole Seattle Grunge thing really took rock a new direction. It practically snuffed out any other rock for awhile. I don't know of any total good albums but all those synth bands of the 80's made a splash. MTV in the 80's was a mix of synth pop bands and Big Hair bands. I'm also surprised some of you old farts didn't say the Grateful Dead. I wasn't into them but they definitely have a place in rock history and influence. I'd have to say ELP has a spot because several bands tried to do their sound.

One must also recognize Lynyrd Skynyrd, let's say Pronounced. I don't know if they were the pioneers of that southern fried sound but they definitely took it to the highest level and many tried to immulate and still do try actually. Yes, there were the Allman Brothers but that's apples and oranges, the Allman Brothers are in a class of their own.

Look, Greatest Hits and Best of don't count as albums. Talking about your generation gap.

Thoughts on Tool, the jury is out on how influenchel they will be but that 2nd album, I forget the name, the one with Stink Fist, has to be the angriest album I've ever heard. It does rock. Their drummer also has the most buzz going of any drummer since Neil Peart.

I guess there are bands that get lucky enough to have a distinct sound but still dont' seem to make the river change course. Take Blues Traveler for instance, pretty good band, arguably unique sound, but won't go down in rock history as influencing much. Of course, the thread did say "our favorite rock albums" and then later was defined as having to be influenchel. Some of my favorite rock albums are barely known or forgotten like Triumph - Allied Forces. I love Triumph and have almost every album. Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever. Montrose - Rock the Nation. None of these would probably make a count down list but they are albums I can put on, crank up and listen to without skipping a track.

** #1 one band in the world of all time and space **

SPINALTAP !!!!

[emack27]

WOW! No one mentioned Slayer. So I guess I will since none of you will. I bet alot of you have never even heard of Slayer? A band that truely rocks and will probably never get any recognition whatsoever. But none the less a band that surely influenced my choice in music.

[emack27]

Sorry you miss it. John Lennon was a genius. Sometime when your bored, borrow some beatles and just listen to the JL songs. Hard to find a successful band from maybe mid 90's back that wont have anything but the highest praise for them. They know what they are talking about but hey, different strokes for different folks.
Sorry, I didn't miss it. I am a "flowerchild" and I grew up listening to all those bands you ol' geezers listed like Jethro Tull, Cream, Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac and of course the Beatles.

I think the Beatles were a successful ad campaign to make the public more passive so that the governments could escalate their war in Vietnam and used to overshadow social issues of the day. But that's just my opinion. "War Pigs" by Ozzy. "Dogs of War" by Pink Floyd. It seemed like the music of that era was IMO music of an intellectual dream like state with widespread drug usage and an openness about sexuality or in other words a state of nirvana which ironically was the name of a very un-nirvana like group which gravitated the minds and feelings of the younger generation awhile back. How ironic that some music has turned a complete 180 degrees. Maybe musical preference is based on one's social or economic or demographic background or maybe it's based on one's age or ethnicity, probably a combination of all these things.

Well I think I've gone off on a tangent here.

[shokhead]

I think your thinking to much.

[musicoverall]

I think the Beatles were a successful ad campaign to make the public more passive so that the governments could escalate their war in Vietnam and used to overshadow social issues of the day. But that's just my opinion.
.

But oh my God, this is one of the most hilarious opinions I've ever heard about the Beatles! If you're serious, please don't take offense because I mean none even though I'm not sure how to word my response without it seeming offensive.

As you said, different strokes for different folks. I have no problem with what music you like or don't like - or what you think is influential or not... but you have satisfied my humor needs for the day. It doesn't get funnier than this! It doesn't sound like a theory that a "flower child" would have but rather something my dad who was born in the 1930's might espouse. Anyway, one man's humor is another man's honest conspiracy theory so forgive my laughter. Hey, people laugh at me because I'm in my 40's and I like Slipknot! There's just something about intelligent people that go insane making music that appeals to me! :)

On a Slayer note, I live in a small BS town just north of Indy and a local music shop announced that Kerry King was going to be in the shop on a particular saturday about 3- months ago. My kids almost gave up our annual Florida trip to go and I have to admit, it was tempting for me, too. I've still never found out what possessed Kerry to come to a town of 14,000 people but it's nice to have two pre-teenage boys to keep me "hip" to bands that I might have otherwise missed.

[daviethek]

Pop? or rock?

Good question. I grew up on rock, I love it and I guess I always considered rock to be a form of Popular music. I consider any mass marketed formula music genre to be pop. Not to say there haven't been extremely well crafted music in Pop. ( Sinatra, Steely Dan, Grateful Dead, Beatles ) . These are artisans who were dedicated to good work. Maybe that's why some people don't like the beatles. They sounded a bit too much like pop stars, especially at the beginning. I don't know. When I was a kid I thought the Beatles were a bit too stiff. I gravitated towards the bands that had an edge like the stones and kinks. ( 65-66) When rock got heavier (67-68), thats where I stayed. But after I started listening to Jazz and saw how Jazz was nearly completely displaced by assembly line rock, I guess that's when I grouped it all rock together in my own mind as pop. I don't dislkke the music, thats just how I look at it.

[Mr Peabody]

I've heard of Slayer and I guess you could say they are probably the ground breakers and prompted the term "Speed Metal" Certainly others have followed in their tracks. That's not my thing however. When music stops having a melody or any real rythym it loses me. I like a lot of heavy bands from Godsmack, Tool and Dizturbed but Speed Metal and the bands that have Cookie Monster sound alikes don't do anything for me.

[shokhead]

Speed metal? Guess you never listened to Deep Purple. Try Speed King by them.

[ToddL]

I need to add Guns N' Roses Apetite for Destruction.

[Mr Peabody]

I've heard and own Deep Purple but nothing they've done can hardly be compared to Slayer. I know back in the day people consider DP and Steppenwolf etc Heavy Metal but if they are what do you call bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Metallica or, Slayer? Maybe it all is, and over the years it just progressed. Like Rock itself has splintered off into many facets. It's hard not to get caught up in the commercial habit of giving something a label.

[JohnMichael]

Janis Joplin

Joplin In Concert

[PAT.P]

Bay City Rollers "Rolling" .You dont remember and sing along S -A- T- U- R -D -A -Y Night,S- A -T- U- R- D- A -Y Night:ihih:Who could forget "Culture Club" with Boy George and also "Adam Ant "

[thekid]

Interesting thread but probably a bit like asking someone to pick their favorite wave in the ocean..... too many to choose from, new ones coming along all the time and they vary depending on where you are standing.

Emack-I find it hard to believe you were there in the day if you think the Beatles were some sort of governmental pawn. But everyone is entitled to their opinion-even those hanging out on the grassy knoll.... :)

[musicman1999]

If you are looking for the best bands,thats an opinion and to each his own.If its the most influencial,then you need to go back to many old blues artists,cause thats where rock and roll comes from,then continue on through the early sixties british groups,Beatles,Stones,kinks,John Mayhall,Moody Blues,and on to Zepplin.I am sure i am leaving out many,but its late and i am tired.It's no suprise that many people still listen to music made 40 years ago,will anyone be listening to Tool,Creed and the like in 2045.Now i am in my mid 40's so its no suprise that i feel this way,but i work with many early 20's type people and many have a great appreciation for the old acts.
Buy the way good call on Black Oak ,i thought they were forgotten.Jim Dandy to the rescue.

bill

[Duds]

I guess it would make sense if I was old enough to listen to what was before the Beatles. I realize they influenced many bands and music as it is today, but I just cant sit and listen to them. They just dont do anything for me, but like I said in an earlier post, to each his own!!


I'm just asking. I remember.
Elvis and Mowtown day in and day out on am radio. Then the Beatles made it all fresh.

[Duds]

I used to think that Van Halen, Motley Crue and Def Leopard were the greatest but as time goes on I realize that they were only great for their time. There is one and only one exception of that being Led Zeppelin maybe a distant second to that being Ozzy Osbourne when he played with the late Zak Wilde, excuse the misspelleing.

I think you meant to say the late Randy Rhoades, Zakk Wylde is stil alive.

[musicman1999]

To put the Beatles into perspective,they only recorded about 10 hours of studio music.Those old albums were pretty short.

bill

[Resident Loser]

What were you listening to pre-Beatle?...

...Jan and Dean...the Beach Boys...the Four Seasons...Pre-Motown R&B...Dion and The Belmonts...the Kingston Trio...There was some good stuff...it wasn't all Fabian, Connie Francis, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Peggy Lee and Ferrante' and Teicher, and the themes from Exodus and A Summer Place...

jimHJJ(...I mean while they were, and will continue to be, influential, The Beatles didn't invent music...besides, I was partial to the Stones anywho...)

[shokhead]

No they didnt invent it but they sure advanced it.

[Resident Loser]

I'm just asking. I remember.
Elvis and Mowtown day in and day out on am radio. Then the Beatles made it all fresh.

...Doing covers of My Bonnie and Twist And Shout?

jimHJJ(...jus' wunnerin'...)

[nightflier]

Really,when you say influence,the only ones i see,imo are The Ramones,Neil Young and the Stones because they started when it started.

Mr. Peabody answered most of your question, and those sentiments can be applied to all the other bands / solo artists listed in this thread. And we should remember that not all of them are great musicians or pleasant to listen to but they had an impact on the industry. Blondie (can anyone not hum at least one song from memory), Kiss (the greatest show band ever?), RATM (not the most pleasant to listen to, but talk about having a message), Iron Maiden (the best album art I've ever seen on an LP), Supertramp (amazing musicians, but bad marketing & synergy), Neil Young (a legend for decades already who just realeased a new track that's all over the internet), and the list goes on. They may not be everyone's favorite bands, but they all influenced the music in the way they knew how.

A lot of this info also came to us from something else that has completely disappeared: the great rock magazines like Cream, Heavy Metal, etc. I would guess that even Rolling Stone is in decline. OK, so maybe today they have been replaced by Vibe, Maxim & their ilk, but these read like Vogue with more fashion ad space than anything else. They are pushing products we don't need or want rather than the ones we are struggling to find any info on between the full-page ads.

The same can be said for TV. There was a time when we were all mesmerized by MTV because they actually played and talked about music. No more. I just recently discovered The Tube through my HDTV tuner, and aside from a break every once in a while to announce themselves, all they play is music videos. MTV & VH1 used to actualy influence the direction of the industry, now they are an extension of the Vogue / Maxim disease.

There was a time when Radio was like that too - where DJ's were allowed to play whole albums on weeknights w/o commercial interruptions. I remember a show out of San Diego called Dr. Dimento, which didn't play everyone's favorite music, but it was never dull. In the 90's there were attempts at bringing back music with The Pirate and MarsFM here in the LA area, that where great until they were bought out (usually within the year). After which they just played the same top-40 drivel over & over between long sets of commercials. Sure XM/Sirius is there, but that is subscription-based / corporate-structured, and as such is the antithesis of what radio was meant to be.

I also think emack27 has a good point. There seems to be a lack of consciousness all around us. I'm not going to go as far out on the limb as the Beatles-VietNam theory, but I will suggest that, maybe because we are continuously bombarded with advertising-laden trivial information, we forget to listen to the music anymore. Maybe there is a conpiracy against music that questions the world around us? And it's not headed by some secret group of masons in the bowels of the senate, but rather by advertisers. I can't even remember the last time I heard the Dixie Chicks on the radio....

Does the average joe-blow still listen to the words of pop-songs anymore? Most people are just looking for a little toe-tapping backgroung music to drown out the hum of the air-con. At my work the policy from "the man" is that radios have to be audible only inside their own cubicle (unless it's Sinatra, 'cause that's "wholesome music"). No offense to Sinatra, but this policy is not what music is about, especially rock music. The CC&R's in my neighborhood actually list dB levels that may not be exceeded. Again, not what rock was meant to be. One home owner complained because his children were being unfairly subjected to "devil music" from his neighbor's garage. I know the guy and he listens to the classics (Moody, Zep, Doobies, etc.). What's the point of owning rock if you can't play it in your garage loud enough to hear it over the drill-press? I remember listening to Iron Maiden's Number Of The Beast album over & over again specifically because I wanted to hear what our minister was so angry about.

So yes, there are differing opinions about how great a band is or was, but the reason we can't come to some general agreement is because we can't remember what the music was about.

[thekid]

Night

You make some good points. I think that the "corporate radio" that you touch on has played a big part in what is happening to music today. I do try to listen to the words/message in todays music but what makes it to the radio is pretty much generic stuff. I don't see that there is anyone out there that is trying to be a voice with a message and the radios today would ignore it if there was because as you mentioned the advertisers one way or another effect the content/playlist. Look at someone like U2-who occasionally have a message-their air play is not proportional to their popularity. Got to hand it to Neil Young though he is still out there ruffling feathers while a lot of others sit on the sidelines.

[likeitloud]

Ok here goes, I'll keep it to 10.

Led zep......4
Boston.......1st release
Van Halen..1st release
Mettalica....Black album
AC/DC.......Black album
Clash.........London Calling
Ozzy..........Bark At The Moon
Hendricks...Electric Ladyland
Deep PurpleMachine Head
Van Halen...Fair Warning

As long as my brain and fingers work..I'm cool..Edward Van Halen