Best classic rock band of all time?

BleedBlueGold

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To leave The Who off the list of Brits isn't possible. They've had as much influence on modern rock as anyone along with the early Americans like Velvet Underground, MC5 and The Stooges... which people forget were early/mid 60's also.

BUT all those guys might have been in Tommy Dorsey cover bands if not for this fella and his ilk:

The Who and Queen round out my Top5 for that list. So yeah, I agree with you, it's just that I only listed my Big3.
 

gkIrish

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I am 28 but you would never know it based on my love for classic rock (loosely defined). I have a large vinyl collection that I started 2 years ago.

Beatles are best of all time, not even a debate in my mind, but my additional personal favorites are:

Queen
Eagles
Billy Joel
Elton John
The Yardbirds
Bad Company
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Fleetwood Mac
The Doors
U2
The Beach Boys
The Rolling Stones
Carlos Santana
The Clash
The Band
The Allman Brothers Band
Rush

I could listen to any albums of the above and be happy.
 

BleedBlueGold

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I am 28 but you would never know it based on my love for classic rock (loosely defined). I have a large vinyl collection that I started 2 years ago.

Beatles are best of all time, not even a debate in my mind, but my additional personal favorites are:

Queen
Eagles
Billy Joel
Elton John
The Yardbirds
Bad Company
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Fleetwood Mac
The Doors
U2
The Beach Boys
The Rolling Stones
Carlos Santana
The Clash
The Band
The Allman Brothers Band
Rush

I could listen to any albums of the above and be happy.

I did my a speech my freshman year on The Yardbirds. Great group who went on to do some really badass shit in music.

Rush - fantastic and heavily underrated band imo.
 

Crazy Balki

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Yes, the Hall of a complete joke now, that being said, Yes getting in is LONG overdue. They've been eligible for around 25 years now and they just now get the nod.

Love Pearl Jam, but I think Soundgarden or Alice should've gotten the grunge nod.
 

fightingirish26

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All my favorites have been mentioned today..except the Dead. Come on, guys...American Beauty and Workingman's Dead are insanely good, and don't get me started on the live recordings
 

GoldenToTheGrave

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Maybe not best but wildly underrated is Uriah Heep. They still tour and probably the best legacy act live show (along with Billy Joel) I've seen, and I've seen a bunch of the big ones.

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BobbyMac

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Yes, the Hall of a complete joke now, that being said, Yes getting in is LONG overdue. They've been eligible for around 25 years now and they just now get the nod.

Love Pearl Jam, but I think Soundgarden or Alice should've gotten the grunge nod.

"Grunge" only gets one nod?

AnC and Soundgarden should already be in but there is no doubt Pearl Jam belongs in this year as a first ballot artist. Impact, popularity, critical acclaim and longevity, they've had it all.
 

NorthDakota

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I did my a speech my freshman year on The Yardbirds. Great group who went on to do some really badass shit in music.

Rush - fantastic and heavily underrated band imo.

When I saw this thread, Rush was the first band to pop into my head.
 

gkIrish

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Some notable artists that are eligible but not yet in the HOF include (bold deserve to be in IMO):

Bad Company : Can't believe not already in.
Dire Straits: Also can't believe they aren't in.
Jethro Tull
The Smiths
MC5
Roxy Music
Judas Priest
The Moody Blues
The Cure
Iron Maiden
Joy Division
Depeche Mode
Motörhead
Nine Inch Nails
The Cars
The Monkees
The Doobie Brothers
Soundgarden
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Procol Harum
Def Leppard
Duran Duran
Ozzy Osbourne
The B-52’s
Supertramp
Pat Benetar

A Tribe Called Quest
Steppenwolf
Mötley Crüe
The Guess Who
Thin Lizzy
The Commodores
The Zombies
Scorpions
Eurythmics
Phish
Styx
Joe Cocker
Foreigner
REO Speedwagon
Meat Loaf
The Human League
Joe Walsh
Violent Femmes

I'm really on the fence about these three:
Bon Jovi: pop rock but his music is still popular today.
Boston: on the fence about this one. Only one album worth a damn but it is one of the best albums
Blue Oyster Cult: not sure they have the breadth of songs
 

tussin

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Fleetwood Mac is my favorite band of all time. Rumors is my GOAT album.
 

ulukinatme

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Some notable artists that are eligible but not yet in the HOF include (bold deserve to be in IMO):

Bad Company : Can't believe not already in.
Dire Straits: Also can't believe they aren't in.
Jethro Tull
The Smiths
MC5
Roxy Music
Judas Priest
The Moody Blues
The Cure
Iron Maiden
Joy Division
Depeche Mode
Motörhead
Nine Inch Nails
The Cars
The Monkees
The Doobie Brothers
Soundgarden
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Procol Harum
Def Leppard
Duran Duran
Ozzy Osbourne
The B-52’s
Supertramp
Pat Benetar

A Tribe Called Quest
Steppenwolf
Mötley Crüe
The Guess Who
Thin Lizzy
The Commodores
The Zombies
Scorpions
Eurythmics
Phish
Styx
Joe Cocker
Foreigner
REO Speedwagon
Meat Loaf
The Human League
Joe Walsh
Violent Femmes

I'm really on the fence about these three:
Bon Jovi: pop rock but his music is still popular today.
Boston: on the fence about this one. Only one album worth a damn but it is one of the best albums
Blue Oyster Cult: not sure they have the breadth of songs



You have the Monkees bolded, but not Iron Maiden?

I also find the lack of Aerosmith in your original list disturbing...
 

gkIrish

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You have the Monkees bolded, but not Iron Maiden?

I also find the lack of Aerosmith in your original list disturbing...

I missed them. They should definitely be in. Besides like Fear of the Dark, Iron Maiden is not my cup of tea.
 

ulukinatme

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I missed them. They should definitely be in. Besides like Fear of the Dark, Iron Maiden is not my cup of tea.

Fair enough. Fear of the Dark is probably my favorite of theirs too. I enjoy the Live stuff more than the studio releases.

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I can appreciate your passion for Classic Rock at 28. I'm 34, but grew up listening to music from the 60s and 70s and very little from the 80s. Today I don't even bother with contemporary music.

Aerosmith is already in the HoF

I was referencing his earlier list of great Classic Rock bands.
 

gkIrish

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Fair enough. Fear of the Dark is probably my favorite of theirs too. I enjoy the Live stuff more than the studio releases.

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Fear of the Dark is one of my favorite live songs ever, for sure. Rosalita is probably my #1 favorite live song.

I can appreciate your passion for Classic Rock at 28. I'm 34, but grew up listening to music from the 60s and 70s and very little from the 80s. Today I don't even bother with contemporary music.

I definitely listen to a lot of other genres but nothing like Classic Rock.

I was referencing his earlier list of great Classic Rock bands.

That I do not agree with. Not on the same level as those other bands.
 

Irish#1

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I am 28 but you would never know it based on my love for classic rock (loosely defined). I have a large vinyl collection that I started 2 years ago.

Beatles are best of all time, not even a debate in my mind, but my additional personal favorites are:

Queen
Eagles
Billy Joel
Elton John
The Yardbirds
Bad Company
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Fleetwood Mac
The Doors
U2
The Beach Boys
The Rolling Stones
Carlos Santana
The Clash
The Band
The Allman Brothers Band
Rush

I could listen to any albums of the above and be happy.

Pretty good list. Listened to all of them all the time in my youth and still do.

I did my a speech my freshman year on The Yardbirds. Great group who went on to do some really badass shit in music.

Rush - fantastic and heavily underrated band imo.

Yardbirds, reminds me of my hippie phase. Okay, I wasn't a hippie because I did have a job, but I did wear bell bottoms and boots.
 
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Irish#1

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Maybe not best but wildly underrated is Uriah Heep. They still tour and probably the best legacy act live show (along with Billy Joel) I've seen, and I've seen a bunch of the big ones.

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Demons and Wizards baby.

Two bands missing from everyone's list are Steely Dan and Traffic. Those along with The Guess Who are on my favorites list.
 
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EddytoNow

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1. Rolling Stones - This is what rock and roll is all about.
2. Fleetwood Mac - Solid Rhythm with Fleetwood and McVie. Outstanding lead guitar with Lindsey Buckingham. Best female singer this side of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Bramlett in Stevie Nicks.
3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The "Boss", Clarence Clemons, and solid rock.
4. Cream - One of Clapton's early bands. Clapton, nothing more needs to be said.
5. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - I got to stand up for the home state rock legend.

Honorable Mention - Under-rated but deserving of far more recognition I'd recommend Delaney & Bonnie and Friends.
 

zelezo vlk

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1. Rolling Stones - This is what rock and roll is all about.
2. Fleetwood Mac - Solid Rhythm with Fleetwood and McVie. Outstanding lead guitar with Lindsey Buckingham. Best female singer this side of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Bramlett in Stevie Nicks.
3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The "Boss", Clarence Clemons, and solid rock.
4. Cream - One of Clapton's early bands. Clapton, nothing more needs to be said.
5. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - I got to stand up for the home state rock legend.

Honorable Mention - Under-rated but deserving of far more recognition I'd recommend Delaney & Bonnie and Friends.

Surely you mean only for rock, yes?
 

ulukinatme

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I am 28 but you would never know it based on my love for classic rock (loosely defined). I have a large vinyl collection that I started 2 years ago.

Beatles are best of all time, not even a debate in my mind, but my additional personal favorites are:

Queen
Eagles
Billy Joel
Elton John
The Yardbirds
Bad Company
Led Zeppelin
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Fleetwood Mac
The Doors
U2
The Beach Boys
The Rolling Stones
Carlos Santana
The Clash
The Band
The Allman Brothers Band
Rush

I could listen to any albums of the above and be happy.

That I do not agree with. Not on the same level as those other bands.

Aerosmith isn't on the same level as those bands? I love all those artists you list, but Aerosmith has more Grammys than a few of those groups, Tom Petty for sure. Not that Grammys always mean anything, Rush has gotten beaten out every time they've been nominated...which is horseshit! I'm not bringing those bands down, like I said I enjoy every one of those artists, just saying Aerosmith is on the same level.

Aerosmith was influenced by The Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, and Zepplin. In turn they later influenced Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ratt, Guns N Roses, Tesla, Metallica, and a lot of other bands. They've arguably found ways to reinvent themselves/expand their audience over the span of 5 decades too as seen by their return to popularity almost every decade except for maybe this one.
 

Irish#1

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1. Rolling Stones - This is what rock and roll is all about.
2. Fleetwood Mac - Solid Rhythm with Fleetwood and McVie. Outstanding lead guitar with Lindsey Buckingham. Best female singer this side of Janis Joplin and Bonnie Bramlett in Stevie Nicks.
3. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The "Boss", Clarence Clemons, and solid rock.
4. Cream - One of Clapton's early bands. Clapton, nothing more needs to be said.
5. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - I got to stand up for the home state rock legend.

Honorable Mention - Under-rated but deserving of far more recognition I'd recommend Delaney & Bonnie and Friends.

Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce were no slouches. Baker is still considered as good a drummer as Clapton is a guitarist. I've heard a lot of guys try to duplicate sunshine of your Love on the drums and always come up short. Don't know what it is. It sounds like a fairly easy drum piece, but that ever so slightly hesitation always gets them.
 

gkIrish

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Aerosmith isn't on the same level as those bands? I love all those artists you list, but Aerosmith has more Grammys than a few of those groups, Tom Petty for sure. Not that Grammys always mean anything, Rush has gotten beaten out every time they've been nominated...which is horseshit! I'm not bringing those bands down, like I said I enjoy every one of those artists, just saying Aerosmith is on the same level.

Aerosmith was influenced by The Beatles, Stones, Yardbirds, and Zepplin. In turn they later influenced Van Halen, Motley Crue, Ratt, Guns N Roses, Tesla, Metallica, and a lot of other bands. They've arguably found ways to reinvent themselves/expand their audience over the span of 5 decades too as seen by their return to popularity almost every decade except for maybe this one.

I would put them just below those other bands. They are great (Dream On is one of my favorite songs, probably top 10 ever) but I feel like their music often sounds the same, especially everything from the 80s. Don't think they are as creative as the other bands I listed. I wasn't arguing that those were the "best" bands of all time anyway. I just said they were my personal favorites. You definitely could not put Bad Company ahead of Aerosmith on a "best" scale.
 
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