Best classic rock band of all time?

[wizards8507]

and Abby Road and Revolver and Let It Be... lol... I've never been a huge fan of SP....

You shut your whore mouth. I'm on my way to my dad's house to get your GD Nintendo games but you just bought yourself a one-way ticket to Disappointmentville.

 

[ACamp1900]

You shut your whore mouth. I'm on my way to my dad's house to get your GD Nintendo games but you just bought yourself a one-way ticket to Disappointmentville.

lmao... my timing is excellent as always...

 

[ulukinatme]

Dawg, you're excluding Sgt. Pepper, the single greatest rock album of all time.

Yeah, Sgt. Pepper should be included, but I would say it's a stretch to call it the single greatest rock album of all time. It's good, but I'm not sure I'd call it the best.

 

[ND NYC]

he may be right, though.

also need to consider Pet Sounds by Beach Boys.

both of those albums changed everything for what later artists would do and try in the studio to create the sounds of a generation.

from 4 tracks, to 8 tracks to 16 tracks, redubs/overdubs, using all new manner of sounds, synthesizers, overlapping harmonies into and around/over the music etc. truly music and engineering marvels at the time.

George Martin (producer for the Beatles) and Brian Wilson of the beach boys may be the most overlooked and underappreciated 2 people in terms of what they meant and the influence they had on all music that was to come.

 

[bkess8]

Need to get the list of things to consider when making your selections.

 

[ACamp1900]

My favs albums (not a greatest ever, just my go tos).. not that I listen to albums much anymore, I listen to a mix on my ipad and such... but the album cover that shows most ofetn from that era are:

-Dominos live from the Fillmore
-Layla
-Beggars Banquet
-Sticky Fingers
-Rumors
-Joshua Tree
-Zep II
-Riding with the King
-Cosmo's Factory
-Bold as Love


Just for starters

 

[Irish YJ]

That's fair. I'm not saying that The Beatles are the most classic-rockiest of all bands. But they're classic-rock enough to be included in the category.

It's like... Steph Curry is one of the best point guards in NBA history. You could make the argument that John Stockton was more point-guardier than Curry is, but that doesn't really play into the debate of who's better. The question of who's better is simply that. It's not a question of who better exemplifies the category.

Beatles are my 2 or 3. Stones to me are 1, Beatles and Led battling for 2 and 3 although Beatles win most of the time.

Not a big B-ball guy (pro that is), but Curry to me is awesome for the time, but I don't think he'd be near as successful playing in the 70s or 80s.

 

[Irish YJ]

To avoid crowning The Beatles right away, I think we should make the stipulation that bands have to be judged based on their work that falls under "Classic Rock." Most Classic Rock stations don't play the early Beatlemania stuff and the British Invasion. You're talking the late 60s to break up Beatles, so Magical Mystery Tour, White Album, Abbey Road stuff, etc.

Listened to Amazon's Prime Classic Rock floating in the pool today. They played a bunch of Beatles stuff spanning early to late.

That said, they also played Ratt's Round and Round

 

[ACamp1900]

OH!! and Get Yer Ya-Yas Out... that's another all time great album.

 

[ulukinatme]

Listened to Amazon's Prime Classic Rock floating in the pool today. They played a bunch of Beatles stuff spanning early to late.

That said, they also played Ratt's Round and Round

Meh, all I listen to is Classic Rock stations and Oldies. I find contemporary music to be mostly intolerable In any case, very rarely do the Classic Rock stations play any Beatles stuff from before '67ish, which is about the beginning period most Classic Rock stations pull from: late 60s into 80s. That was when music shifted and early Rock and Roll started to evolve and eventually fade away.

 

[bkess8]

I'm going to start the new thread for voting purposes. I will have two groups of roughly 50 groups/singers in it. You will have five votes per group and I will keep the top 50 percent. Voting will be open for 7 days and then I will move the top groups/singers into the next group until we are down to 1. All votes will be public.

If you would like to add something or maybe a better way to do this please let me know.

 

[Irish YJ]

Meh, all I listen to is Classic Rock stations and Oldies. I find contemporary music to be mostly intolerable In any case, very rarely do the Classic Rock stations play any Beatles stuff from before '67ish, which is about the beginning period most Classic Rock stations pull from: late 60s into 80s. That was when music shifted and early Rock and Roll started to evolve and eventually fade away.

I think we are getting old. I listen to Country and Classic Rock about 50/50. The Classic Rock stations I listen to are starting to play 90s stuff. I guess anything older than 20 years is classic now.

Still playing Prime and they played a 63 Beatles (she love you) a few minutes ago. Now rocking to "What that women lord she been doing to me".... Gonna ride me a southbound...Good stuff. More than a Feeling just came on.... Air guitar time...

 

[phgreek]

Beatles are my 2 or 3. Stones to me are 1, Beatles and Led battling for 2 and 3 although Beatles win most of the time.

Not a big B-ball guy (pro that is), but Curry to me is awesome for the time, but I don't think he'd be near as successful playing in the 70s or 80s.

Too hard for me to rank honestly...I'm a mood driven music guy. Certain music resonates with me depending on the day, and what not. So I have a rolling 4 or 5 go tos. If we are talking measureables...Beatles seem to win.

As for Curry...I think his quickness and ball handling skills translate in any era. I do think he'd face better individual defenders in the 80s, So he'd struggle a little more to score...but like any driven athlete (dude is driven), I think he'd have adapted, developed better floor vision and passing skills. I think he'd play out like a quicker John Stockton back then. Guys like Curry will find what the game leaves on the floor...right now he exploits weaker face up defenders by shooting the lights out. Back then, like I said, I think he would have developed the distribution part of his game. JMHO.

 

[Irish YJ]

Too hard for me to rank honestly...I'm a mood driven music guy. Certain music resonates with me depending on the day, and what not. So I have a rolling 4 or 5 go tos. If we are talking measureables...Beatles seem to win.

As for Curry...I think his quickness and ball handling skills translate in any era. I do think he'd face better individual defenders in the 80s, So he'd struggle a little more to score...but like any driven athlete (dude is driven), I think he'd have adapted, developed better floor vision and passing skills. I think he'd play out like a quicker John Stockton back then. Guys like Curry will find what the game leaves on the floor...right now he exploits weaker face up defenders by shooting the lights out. Back then, like I said, I think he would have developed the distribution part of his game. JMHO.

I'm a mood driven guy too. Measureables are harder than you think. Albums sold doesn't necessarily translate to what is "classic rock" IMHO. Elvis charted (600 million like the Beatles) from 54 to 77 though we really don't consider him classic rock. Perhaps father of rock and roll, but not classic rock. Led charting 300 mil is more rock and roll to me, but again just goes back to the rock vs pop debate. If we're talking about rock bands who sold the most, yes the Beatles.

 

[phgreek]

I'm a mood driven guy too. Measureables are harder than you think. Albums sold doesn't necessarily translate to what is "classic rock" IMHO. Elvis charted (600 million like the Beatles) from 54 to 77 though we really don't consider him classic rock. Perhaps father of rock and roll, but not classic rock. Led charting 300 mil is more rock and roll to me, but again just goes back to the rock vs pop debate. If we're talking about rock bands who sold the most, yes the Beatles.

...yup thats what I was thinking, or some variant of sales success.

Agreed...Elvis is rough because he had too much breadth, which certainly helped him sell a ton of albums, but it is hard to really label him...for sure.

 

[ulukinatme]

I think we are getting old. I listen to Country and Classic Rock about 50/50. The Classic Rock stations I listen to are starting to play 90s stuff. I guess anything older than 20 years is classic now.

Still playing Prime and they played a 63 Beatles (she love you) a few minutes ago. Now rocking to "What that women lord she been doing to me".... Gonna ride me a southbound...Good stuff. More than a Feeling just came on.... Air guitar time...

I've seen a few Classic Rock stations that have moved towards calling themselves just "Rock" and they'll occasionally play some late 90s and 2000s stuff...and I'm okay with that as long as they aren't still calling themselves Classic Rock. When the whole grunge phase began Rock started to change again and move away from the style and sound that we know as Classic Rock. There are probably some holdover groups and artists that still continued into the 90s with that style, but there was definitely a new evolution again. If they ever start playing Nickelback on a Classic Rock station....I'm done with them. In general, if a station does start creeping into the mid/late 90s I usually find a new station going forward.

 

[BobbyMac]

I'm a concert goer. The Who is the band that combined all aspects of what it is to be the great... generational anthems whose intellectual finger was on society's pulse, great technical musicians that were great showmen too, great song writing, great albums. Without a doubt, they are the group that most influenced what became college & "alternative" rock.

Maybe Zepplin was on their level in the 70's - I was too young, Page & Plant weren't in the 90's when I saw them, though that was a very good show.

The Beatles had no stage presence unless you were 15 year old girl who thought Elvis was too old. I don't connect with Strawberry Fields pop. To me, that's what Beatles music is uber talented boy band. If they would have put out more Helter Skelter, Come together and Back in the USSR... I would have dug them.

As far as the Stones go. I've been drug to too many of their shows in my life going back to Tattoo You. Please play Sympathy, Gimme Shelter, Angie and Miss You so I can go home already. Boring. Stay for Wild Horses if you're with a hot chick then leave immediately and get to work.

Would have loved to see the Doors live.

 

[Irish#1]

My personal list... although I would argue my personal number 1 and the answer to the actual thread question is the same, The Stones created the template... Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll, the lead singer lead guitarist dynamic... I mean, they're the Stones... and they're still putting out great stuff... I personally have them over even the Beatles. Just me, if you don't agree that's fine, I respect Queen and Pink Floyd but Queen just doesn't have many songs I really like and I never blew my mind on hallucinogenic drugs so i never understood Pink Floyd lol...

My favs, in no real order honestly:

Stones
Clapton (anything Clapton really, Cream, Dominoes, Solo)
Dire Straights
Fleetwood Mack
Skynyrd
Zep
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Guns N Roses
Boston
Steely Dan
Bowie
Doobie Bros
Allman Bros


I will say this too,... I think Mo Town/Soul deserves some love in this thread... Wilson Pickett, Otis, Mo Town had such a huge impact on a lot of the artists we are naming here and vice versa, they toured together, recorded together and hung out and influenced each other often enough...

I'm still a huge soul/golden era R&B fan, I'd throw them on the list too. Just me, so round my list off with:

Otis Redding
Wilson Pickett
Marvin Gaye
and
Orchestral Manoeuvres

THIS.......THIS..........THIS

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
The Supremes
The Temptations
The Four Tops
and on
and on
and on

 

[Bishop2b5]

Al Green. Not classic rock, but classic soul. Al m*********in' Green was the master.

 

[ACamp1900]

Al green is the shizz... Anyone mention Warren Zevon???

 

[gkIrish]

My favs albums (not a greatest ever, just my go tos).. not that I listen to albums much anymore, I listen to a mix on my ipad and such... but the album cover that shows most ofetn from that era are:

-Dominos live from the Fillmore
-Layla
-Beggars Banquet
-Sticky Fingers
-Rumors
-Joshua Tree
-Zep II
-Riding with the King
-Cosmo's Factory
-Bold as Love

Just for starters

Mine are:

Beatles White Album
Rumours
The Stranger
L.A. Woman
Brothers and Sisters
Led Zeppelin IV
Hotel California
London Calling
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
The Game

 

[ACamp1900]

Oh, Madman Across the Water is another great one!!.... Elton John deserves mention....

 

[Rocket89]

I wasn't making a historical claim, I was responding to the notion that The Beatles should be disqualified from this poll on the basis that they're not "rock enough." My point was that there was nothing "more rock" than The Beatles because rock itself was still in its relative infancy.

This is true. You have to compare the Beatles of 1963-64 with their contemporaries and they are very much kicking ass as a rock group and breaking new ground in that genre--in addition to others, of course.

I've also asserted that the Beatles were more rock when they wanted to be compared to the Rolling Stones up until 1968. And the Stones didn't really spread their "greatest rock band in the world" wings until 1971 and they had the whole 70's to cement that perception, too.

 

[Irishize]

I wasn't making a historical claim, I was responding to the notion that The Beatles should be disqualified from this poll on the basis that they're not "rock enough." My point was that there was nothing "more rock" than The Beatles because rock itself was still in its relative infancy.

I didn't say they should be disqualified...just that they're not what jumps to mind when it comes to "Classic Rock" for me. To each their own. The Beatles are definitely played on Classic Rock formats but I'd argue that their early bubblegum hits from the early 60s aren't included in that rotation, whereas; all the hits from the entire catalog are from the likes of the Stones, The Doors, The Who, CCR, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Eagles, and others.

 

[Rocket89]

Yeah, Sgt. Pepper should be included, but I would say it's a stretch to call it the single greatest rock album of all time. It's good, but I'm not sure I'd call it the best.

For the entirety of my life the vast majority of "best album" lists have been led by Sgt. Pepper until recently when Revolver, and to a lesser extent Abbey Road, have been popular picks too.

What's the opposite of a stretch?

 

[Rocket89]

I didn't say they should be disqualified...just that they're not what jumps to mind when it comes to "Classic Rock" for me. To each their own. The Beatles are definitely played on Classic Rock formats but I'd argue that their early bubblegum hits from the early 60s aren't included in that rotation, whereas; all the hits from the entire catalog are from the likes of the Stones, The Doors, The Who, CCR, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Eagles, and others.

1) I think "classic" rock is way too limiting. But people have already discussed that here.

2) I'm not sure radio/classic rock formats are really that great barometers for judging this stuff. My local station plays about 50% AC/DC so...

3) Definitely the earlier into the 60's you get the less "classic" rock-y you get. But, even still very little of the Stones and Who early catalog is ever played. I'd argue the Beatles early stuff is still more present than those two bands first couple of years worth of work.

 

[GATTACA!]

No love for the Village People??

 

[kmoose]

This seems like a good place, and time, to share this:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HxKeCmTCDV4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ulukinatme]

For the entirety of my life the vast majority of "best album" lists have been led by Sgt. Pepper until recently when Revolver, and to a lesser extent Abbey Road, have been popular picks too.

What's the opposite of a stretch?

I'm not saying it's not a good album, or even a great album. I'm just hesitant to call it THE greatest album. Hell, as you mentioned it may not even be the best Beatles album. Top to bottom I think there are some better albums out there.

 

[NorthDakota]

If we are counting Billy Joel (I don't), The Stranger ends up ranked very high. Bomb album.