The Top 50 American Rock Bands of All Time acording to Gibson.com

[banJoe]

Beatles, Stones and Zep were not "American Rock Bands". Iconic, but not American. So I would doubt if they can qualify. Neil Young, mentioned above, is Canadian. So I don't think he'll make the cut either.

[banJoe]

Shoot! Beaten to my only "worthy" contribution on the `Cafe ever. Oh well. I'll shut up and go back to lurking.

[journeybear]

Nirvana just doesn't have the catalog to make top 5.

I was thinking of other stuff they don't have ... but nevermind. I don't think catalog is much consideration if Big Star is on the list, with two records.

American might still mean North American, and thus include Canadian - but I doubt it. Neil Young has been living in the US for so long he might be included. Same with the Brits in Fleetwood Mac. The Band, on the other hand was originally 80% Canadian, despite being based in the US. Maybe in the final post they will revgeal their decision-making process. Maybe ...

BTW, my little mostly acoustic trio got a request for Grand Funk Railroad Monday night. Forgot about them - they were pretty big once. And they did have that one iconic hit song, "We're An American Band." Might be a dark horse candidate there ... NOT!

... Rock On Alvin Lee and Ten Years After

Back, so soon? It's only been a month or so ... Anyway, welcome back, but another British band.

[Ed Goist]

Well; this is how I spent my lunch hour today (see thread about internet forum addiction )
Here's my list of the Top 10 American (US) Bands. I'll be curious to see how close this is to the top of Gibson's list.
(Note: This list is subject to change based on my mood and whims)
1. Aerosmith
2. The Eagles
3. Pearl Jam
4. The Beach Boys
5. REM
6. The Doors
7. Allman Brothers Band
8. The Ramones
9. The Band
10.Creedence Clearwater Revival

[catmandu2]

Hey this is fun Ed. Here's my tops:

My No. 1 would be The Band, but since this is a cold "Rock" list...forget it.

Talking Heads
Doors
Velvet Undergrouind
Ramones
Nirvana
MOI
Beach Boys
The Dead

(I begrudgingly relent to Aerosmith and the Eagles at 9 & 10...I'm sure they've sold more than anyone ...but I think Ed's right about CCR being on there)

[Popeye39]

Eagles? My number one. Just my opinion. Should be top 5 at least.

[catmandu2]

After further ponderance (and my theory of global influence or impact via innovation or strong stylistic treatment), I'm withdrawing Aerosmith (because I personally couldn't stand hair rock after age 16...but also because I think there were others more globally influential (while perhaps not as commercially successful) in this style: viz, The New York Dolls and Van Halen. If the category "Rock" is flexible, then definitely Prince, possibly Sly and the Family Stone, maybe even Santana, but most certainly the Americanized Fleetwood Mac.

But we'll probably see the usual fare, Tom Petty, CSNY, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, ad inf.. ... which is why I turned to jazz at 16

[catmandu2]

Oh...I read the OP and see the list is given through 20. So far, most of my tops haven't yet been included--so I think it's pretty good. My MOI pick has been played...but that was just my sleeper pick/personal favorite. Although I'm surprised Talking Heads are so low

Now, I can see it'll be Prince, Nirvana, Van Halen, Santana, VU, Dolls, and the obvious Doors, Beach Boys, CCR, Eagles, Ramones, Aerosmith...and apparently flexible enough to permit The Band. Heaven help us if it comes to CSNY...might as well throw James Taylor in up there!..

And I'm sure you'all are right that Pearl Jam and REM will be...but I can't relate. I mean come on, global influence/impact? Does this stuff play outside the US? I'd rather listen to Beastie Boys

[Dan Hoover]

well,i for one am glad to see "Mountain" made the cut..(not that i follow these "hero list's"..) but Grand Funk best be on here...and Zappa should be much higher on the list...

[catmandu2]

This is fun, isn't it. Where have these lists been all my life? I'm looking forward to the top 20

But Grand Funk...no way! I loved them...aren't they a Detroit area band?...Grand Trunk and all that. But I never saw them...used to like em though. Wasn't Mark Farner the proto Flea?

Look, I'm no hip hoppa, but Eminem is more global than Mark, Don, and Mel. Like, I think Bob Seeger is going to have limited/regional interest

[journeybear]

Oh...I read the OP ...

Wow - nine posts in ... ... better late than never!

VU, Dolls - not in this America. But dang - I can't believe I forgot Santana and Creedence! It's just that there were SO many great bands in the late 60s, hard to remember all of them.

Yes, Grand Funk was from Detroit, as was Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band. Neither of them are going to be in the Top 20, nor deserve to be, but Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels ought to be - but won't, either. Probably just Alice Cooper representing The Motor City. I wouldn't say Mark Farner was the proto-Flea - he was the guitarist, but I guess if you are referring to his habit of playing shirtless ... well, then, OK. But no one before Flea played in his underwear, except for someone in Funkadelic, who played in a diaper, right? Hey - are they going to be on the list?

Heavens to Murgatroyd - I would be thrilled beyond belief if they include Little Feat. Heck, make them #1.

[Paul Merlo]

wow, there's way too much to talk about in this topic

Hey JB, Grand Funk Railroad was actually from Flint, MI which is over an hour north of Detroit. It's nice to hear all the props for Michigan bred rock and roll, as well as whatever spaceship Funkadelic got off too. We certainly take the term "Detroit Rock City" to heart around here.

But I have to give a big +1 to Little Feat deserving a spot on the list too. I guess we're lucky that Frank Zappa wasn't "willin" to keep Lowell George in the Mothers of Invention - and the rest as they say, is history.

[journeybear]

Oh, OK. Sorry. Shows how much I paid attention to them back then ... or now.

I thought Frank thought Lowell was too good to be in the Mothers and suggested (so to speak) he start his own band. However it happened, glad he did. Great little band.

Looking over people's suggestions, it's clear the list is not going to please a lot of us. There isn't enough room for all these bands. I am torn between anticipation and dread, waiting for the next announcement.

[Ed Goist]

I do hope that Queens of the Stone Age make the top 20.
Those young men can rock hard.
This is one of my favorite live TV rock performances ever (sorry, no MC):



Oh, and speaking of bands from Detroit, Wayne Kramer and MC5 certainly deserve some consideration.

And, as an Ohio boy, I too am pulling for The Black Keys to place high.

Fun stuff.

[Mandolin Mick]

After looking at the bands offered by you guys it became obvious to me why I listened to almost exclusively British Rock when I was kid. The Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, Who, Cream ... even the Hendrix Experience were 2/3 British!!!

[Phil1580]

Nirvana will score high--they saved rock from techno ()

Pearl Jam is a Nirvana knock-off, but apparently a huge commercial success (sort of like U2 in the "prog" realm)

Can't say that I've ever sat through a Metallica song (I quit when I was 16), but I'm told they are the "quality" metal act.

I'd say Nirvana saved rock from garbage glam metal, not techno....and I CRINGE at "Pearl Jam is a Nirvana knock-off".....they sound nothing alike. While I like both bands, Kurt played some basic power chords for less than a decade and checked out, while Pearl Jam will soon be approaching a quarter century of genuine rock. I would call Nirvana maybe the 4th best band out of their CITY at the time.....Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains all being far, far more talented than Nirvana.

Most talented guy in Nirvana by the way is on there with the Foo Fighters.

[catmandu2]

Yes, I forgot Parliament! And Feat, and Spirit too.. But, I still say VU will be top 20 (I have to amend my list somewhat now that I see what's been done, and that we must leave room for obvious top 10ers -- Springsteen and all that.. )

I'd say Nirvana saved rock from garbage glam metal, not techno....and I CRINGE at "Pearl Jam is a Nirvana knock-off".....they sound nothing alike.

Not that sounding quite alike is exactly the crux of it, but cringe you must! True, they were anti-glam, but there was abundant garbage metal in their music too. Techno is the more dominant trend--that rock needed saved from...

Talent, and all that, is not particularly germane to the issue.

Oh, and speaking of bands from Detroit, Wayne Kramer and MC5 certainly deserve some consideration.

We loved our MC5! My friends all liked Ted Nugent, I always dressed like Seeger--T shirt, jeans and chucks. Ever watch the Ghoul, Ed?...there in Parma

The Band
Doors
Byrds
Beach Boys
Velvet Underground
Ramones
CCR
Springsteen
Jefferson Airplane
Aerosmith
Eagles

Prince, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Little Feat, Dolls


Don’t really know Metallica, but I guess they must be on there

[Ed Goist]

Today Gibson released bands #20 through #11 on the list.
Pearly Jam #18?! The Eagles #13?!
Not only did I watch the Ghoul, I am old enough to be able to say I watched Ghoulardi as a kid!

[catmandu2]

Wait wait! I just put up my final 20! Shoot I forgot Pearl Jam and REM and Nirvana... Wait!

Okay, take off Little Feat and NYD and put in Nirvana, PJ, REM

[catmandu2]

Today Gibson released bands #20 through #11 on the list.
Pearly Jam #18?! The Eagles #13?!
Not only did I watch the Ghoul, I am old enough to be able to say I watched Ghoulardi as a kid!

I was only two off with the Eagles!

Ovaday! YOu musta been hip Ed...I was a babe watching Friendly Giant on CBC

OMG, how could we have forgotton the Stooges!!!

Okay, well now I'm not happy. What is Guns and Roses?

[cstewart]

Buddy Holly! He should be much higher on this list. He created the template that everyone else followed. Glad to see Guns N Roses there, but a little worried about The Black Keys now. Somehow I don't think Gibson likes them as much as I do.

[journeybear]

Well, now with only ten slots open, and having seen what has gone on so far, here is my list of bands mentioned so far that are NOT going to make it:

Jefferson Airplane
Quicksiiver Messenger Service
Big Brother And The Holding Company
Steppenwolf
Moby Grape
13th Floor Elevators
Government Mule
The Stray Cats
Poco
Flying Burrito Brothers
Pure Prairie League
Manassas
Kansas
The Black Keys
The James Gang
The McCoys
Queens Of The Stone Age
New York Dolls
Steve Miller Band
Jimmy Buffett And The Coral Reefer Band
The Beach Boys
Fleetwood Mac
Pretenders

Probably gonna be there:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band
Neil Young And Crazy Horse
The Band
The Byrds
Little Feat (still hoping)
Allman Brothers Band
Boston
Metallica
Aerosmith
REM
The Ramones
Nirvana
Van Halen

Yes, I know that is more than ten. But look at all they have left off the list so far. They are not pacing themselves too well. The first three may not make it for being perceived as solo acts - which is totally off base. These are/were organic entities, truly interactive, and filled with extremely talented musicians who worked together and produced a distinctive sound, indeed, variety of sounds. (Just how are these people defining band, anyway?) Then again, they included Buddy Holly And The Crickets, and then proceeded to rave on about Buddy's achievements ... Some bands, like The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, and JBATCRB, may be perceived as too pop (though we have already seen Talking Heads, The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Yo La Tengo); some may be perceived as too non-American (Pretenders, Mac again, The Band, Neil Young) - though if they do not include Seattle-born Jimi Hendrix, the greatest and best rock guitarist of all time, it throws the whole list into question. Well, it already is. And I am trying to hold out hope for Little Feat.

BTW - the selection committee: "We enlisted the talents of Gibson.com’s editorial and writing staff, along with you, the readers, to weigh in ... Votes for the Top 50 Covers* of All Time were included from Michael Wright, Bryan Wawzenek, Andrew Vaughan, Sean Patrick Dooley, Cesar Acevedo, Paul Burch, Arlen Roth, Ted Drozdowski, Russell Hall, Peter Hodgson, Anne Erickson, Michael Leonard, Paolo Bassotti and the Gibson.com Readers Poll."

Readers! That explains SO much! Like how some bands got included, and why the field is skewed toward newer bands.

* Assuming this is not a typo, this must refer to the representative album covers. Not sure these are the same people voting for the bands, though their names do appear in the reviews.

[catmandu2]

Well, Brian Wilson is an American icon, and the Beach Boyz will be Top 10. If Jefferson Airplane hasn't yet been mentioned, they'll be Top 10 too. Looks like Pretenders will be there too, unless they've been previously mentioned. So, obviously Springsteen, Nirvana, Byrds, Band makes 7.

Difficult to pick the last 3...surprised my VU went so low. Maybe the Dolls will be there! Oh, Ramones, Aerosmith...one more. I'd rather see the Dolls than Aerosmith, since the latter were a knock-off of the former. Guess it's a toss up between Prince, Van Halen, Fleetwood Mac, Santana for the last spot--quite a mix.

Sorry, no Feats

[catmandu2]

Ee gadz...forgot REM must be up there, though I would put them around 28 or so..

Are both of Hendix's bands Brit/US hybrids? I was thinking Band of Gypsies was a US project, but of course Santana's first two albums probably trajected them above BOG

Well, I'll stay with my 10...although I'm a little sketchy about Airplane...I wouldn't be surprised if Eminem or Spinal Tap supplant them (but let's see, Tap was British, right? )

[journeybear]

Eminem is a solo act, and Prince may be perceived so also, though Prince And The Revolution could be included. Band Of Gypsies still had Mitch Mitchell on drums - but who's counting? And how? I'm surprised VU are on the list at all, same as The Stooges. Hardly technically proficient. Then again, they showed you didn't have to be super-talented or tight to have a good band, and The Ramones continued in this vein. Forget about the Dolls - ain't happenin'.

Spinal Tap - not only British, they were fictional! Disqualified! So is Sweetwater, from "Almost Famous." Too bad - both kick-ass bands.