13 greatest bands/artists ever

Ridiculous maybe, egotistical even or limited,but if you had to pick 13 at gun point, which ones.

I will give it a go to. This is what I would pick now, no order:

Chuck Berry
Bob Dylan
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
The Pixies
Sex Pistols
Nirvana
The Clash
Joy DIvision
Public Enemy
Johnny Cash
The Doors
The Beatles
Pink Floyd

WTF?

No Hendrix.

No Marley.

No Lennon.

No Motown artist at all?

Thirteen? Why thirteen? Tell the truth: you smoke some real serious sh*t mate; don't ya? 

F**k it, crazy as it is... I'll play along. Music is so personal and that's what makes it great so rather than insist that the following are the greatest I'll just give my list of bands who've meant something to me down the years: In no particular order...

Clash
S.L.F.
Alabama 3
Ramones
U2
Blondie
Pixies
Screaming Trees
Specials
Foo Fighters
King Blues
Sweet
Stone Roses

There are many, many, more and the list may change but thirteen is the name of the game so there you have it - my starter for... er... 13. 

Right now I'll go with:-

        The Beatles
         The Stones
         The Jimi Hendrix Experience
          Little Feat
          Floyd
          The Moody Blues
          Lennon (Plastic Ono Band}
          George Harrison (various bands)
          The Grease Band
          Sex Pistols
         Crosby, Stills and Nash
         Dylan
         The Byrds

How many is that? No particular of course.

Just scanning your list mouse....Blondie of course how could I leave Debbie out even tho she was the cause of me nearly going blind, Sweet!!! you are taking the piss mate.     

Ok here goes, hope I don't show up my age too much 

T.Rex/Marc Bolan
David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust
Stevie Wonder
Diana Ross
Marvin Gaye
The Who
The Jam
Stone Roses
Blondie
Brian Ferry
Sasha
John Digweed

As a classically trained pianist I'm also going to include Beethoven.  His Sonata's, especially Moonlight and Pathetique are still the best chill out tunes ever written 

Nirvana
The Clash
Roxy Music
Foo Fighters
REM
The Jam
The Beatles
Rolling Stones
Frank Sinatra
oh bollocks I could be here all day

Led Zeppelin
Stones
Beatles
Hendrix
Pink Floyd
The Who
Aerosmith
Tupac
Marley
Van Halen
Bob Dylan
Nirvana
Johnny Cash

Some more:-

        Roxy
        REM
        Johny Cash
        Nat King Cole
        Janis Joplin
        Neil Young
        The Who
        Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
        John Lee Hooker
        James Brown
        BB King
        Otis Redding
        Sam Cooke
        Ry Cooder
        E.L.P.

Bob Marley & The Wailers.

Queen.

Simple Minds.

John Lennon.

Paul Weller.

Pink Floyd.

Barry White.

Elvis.

Rage Against The Machine.

Roy Orbinson.

Mungo Jerry 

KLF.

Snap.

1. The Beatles

2-13. everyone else. (A bit too difficult for me to just pick 12 here)

          George Harrison (various bands)

I like this.

Difficult one this, but here goes-

(in no perticular order btw )

The Beatles (Special mention for John Lennon )
Rolling Stones
Metallica
David Bowie
Marilyn Manson
Guns 'N Roses
Type O Negative
Dimmu Borgir
Michael Jackson
Queen
Rammstien
Danzig
Meat Loaf


There all regular players on my Ipod, and some of the best singer/songwriters to have ever lived, in my opinion anyways

I could pick a whole new list for bands that I grew up listening to.

Arctic Monkeys
Gorillaz
Linkin Park
Metallica
Muse
Kasabian
Foo Fighters
Interpol
Arcade Fire
Killers
Snow Patrol
System of a Down
Lostprophets
Franz Ferdinand
Bloc Party
Kings of Leon

More than 13 and could go on.

I know I'll want to change the list as soon as I hit "post", but oh well, here it goes:

- The Beatles
- Bob Dylan
- The Clash
- Ramones
- The Jam
- Specials
- Bruce Springsteen
- Otis Redding
- Nirvana
- Blur
- The Verve
- Ride
- Radiohead

No particular order.

Actually, I haven't even hit "post" yet but I want to change it already. Ah, F**k it.

Pearl Jam
Nirvana
Faith No More
Rage Against The Machine
Metallica
Guns & Roses
Smashing Pumpkins
Soundgarden
Alice In Chains
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Foo Fighters
Queens of the Stone Age
Jeff Buckley

Oh wait that's really one sided.

Johnny Cash
Queen
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jimi Hendrix
Led Zepplin
The Beatles
Rolling Stones
ACDC
Marvin Gaye
Prince
Outkast
Blur/Gorillaz
Bloc Party

13?

I can't narrow that down to 13.
Have 26. My top rock 13 and 13 other influences.

U2 v The Sex Pistols and now our 13 favourite bands.

Random threads indeed mate.

I'll get back on the 13 as I'm not sure who would be in mine just now.

In no particular order (that's how my feeble mind works), the 13 I would probably pick to listen to if that's all I could choose....

Pearl Jam
The Beatles
Jimi Hendrix
Willie Nelson
Audioslave
Zac Brown Band
The Who
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Guns N Roses
Stone Temple Pilots
U2
Bob Marley

That took a hell of a lot of whittling down to 13!

In alphabetical order so I don't spend hours deciding who should be top:

AC/DC
Alexisonfire
Alice In Chains
Brand New
Faith No More
Guns 'n' Roses
Nirvana
Pantera
Pearl Jam
Pixies
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Smashing Pumpkins
Soundgarden

Try without thinking and no order

Beatles ( i wont include the 3 individual giants on the list)
Bowie
Oasis
Luke Kelly/Dubliners
Metallica
Ice Cube
Billy Joel
Fleetwood mac
Van Morrison
Kasabian
Foo fighters
Pink Floyd
Rolling stones

Heaps that could be on there but thats probably the 13 id most likely listen to right now

Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.
How did I forget them?

THanks for playing everyone. I picked 13 because I couldn't decide

Then I realised I left out

Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Hazy Fantasie !!

But really I forgot Bruce Springsteen,

In fact I have a subs bench,

Beastie Boys, Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Stripes, REM, Talking Heads and from Motown - The Funk Brothers

WTF?

No Hendrix.

No Marley.

No Lennon.

No Motown artist at all?

All I listened to at one point was Hendrix and at another point Bob Marley. Had I made the list then they would be on it. It is a toss up as always. I love Statesboro' Blues for example but Blind Willy doesn't make it. THe bands are for the moment in my life. I watched that doco on the 'Funk Brothers' and one of my favourite songs is What becomes of the Broken Hearted' I love Son HOUse and Leadbelly but I suppose the effect is different. All the bands (bar one) I listed speak to me I feel. The exception is Chuck Berry but he is Phenomenon.

rage against the machine

Sweet!!! you are taking the piss mate.

Yip... big time. 

Quite often threads like this just disappear, without folk ever reading what others 'think' and a bit of banter: I threw that in just to see if anyone was interested. Thanks for taking time out to read my sh*t. To be honest, if I was to try to actually make a list of true greats - i.e. take this thread anyway serious - out of my list; I'd probably only have The Clash (maybe The Pixies) on a true list... much as I like the other eleven.

I'd probably pick a 'greatest' songwriter, rock band, reggae, ska, two-tone, punk band etc... even 'pop' band, for example and I'd be at it for months.

I had a suspicion Sweet was a wind up mate, I distinctly remember the nausia involved when by some careless adjustment they appeared on the TV, even the kids used to hurl baby food at the screen!

A lad I used to know was acquainted with actually liked them!!! He was in a band and used to sing the sh*te, they were acid/pot days and oddness tolerated while the gear was plentiful, when sobriety beckoned the bellend was discovered and despached, forcefully as I remember.

To get back to the 13 best tracks; on every list there are bands/singers I like which comes from decades of listening to some outstanding tunes by equally outstanding artists, there is no way one list could cover those decades of sometimes fluctuating taste and musical genre.
Maybe thirteen from respective eras would be more fitting, it could be therapeutic in some cases of drug induced amnesia which could involve quite a time scale it has to be said.

Beatles
Stone roses
Prodigy
Linkin park (old stuff only)
Bowling for soup
Kasabian
Blink 182
Good charlotte
Swedish house mafia
Chase and status
Deadmau5
Bob Marley
Oasis

Put Oasis in purely because of cigarettes and alcohol and champagne supernova

Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.
How did I forget them?

In Fleetwood Mac's case you probably forgot them because they suck

In Fleetwood Mac's case you probably forgot them because they suck

Your knowledge of Fleetwood Mac is obviously limited.

Your knowledge of Fleetwood Mac is obviously limited.

Quite the contrary, my extensive knowledge of their music is what causes me to dislike them so much.

Quite the contrary, my extensive knowledge of their music is what causes me to dislike them so much.

So you were into them circa Peter Green and the early albums?
They changed out of all recognition but the quality of their music cannot be doubted. The inclusion of Stevie Nicks and Lyndsey Buckingham for instance was a masterstroke, not to everyones taste but a piece of musical genius right there.

So you were into them circa Peter Green and the early albums?
They changed out of all recognition but the quality of their music cannot be doubted. The inclusion of Stevie Nicks and Lyndsey Buckingham for instance was a masterstroke, not to everyones taste but a piece of musical genius right there.

The inclusion of Stevie Nicks is my main issue with them. But in general, their music does nothing for me personally.

In Fleetwood Mac's case you probably forgot them because they suck

They're responsible for one of the greatest guitar rifts. Of. All. Time!

Feel the anger in this.

Fleetwood Mac ~ The Chain ~ Live 1982

Forgot Flo as well.

[HD] Florence + The Machine - The Chain (GF 2010)

Why do people feel the need to try and justify Oasis in their lists? They were a no holds bar band who didn't give a sh*t about chasing or pleasing the critics and only cared about showering their fans with a good time either through the headphones or on stage. Granted much of their work post 2000 was average bordering on utter garbage but there are few albums I can listen to that generate quite as strong a communal feeling as the likes of Definitely Maybe and What's The Story Morning Glory. For me a lot of their greatness comes from the fact that so many people adore them and are the perfect antidote to those w*nk cerebral cocks who only cite "underground" bands you really couldn't give a sh*t about. Of course you know they're sh*t and you know that on the majority of occasions they're stuck in underground city scenes because they are just that - sh*t.

Oasis - Morning Glory

I'll probably forget a few but here goes in no particular order..


Beatles
Pink Floyd
Led Zep
Metallica (pre 1990)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Motorhead
AC/DC
Black Sabbath
Iron Maiden
Queen
Guns N Roses
Elvis
Frank Sinatra

Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac.
How did I forget them?

In Fleetwood Mac's case you probably forgot them because they suck

Your knowledge of Fleetwood Mac is obviously limited.

Rumours

"Fleetwood Mac situation"

They're responsible for one of the greatest guitar rifts. Of. All. Time!

Feel the anger in this.

Fleetwood Mac ~ The Chain ~ Live 1982

That was ok until Stevie started singing, which is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Same issue I have with Led Zeppelin. Great band, can't stand Robert Plant's singing.

That was ok until Stevie started singing, which is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Same issue I have with Led Zeppelin. Great band, can't stand Robert Plant's singing.

What are your views on the good many heavy metal bands who copy Plant's style and voice, in fact some are a carbon copy of Led Zeppelin per se.

What are your views on the good many heavy metal bands who copy Plant's style and voice, in fact some are a carbon copy of Led Zeppelin per se.

I was and am still to a degree a big fan of Cinderella and Great White and the case could be made that both Tom Kiefer and Jack Russell are just cheap versions of Robert Plant.

For whatever reason I just don't like Plant's voice. I don't know why but it just doesn't mesh with my personal preference. Now that's not to say the rest of the band I can't appreciate, some absolutely mezmerizing music being made.

Big Roger Daltry fan here though.....for me he's like Plant only without the vice on his nuts

I was and am still to a degree a big fan of Cinderella and Great White and the case could be made that both Tom Kiefer and Jack Russell are just cheap versions of Robert Plant.

For whatever reason I just don't like Plant's voice. I don't know why but it just doesn't mesh with my personal preference. Now that's not to say the rest of the band I can't appreciate, some absolutely mezmerizing music being made.

Big Roger Daltry fan here though.....for me he's like Plant only without the vice on his nuts

With you on Daltry the man has powerful voice, heard all the albums but always go back to Who's Next, I believe it was recorded on 16 track equipment which was ground breaking stuff at the time. It's certainly ground breaking music.

Big Roger Daltry fan here though.....for me he's like Plant only without the vice on his nuts

With you on Daltry the man has powerful voice, heard all the albums but always go back to Who's Next, I believe it was recorded on 16 track equipment which was ground breaking stuff at the time. It's certainly ground breaking music.

The funny thing about Roger Daltry is if Pete Townshend had a halfway decent voice, there'd be no reason for Daltry to even be in the Who. Townshend wrote all the friggin songs, he just can't sing to save his life!

Beatles
Stone roses
Prodigy
Linkin park (old stuff only)
Bowling for soup
Kasabian
Blink 182
Good charlotte
Swedish house mafia
Chase and status
Deadmau5
Bob Marley
Oasis

Put Oasis in purely because of cigarettes and alcohol and champagne supernova

I love Oasis, but those two tunes are in my opinion the most overrated Oasis songs of all time, along with Wonderwall. The only massive massive Oasis tune that deserves the hype is Don't Look Back In Anger in my opinion.

Problem you will  have with this discussion is the age/generational gap/nationality (to a lesser extent) but I will play along in no particular order

Led Zeppelin
Stones
Beatles
Hendrix
Pink Floyd
The Who
Aerosmith
Chicago
Johnny Cash
Journey
U2
The Doors
The Eagles

I know I'll want to change the list as soon as I hit "post", but oh well, here it goes:

- The Beatles
- Bob Dylan
- The Clash
- Ramones
- The Jam
- Specials
- Bruce Springsteen
- Otis Redding
- Nirvana
- Blur
- The Verve
- Ride
- Radiohead

No particular order.

Actually, I haven't even hit "post" yet but I want to change it already. Ah, f**k it.

I was wondering... how many of your all time favorites have you ever seen live? And how were they? From my list, I have seen only those 3:

- Bob Dylan
- Bruce Springsteen
- Radiohead

In fact, I haven't seen Bruce yet, but got tickets today for a concert in September.

And I did see Paul McCartney three times already, but I guess it doesn't count as The Beatles

Bob Dylan live was a great experience (especially because I've never been so drunk, ever) but to be honest not a great show. He changes his own songs too much, I would prefer something less extravagant.

And Radiohead were absolutely brilliant live, one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Much better than I anticipated, they're a must see.

I've seen Pearl Jam and Willie Nelson (have a picture with Willie after he got done toking on his bus).

Both were amazing.

Elvis Presley
Jimi Hendrix
Bob Marley
Bruce Springsteen
Michael Jackson
Prince
New Kids on the Block
Tupac Shakur
Jay Z
Oasis
Kings of Leon
Ben Howard
The Kooks

Elvis Presley
Jimi Hendrix
Bob Marley
Bruce Springsteen
Michael Jackson
Prince
New Kids on the Block
Tupac Shakur
Jay Z
Oasis
Kings of Leon
Ben Howard
The Kooks

Was just thinking Elvis and how I could of missed him...far removed from today and a lifetime ago but he influenced so many of the names on the list you have to include him.

Another one would be Eric Clapton, solo and with Cream influenced an entire generation of musicians even today.

The funny thing about Roger Daltry is if Pete Townshend had a halfway decent voice, there'd be no reason for Daltry to even be in the Who. Townshend wrote all the friggin songs, he just can't sing to save his life!

Dunno mate I saw the Who many years ago in their prime and he did pretty well with the vocals, never beat Daltry of course but I wouldn't say he can't sing to save his life.

And Radiohead were absolutely brilliant live, one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Much better than I anticipated, they're a must see.

Agree with this, I thought they were amazing live. Gutted I missed Bruce Springsteen in Manchester, my brother got a spare ticket off his mate, said it's one of the best gigs he's been too, near enough three hour set. Also said Steven Van Zandt got a boss reception too!

Pink Floyd
The Beatles
The Doors
Queen
Genesis
The Smiths
Nirvana
REM
The Cure
Foo Fighters
The Prodigy
Sasha
Digweed

I was wondering... how many of your all time favorites have you ever seen live? And how were they? From my list, I have seen only those 3:

- Bob Dylan
- Bruce Springsteen
- Radiohead

In fact, I haven't seen Bruce yet, but got tickets today for a concert in September.

And I did see Paul McCartney three times already, but I guess it doesn't count as The Beatles

Bob Dylan live was a great experience (especially because I've never been so drunk, ever) but to be honest not a great show. He changes his own songs too much, I would prefer something less extravagant.

And Radiohead were absolutely brilliant live, one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Much better than I anticipated, they're a must see.

Radiohead are excellent mate I would imagine they'd be brilliant live. The last band I saw live were Kasabian, thoroughly recommended they really get the crowd jumpin.
Off the top of my head saw the Beatles many, many years ago at dinnertime session in the Cavern, seen AC/DC, REM, Little Feat, The Who, Alex Harvey, the Kinks, Long John Baldry, The Outlaws, Nils Lofgren, Thin Lizzy, The Moody Blues - many more but that's what comes to mind.

Oasis
The Jam
The Who
Kinks
Small Faces
Madness
Specials
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Drifters
Simon and Garfunkle
Everly Brothers
REM
The Beatles

My list would look considerably different to most.

Iron Maiden
Blind Guardian
Black Sabbath
Judas Priest
Rainbow
Rush
Deep Purple
Megadeth
Metallica
Led Zeppelin
Thin Lizzy
Accept
Riot

Off the top of my head saw the Beatles many, many years ago at dinnertime session in the Cavern

I envy you!

I've also seen R.E.M. twice and on another day they might have made my "13 greatest bands" list, great band and amazing live performances.

I also envy you for having watched The Kinks and Thin Lizzy!

Elvis Presley
Jimi Hendrix
Bob Marley
Bruce Springsteen
Michael Jackson
Prince
New Kids on the Block
Tupac Shakur
Jay Z
Oasis
Kings of Leon
Ben Howard
The Kooks

That's an unusual and really varied list!

I mean, Elvis Presley and New Kids on the Block! step by step... oooh baby

Off the top of my head saw the Beatles many, many years ago at dinnertime session in the Cavern

JEALOUS!

My dad actually saw The Beatles twice, in 1965 and 1966. Even though those US tours don't quite compare to the Cavern days, I'm jealous of him too

step by step... oooh baby

I much more preferred:

Whoooh ohh ohh ohh oh, just Hangin Tough Mr Donnie Wahlberg of Blue Bloods fame (Mark's Brother). Seriously though, that inclusion was inspired by BBB's inclusion of Sweet earlier in the thread.

Keep noticing your unconditional love for Blur though mate. I want to feel it so if you can, point me in the way of some songs that may turn me. I've never really gave them a chance due to the Oasis rivalry (immature I know) and mainstream songs like Country House, Song 2, etc although I really liked Coffee and TV.

Any b sides or album tracks that may sway me?

Also, can I swap New Kids on the Block for Stereophonics. Cannot believe they got forgotten by me yesterday when I posted. Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today is my favourite song of all time and has been since the first time I heard it. The lyrical performance gets me everytime still.

Theyre not on my list but there was a time blur and Stereophonics got regular air time.

Performance and Coctails - Great album

Keep noticing your unconditional love for Blur though mate. I want to feel it so if you can, point me in the way of some songs that may turn me. I've never really gave them a chance due to the Oasis rivalry (immature I know) and mainstream songs like Country House, Song 2, etc although I really liked Coffee and TV.

Any b sides or album tracks that may sway me?

I like pretty much everything they've done mate, including their mainstream songs (especially Country House), though Song 2 isn't really a typical Blur song and I'm quite tired of it.

I understand the thing with the Oasis rivalry, I was the other way round, for a while I wouldn't listen to Oasis because of that, but then I decided to give them a chance and realized both bands are great.

I really don't know which Blur album to suggest, I could take some favorite tracks from them all, so I'll just post a few songs that I like and maybe you can see if you like them:

- From "Leisure" (1991)
Blur - Fool (with lyrics)

Not a very well known song but I quite like it. Sounds a bit like The Stone Roses this one.

- From "Modern Life Is Rubbish" (1993)
Blur - Villa Rosie (Subtitulado en español)

I'm assuming you know this album's singles so I tried a different one. Not the best on the album but I like it.

- From "Parklife" (1994)
Blur - Tracy Jacks - Parklive [Live at Hyde Park 2012]
Blur-End Of A Century

Lots of great stuff on this album, 'End of a Century' was their first song I fell in love with. Good morning tv, you're looking so healthy.

- From "The Great Escape" (1995)
Blur - He Thought of Cars
Blur - The Universal

'The Universal' is one of their best songs IMO. You've probably listened to it before though.

- From "Blur" (1997)
Blur - You're so great

Classic Graham Coxon.

- From "13" (1999)
Blur - Tender

My first reaction when I listened to this song was of estrangement, but with time I grew to love it and it's still one of my favorites.

- From "Think Tank" (2003)
Blur - Sweet Song

I understand the criticism to this album but I actually think it's an underrated record. And "Sweet Song" is indeed a very sweet song. Beautiful.


In the end, what I like the most about is their versatility... they can make you want to dance and want to cry in the same album; they can do ghospel (like in 'Tender'), they've experimented with eletronic elements, and so on.

I love Oasis and Stereophonics too but in terms of musical variety they don't compare to Blur IMO.

And if I was forced to suggest one single album, I would say Parklife. Perhaps due to emotional attachment, as it was their first album I ever bought.

(Don't worry if you like none of it, I enjoyed writing that post )

No Distance Left To Run is my favourite Blur song.

I really don't know which Blur album to suggest, I could take some favorite tracks from them all, so I'll just post a few songs that I like and maybe you can see if you like them:

Cheers for that. I actually forgot about Tender, The Universal and End of a Century - all excellent songs and I gave them all a listen.

From the ones you posted that I hadn't heard before I liked He Thought of Cars but I really, really liked Sweet Song of which I've listened to a few times now and You're So Great which I've just looked up is all down to Coxon.

That's a few Blur songs that I like there when altogether so on that note I might download myself a little Blur playlist.

Thanks for posting.

No Distance Left To Run is my favourite Blur song.

I gave that a whirl too Si and thought that was a great song also. Seems I like their 'nice songs. Can't get into any of their higher tempo songs but love their slower stuff.

Cheers for that. I actually forgot about Tender, The Universal and End of a Century - all excellent songs and I gave them all a listen.

From the ones you posted that I hadn't heard before I liked He Thought of Cars but I really, really liked Sweet Song of which I've listened to a few times now and You're So Great which I've just looked up is all down to Coxon.

That's a few Blur songs that I like there when altogether so on that note I might download myself a little Blur playlist.

Thanks for posting.

I gave that a whirl too Si and thought that was a great song also. Seems I like their 'nice songs. Can't get into any of their higher tempo songs but love their slower stuff.

Im a bit the same when it comes to Blur.. Prefer their slower stuff to their attempted quick heavy stuff..
But as an album Parklife there are some great "lesser" tunes on it..
Tracy Jacks
End of a Century
Bank Holiday
To the End
LOndon Loves
Magic America

Oh memories of my youth..

No distance left to run is a great song, if i remember right it was written about Justine Frishman (think that was her name) who was lead singer in Elastica who he went out with for a while and *allegedly alot of the bad blood between Blur and Oasis started because Liam shagged her

I loved Oasis when i was younger, could go on about them forever, some of the B side stuff still gets the hairs on the back of my neck lifting now.. Noel Gallagher is an utter legend of our era

I love Oasis, but those two tunes are in my opinion the most overrated Oasis songs of all time, along with Wonderwall. The only massive massive Oasis tune that deserves the hype is Don't Look Back In Anger in my opinion.

Don't look back in anger used to get played to death by my sister which is why I used to dislike it the same as Guns n Roses and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Champagne Supernova used to be my walking to school song. Funny how its always sunny in hindsight.

Started off listening to Blur for the same reason I started following Liverpool
Everyone else listened to Oasis and supported United.
As it worked out United are cu*ts. Liam is a c**t.

Noel on the other hand is a musical genius.

Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Noel Gallagher & Paul Weller - Tender - Teenage Cancer Trust RAH

"You're so great" sounds 100% like Guided By Voices, a great American band I also considered putting on my list. For those of you that don't know them...

Guided By Voices - I Am A Scientist
Guided By Voices - My Valuable Hunting Knife

Not sure how I forgot Dire Staits. Knopfler is one of my favorite guitarists. I could probably kick someone off my list for Dire Straits.

Not sure how I forgot Dire Staits. Knopfler is one of my favorite guitarists. I could probably kick someone off my list for Dire Straits.

The chasms in musical taste are a source of unbounding bewilderment to me, after earlier dismissing Fleetwood Mac you extoll the virtues of probably the most over hyped, repetitive,  uninspiring band for many a year.
Like U2 their initial offerings broke the mould but they then sank into a sea of complacency.
Wouldn't criticise anyone's preference musically but the comparisons and comments made of other bands sometimes appears hollow when that that preference is declared and held up for scrutiny.
Lyndsay Buckingham for example could play Mark Knopfler off the stage   

The chasms in musical taste are a source of unbounding bewilderment to me, after earlier dismissing Fleetwood Mac you extoll the virtues of probably the most over hyped, repetitive,  uninspiring band for many a year.
Like U2 their initial offerings broke the mould but they then sank into a sea of complacency.
Wouldn't criticise anyone's preference musically but the comparisons and comments made of other bands sometimes appears hollow when that that preference is declared and held up for scrutiny.
Lyndsay Buckingham for example could play Mark Knopfler off the stage   

Don't know about playing him off a stage. Either way, Brothers in Arms is in my top 3 favorite songs of all time with room to spare.

Liam is a c**t.

Noel on the other hand is a musical genius.

I like Oasis, but they're both incredibly annoying to me. Liam acts like he's some sort of tough guy (but he's not). And Noel to me is so full of sh*t in all his interviews and stuff. I can see why they can't stand each other Good band though.

Lyndsay Buckingham for example could play Mark Knopfler off the stage   

Stuey we typically have pretty similar musical tastes here, but absolutely not. Mark Knopfler is one of the all-time great guitarists. He plays so much differently than anyone else does: no pick, no effects, etc., plus musically, he's a different animal in the parts he constructs. A really really good guitar player that goes under-appreciated a lot.

Agree on Mark Knopfler.

Great guitarist.

Stuey we typically have pretty similar musical tastes here, but absolutely not. Mark Knopfler is one of the all-time great guitarists. He plays so much differently than anyone else does: no pick, no effects, etc., plus musically, he's a different animal in the parts he constructs. A really really good guitar player that goes under-appreciated a lot.

There is no arguement whatever mate in Mark Knopfler's genius as a musician and as I said though to some their music can be seen as repetitive, Dire Straits are a band up there with the all time greats.
He does have an entirely different style than the more colourful exponents of the genre and Lyndsey Buckingham is one such guitarist.
A similar comparison could be made with the likes of say Jimi Hendrix and Ry Cooder; both outrageously good at what they do and equally appreciated and liked by a good many, Cooder is a master of the slide style of playing and has dabbled and mastered blue grass, TexMex, jazz and Cuban traditional styles of guitar, banjo and mandolin playing over the decades - Jimi Hendrix is Jimi Hendrix, his tragically short career snuffed out in it's prime.
Knopfler's basic, honest skills while faultless do lack some sparkle and excitement which is why I use the word repetitive, a trifle harsh but just a personal take on it.   

The chasms in musical taste are a source of unbounding bewilderment to me, after earlier dismissing Fleetwood Mac you extoll the virtues of probably the most over hyped, repetitive,  uninspiring band for many a year.
Like U2 their initial offerings broke the mould but they then sank into a sea of complacency.
Wouldn't criticise anyone's preference musically but the comparisons and comments made of other bands sometimes appears hollow when that that preference is declared and held up for scrutiny.
Lyndsay Buckingham for example could play Mark Knopfler off the stage   

U2's initial offerings were of a band that showed great promise and followed them up with more than that deliverance of promise in some of the most unexpected ways. Achtung Baby remains one of the great reinventions in music ever in my honest opinion. I really don't believe there is any complacency there stuey. Also Dire Straits - I love Mark Knopfler (our Lucas looks more and more like him everyday it seems incidentally!) and I think songs like Tunnel of Love, Sultans of Swing are amongst the very best song I've ever heard. Don't know about Lyndsay Buckingham playing him off the stage either! He takes the piss with his finger picking at times! One of the greatest guitarists of all time and much more favourable than Buckingham IMO.

Dire Straits - Sultans Of Swing (Alchemy Live)


Also surprised that there hasn't been more shouts for The Kinks. Something about them says to me they are dreadfully underrated. I think Ray Davies's satirical lyrics has been something that no band has quite matched. It's easy to write politics into songs (so much that it gets done to death) but much harder to exemplify satire of that subtle nature which no lyricist out there has the talent. Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) to me remains the ultimate concept album! Also they are just the most uniquely British band ever. They are about as British as every other British stereotype you can think of! No British band seems to exist producing music today that is so identifiably British. But then again it's hard to sound British in an era when no one really knows what it stands for. All that Cool Britannia/New Labour craze really sent British identity to it's grave along with the cringing hysteria that went with Princess Diana's death.


The Kinks - Victoria

Saw the Kinks live in their prime at a college concert many years ago mate, you are preaching to the converted.
Some modern day ''super groups'' do not bear comparison, moreso when you consider the fact that the Kinks still have a credible fan base five decades after their conception.

Also surprised that there hasn't been more shouts for The Kinks. Something about them says to me they are dreadfully underrated. I think Ray Davies's satirical lyrics has been something that no band has quite matched. It's easy to write politics into songs (so much that it gets done to death) but much harder to exemplify satire of that subtle nature which no lyricist out there has the talent. Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) to me remains the ultimate concept album! Also they are just the most uniquely British band ever. They are about as British as every other British stereotype you can think of! No British band seems to exist producing music today that is so identifiably British. But then again it's hard to sound British in an era when no one really knows what it stands for. All that Cool Britannia/New Labour craze really sent British identity to it's grave along with the cringing hysteria that went with Princess Diana's death.

I love The Kinks. One of my all-time favorites. Dave was such an great guitarist, and one who's very underrated. I always laugh at bands like the Who and the Stones because the Kinks did all that stuff better. The reason they tend to fly under the radar was their effective ban in the States. I think that hurt their popularity and in turn their legacy, although true fans will recognize their greatness of course.

The on thing I love about Ray Davies is the "Arthur" album you mentioned: In an era when everyone's writing about Vietnam, Ray writes about WWII haha

I love The Kinks. One of my all-time favorites. Dave was such an great guitarist, and one who's very underrated. I always laugh at bands like the Who and the Stones because the Kinks did all that stuff better. The reason they tend to fly under the radar was their effective ban in the States. I think that hurt their popularity and in turn their legacy, although true fans will recognize their greatness of course.

The on thing I love about Ray Davies is the "Arthur" album you mentioned: In an era when everyone's writing about Vietnam, Ray writes about WWII haha

Love the moment on Mr Churchill Says when the air raid siren comes in! I always get the impression they were so uber British which is why they weren't taken much interest bar the odd song. Singing about Queen Victoria definitely has more resonance here than it does in the US!

Love the moment on Mr Churchill Says when the air raid siren comes in! I always get the impression they were so uber British which is why they weren't taken much interest bar the odd song. Singing about Queen Victoria definitely has more resonance here than it does in the US!

I think they went uber British like just after one of their disastrous US tours, so it may have been a cause/effect type thing. Not 100 percent sure though.