The Smiley Smile Message Board

A chance to discuss you second favorite obsessive musical interest.

What do you like about them, how did you become interested,  and what are some of the best examples of their music?

I see this as on topic in that we are talking about board regulars who consider the Beach Boys  their favorite band.

Beatles.  Not even a second thought for me.  A no-brainer.

Then the Stones, Who, Creedence, Kinks, Byrds, Eagles, ELO, Dylan & The Band, Doors, CSNY, Neil, The Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Clapton, Motown, Elvis, Chuck, Buddy, the Four Skins, etc. etc.  

Interviewer: Are you a Mod or a Rocker?
Ringo: I'm a Mocker.

So, Mikie, just what is it about this "Beatles" group you find so fascinating and how long have you known about them? 8o 8o

Not a band, but my favourite musician after The Beach Boys is Ronnie James Dio.

His music covered a much larger diversity than many people are aware of, he started off as a Doo-Wop singer in the late 50's with songs such as MISTER MISERY ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vqJ81gMWg0&feature=related ) and AN ANGEL IS MISSING ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbuHKuyDRc&feature=related )

After being in a few bands he started Rainbow with Ritchie Blackmore in the mid 70's, where they took the early Metal sound (basically heavy blues) and added more exotic inspirations darker lyrical inspirations and orchestral elements, most noticeable in songs like STARGAZER ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6W7jMURpGU )

He later joined Black Sabbath after the departure of Ozzy Osbourne where he was responsible for their Heaven and Hell album (this is the title song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riwxbh_n_WM )

After he left Black Sabbath he created his own solo band Dio, where despite being a predominately metal band (with hits like Holy Diver, which nearly everyone knows, whether they know it or not, so I wont bother linking), his other influences occasionally came through with tracks like THIS IS YOUR LIFE ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku--QYJQsPo )

He remained in Dio until his passing in 2010 (with a break in 1991 to rejoin Black Sabbath, and then in the mid 00's to join Heaven and Hell, which was Black Sabbath without having to pay Ozzy royalties)

His diversity is something that I love about his music, not just the range of styles, but the fact he could pull them all off fantastically, I hope that linking some of his music here encourages some people here to listen and maybe discover something they like :)

Dylan, Simon, Newman, Steely Dan and loads of jazz stuff e.g. Ellington, Evans, Davis, Peterson, Tatum...

Sorry! Beach Boys are second to The Beatles for me.

Mccartney/Lennon were the greatest songwriters of all time during the Beatles years. BW had the talent to match them but other things got in the way for him.

Ryan Adams

Don, next to the Beach Boys, The Beatles (aka The Quarrymen, Johnny & The Moondogs, and Silver Beetles) are the music of my life. There will NEVER be another group like them. EVER.  And, uh, I've known about The Beatles since I got my first album when I was a little kid - "Alvin & The Chipmunks Sing The Beatles Hits". When I was 9, my Mom thought the Beatles were a little too heavy for me and decided to get me acquainted with their music through a cartoon show on TV that I liked at the time..

Know what I got for Christmas in 1966?  "The Beatles - Yesterday & Today".  An original paste-over of the "Butcher cover"!

The Moody Blues, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Pink Floyd, Phil Spector, The Who, ELO, Flying Buritto Brothers,Bob Dylan, The Band, Jethro Tull, The Zombies, Fleetwood Mac, and Chuck Berry.    

The Holy Triumvirate for me, are the Beach Boys, Dylan and the Who. Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan and Pete Townshend are the greatest songwriters of our time in my book, however I could name another 10 I whose music I would not like to live without!

The Ramones

1. Beach Boys
2. The Ramones

Two greatest bands in history :) :)

3. Moodies
4. Kinks

I'm sold!

Dio was the greatest metal singer ever and both Heaven & Hell/Mob Rules are right up there at the top of the greatest metal/hard rock albums of all time!

After the Beach Biys?"

Torn between John Martyn and Neil Young…

then:
Dennis Wilson (can he count?)
Jethro Tull
Kate Rusby
The Beatles
The Wombles (seriously!)
The Darts
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Dan Arborise

I agree! (Dehumanizer was good too, for early 90's metal, the track COMPUTER GOD is pretty darn good if you haven't heard it)

Have you heard an album he done with Rainbow called RISING? That is another fantastic Hard Rock/Metal album which I STRONGLY recommend if you haven't heard it.

Oasis

Oh yeah, I love the Rainbow stuff!!!!

Holy Diver is, of course, a classic too!

We should do a best metal singers ever thread!!!!

Not a big metal fan but you have gotten my interest in this.


My favorite next to the Beach Boys in terms of unhealthy level of  interest?  I've had others in the past but in recent years I have a rekindled intense interest in the Grateful Dead.  The eighties live material.  What sparked this rekindled interest?  Listening to other groups covers of Dead songs.  Then going back to the source and listening to those long plodding thunderous blues/jazz flavored live performances.

Blur!!!!!!!

j/k


Ah, I miss the 90's when bands had wars with each other  ;D

The Dead are way up there for me too! LOVE THEM!!!

The Beach Boys

(huge gap)

The Beatles

(another big gap)

Cat Stevens, Elliott Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, NOFX, No Use For A Name, Lagwagon, Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Green Day, Rage Against The Machine, Tiger Army, Bayside, Bad Religion, Elvis, Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, Shelter, Ignite...

It's hard to place any group above the Beatles, but Hall & Oates, the Moody Blues, and XTC are my more personal obsessions. Queen, ELO, Roxy Music, the High Llamas, Stereolab, Swing Out Sister, and Pizzicato Five are other bands that I love. If you include solo artists Todd Rundgren, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder are all tops in my book.

It varies so much for me.

The Beach Boys will always be my number one. But some weeks I'm really into Coldplay, other weeks I listen to nothing but Bob Dylan. Others the Doors, The Zombies, The Beatles, U2, Dennis Wilson,  Eminem, Sum 41, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Armin Van Buuren.

I'm all over the place when it comes to favorites.

I forgot Neil and CSN! Edit edit........and the Doors.........how could I furget??

Personally, My main interest is one that can change without warning - To be perfectly honest I'm quite an excessive Oasis fan along with The Beach Boys, but don't worry, I bought the SMiLE box set before it was even officially released, so I must still have some credibility. And yes, the Beatles are up there too, but I think it's all down to obsessions for me - Beatles led to beach Boys (Pet Sounds being linked to Sgt. pepper so much), but i have no idea how I got into Oasis.... (But I seriously think its a tad excessive, but I love it!)

Along with the Beach Boys/BW; a-ha, Prefab Sprout, Tears for Fears, The Ark, Thomas Dolby -- all of whom I could write extensive essays on with gusto. Alongside Bob Dylan, Elvis, The Ronettes, The Crystals (and select other Spector artists), Ladyhawke, Donkeyboy, The Smiths and Morrissey (but I have to be in the/a mood), Glen Campbell and The High Llamas.

CSN, The Go-Betweens, The Triffids, The Band, Mink Deville (Willy DeVille), Stephen Cummings (Sports).

In terms of sheer OBSESSION? 

1. The Beach Boys
2. The Boston Red Sox
3. The New England Patriots

But I don't think this was the point of your question, so....

In terms of MUSIC?
1. The Beach Boys

2. The Eagles
2a. Fleetwood Mac

Beach Boys obviously being number 1

My second place would have to go to, Van Morrison, Dylan, Beatles, Zeppelin, Prince, Eminem

I can't choose

Actually, Mac would be 2b, since the Eagles are 2a...

As for me: at the moment, Daniel Ingram

The Moody Blues, followed by Os Mutantes, The Doors, and Serge Gainsbourg.

1. The Beach Boys
2. The Replacements
3. Husker Du
4. The Lovin' Spoonful

listed in order of post BB obsession with links to what got me in:

The Smiths - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRtW1MAZ32M&feature=related

They Might Be Giants - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dQLkxz6c2E&feature=fvwrel

The Who - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8dSBWysmnM

Billy Bragg - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4v8VJ0LRgA

Pixies - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDw-hTuwcvA

REM - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf6vCjtaV1k

The Go-Betweens - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1s6FCEoZM

The Triffids - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6y1nISLVq4

The Jam - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE1ct5yEuVY&ob=av2n

Anything by these god forsaken Kiwis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeuy8PD0bFM, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlVQyJHBKzY, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKWkK1tJxdw

Horace Silver - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLdm1yuoU_Q

And finally, these guys, who were nice enough to include one of my photos in the booklet for their recent retrospective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAwzhYMtIh0

Not sure who would be number two, it would be out of the following:

The Beatles
The Byrds
Weezer
The Monkees

Who??   

probably Steely Dan

but also:
Kinks
Grateful Dead
Byrds (mostly Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, and Clarence White)
Flying Burrito Bros.
Ween
The Who
CCR
Stevie Wonder
Burt Bacharach
Thelonious Monk
Antonio Carlos Jobim

the Beatles and the Stones ain't bad either. and that Dylan guy.

I'm a big fan of classic country too:
Hank Sr, Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, George Jones, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Gainsbourg

AC/DC
Genesis
Volbeat
Bloodhound Gang
Status Quo

Stereolab

I'd list Stereolab as one of my favorites as well as

The Beatles
The Who
Beck
Pavement
Sonic Youth
Fiery Furnaces
Velvet Underground

The Electric Light Orchestra is probably my second favorite band after The Beach Boys, though Steely Dan comes very close, as well.

1. Beach Boys
2. Pearls Before Swine
3. Kinks
4. Love
5. Lee Hazlewood

1. Beatles (The red album was my start)
2. Jackson Browne (Solo Acoustic)
3. The Beach Boys ( Pet Sounds)

No. 2 band for me is Jethro Tull. Nice to see they made a couple of other folks' lists.

Easily in my top 10 all time best. Easily. I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I said that Jeff Lynne is a genius. Right up there with the best writers in Rock & Roll history. Why ELO is not in the Hall is beyond me!

Im to lazy to write my list cause 3 people already listed my favorites..Mikie..SmileBrian..Bossaroo..Noticed no one mentioned Steve Winwood/Traffic. + G.Dead.. love The Kinks + Jethro Tull  Steely Dan nice to see them mentioned here. I also love Every Famous Jazz Guitar player + blues players of renown. nice to see such wide ranging interests in different genres of music. Obviously there is a lot of knowledge + musicians + collectors posting here..GREAT TOPIC.!

The beauty of these kind of posts are reminders of things you hadn't thought about for a while - ELO were my first OCD band before the BB's, and I haven't thought about them in sometime, I can feel a Rockaria comin' on

i'll also add josh rouse.  He's pretty great.  pick up the album nashville for pop perfection.


madferit!

Beach Boys
Bread
Monkees
Eagles
Genesis
Toto
Moodies
... a host of others  8) (Poco, Byrds, Association. F.Mac ...)

Arrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

So you've heard every song ever written?

Queen (all eras plus solo) are my all time favourite band
Then Beach Boys (and solo) / Led Zeppelin (and solo)
Then in a vague and changeable order:
Genesis (70s, Gabriel and early Collins era)
Black Sabbath (70s and early 80s basically Ozzy and Dio stuff)
Steely Dan (70s)
Pink Floyd (60s and 70s)
The Beatles (and solo, especially McCartney)
The Rolling Stones (60s and 70s)
The Byrds (later era plus offshoot acts - gram, gene, burritos)
David Bowie (60s and 70s)
Saint Etienne
Nick Lowe
Neil Young (60s and 70s)
Abba
Dion Dimucci
Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham era)
Kate Bush
The Everly Brothers
Harry Nilsson
INXS
Simon and Garfunkel/Paul Simon
Velvet Underground (plus early Lou Reed and John Cale solo)
Salad
Hall and Oates (70s and 80s)
Stackridge
Goldfrapp
Ron Sexsmith
Yes (60s and 70s)
The Who (60s and 70s)
The Waterboys

Second favorite band? Stone Temple Pilots (before the reunion...I hate hate hate HATE their latest album), followed closely by Pink Floyd.

For me, The Beatles and Pink Floyd are tied with The Beach Boys for the first place.

Other bands/artists I like : The Kinks, Aerosmith (the 70's), Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Simon & Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Paul McCartney & Wings etc.

Nice choice, "Piece Of Pie" is one of my favourite songs ever

Core is a stone cold classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwB0zcx96-A&feature=related

Check out what he says at around 1:15

This is nearly impossible for me to decide. I got about 20 different albums for Christmas by 15 different artists. At this point I haven't even memorized any of the words or anything. Its too much. I've heard so much music in the last month that I don't even know what my favorite is even. I know before Christmas I was on a Beach Boys binge for about three months. Before that it was britpop. Before that rap. Before that punk. Before that Beatles. Before that the Who. Before that The Beatles. Before that Radiohead. Thats just what i was listening to constantly. But if at this point I had to list my favorites in order at this point it would be

Beach Boys
Bob Dylan
The Who
Kinks
Pink Floyd
Radiohead
Beatles
Led Zeppelin
CSN(Y)
Byrds
60's pre-greatness bands (Buffalo Springfield, Yardbirds, Small Faces)

Spiritualized.

NRBQ

Oh, his TV appearances after 1984 or so are simultaneously hilarious and pathetic. He was almost always drunk from that period onward.

However, this incident is a classic case of Gainsbourg being his provocative self and succeeding admirably at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ITKLbictI - Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Gainsbourg playing Constipation Blues on two pianos. Priceless.

The Who, followed closely by the Kinks.

The fab four

Two words - Pink Floyd. One of my roommates from a college program I did a while back turned me onto them, and I became obsessed. Definitely my second favorite band after the Beach Boys.

I 2nd that! amen!!

Beach Boys, Ramones, Jan&Dean, Queers, Surf Punks-

My Top 2 have been the same for 20 years:

1. The Beach Boys (and solo acts)
2. Basia (she has nothing to do with the Beach Boys, but this woman has the most gorgeous voice you'll ever hear, and much like the Beach Boys, even her sad songs sound happy!  Her Polish accent adds extra charm to most of her music)

Other rotating but consistent favorites in my top 10:

Jan & Dean (this is a given for many fans of early BB, favorite album "Save For A Rainy Day")

The Surfaris (consistently top 5 or 6...there are tracks that I could listen to daily and not get tired of!)

Los Tucanes De Tijuana (#3 for several years for me, interest has waned somewhat...like the Beach Boys, they have a lead singer with a somewhat nasal voice, and many of their hits are fun and "bouncy" and happy-sounding)

The Doobie Brothers (probably the current #3, been a consitent favorite for many many years, their latest album is great!)

Annette Funicello (her quirky style and unique voice and bright sunny music do it for me)

Jesse McCartney (laugh if you like, but he's got pipes, solid songwriting skills, and puts a lot of work into his craft)

Jody Watley (her early stuff, and her recent stuff, not so much the stuff in between)

Heard "Black Water" today on the radio, Eric, and thought to add them to my list of favorites here. From my neck o' the woods, and I like them best with Tom Johnston and without Michael McDonald!

Oh man, "Black Water" is one of my favorites...

Ah, Pat Simmons wrote that - a good guy! There's a lot of live versions of Black Water that I've heard over the years and love 'em all. When they go to different cities, instead of "Mississippi Moon won't you keep on shinin' on me", sometimes they'll change "Mississippi" to whatever city they're in and the crowd roars! I asked Tom Johnston once about Skunk Baxter and he denied ever knowing him!

After the Beach Boys:
1.Actually TIED w/the BB's can only be................Genesis
Anything from "Trespass" (1970) til "Duke" in 1980. 'Supper's Ready' is still the Greatest song ever written.

2. RUSH  - what more can be said about the most awesome 3-piece band ever! 1974-1982.

3. Gary Numan  - Huge influence musically on me!

4. Roxy Music  -  Bryan Ferry & Co. are still unbeatable to this day as far as innovation and artistry.

5. Marillion  -   The Fish era was incomprable!

6. Cat Stevens  -  what more can be said..............Harold & Maude!

7. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, King Diamond, Motorhead, Ozzy {w/Randy Rhoads}, MSG

8. Jethro Tull -  "Passion Play" and "Thick as a Brick"
  
 Bri~

Same here!  There are some songs from the beginning of the Michael McDonald era that I like, but once he was fully established, his sound totally took over and the band was totally different...not totally bad, but very very different.

I like your list!
 

Had the same debate with a few mates of mine in the pub tonight , one of my mates listed his second fav as the BB's behind the Beatles ( never knew it ) and his fav BB's song is 'When I grow Up' cool............... Better than Madness etc that the others came up with  :)

My collection ( other tha BB's ) is around 2000 CD's/Albums etc.. and quite frankly runs from ABBA to ZZ Top , I just love music but if i live to 150 years old will never have to time to listen to all of it HOWEVER push comes to shove i listen to ( The Most ) and love the following ;-

Nick Drake
The Stranglers ( Great Band )
XTC ( Bloody love them )
ELO
Led Zep
J Geils Band
Wondermints
Prefab Sprout
The Who
ELO
Fleetwood Mac ( All Genres )
Korgis / Stackridge
ABBA
Simon & Garfunkel

The list could go on and on but probably 2nd fav is possibly a split between XTC and The Stranglers

It's a toss up between  The Beatles & The Rolling Stones :) Though i have been hooked on Pink Floyd/Radiohead/The Smiths lately.

Thanks!

Band : The Beatles

Artist: Van Morrison ("Jackie Wilson Said" is 2:59 of perfection).

Another Band that either is forgotten or nobody ever knew is Beaver Brown.  They were dismissed as Springsteen wannabes but that was not fair.   There is as much a Beach Boys influence (with an East coast Twist) as Springsteen, especially in their 70's stuff.

Check out 1!:05 of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ8UkWp3pGo

Check out 0:54 of this (and the part starting at 3:37 is alot more Brian than Bruce:

http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=aR8r0OJXBpY


Plus, at some point in the 80's John Cafferty said that "Eddie and ther Cruisers" was the story of SMiLE.

You like ELO twice as much as the other bands, eh Rob?  I really like them two!  ;D

2000 CD's and albums........................damn.

Favorite album for me is either Tiny Music or Shangri-La Di Da. Also, there are a LOT of similarities between Weiland and Brian (and not strictly musical)...

Lots trash Michael McDonald but Tom's sole song on Taking It To The Streets is the weakest track on the record and by Minute By Minute, several of Pat's were fairly crap. By the second half of the 70's the original band template had run out of steam.

My bad about ELO can i kindly cop out and say ELO and ELP ? and next to the 2000 odd CD's there is the BB's and related collection which runs into bloody hundreds , and im yet to transfer a whole load of old 'Live' tapes ( tapes , remember them ? ) onto hard drive/cd , but there really isn't enough time in life  :-\

You Sir, have magnificent taste. Not come across another Sprouts-fan outside of the PS forum. I actually discovered Smile through them; the liner notes of "Let's Change the World With Music" to be specific.

Mine has to be Led Zeppelin...

The Zit Remedy. Classic late 80's/early 90's Canadian Band.

Wishbone Ash!



No, just kidding  ;D

The Beatles
Midnight Oil
Depeche Mode
Pink Floyd
Queen

The Beach Boys are the only band I like.

Unless Big Band counts.

Does Glen Miller count?

Or does it have to be post 1956, AKA "Of All Time"

Big Star

Well, I do love Duke Ellington more than I have loved some girlfriends....

Another shout out for the Sprouts! My favourite is Steve McQueen.

EELS.

Me 2. Also the Allman Brothers.

Van Morrison and Stevie Wonder up to a point (Stevie up to and including Hotter Than July; Van up to and including Beautiful Vision; after that, meh...)

Beach Boys, John Denver, the Misfits, T. Rex, Sunset Rubdown, Modest Mouse

I used to be really into the Beatles when I first got into music and I really overplayed them and now I can't really listen to them too often anymore.

this is a Sunset Rubdown music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekqe8gftvSU

VERY difficult question, but leaving aside classical music I'll say the Duke Ellington Orchestra (wonderfully inventive instrumental harmonies and fantastic sounds...not unlike Pet Sounds-era backing tracks). My dad used to listen to a lot of big band stuff, and that's how I first got into it. "Mood Indigo" instrumental version is a great example of their earlier work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiOEzDiL6as

i agree 100%

one of the best singers of all time

saw him when he toured with H&H and his voiced still amazed me

90s Weezer!

Quite honestly, The Buddy Rich Big Band. Never saw anything like it before. Pat Metheny's right up there with him.

Oh come on, OSD! We all know Celebration is your 2nd favorite band by a mile!!!

Well The BBs are #1 by a landslide, but at distant second for me is The Band

I like that they're extremely unique. They're not really "Southern Rock", Country, or strait ahead Rock N Roll. IMO they were like Rock, Country, R&B, Bluegrass, etc rolled all into one. They had a sound totally unto themselves. Plus they were killer musicians and the Helm, Danko, Manuel blend was gorgeous.

I became a fan of The Band by (stupidly) watching The Kids Are Alright. At the risk of offending people, I must say I hate the Who (their "music" is unpleasant noise to my ears, I don't like their attitudes, and the fact that smashing guitars is as important to their popularity as their sound represents everything I hate about what "music" has become). Anyway, I watched this show ridiculously enough just to see if Keith Moon mentioned his Beach Boy obsession (I think he did). When it finally ended I was so traumatized, disgusted, & incensed that when the next show came on (The Last Waltz aka the anti Who & The Kids Are Alright) I was instantly hooked because they were like saviors from the hell my eyes and ears had been through, lol. Plus they got major points when I spotted Loretta's daddy on the drums (Levon Helm) ;D

Best example of their music, imo, is It Makes No Difference (at least that's my favorite). Other favorites are I Shall Be Released, Stage Fright, Up On Cripple Creek, & Evangeline.
 
My 3rd and 4th favorite bands are CCR & The Eagles.

But my all time favorite, be all end all singers/musicians (in no order) are: The Beach Boys, Elvis, Hank Sr, George Jones, Faron Young, Patsy Cline, & Loretta Lynn :listening
Runners up: Marty Robbins, Buck & His Buckaroos, Merle Haggard, Sam Cooke, Connie Francis, The Drifters, The Platters, The Shirelles, Alan Jackson, & The Dixie Chicks

This is fabulous. I have seen The Kids Are Alright about a thousand times, but now I feel the need to go watch it again! Bad attitudes, unpleasant noise, smashed guitars, traumatizing, disgusting, incensing, that is The Who alright, the greatest rock and roll band of all time (I wouldn't define The Beach Boys as rock and roll full stop). You just defined them perfectly, and also why they aren't The Eagles, thank God.

speaking of the greatest singers of all-time, how in the hell did i forget RAY CHARLES?!!!!


I should also mention that I'm not a big fan of The Who's post-Tommy output.

For what it's worth, my favorite bands are:
1) Beach Boys

2) Stone Temple Pilots
3) Pink Floyd
4) Rolling Stones
5) Roxy Music
6) Foo Fighters
7) Alice in Chains
8) The Go-Gos
9) Depeche Mode
10) Nirvana

Second favorite artist behind Brian Wilson is Tom Waits.

Beside Beach Boys/BW, it's:


Pixies/Frank Black
Guided By Voices/Robert Pollard
Devo
Weezer
Beatles
Kinks
Dylan

Weezer? More like :rock

Seriously love Weezer though, I knew that Jonas is also a fan and it's good to see that we're not the only ones. It's also very interesting to see the wide range of tastes that people have outside of the Beach Boys.

I like Weezer as well, but I'm just now getting into them.

I consider these to be the best, most original and most consistent bands of all time, and therefore also my favorites.

The Band
The Beatles
of Montreal
The Zombies
Dungen
Genesis ('70-'78)

Sorry, Genesis were just a second-rate Marillion rip-off     :lol

First place is Beatles/Beach Boys

Second place is Frank Sinatra/Elvis Presley


 8)

Oh f***, I did too! Brb, spinning Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music for the rest of the day.

The Beatles are my 2nd fave.

In recent years, I  have been more interested in arrangers than performers:

Claus Ogerman - Al Capps - Jerry Gray - Nelson Riddle - Jack Nitzsche - Oliver Nelson - Jimmy Haskell - Burt Bacharach - Ferd Grofe - Fletcher Henderson - Neal Hefti - Henry Mancini - Charles Mingus - Gil Evans and on and on...

1. The Beatles
2. The  Beach Boys
3. The Rolling Stones
4. Michael Jackson
5. Marvin Gaye

The Cranberries.

Their second album, No Need To Argue. has a real feel and mood to it that I never get tired of just as I never get tired of Pet Sounds. They are also back together with a new album and tour coming up this year so it's a great time to be me.

 :rock

I love Genesis, but it's tough to forgive 'em for letting Phil Collins solo career onto the world.

Particularly the original Marshall Tucker Band,  Asleep At The Wheel, Boz Scaggs, Young Rascals, Santana, Carole King (OK, she's not a band, I know), Creedence, Doors, at least some of it, Byrds, Beatles, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Paul Butterfield Blues Band when they existed, particularly with Mike Bloomfield . . . . . .  also enjoy Cal Tjader, Eddie Duran and the rest of the old 50's - 60's North Beach SF latin jazz scene, 40's big band, Stan Getz . . . . . roots country . . . . . . never really into the new stuff the last 20 years, but then I'm an old guy. In any event, it's the Beach Boys and then whatever else.

Beatles, Radiohead, Animal Collective, the Doors, Floyd, and Arcade Fire are probably my favorites.  Also, Miles Davis. Love that guy.

what's your favorite radiohead album? :] and floyd album?

The Beatles, easily.

I'm also a huge fan of The Association (who sang Beach Boys-esque songs), Frank Zappa, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Simon & Garfunkel.

01.   Beach Boys including solo work - Started with the 93 boxset, WTF when the smile songs first played, realized greatness, obsession since...

02.   Billy Joel – 70’s - started with the greatest hits 80's cds, great catchy melodies, now I have everything...


RUNNER UP'S
03.   Weezer – my son’s name is Rivers. (not obsessed, just liked the name!)
04.   Barenaked Ladies including solo work
05.   Blondie
06.   Cake
07.   Carpenters
08.   Cars
09.   ELO
10.   Elton John – 70’s
11.   Hanson
12.   Kenny Rogers – 70’s, early 80’s - current obsession, some of his early records may surprise!
13.   Los Lonely Boys
14.   No Doubt
15.   Paul McCartney – including Beatles
16.   Shakira
17.   She and Him
18.   Queen

I listen to vinyl versions of albums whenever possible.  Huge vinyl and cd collection.   

Honorabe Mentions: Buddy Holly, Chicago, Elvis, Four Seasons, Lily Allen, Michael Jackson, Maroon 5, okay I need to stop....

Queen, Michael Jackson, The Strokes, The Libertines, The Violent Femmes, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kanye West, Elliott Smith

The First Edition
The Rolling Stones
The Beatles
The Who
Small Faces
Jackson 5
The Pink Floyd

I fucking hate Queen.  Love Elliott Smith, though

My Bloody Valentine, Run DMC

In no particular order:

Beatles
Monkees
Beach Boys
Boston (RIP Brad!)
Eagles
Barenaked Ladies (prior to their split, as well as Steve Page's solo stuff)
Roxette
Jefferson Starship (74-85)
Tony Scalzo & Fastball
Rick Springfield
Bangles
Json Mraz
Sister Hazel
Gin Blossoms
Iron Maiden (through 1986)
ELO
Little River Band
Temptations
Four Tops
The Who
Queen
The Cars
and a bunch of (guilty pleasure) 80's Metal  :P

Beatles and AC/DC, the Bon Scott years plus Back in Black.
ELO
CCR
Doobie Brothers
The Band
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Moody Blues
Bread
America
The Clash

Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Porcupine Tree, Transplants, The Libertines

Mostly The Beach Boys now though. They've got something for every kind of mood.

Stone Temple Pilots & Radiohead are the best bands to come from the 90's, most people would say nirvana but i don't agree with that.

They sure do

Sparks

Grizzly Bear

America.  Not everyone gets to see their top two favorites on the same bill. Loved it the several times I saw them open for The Beach Boys.

XTC, Jellyfish,  a-ha!

a-ha are my favourite band alongside the Beach Boys, good shout, Sir.

Can't fault a-ha.
Pal Waaktaar - Savoy ,  song writer extraordinaire.
The albums, Minor Earth (2000), Lifelines (2002), Foot of the Mountain (2009) are just, well...  great stuff!

Lucky you!  That would have been fantastic  :)

Agreed. Unfairly dismissed because of their early image (where have I heard that before?) even though their first 2 albums were pop masterpieces in themselves. And Foot of the Mountain may well be the finest album I've heard from the last decade, plus it gets me real emotional since it's their final album. Top band, top band.

At this moment it's either the Doors, Bob Dylan, or Coldplay (*waits for the collective gasp from fellow posters* lol).

:O what's wrong with Queen?! Great lyrics, vocals, interesting arrangements and electrifying live shows - what's not to love?! That being said, I have to cut a little slack as you are an Elliott Smith fan!

Yknow who I hate? Radiohead. Theyre so pretentious, I just cant listen to them. To be fair, this is going from an oasis fan but oh god thom york sucks

OH man have you read that quote by Thom about his song Street Spirit? You'd think that he'd written the greatest, most saddest song of all time and you're a puppy if you don't "get" it.

The Misfits, T. Rex, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, Sunset Rubdown, Broken Social Scene, and yes, Radiohead. and if you don't listen to a band because people in the band say stupid things you shouldn't listen to any band ever. Especially the Beach Boys.

Pretentious =/= stupid

gah! I am by no means a Radiohead-head but "Exit Music for  a Film" is one of the most beautiful songs ever! And pretty much all of In Rainbows! Come on!

There is some music that I love and connect with so much that I can't help but learn everything I possibly can about it and the people that produced it. Radiohead is absolutely not one of those, but the music speaks for itself, imo.

And yeah a lot of their fans are drippy deebees but that can be ignored, right?

I used to really like Radiohead up until Amnesiac, which was their first record that I thought was a little boring. Didn't pay much attention to what came afterwards...

Still I have to say that when Kid A came out in 2000 it was an incredibly exciting record for its time and it probably still holds up today.

For some reason my favorite album of theirs has always been The Bends.

atta boy!


There are some really interesting bands listed here, great responses guys.

For me: NRBQ, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead.

The band that I've probably spent even more time and money on than the beach boys would be.......Widespread Panic. Saw them for the first time when I was 17 in the summer of '93 and saw them another 70 or so times up to 2002 when Michael Houser died. Probably seen them 6 or 7 times since.

it feels great to see how many of you enjoy radiohead :) it took me quite a while to understand their music but once i did i became extremely addicted to everything by them...let's just say their music isn't for everyone.

My top three bands (in no particular order) are The Beatles, The Searchers, and The Hollies. Being a (somewhat) recent BB/BW fanatic, I'm not sure where I would place them. Probably Top Five though  :thewilsons

It took me a while to understand it too but once I did I had the opposite reaction and I've virtually never listened to them again.

wow :/ why?

Because there really is no substance to their music, which is fine usually but not when it masquerades as being something that does have substance. I find Radiohead to be empty, cold, emotionless, trifling, and silly and all of this is exacerbated by the fact that they take it so seriously.

Stones/Moodies/Kinks/Velvets

Where are the ramones? ;)

I put them up there equal to the Beach Boys as the two greatest bands of all-time :)

(http://i.saucesome.net/BPi.gif)

the kkk took my baby away :/

The KKK Took My Baby Away is f*cking amazing, what are you talking about. In fact, I am going to listen to it right now. At earsplitting volume. In a library. At 2am.

That whole album is great!!!!!! Pleasant Dreams!

WE WANT THE AIRWAVES!!!!!

actually that's one of my favorites from them :) and i love it ..especially since the outro has such a beach boys feel with the harmonizing vocals

never said they said stupid things.  again, did you see i listed oasis as one of my favorite bands? obviously band members saying stupid things doesn't bother me.  but interpretive dancing to your own song in a music video...oh man...if you do that, then you deserve this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xgeT2hzxrQ

:lol oasis is extremely over-rated.

Love (Arthur Lee).Dylan.Moodys,Doors,Beatles.Van the Man,Yardbirds..............

The Beach Boys
Yo La Tengo
The Byrds
Velvet Underground
The Beastie Boys
Nirvana
The Beatles
Crosby Stills Nash & Young
The Shins
The Eels
Stone Temple Pilots
Radiohead
Blink 182
Weezer
The Pixies

not really, i think they've earned the disregard they've gotten over the years.  albums 3-5 are baaaaad...BAAAAAAD.  but albums 1 and 2 are full on rock n roll pop classics. 

radiohead 4 albums are classic...3 well received by critics and 1 albums that is considered trash by some(mostly radiohead fans) which is their debut.

Forgot about that :rock

debut probably isn't pretentious enough.  but are you really trying to compare radiohead and oasis?  kinda completely different.  Obviously i'd pick oasis every time.  i'll take the band that likes to have fun and rock out. not the "woe is me, i'm an aartist, i'm gonna give away this album for freeee and everyone will loove us for it, because we're going against the label and being independent! (never mind that we're only doing this because the label wouldn't give us all the money we wanted)"

and i'm not saying oasis were better musicians or anything like that.  i just like them way more. 

Anyone here a fan of Blind Melon's Soup album? I'm not a huge fan of their self titled debut, but Soup blows me away every time. Out of all the gifted young artists who died way too early, Shannon Hoon's death is the biggest dissapointment to me. I can only imagine how great their third album would have been.

Buffalo Springfield (CSNY) ~ whatever they call themselves, individually or collectively.  ;)

That's funny to find a thread like this on the board, because my second favorite band released a new album yesterday: Die Ärzte.

I bought their new album as a vinyl set yesterday and listened to it, and it was today I discovered they had a CD containing the full album in the box as well. It was disguised as a wheel of fortune as part of an included board game, kind of a sales gimmick. I noticed it had the size of a CD, then that I could take it of its socket, but the down side was completely black. Out of curiosity I put it into the CD player, and it played. There was no note the vinyl set contained the CD, in fact it was promoted that the vinyl set would contain a download code for mp3 versions. I wonder if most of the vinyl set buyers already discovered that.

The new album isn't that exciting though, especially compared to their three previous ones. But their voices are still excellent an nearly 50 years of age, especially compared to the voices of the Beach Boys when they were nearing 40... :wink

Incidentally, they did a cover of "The KKK took my baby away" in German language in the early 90s.

So they weren't at the forefront of one of the most significant music scenes of the last thirty years? Are you suggesting that didn't happen?

What the hell is this logic? just listen to the music.

and are you really making fun of Radiohead for giving away an album for free?

i think it's funny they got all this credit for going against the music industry when really all they wanted was more money and the label wouldn't give it to them.  and i have listened to them, some good stuff. 

(http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/12217765/Thom+Yorke+thom+tour+2008+red+pants+10.jpg)

who contributed more to rock and roll in the 90's? oasis or radiohead?(creatively)

Saying Oasis were at the forefront of the "Britpop" revolution is like saying Three Dog Night were at the forefront of early 70's American rock.

Oasis was absolutely the face of britpop in the 90s.  Blur, suede, the verve, pulp nor supergrass were as big in the mid 90s.   And three dog definitely didn't have the cultural impact in the states that oasis had in England

That band that John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were in was quite good, I think they were called The Quarrymen. Shame they never did anything after that initial skiffle era.

Oasis. Although, to be fair, there would have been no Travis or Coldplay without Radiohead. So they got that.

Oasis will always be remembered as one of the best 90's but radiohead will always be remembered as one of the best groups of all time..not just by me or my peers but by musicians period.
look ----->http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/radiohead-19691231

They were at the popular forefront. Not the creative forefront, by a long shot.

Good lord, you're starting to sound like an annoying Beatles fan who thinks its necessary to constantly post their greatness.  Its radiohead, they're acclaimed.  Everyone knows.  There's no point to make

No one said they were haha, and theyve never tried to be, which is probably why their middle years were so bad.  They've always said we're just a rock in roll band who wrote some classics. But comparing them to three dog night is already laughable

Radiohead really take themselves too seriously for my taste.

Your lack of proper punctuation is laughable. And what the hell is "rock in roll"? "No one said they were haha"? Go bother someone who cares, good luck finding someone.

Sorry chum, typing on an iPad.  It likes to autocorrect things like rock n roll.  But please don't go, I love talking to assholes,.,.,,.,.,,,,!!,!"'??.,,,,,,.I'd love to talk grammar with you, and try to understand that I was laughing at you because you were countering to a point that no one made :) ,,.,l. I'm sorry I drove you away :(:(:(:(:(:(:(

Ok, well, subjective. I think the opposite. This song screwed with my head for a good 6 months: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qvv-LpTBWVk

Also Thom's voice is powerful and unique enough to keep him on lists of top rock vocalists of all time. I love him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmQe_eBvrc

They essentially created what is understood to be the Britpop sound. That's about as creative as it gets.

The list was compiled by "55 musicians, writers, and industry executives." Even if we are being generous and say that 70% of those 55 were musicians - that accounts for about 39 people. Hardly a major sampling. Rolling Stone is a junk magazine anyway and the fact that Dave Matthews is singing their praises hardly convinces me. Furthermore, they placed 73rd in a list of Best Artists that was compiled by, estimating generously, 39 musicians, only eleven years after the band started releasing music (eight years have passed since this list came out). That definitely does not allow anyone to plausibly conclude that they "will always be remembered as one of the best groups of all time...by musicians period."

great song choices :) check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkeVkYq8Es

Which is weird, because their debut is my favorite one by them.

               Queen............ in my view they didn't release one poor track in thier whole career.

I don't mind the occasional Britpop. But honestly, with the exception of Oasis, it seems like the rest of Britpop was only a footnote over here in the States. I can't speak for mid-90s hipsters (or whatever the equivalent was at that time), but in small-town-redneck-land when I was a kid the big non-C&W musical things circa '94-'96 seemed to be Hootie and the Blowfish, Alanis Morrissete, Dave Matthews, Deep Blue Something, the Cranberries, etc. The only Blur song to really get any airplay where I'm from is "Song 2". And as sad as this sounds, I was aware of the Gorillaz before I'd even heard of Blur.

their first album is still a great effort ..the reason why they disregard it is ..well if you compare it to anything else they released you'll understand why.

RH should have been marketed as a singles act rather than an album act. Too much inconsistency. I don't care how "experimental" they get. The songwriting quality just isn't there on a lot of their post-Bends stuff. "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Ripcord" get me pumped up, get my fingers tapping, get me singing along..."15 Step" gets me rolling my eyes and hitting the skip button.

Goes pretty much like this:  Beatles, Brian Wilson, Queen, The Turtles, The Monkees, Michael Nesmith (solo), The Who, George Harrison, Lovin' Spoonful, The Doors, The Band, Grateful Dead, etc. etc.

how about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkeVkYq8Es
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxKBUJ0z0Mk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAJ_EFt_gqU

15 Step is one of my favorite songs by them. I think it's really catchy!

Speaking of Radiohead, I am a big fan. Especially love Kid A and Amnesiac. As for my second favorite band behind the Beach Boys, it is Grandaddy. The lyrics, melodies and production of Jason Lytle is closest to the magic of Friends/Wild Honey/Love You type Beach Boys IMO.

I think that's pretty much true although there were things that had a degree of success. Blur was fairly successful with things other than Song 2. I remember Country House being fairly popular. Common People by Pulp was a pretty big hit overeseas too. Elastica were very popular. The Verve's Urban Hymns album was quite popular too, particular its lead-off single Bittersweet Symphony. But you're right, for the most part, Britpop was overlooked and it makes sense since Britpop was very much a reaction against American culture. But nevertheless, whether or not something is popular in the United States doesn't really mean much to me. Britpop is still a major movement.

If my last.fm plays are any indication, it seems after The Beach Boys comes Randy Newman. I think I would be okay with that, 12 Songs to Good Old Boys is as classic a run as it gets!

Little Feat is my favorite group....Brian Wilson is my favorite musician. The Beach Boys' material through KTSA is always fun to hear, although albums were spotty at times. The material up through Love You is great...there are a number of tunes on post Love You albums that are very enjoyable as well.

My second favorite group, behind the Beach Boys, is the Bee Gees.

I could be wrong but I think nobody has mentioned them in this thread. That's a little hard for me to understand given their similarity to the Beach Boys. (Great melodies, great harmonies, three brothers who didn't always get along, an image problem that deafened people to the music, . . . )

You are so right my friend..You totally read my mind. People forget about all the great records they made before SNF especially the first half dozen or so. I also enjoy "Life In A Tin Can" and "Mr Natural". A blend only blood could produce. A lot a drama and break-ups as well as tragedy.

What a great movement it was too.  People here never talk about super grass but they're so great too

Guitar-centric Britpop was a reacton against dance music, what's laughingly called r'n'b these days and rap too.

Oasis or John Hiatt?  Hiatt every time.

Hmm... hard to pick...

Probably either the Stones (Brian Jones era) or Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett era and the Roger Waters-led era)

It would be *really* hard for me to narrow down another "favorite."  Top contenders for that spot, though, would likely be:

Sleater-Kinney
Talking Heads
The Long Winters
Guided by Voices

Give me enough time to think and I'd probably double that list.  :)  I have a lot of diverse favorites.

I've probably said this already but I can't be arsed to trawl through the thread, so: Steely Dan. However, Paul Simon would be my next favourite artist, even before Becker and Fagen.

I don't think the Beach Boys are my favourite group anymore, it's probably Zappa with the BBs at 2.

The Band.

After that, it'd be a toss up between The Beatles, ELO, The Zombies, Frank Zappa, Phil Spector or King Crimson.

Have you seen a Zappa Plays Zappa or Grandmothers of Invention show? I've seen the latter - INCREDIBLE.

I would love to but I live in England where we only get sh*t like Sam Smith.

(http://www.elvis.net/photos/69/img/69way06.jpg)

Somedays Elvis is #1.
Somedays the Beach Boys are #1.

What's interesting to me, is while I like tons of other stuff -- I have to be in the mood for it.  Or I tire of it.  Or whatever.

But when Elvis or The Beach Boys knock on the door (which is like all the frickin' time) -- I always let them in.  And they wind up staying all night.  And we drink too much.  Talk about the good times.   :lol

On rare occasions Jim Morrison and the Doors come over and tend to stay awhile too.  But they don't come around nowhere as much as The King and "The Duke" (Brian Wilson is the Duke).

1 U2
2 Beatles
3 beach boys/BW

Some days the order shifts around.

Curious to know if you liked the Wild Flag album? I became a fan of Carrie's through Portlandia and picked up that CD and love it. The guitars are incredible....IMO.

It's either gotta be the Kinks or Harry Nilsson.
Although, I'm currently listening to "Circle Sky" and I am inclined to say Michael Nesmith.

+1   8)

I'm always so tempted to just start spewing links to cool Band stuff . 'GUYS HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ITS GARTH PLAYING MOZART IN THE MIDDLE OF DIXIE'.

Why isn't there a forum for The Band?  :( I'd be all over that.

The Kinks, probably.  Maybe it's because, like The Beach Boys, they have a really cool middle period that not that many people know well (The Kinks being pretty much defined by protopunk + Lola + an 80's hit in Come Dancing, like The Beach Boys are defined by surf/car songs + Good Vibrations + an 80's hit in Kokomo). The only time I hear a lot of these songs is when I actively seek them out, so I don't have to worry about them being overplayed and losing their lustre.

Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Zombies, The Cars, and Led Zeppelin would round out the list at the moment.  The Cars is probably the most unconventional choice of these, but I love how they combine elements of hard rock and new wave with a keen sense of melody as well.

Oh yes, absolutely, I loved that album - not only am I a fan of Carrie and Janet from S-K, but I am also a big fan of Mary Timony from her various works and like Rebecca Cole from The Minders.  Loved the album, and was fortunate enough to see them live in a nice cozy venue - GREAT show.

The Beach Boys aren't quite my all-time favourite group (although Brian has been responsible for several tracks I like almost more than anything else ever...), so that means that the following groups/individuals aren't necessarily 'second'... they're just a rotating cast of stuff I listen to a lot that I like.

eels/e (currently on HEAVY rotation... there's hardly anything I don't like! daisies of the galaxy is my overall favourite record, but he's been amazingly good throughout, really)
saint etienne (they just get better and better)
the divine comedy (with 'regeneration' the absolute highlight, but great stuff throughout)
pet shop boys (always something great in there somewhere, even if you have to pick and choose a bit lately...)
penguin café orchestra (if I wake up in the afterlife with this playing, I'll know I did OK)
paul simon (and that other guy he used to sing with... I like everything S&G did, apart from maybe baby driver, while Paul solo is less consistent, but he's still great)
orchestral manoeuvres in the dark (so they went a bit dodgy after 1983, sure... but I think everything they've done since 1989 is at least worth a listen or downright great, with the possible exception of sailing on the sodding seven seas)
1 giant leap (just... some of the best, multi-layered stuff ever... I enjoy it as a production, for its musicality, for its internationally collaborative spirit, for its thumping dance tunes, and for its wistful anthems of what it is to be human. oh, and the lyrics are pure poetry too)
new order (hardly a duff track, for me... even on the last three albums, which no-one else seems to like...)
xtc (later, post-skylarking: I'm a bit 'meh' before that, but from oranges and lemons on, I think they were incredible... nonsuch and apple venus are out of this world, right up there with my favourite music ever)
rufus wainwright
the beloved (1985-1991)
yann tiersen
the beatles (oh, just everything. they were and remain really quite good)
neil finn (in all of his various outfits, and with particular love for the weird and twisted crowded house of together alone and the offbeat but awesome first finn record, plus 'not the girl you think you are'. I'm not wild on the first CH album (that mid-80s drum sound! those horns! arrgh!), and I find temple of low men very patchy too, but great when it works)

Hmm. reviewing the above, I see there's not much out-and-out raaawk here... it seems it just doesn't do it for me, though I do like bands that have dabbled, like the Kinks (autumn almanac... yeah!) and John and Paul's guitar and drums combo, and I have the odd guilty pleasure like the stones' 'sympathy for the devil' and rainbow's 'since you been gone', weirdly. And for some reason I love jellyfish's really raucous tunes (as well as all their other stuff).

oh, and mozart and bach are great too in parts, but they did so many types of thing, it's hard to pick out favourites...

I thought I'd answered this long ago...

Anyway, my four favourites are, in an ever-changing order:

- The Beach Boys
- Captain Beefheart and His/The Magic Band
- Gary Numan (Tubeway Army if it has to be a band)
- U2 

Tough. But I'd say McCartney Solo, and Beatles as a group.

The Ramones

Cool. I'll check into those other groups. My wife always tells me to try listening to something new other than the Beach Boys or stuff I've had/heard for years and when I first put on the Wild Flag album she said "what is that, and what is that annoying woman screaming about"... too funny.

On point to the discussion The Cranberries would be my choice.

The Who

Then Beatles, Pink Floyd, Dylan, Band, Velvet Underground, Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Oasis, Supremes, Ramones, Neil Young, Gabriel-era Genesis, early Aerosmith, Pixies, Elton John and Stooges. Then more...

It's changed so many times... The Ramones, David Bowie, Queen, Pink, Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies, KMFDM, Thelonious Monk, Oingo Boingo, Extreme, Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter, The Beatles, Sheryl Crow, among others.

2nd favorite artist: Basia

2nd favorite band: The Doobie Brothers

Yay Extreme.  Saw their Pornograffiti tour last week.

The Beach Boys as well as the bands I've listed are among my favorites. I don't really have just one all-time favorite band.

The Beatles, Big Star, The Clash, The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Jellyfish, Pavement, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, Television, The Velvet Underground, The Who, Wilco, Yo La Tengo, The Zombies, among (many) others.

I generally don't like to rank things, especially when it comes to music.  I'll usually have my all time favorite of something...and then there's everything else I like...pretty much the same.

So, without a doubt my favorite band IS the Beach Boys (surprise, surprise!).  For me, that's saying a lot, since until the late '80s my favorite was Zeppelin!  But if I really had to choose a current second favorite, I'd have to go with The Who.  I've been a pretty big Who fan for many years, and what I like best about them are the harmonies in their early songs.  I guess you could consider that somewhat of a connection with the Boys, although in a louder, grittier fashion!

Is Phil Spector the band, though? He's not an artist, just some producer who happened to create the so-called "Wall of Sound". Thankfully, Brian came along & surpassed his "master". Lots of inventiveness & variety, not just same sound repeating over & over from one song to next.

The Beach Boys are my second favorite band after Little Feat.

The Boss
The Stones
The Beatles
Warren Zevon
The Clash
Jackson Browne

Sorry for blank quote above - just wanted to say, I never expected to see anyone mention the Penguin Cafe Orchestra on thhis forum.  I'm a big fan too --they''ve just been playing in my county and I was gutted I couldn't make it.  Music for heaven - you're so right.

Red House Painters / Sun Kil Moon

Not sure who my 2nd favorite is. Might be The Mothers Of Invention, The Damned, The Ramones or Syd Barrett era Floyd. Could be the original Alice Cooper band too. I think I have a lot of 2nd favorites. But #1 never changes.  :afro

1. The Beach Boys
2. The Beatles
3. The Monkees
4. Elvis Presley
5. The Doors
6. Queen
7. Pink Floyd
8. Frank Sinatra
9. Robyn Hitchcock
10.The Byrds

That's really coincidental to read this, as I've been obssessed with the album Benji this week. Possibly my favorite of this year.

As for my second favorite band...... well the Beach Boys are my second favorite.

Favorite is The La's/Lee Mavers. Kind of like Smile: they never truly finished anything to their satisfaction so they're as good as you imangine them to be.

Dylan is probably #3.

The Who were always my favorite, or I might say Townshend as I think he is the greatest songwriter.

I like George Harrison stuff too.

After a few years and 10 pages of posts (not to mention the fact that about 2-3% of my all-time posts were made sober), I have no idea whether I've "contributed to" (term used loosely) this thread. So now's as good a time as any to post. Or repost. And I look forward to the search-function police to point out any contradictions.

The Beach Boys aren't my favorite band, they're just the most interesting band to read about and discuss. They're not not my favorite band, either. There is just no such thing. Once you hit a certain quality, it's impossible (and silly) to quibble about who's better, especially across styles or the listener's moods. So I'll say second-best is whoever comes after a top tier of greats too long to bother listing.

Dion"not Celine or Warwick"Dimucci is probably my second favorite artist followed by the Eagles, ZZTop, and the Buckinghams <just something about the Horns>

My second favorite band would have to be Pearl Jam. Followed by, in no particular order: Nirvana, Arcade Fire, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains, The Beatles, Steven Wilson, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Stone Temple Pilots, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Best Coast, Radiohead, Sophistafunk (local band but amazing), Ozzy Osbourne, Soundgarden, The Seatbelts, lots of others I'm semi-interested in... been delving more into The Doors lately, I love "LA Woman" (the album, not just the song). I'm always trying to get into different bands and listen through their discographies at least a few times. I can and will spend the rest of my life checking out various artists/musicians.

Yes (Close To The Edge era) and The Beach Boys are probably about tied in my book.  After that, it's: Harry Nilsson, Todd Rundgren, The Pretty Things, Roxy Music, Eno, Bowie, Genesis, Os Mutantes, Burt Bacharach, The Who, The Millennium, The Band, and pretty much everything Motown.    

Beach Boys of course are my favorite, followed by the Beatles, STP, pre-Wall Floyd, Rod Stewart up to 1996, the Cardigans, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music's first four albums (Siren was relatively weak), the Cardigans, sh*t....too many to list!

Yes, a million times. Obsessed over "Ghosts…" for a long time before moving onto the rest and each release blew me away and still does. Seeing Koz next week in London.

I know I've posted in this thread before but for comparison at the moment I'd say it's a tie: RHP/SKM, a-ha, Prefab Sprout, Tears for Fears, Neil Young.

folk-era Chumbawamba are probably even better than The Beach Boys. These last three albums are so amazing.

then pop punk bands like Zatopeks, Masked Intruder, Travoltas, Mr T Experience, Ruth's Hat.

Is that the same Basia who sang with Matt Bianco? Loved playing the piano solo in "Half A Minute" with the commercial band I was in during the late '80s, early '90s... 

REAL pop-punk the queers, travoltas, sonic surf city and manges/ crap: the maxies

putting the beatles at the top of the music spectrum is like putting mcdonalds on top of the burger spectrum....I mean seriously mccartney was good not great and lennon was ok but neither were NOWHERE near brian, cmon.

CSNY and each of their solo careers.

You are seriously comparing the Beatles to McDonalds?!

Just more trolling from him, seeing as the post he quoted is from over two years ago.


My second favorite band is probably the Beatles, but my second favorite artist is Frank Sinatra.

adding this to my signature, thanks kookadams

I challenge you to post ten times without mentioning the Beatles. Do you accept this challenge?
On a side note, who do you think is second to Brian?

I suppose it would be The Beatles for me, however, I am equally partial to Motown (as a whole.... the sound was primarily created by a group of a session musicians 'the Funk Bros.). But nothing even comes close to the BBs :)

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I've had The Buckinghams on a lot this year. Their Portraits LP is pretty amazing even though they didn't like some of James Guercio's input.

I will focus on a couple of different bands in a year's time - one of the bands I am exploring more in depth is The Monkees.
I got the DVD sets too.  For a solo artist I have been spinning a lot of Glen Campbell (my wife like to listen to him too)

In a few months it will be something else....

Great to see a couple more users being into Kozelek's music! Ghosts was huge for me when it came out. Loved the records he did last year with Desertshore and Jimmy Lavalle.

I really enjoy his stage banter, by the way. Occasionally it's a bit rude but he can be incredibly funny sometimes.

McBeatles is a good band name! :lol

Genesis and Status Quo.

When the song "Micheline" was premiered on the web a couple of months before Benji came out I could hardly listen to anything else for weeks I think.

My 2nd favourite band is Super Furry Animals, check out the track listing on their 'Under The Influence' compilation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Influence_(compilation_album)#Super_Furry_Animals

Matt,  Great!  We are looking for confessors over at the xtc place  Thread.  The General Music Discussion section can be such a lonely place.  Hope to see you there soon.

They're great, but I only know two albums (Rings Around The World and Fuzzy Logic). But especially RATW ist very awesome

oh, this thread...too many to list.  I have a long list over on my profile page at Amazon USA.  Probably will forget  some, but I'll give it a try (fifty-something years and counting).  Artists and bands that stay in rotation:

I'd have to go with the Beatles next. Then really enjoy Three Dog Night; The Guess Who; America; The Turtles; The (Young) Rascals; The Who; The Moody Blues; Fleetwood Mac (and then just about most 60's groups).

The Moody Blues

Yep, left some out...  I own ever record by The Turtles, The Moody Blues, Three Dog Night, and most of America's stuff.

Hot Water by Super Furry Animals spin-off group GULP, I reckon they've heard Pet Sounds once or twice ...and Cool Cool Water:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs8Ow0nyn2U

The beatles/mcdonalds statement was a little thing called sarcam, cuz people get so riled up anytime you use a metaphor that they cant comprehend. Any time the beatles are given anything other than praise that person gets called a troll or some other horsesh.it. it just makes no sense to me why a whole thread would dedicated towards dissecting the 1 or 2 joke tracks on early BBs albums...and then to say the beatles had no filler is ridiculous.

cool

second to brian in terms of timeless great music and brilliant integral output? Thatz a hard 1/ Ive said it before and Ill again, in 1977 when the ramones put out their first masterpiece albums it was the first time in a decade that rock was back on track.

You're honestly telling me that the second greatest composer to Brian Wilson is the Ramones - a band known for using simplistic chords/chord progressions and for sticking to a rigid formula? Like Abe says, "man, you must be puttin' me on."

I dont think there was/is ANY songwriter/composer that come close to Brian Wilson; not McCartney , not Dylan, NO ONE. McCartney might a been close but not with Lennon, Paul was great but were not talkin Wilson and Love so I dont see how Lennon is even in the same league. The Ramones might have been 'simple' but they were brilliant/ their albums Rocket to Russia, End of the Century and Pleasant Dreams was THE best pure rock of the late 70s/early 80s barnone. There was NO era past the mid 60s with any "brilliant" writers that revolutionized the industry like Brian, Jan Berry and Spector but the Ramomes epitomized that era and rejuvenated rock at a time when disco and arena rock crap dominated mainstream radio .

I think your blinkers have blinkers on them. Plenty of great stuff between 1967 to 1977.

Springsteen is No. 2 to The Beach Boys for me.

Also love Dion, The Gaslight Anthem, Misfits, Rancid, Tom Waits, Steve Earle.

I concur about Dion ,as well as the 4 Seasons, Jan&Dean, War, the Ramones, Randy Newman, and one very underrated composer: Ray Stevens; not just a novelty artist but one of the most eclectic composers of the last 50+ yrs.

My Top 3 Favorite Bands:

1. THE BEACH BOYS

2. The Beatles
3. Crowded House

With the beach boys and ramones being the basis for everything in my book there have been a handful of great groups in the last 20+ yrs: the queers, travoltas, sonic surf city, honeyrider, the barracudas, surfin lungs, sunny boys (italy).