My Top 10 Greatest Bands Of All Time :)

[Bean Bag]

The best Bands... as in "Rock" bands, not individuals.

The Beach Boys
The Earth Wind and The Fire
The Pink Floyd
The Zed Leppelin
The Rolling Stones
The Doors
The Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Cream
The Velvet Underground
The Band

Honorable mention:  The Beatles.  A lot of people like them and they were great as a result.

[Mike's Beard]

Groups only -

1- The Beach Boys
2- The Mothers of Invention
3- Queen
4- Genesis
5- The Kinks
6- The Cure
7- King Crimson
8- Chicago
9- The Carpenters
10- The Stranglers

[petsoundsnola]

Groups only, huh?  That's tough...

1. The Beatles
2. The Beach Boys
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Fleetwood Mac
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival
6. Buddy Holly and the Crickets
7. Aerosmith
8. Metallica
9. Chicago
10. The Rolling Stones

[Smilin Ed H]

Bands and artists:

Beach Boys
Steely Dan
Dylan
Paul Simon
Randy Newman
Paddy McAloon/Prefab Sprout
Paul Buchanan/Blue Nile
Joni Mitchell
Tom Petty
Loudon Wainwright

But that's not getting in to jazz and its fringes, which would knock out most of the above

You know, I'm not even sure Tom Petty should be on here. I mean, I like his stuff but not consistently enough to warrant a top ten. Maybe The Band? Probably Van Morrison. Yeah: Van the Man instead of Tom. Or Marvin Gaye. Or Stevie Wonder...

AS for groups only, I'm not sure I like enough - or not at that level anyhow. In most cases, it's on a greatest hits level (Stones, for instance); others, not even that.

[RangeRoverA1]

At this point I'd change it to (again in no particular order):

Downliners Sect

Didn't hear of them - what album-song to check 1st? You found them via other 60s band, correct? At least that's how I discover new bands - by quick reference in a book/article dedicated to other band.

[Malc]

1 Beach Boys
2 Monkees
3 Bread
4 10cc
5 Eagles
6 Moody Blues
7 Poco
8 Toto
9 Association
10 ... the rest

[Lonely Summer]

1 Beach Boys
2 Monkees
3 Bread
4 10cc
5 Eagles
6 Moody Blues
7 Poco
8 Toto
9 Association
10 ... the rest

I like this list - you have good taste, my friend!

[bluesno1fann]

At this point I'd change it to (again in no particular order):

Downliners Sect

Didn't hear of them - what album-song to check 1st? You found them via other 60s band, correct? At least that's how I discover new bands - by quick reference in a book/article dedicated to other band.

It's funny, but I discovered them when I was in Japan. I was at an op-shop there, and among the CD's that were there was The Sect, which was the first album by the Downliners Sect. I had never heard of them before, but I thought it looked pretty interesting, and plus it was really cheap. So I got it, and when I got back to Australia I listened to the CD and immediately loved it. I'd say check out their first album yeah, I think it's brilliant. Apparently, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott were big-name fans, and at one point Marriott and Stewart even tried to audition for the band. Unfortunately though, they weren't one of the bigger bands commercially from the British Invasion era, definitely under appreciated.

[Summertime Blooz]

The Beatles
The Moody Blues
Steely Dan
Chicago
XTC
Electric Light Orchestra
The High Llamas
Stereolab
Hall & Oates
Queen

[undercover-m]

this is always changing.
As of right now?

The Shins
Tame Impala
Fleet Foxes
Vampire Weekend
Mac Demarco
Sufjan Stevens

And then I guess I've been listening to some Bob Dylan, Parquet Courts, Broken Bells, and of course the Beach Boys. Lately, though, it's most the first four I listed...

[Ovi]

1. Beach Boys
2. Who
3. Beatles
4. Pink Floyd
5. Bob Dylan

6. Band
7. Velvet Underground
8. Ramones
9. Oasis
10. Kinks

[alf wiedersehen]

Harry Nilsson
The Beach Boys/Wilson brothers
Big Star/Alex Chilton/Chris Bell
The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed/John Cale
The Beatles/Paul/George
The Kinks
Bob Dylan
Captain Beefheart
Marvin Gaye
Nick Drake
Lee Hazlewood

1. XTC ( & The Dukes)
2. Big Star
3. The Kinks
4. Harry Nilsson
5. The Velvet Underground
6. The Beach Boys
7. Captain Beefheart
(I began to feel less sure about these)
8. Tom Waits
9. Bob Dylan
10. Marvin Gaye

I think it's interesting to chart the changes over time.

Here's an unranked, updated list:

Protomartyr
Swans
Big Star
Kate Bush
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Bob Dylan
Pavement
Kendrick Lamar
Nick Drake
Joanna Newsom

This list was difficult to make due to reconciling the differences between old, established favorites and what I'm listening to now. I was surprised by some of these choices. It seems the only constants have been Bob Dylan and Big Star.

[Dudd]

Hm, not sure. I guess for now...

1. Beach Boys
2. Animal Collective
3. Beatles
4. Todd Rundgren
5. Harry Nilsson
6. 10cc
7. Millennium
8. Erykah Badu
9. Monkees
10. Van Dyke Parks

[jmc]

The Beach Boys
The Byrds
Velvet Underground
Yo La Tengo
Fleet Foxes
Nirvana
Beastie Boys
Calexico
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
Beck
The Beatles
Simon and Garfunkel

[yonderhillside]

1. The Beach Boys
2. The Kinks
3. The Rolling Stones
4. Van Morrison
5. The Velvet Underground
6. The Who
7. The Beatles
8. Bob Dylan
9. Neil Young
10. The Byrds
10 1/2. Fleetwood Mac & Bruce Springsteen

[RangeRoverA1]

At this point I'd change it to (again in no particular order):

Downliners Sect

Didn't hear of them - what album-song to check 1st? You found them via other 60s band, correct? At least that's how I discover new bands - by quick reference in a book/article dedicated to other band.

It's funny, but I discovered them when I was in Japan. I was at an op-shop there, and among the CD's that were there was The Sect, which was the first album by the Downliners Sect. I had never heard of them before, but I thought it looked pretty interesting, and plus it was really cheap. So I got it, and when I got back to Australia I listened to the CD and immediately loved it. I'd say check out their first album yeah, I think it's brilliant. Apparently, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott were big-name fans, and at one point Marriott and Stewart even tried to audition for the band. Unfortunately though, they weren't one of the bigger bands commercially from the British Invasion era, definitely under appreciated.

Thanks for the write-up, I'll definitely check it out. Gotta say, I never understood people who buy an album by a band they never heard of without 1st having a quick listen online. I mean, you pay money - what if you don't like it? Is it possible to return it back & take money? It isn't judgment, just sth. I wouldn't do.
Any other 'rare' bands to recommend, Rei?

[bluesno1fann]

At this point I'd change it to (again in no particular order):

Downliners Sect

Didn't hear of them - what album-song to check 1st? You found them via other 60s band, correct? At least that's how I discover new bands - by quick reference in a book/article dedicated to other band.

It's funny, but I discovered them when I was in Japan. I was at an op-shop there, and among the CD's that were there was The Sect, which was the first album by the Downliners Sect. I had never heard of them before, but I thought it looked pretty interesting, and plus it was really cheap. So I got it, and when I got back to Australia I listened to the CD and immediately loved it. I'd say check out their first album yeah, I think it's brilliant. Apparently, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart and Steve Marriott were big-name fans, and at one point Marriott and Stewart even tried to audition for the band. Unfortunately though, they weren't one of the bigger bands commercially from the British Invasion era, definitely under appreciated.

Thanks for the write-up, I'll definitely check it out. Gotta say, I never understood people who buy an album by a band they never heard of without 1st having a quick listen online. I mean, you pay money - what if you don't like it? Is it possible to return it back & take money? It isn't judgment, just sth. I wouldn't do.
Any other 'rare' bands to recommend, Rei?

Well again it was very cheap, so I thought what the hell, I'll check it out.

As for other rare bands/artists, I'd suggest The Easybeats and Russell Morris. Though by no means rare or obscure in Australia, they are each largely obscure internationally bar a single hit each.

[yonderhillside]

But if we're talking just what we're really digging right now that's quite up there:
(I won't name any from previous list)

1. Harry Nilsson
2. Van Dyke Parks (Discover America is brilliant)
3. Caravan
4. Derek & The Dominos
5. XTC
6. New York Dolls
7. Flamin' Groovies
8. Dino Valente
9. Flying Burrito Brothers
10. Judy Henske & Jerry Yester

[Ovi]

6. New York Dolls

Way cool choice!

[undercover-m]

The Shins
Tame Impala
Fleet Foxes
Vampire Weekend
Mac Demarco
Sufjan Stevens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pX0EH2ZU2k
This video is reason #43 why Sufjan is on my list. I just cried so much but it is O. K.

[undercover-m]

not of all time, but right now i can't get enough of:

Beach House (Victoria Legrand's voice is so dreamy)
Talking Heads (the '70s stuff)
and Tame Impala (but that's to be expected)

[thorgil]

Beach Boys (up to "Love You", after that they are replaced by Brian Wilson)
Chieftains (always)
King Crimson (particularly the first 4 albums, but more or less always)
Moody Blues (up to "Long Distance Voyager", with an unexpected revival in "Strange Days")
Soft Machine (first 6 albums)
Jethro Tull (up to "Thick As A Brick")
Doors (with Jim Morrison)
Ekseption (more or less whole career)
Gentle Giant (up to "In a Glass House")
Golden Gate Quartet (in the 1930's and 1940's)

For this list, I disqualified all pseudo-bands of the "King Awesome and and his negligible minions" type.

[the captain]

I know I did a list when this thread began, however many years ago. Odds are my bands haven't changed all that much, but let's find out. Here are the 10 I'd list now--in no order, because if nothing else, I've become more firmly in the camp of not ranking things if I can help it--including bands and solo artists.

Beach Boys, Beatles, Queen, Zeppelin, Dylan, Prince, Zappa, Waits, Joanna Newsom, VU. That's 10? OK.

Then there would have to be Aretha Franklin, Radiohead, Joni Mitchell, Of Montreal, Hendrix, Mountain Goats, Herman Dune, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Neutral Milk Hotel, Buddy Holly, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sly Stone, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, Wilco, Earl Sweatshirt, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen... Yeah, it's hard to make a short list.

Now I'll see what I said way back when.

[the captain]

OK, not so different in the top 10. And the also-rans are ones I ought to add to my newer list: it isn't that I discarded anyone, I just keep adding.

Combining bands and solo artists, since those are largely artificial differences anyway. The list sort of averages my thoughts with respect to pinnacle of product (counts for a lot) and average quality of product (avoiding sh*t counts for something). Obviously all filtered through my taste, because why the f*** would I bother ranking what someone else thinks?

1. Beatles
2. Beach Boys
3. Bob Dylan
4. The Velvet Underground
5. Frank Zappa/Mothers
6. Tom Waits
7. Queen
8. Led Zeppelin
9. Prince
10. Marvin Gaye

Big fan of Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead, Elvis Costello, Of Montreal, Paul Simon/S&G, Captain Beefheart, Public Enemy, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, NMH, Wilco, Zombies, Kinks, Buddy Holly, and frankly enough other artists to make any list useless.

[Adult Child]

The Top 2 are The Beatles & The Beach Boys. Though if you put a gun to my head I'd say the Beatles, I think the best Beach Boys is better than any Beatles. Pet Sounds is better than any Beatles record.