Poll: Best American rock band of all time

Ramones
Velvet Underground
R.E.M.
Replacements
Husker Du
Sonic Youth
Pixies
Monkees

Those three are most influential I can think of.

meaning the original band which included Greg Rolie who later was a founding member of Journey.

My personal favorite is Buffalo Springfield but also agree the Byrds and Lovin Spoonful deserve mention

They were incredible. The Beach Boys had some great tunes but also had a lot of cheesy songs. The Velvet Underground also incredible, as well as Lou Reed solo.

1. The Pixies
2. The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed solo
3. Guided By Voices
4. Janes Addiction
5. The Ramones

So many more incredible bands, especially out of the 80s and 90s, it really comes down to taste. One person could say this band is the greatest and he next guy hates them. Fun reading though.

SD had it all, even though they were mostly session musicians the core of Fagen and Becker churned out one masterpiece after another.

Bruce & E Street
Beach Boys
Jimmy & The Experience
Prince & The Revolution
The Doors
Tom & Heatbreakers

Oh, and in true BBI form....The Eagles suck!

for me it comes down to Aerosmith and the Allman Brothers band. The original line up of the Allman Brothers (with Duane Allman and Berry Oakley) were by far better group of musicians (as a whole) but, I am not sure they were a rock band(?) - they were a GREAT Blues band. I have to go with Aerosmith.

In comment 14187017 Waldo Jeffers said:

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"I hate the fucking Eagles"

Holy Crap ... That's a name I have not heard in so long that I forgot all about him. Always had a good story from his time in the music business.

Hope all is well Mac .... wherever you are (to paraphrase Zappa).

followed by The Grateful Dead.

Officially #1 is Beach Boys and #2 Chicago...based on number of hit singles and albums.

I thought was the best import band

Or Aerosmith. Both typified the 70s for me.

And it’s not even close.

...and the Ramones.

The Allman Brothers Band.

STEELY DAN

says
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I'm reminded of the true shirtless wonder, who deserves consideration
larry, curly, moe - ( New Window )

In comment 14186913 Boy Cord said:

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... I can’t get enough of Cage the Elephant and Interpol. Carry on.

Cage is awesome. Don’t know Interpol but I’ll check em out.

And appetite for destruction is an American classic, but they aren’t as good as Van Halen for one simple reason— GNR didn’t produce the quantity of good music that VH produced. GNR has what, 3-4 good albums? Really 3 if you count use your illusion as two. Spaghetti and lies are ok. Then you have VH with VH 1 and 2, women and children first, fair warning, diver down and 1984. That’s five right there. 5-3 wins.

In comment 14187112 rmc3981 said:

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STEELY DAN

Not really rock and roll; however, way above the level of just about everything listed here. The elite musicians have traveled through this band. Many names to long to list.

In comment 14186765 vonritz said:

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Faith No More

You are the best poster on this site.

but for me, I have to go with G&R even though they were short lived and didn't put out enough songs (IMO).

Love Van Halen, Aerosmith, etc. Although not a band, must have Hendrix in there somewhere

In comment 14187181 mdc1 said:

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In comment 14187112 rmc3981 said: Quote: STEELY DAN Not really rock and roll; however, way above the level of just about everything listed here. The elite musicians have traveled through this band. Many names to long to list.

I kind of get where you are coming from. I don't think an album like Gaucho (for example) is really a rock album, but I think their first five albums were definitely rock albums. They were unique. Almost their own genre of music.

If you take into account longevity, amount of hits, crossover to different type of fans, and subject matter they sang about hard to not go with the Beach Boys as the greatest American Band of all time.

Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel don’t qualify.

In comment 14187339 UberAlias said:

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Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel don’t qualify.

I don't think the majority of these bands qualify as rock bands, but maybe people are using the rock n roll hall of fame definition and just listing American bands.

either way, good discussion. and if McKee was still here and actively posting he'd make most of the people who posted on this thread feel bad for their opinions.

They were the original jam band, and they have combined nearly every genre of music within their sound through the years. I started seeing them in 1969, and went to their concerts regularly until Jerry Garcia died in 1995....I still go to their side bands today!

Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet
Fleetwood Mac
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Eagles
Seen them all live in there prime
The Doors Who I didn't get to see sadly LA Woman Amazing Lp
Jimi Hendrix the Other I din't get to see Sadly ...

And Mick Fleetwood is British so even though they found more success in America and had American members they wouldn't truly be an American band

In comment 14187377 pjcas18 said:

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In comment 14187339 UberAlias said: Quote: Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel don’t qualify. I don't think the majority of these bands qualify as rock bands, but maybe people are using the rock n roll hall of fame definition and just listing American bands. either way, good discussion. and if McKee was still here and actively posting he'd make most of the people who posted on this thread feel bad for their opinions.

Nah. Unless there are criteria, it is impossible for there to be any right or wrong answers. It's 100% subjective - a list of favorites, really, but people can't argue about their favorites, so "best" is used instead. :) All of these "best" lists are silly to me. Best guitarist, best type of food, best movie, etc.

have to head the list...

.

my greatest american band list in order
1. grateful dead
2. allman brothers
3. springsteen e street band
4. guns n roses
5. eagles
6. dave matthews band
7. skynard
8. ccr
9. petty/ heartbreakers
10. too many options from here on out

Don't tell Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell that they weren't in a band with Jimmy Hendrix because they most certainly were :)

The great American rock figures have been largely solo acts, so band is a always a great debate.

I'd definitely add Metallica, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, New York Dolls, MC5, The Stooges, Sound Garden among others.

In comment 14186630 bceagle05 said:

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The Martial Tucker Band, The Monkeys and the Mommas and the Poppas.

LOL, and oddly enough, he spelled Skynyrd right!

Wilco and the National.

In comment 14187524 rmc3981 said:

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Don't tell Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell that they weren't in a band with Jimmy Hendrix because they most certainly were :)

I agree the JHE was a band, but given that Redding and Mitchell were English I wouldn't call the JHE an American band ...

..
Kids in the Hall Doors - ( New Window )

boomtownrichmond.com

Thought you might find it interesting

In comment 14187055 Emlen'sGremlins said:

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The Beach Boys Oh, and in true BBI form....The Eagles suck!

Yes and yes.

...and fuck all of you who don't know better.

:)

Allman's are a better technical band up til Duane died and some of the Derek Trucks years, but material matters and they only wrote a handful of great songs themselves, some of their best work covers.

If you've seen Bruce and E Street live, this isn't a competition.

In comment 14187425 steve in ky said:

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And Mick Fleetwood is British so even though they found more success in America and had American members they wouldn't truly be an American band

Amazing how the band was really known by Peter Green, expert british blues guitarist, then became a california pop band. Without Buckingham they are nothing though.

for E street. I saw Springsteen open up for the Allman Brothers at the Sunshine inn In Asbury Park and Bruce , i'm not kidding, Blew them away.
He was just a kid circa early 70's

One of the real downsides to a New Jersey-heavy posting population is the slobbering adolation for that mediocrity.

The correct answer is the Ramones.

In comment 14186659 Red Dog said:

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Best band anywhere ever. Not even close.

Certainly the most talented ... Zappa list of former players are all HOF studio musicians.

In comment 14186916 yatqb said:

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In comment 14186907 Bill in TN said: Quote: The Allman Brothers Band. Just listen to Live at The Fillmore East - 1971 I was at those shows. I still remember when they announced that they were recording it for an album, and the audience went nuts. One of the greatest gifts of my life was being in NYC during the village era and then the Fillmore years. Man, that was special.

I am so envious ... and I am never envious. Some of the album if you listen to is is a little sloppy in parts - NOT THE PLAYING ... The production part, the mix.. But, to see it all live must have been a transcendent experience. Wow ...

In comment 14195549 Greg from LI said:

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One of the real downsides to a New Jersey-heavy posting population is the slobbering adolation for that mediocrity. The correct answer is the Ramones.

No. It is not The Ramones. The category was 'Best' American Band of all-time. Not 'Favorite' American band of all time.

Best is subjective of course, but in an honest assessment, you'd be taking talent, impact, studio and live performance into account. Most on this thread seem to have followed that formula.

Ramones were a one-trick pony. They had impact, they were great live, but seriously limited in talent and after their first few albums, were obviously not capable of growth as artists. They were hogtied by their limitations, couldn't create beyond their small box and in the end, became caricatures of themselves.