JOURNEY ROCKS!!!!!!!!!...haha.
PEARL JAM like KISS get the:
USA Today readers were asked to vote for the best American rock band in history. Their answer .....
1. Pearl Jam. Yes, the Seattle rockers outranked powerhouses such as Van Halen (No. 3), The Doors (No. 9) and Nirvana, which landed at No. 18. At first, I was shocked by the choice (to be honest, I fully expected Aerosmith to win). But the more e-mail I read, the more it began to make sense.
Why is Pearl Jam the greatest? Here's what you said:
?They've stayed true to themselves. "Instead of selling out with videos and constant press coverage, they pulled back at their height, and focused on the music," wrote Willie McNabb in El Dorado, Ark. "They belong up there with Neil Young, Zeppelin and The Beatles because they never compromised their integrity, which is really all any of us have."
?The music rocks. From Atlanta reader Tom Baker: "They've continually reshaped their sound, album after album, and are still making great, vital music 12+ years into their career. What else could you want?"
?Their records sell ... "... because they're good, not because they've been hyped to death by the media," McNabb added.
?There have been scores of imitators. "How many Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder knockoffs have invaded rock radio since Ten?" asked Scott Jordan, another Atlanta fan.
?Their concerts are first-rate ? and affordable. Jake Mohlman from Barrington, R.I., praised the band for keeping ticket prices low. "It's unique in an era when most artists gouge their fans to the limit," he wrote. "Likewise, releasing their shows on low-cost bootlegs brings a new dimension to seeing one of their shows."
2. Aerosmith. "Their first hit was in 1973, and they're still selling out concerts," wrote Brooklyn Center, Minn., reader Darren Slack, who added that "fans don't boo them if they play stuff off their latest album" and they're "probably one of the first groups teenagers and parents both dig (and not in a Pat Boone kind of way, either)." Said David Matthews from Tampa: "No one died, no one got p?-ed and left the band, no one got kicked out and was replaced ? and their ability to rock the house is still going strong."
3. Van Halen. "How many bands from America have been as huge as Van Halen, then had to replace the lead singer and still be as popular, or even more popular, than before?" asked St. Louis reader Christopher Cokenour. "Van Halen's songwriting, whether with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, took you to a place of happiness, never getting too heavy, never being too stupid." In addition, Patrick Beam in Little Rock was one of several readers to say "Eddie Van Halen influenced every guitarist that was alive or has been born since."
4. The Eagles. "They win for longevity (I've got my ticket stub to their 1977 Hotel California tour), concert performances (also have ticket stubs from six 'farewell' concerts), they write their own songs and have tons of records sold," said longtime fan Sheri Broom from Savannah, Ga.
5. Journey. "No contest!" said Deer Park, Texas, fan Bob Barney. (He went on to type the band's name 12 times using a large font and a spectrum of colors.) From Ronda Nelson in Terre Haute, Ind.: "They have been rockin' for over 30 years and are out on tour right now supporting a new CD."
6. Guns N' Roses. "A lot of people have said that it's unbelievable that Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child O' Mine and Patience could have all come from the same band," wrote Laurie Hamilton from Bennington, Vt. Said Marlborough, Mass., reader Matthew Sychantha: "These guys practically set up the world, combining punk, thrash metal and hair metal in an interesting, twisted style."
7. The Grateful Dead. "I feel a band's records are limiting; true musical genius comes through live music," wrote Carl Fuller, a Dead fan from Flagstaff, Ariz. "The Dead also created an entire tribal subculture in society. Few bands can claim this honor."
8. Queensryche. Some reasons why, according to David Russell in Fishkill, N.Y.: "They've endured 25 years of the changing rock scene. They still tour all the time, selling out all the time and putting on an unbeatable live show. Their music has evolved with the times and has never failed to succeed. Their lyrics are constantly full of thought-provoking material and deep meaning. They are the best all around band ... period!"
9. The Doors. "They had the complete package: musicianship, lyrics, songs and stage presence," wrote Michael Morris from Bourne, Mass. "But more importantly, their music has far transcended the band (even with the cult-psycho-martyr status of Jim Morrison) and stands the test of time. No one was doing, or will ever do, what The Doors did. They were the original alternative band, and that makes them the greatest American band."
10. R.E.M. "Their ability to link lyrics with great depth to an alternative/folk/rock sound is unparalleled in the world of music," said Lebanon, Pa., fan Jay McCumber. "There is no one who sounds like R.E.M. except R.E.M. Automatic For The People is the greatest American rock record ever."
11. The Allman Brothers Band and Fleetwood Mac (tie). "Duane Allman was one of the greatest guitar players that ever lived; a legitimate argument could even be made that he was the best," wrote Pittsburgh fan Ned Twyman. Jeff Sprankle from East Haddam, Conn., agreed, adding, "this band has had benders that have lasted longer than most bands' careers." As for the Mac, Debbie Gultice in Xenia, Ohio, said "harmonies between Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are haunting. And who has ever heard of a band with three songwriters who can create hits?"
12. Metallica. From Patrick Dickens: "Although I don't like where heavy metal is today, Metallica essentially created an entire sub-genre of rock 'n' roll. Even if some won't give them credit for creating heavy metal, there is no doubt that they defined it and carried everybody else along on their backs."
13. KISS. "Thirty-two years, millions of records, massive merchandising and a fan base that does not want them to stop touring, ever" qualify them as the best band, according to Christopher Burke in Colorado Springs. As for those live shows, Michael Gershe in Akron, Ohio, said they're "the most fun you can have for two hours with your clothes on."
14. The Ramones. "Every band, American or otherwise, has been influenced by them in some fashion," said Raleigh reader Tom Maeser. From Matt Cox: "They didn't burn out, they didn't fade away, and they weren't a one-hit wonder. They were a band who played to make music and turn people on. I got turned on to the Ramones in the fifth grade, and today, 20 years later, they are still my favorite band, and my kids' favorite band."
15. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Creedence Clearwater Revival (tie). Steve Howell from Bear, Del., had a few things to say about E Street: "From a recorded album perspective, (their) stuff is indescribable. If you haven't seen them, don't walk, run, to get tickets the next time they are in town. The first thing you will think after the show is, 'I want to ? no, I need to ? go again tomorrow night.'" And Creedence? "They define good ol' American rock," wrote Andrew Neuburger in Olathe, Kan. "They have 20+ songs that get regular play on many different radio formats. A great combination of rock, country, R&B, rockabilly and swamp pop made their songs accessible to everyone."
16. Dave Matthews Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd (tie). "DMB is the epitome of what American rock stands for: huge tours, loud rock and the working class," wrote Gabriel Wallis in Greenville, S.C. Mike Minnick in Morton, Pa., praised Skynyrd's "killer songs ... and they still tour in spite of losing so many members. And the music still sounds the same as when they were still complete."
17. The Beach Boys. "The Beach boys, fueled by Brian Wilson, were the only band to compete with arguably England's best-ever rock band, The Beatles," wrote Milwaukee fan Nick Blavat. "Pet Sounds still pushes what music is, even by a 2005 standard. Brian Wilson's George Lucas-like re-touching of the Beach Boys' unreleased masterpiece, Smile, clearly shows their staying power and influence in American music."
18. Nirvana. From Greg Mahoney, a college professor in Georgetown Township, Mich.: "The first time I heard Nevermind, to paraphrase Beck out of context, I knew things were gonna change, I could feel it. To bolster the point: I do most of my research in China, (and) during the nation's first Beer Festival, held in Shenzhen, a teenage cover band fronted by a punked-out Chinese girl ripped through Smells Like Teen Spirit with all the ferocity of Cobain and Co. Indeed, things had changed, and you could feel it."
19. The Replacements. Among Bill Walsh's long list of reasons for picking the 'Mats, the Illinois reader said that "Tommy Stinson was 13 when they recorded their first album, Sorry Ma, Forgot To take Out the Trash, "the high school in Heathers is Westerberg High" and, finally, "What other band would have the cojones to name an album Let It Be, which is better than the Beatles' version?"
Rounding out the list is ...
20. Bon Jovi. Unfortunately, most voters chose not to elaborate why Jon, Richie and the gang were tops. I guess they wanted the music to speak for itself ? or maybe they were just too busy rocking to type.
JOURNEY ROCKS!!!!!!!!!...haha.
PEARL JAM like KISS get the:
careful Marc,Gene may already have the liscencing rights to that award [img]wink.gif[/img]
LMFAO!!!
Yeah, my comments about Journey are not all that fair. I thought about that after the fact. They actually are a pretty vital band to their time period.
But when looking at a list like this, once it is voted on, and during your voting, you have to put aside personal tastes. I am not a fan of any of the bands on this list, until you hit number 19 where one of my favorite bands of all time sits. But at the same time, I don't argue why any of these bands would be on this list. I do feel that it is a little more "current" and shows people are forgetting. Seriously, is this "bands" or artists? Where is Buddy Holly and the Crickets? Elvis is more iconic than any of those folks. Eddie Cochran is more important to the world of guitar playing than any of them, with the exception of Eddie Van Halen. So was Elvis's guy Scotty Moore. Same goes for Gene Vincent's guy Cliff Gallup. You could argue the virtue of so many for so many reasons.
The fact that people such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones tip their hats to the old Blues legends tells you that people like Blind Willie McTell, Blind Willie Johnson, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charlie Patton, Leadbelly and Blind Blake are more important than any of the people in that Top 20, as music as we know it today would NEVER sound like it does without them. Listen to Willie Johnsons songs "If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down" and "I'm Going To Run To The City Of Refuge" and imagine it with SLIGHT modernizing (change the voice and add drums, electrify it...maybe), and tell me they would sound out of date.
So a list like this is all opinion, and seriously, you can't really argue it. So many things go into ideas of what makes a band great. Pearl Jam might suck to many of us here, but they are great musicians, they started out with HUGE hits, went off to do things their own way, helped bring respect back to being a major band by doing right by their fans, and never buckled to mainstream pressure.
But then right after that, you have tons of bands that did just that. Hell, Queensryche (still don't get how they got enough votes) is exactly the opposite. They continue to morph their sound to fit in, and that is just what the people voting for them love about them. Pearl Jam plays what they want, any style. Queensryche tries to stay relevant. Journey is still doing what they did in 1984. GnR only got a few albums out, never stayed the same band, and did poorly when trying anything other than RnR. KISS is obviously in it for the money. Greatful Dead obviously only did it for the love of playing out.
This list could really spawn a ton of great discussion.
You got that right Carl...Where is the good ole Texas boy BUDDY HOLLY.
<font size="4" face="Arial">You only read my first paragraph, and then got bored...right?Originally posted by A Katt Named Raggz:
You got that right Carl...Where is the good ole Texas boy BUDDY HOLLY.
[img]biggrin.gif[/img]
No justice. Where's Roxx Gang? Carl must have cried himself to sleep. Where's Little Rebel? What? Bulletboys couldn't get a sniff? What about The Great Kat? I know she's only a solo artist, but still talented and worshipped enough to be a band in herself. [img]tongue.gif[/img] Same goes for Karole and the rest of the Guttersluts. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
LOL!!!....nope Carl in all honesty I read your entire post. [img]smile.gif[/img] ok so I give Pearl Jam credit for doing things their way. That's the way my band would be if I were to start one...I wouldn't stick with one style...I'd get bored too easily and probably the band would fall apart...haha.
That's one reason why I could care less to be in a band.
When I write I write what I want and what I feel. I could write a rock tune, blues rock, or even country. I most of the time try to stay away from the cliche' Hard Rock lyrics...I don't want to write about chicks and partying...haha. Though once in a while I will do a fun glam piece like I helped Andii with on SWEETHEARTZ OF THE WORLD....to me that was fun cuz it was us writing it with humor...being that the song is about hookers...LMFAO!!!. But to get back to the topic, me loving all kinds of music....I couldn't be in a band that did the same mold to every song.
<font color="#FF0000" size="1">[ July 07, 2005 02:35 PM: Message edited by: A Katt Named Raggz ]</font>
Now how are these polls anwsers resulted?
If its the critics then they dont know shit...ask the fans they know more. I feel that Nirvana should not be on that list. What the hell did they ever do but kick the good rock out.
K!
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