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OT: 5 biggest bands ever?

Great question...wish it was top 10...OK, here are my top 5 BANDS based on longevity, sales, concerts and impact.


The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
U2
Metallica

Very very tough for me, as I am a HUGE Pink Floyd fan, but U2 are a very current active band who still sell to millions and who's impact on modern music cannot be denied. Metallica? It'd be unfair to debate this, but I will simply say that with over 150 millions albums sold, continual sold-out tours and being the first band to have 5 albums debut at number 1 in the US, they've made their place. The BIGGEST omission would perhaps be The Grateful Dead, as their legacy is enormous and their fan base perpetual, not to mention they had an enormous impact on modern music (not a fan myself but their history is undeniable).

Now I'll give my top 5 ARTISTS of all-time, based on cultural and musical impact.

LITTLE RICHARD
MICHAEL JACKSON
DAVID BOWIE
LOU REED
ELTON JOHN

Obviously many more missed out who would deserve a place, but 10 into 5 doesn't go, and with this list of artists, you've pretty much covered the modern evolution of music (although BB King, Elvis and Johnny Cash MUST be mentioned by name as they are absolutely deserving). Michael Jackson's impact on the world was one of the most incredible phenomenons I've ever witnessed...I suppose it'd be churlish not to mention Madonna as one who didn't make it...which brings me to Janis Joplin...

brick, can we expand these to TOP 10s???

!!!!!!!
 
The Moonlit Knight said:
Are people listing their favourite 5 bands? The biggest from their nation's perspective? Or the world in general?

In terms of history and globally (people often disregard the rest of Europe in these discussions):

1) The Beatles
2) The Rolling Stones
3) Pink Floyd
4) Queen
5) Genesis

Led Zep possibly should be in there but in terms of album/single sales, longevity and concert attendances those are the big 5. The Police and Dire Straits were also massive for periods in the 80's and The Police comfortably sold out their stadium re-union tour (as did Genesis 5 years ago). The Eagles were also huge but had more localised fandom. The Who are apparently massive too, and yet I can never find hardly anyone who listens to them and I certainly felt they were over rated.

The last true super band for me was Guns N' Roses between 87 to 93. Bands like U2, Bon Jovi, Metallica.....all did their best stuff in the 80's and very early 90's (the same time many of the aforementioned bands were still functioning and pumping out superior stuff to those three). It just goes to show how poor music has been in the last 20 years that average bands like that are now regarded as the world's biggest.

I've always found it strange that the States has churned out some amazing artists over the years but very few great bands. Personally love GNR, Aerosmith and The Eagles though.

Because they are now regarded as cheese (and as a gay anthem band, must to their writers chagrin because they never were) and aren't taken seriously people always disregard ABBA. But they were huge at the time and have sold millions of records.
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I was with Lemmy one night about 15 years ago, and as he sat playing a quiz machine, Abba were on in the background. Some flighty young bugger went up to him and started on about how brick Abba were and what a bunch of tossers, etc, etc. Lemm turned around, looked at him and said (I paraphrase only slightly), "Really? When was the last time you wrote a song 50 million people could sing? "brick" eh? I don't think so!" The lad slunk off, tail between his legs. I have Abba's greatest hits in English and also, for some bizarre reason, in Spanish! I agree with you 100%.
 
Of course, we could also expand this and add the top 5 acts who have influenced electronic music?

Kraftwerk
Grandmaster Flash
Tangerine Dream
Jean Michel Jarre
Brian Eno


Is there a current electronic artist/dance artist who was not influenced hugely by one of these?
 
1D
Justin Bieber
Miley Cyrus
Taylor Swift
Selena Gomes

They all big on twitter you know. Kurt Cobain never had 25 million followers as one belieber once said.
 
I loved Nirvana, but sadly, Cobain didn't last long enough to have the deep impact I feel he would've achieved as an artist...
 
The Beatles
Rolling Stones
Metallica
Led Zep
Pink Floyd

I simply refuse to put U2 in there because I cannot stand them.
 
Shocked no-one has mentioned Fleetwood Mac, one of my favourite bands. The band has (albeit in various incarnations) been around nearly 50 years. Inspired a generation of blues, folk rock and pop rock musicians, recorded (in my opinion) the greatest album of all time, Rumours, have perhaps the greatest story of any band - and continue to (as of 2009) sell out stadiums world wide.

They would feature in my top 5 alongside The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (without whom Motown and thus soul music would never have taken off) and probably U2.
 
Jurgen the German said:
The Beatles
Rolling Stones
The Who
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd

U2 rip their fans off so that probably accounts for a big percentage of their tour grosses.
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Probably these 5, certainly from longevity viewpoint. I don't think there can be much of an argument about , The Beatles, Stones , Led Zep and Floyd.

All 4 still massively popular, all 4 reached peaks that no other bands can come close to . If 50 years time they will still be popular unlike ACDC, Guns and Roses,or Mettalica IMO.

You could make an argument for the 5th spot. The Who, The Eagles, Queen or U2.
 
James Brown toured for 50 years and performed over 330 separate shows some of the years according to wiki.
 
colin fishwick said:
Probably these 5, certainly from longevity viewpoint. I don't think there can be much of an argument about , The Beatles, Stones , Led Zep and Floyd.

All 4 still massively popular, all 4 reached peaks that no other bands can come close to . If 50 years time they will still be popular unlike ACDC, Guns and Roses,or Mettalica IMO.

You could make an argument for the 5th spot. The Who, The Eagles, Queen or U2.
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All of the bands I mentioned have sold in excess of hundreds of millions of albums, plus as you say, their longevity is everlasting. Guns and Roses would be in my top 10 favourite bands, but they only really had a 5 year or so period as one of the biggest bands. Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 sold brickloads, but they split up not long after.

For some reason I forgot AC/DC who have also sold hundreds of millions of albums.

No way of knowing now, but I'm not sure if Metallica and GNR will still be popular in 20-30 years time, whereas I definitely think The Who, Beatles and Stones will always be popular.
 
Beatles
Stones
Queen
Led Zep
Pink Floyd

Tough for just a top 5 imo, I'd still have The Who, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Hendrix (just for his influence)
 
Jordinho said:
James Brown toured for 50 years and performed over 330 separate shows some of the years according to wiki.
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Ah you've embarrassed us all, well me anyway. Mr Brown has to be up there...WHAT a character! WHAT a performer! WHAT an influence! Colin, can we retitle this thread to top 10????
 
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