25 Greatest Rock Bands

[GH2001]

Not rock.

Not hard rock. Like country, several sub genres connected to rock. 

[GH2001]

That list was poo.  Here's the real list and in no particular order.

1) KISS - don't make me come over there and slap you.  In any discussion of the best rock bands of all time you cannot under any circumstances exclude the group that owns the American record for gold and platinum albums, a band that's in the HoF and a band that's now embarking on a sold out End of the Road Tour.  So kiss my painted butt.

2) Motley Crue
3) Guns 'n Roses
4) Metallica
5) Judas Priest
6) Queen
7) Led Zeppelin
8) Rush
9) AC/DC
10) Rolling Stones
11) Black Sabbath/Ozzy
12) Beatles (ehh)
13) Pink Floyd
14) Nirvana (iffy)
15) Journey
16) Grateful Dead (don't like 'em, but)
17) Hendrix Experience
18) Van Halen
19) Yes
20) The Who
21) Jefferson Airplane/Starship
22) Styx/Foreigner/REO -- all sort of in the same mix
23) U2 (not my taste, but whatev)
24) Aerosmith
25) Alice Cooper

That's the list.

No Eagles. I LOVE the Eagles, but not for this list. 

All the groups you have over Led Zeppelin. Now that’s hilarious. Thanks for the laugh of the day. 

[Snaggletiger]

All the groups you have over Led Zeppelin. Now that’s hilarious. Thanks for the laugh of the day.

Every time he picked a group better than Led Zeppelin, he thought "Another one bites the dust." But look, it's just his opinion.  He's not breaking the law.  He's entitled to that opinion and nothing else matters.  Just have a little patience.  Let him sit at his computer in his home sweet home type all he wants about KISS.  Hell, he can shout it out loud for all I care. 

[Kaos]

All the groups you have over Led Zeppelin. Now that’s hilarious. Thanks for the laugh of the day.

You missed the “in no particular order” qualifier didn’t you? 

[ssgaufan]

I can't take your list seriously since you left off Def Leppard.

[GH2001]

You missed the “in no particular order” qualifier didn’t you?

This topic is about a ranking. If no ranking then no point in numbers.

Iffin were going total body of work - all things included - you have to go Stones and LZ. I’m with snags in Beatles. Yeah they’re great but 7 years together. Top 5 sure.

[Kaos]

This topic is about a ranking. If no ranking then no point in numbers.

Iffin were going total body of work - all things included - you have to go Stones and LZ. I’m with snags in Beatles. Yeah they’re great but 7 years together. Top 5 sure.

I didn't feel like putting in order.  The "greatness" of a band is subjective anyway.  Some can't be argued.  Zeppelin, Stones, KISS, Crue.  

The rest?  Those are the 25ish best ROCK bands I thought of.  And yeah, Def Leppard could have been there.  Beatles more for the later stuff than for the earlier.  There are people who would argue Poison. Or Disturbed.  Or Tesla. Or .38 Special. Or Foghat. Or CCR.  Or Bad Company. 

[AUJarhead]

Any list without Mel and the Party Hats, Super T, or the Velcro Pygmies is invalid.

[Snaggletiger]

Any list without Mel and the Party Hats, Super T, or the Velcro Pygmies is invalid.

Very surprised Eli was left off too.

[CCTAU]

Any list without Mel and the Party Hats, Super T, or the Velcro Pygmies is invalid.

What about Cheap Trick and the Producers!

[Snaggletiger]

What about Cheap Trick and the Producers!

Producers.  Oh hell yeah.

[WiregrassTiger]

You missed the “in no particular order” qualifier didn’t you?

I did notice there are no black people on your list.

[WiregrassTiger]

Producers.  Oh hell yeah.

[Kaos]

I did notice there are no black people on your list.

What color is Hendrix?  Purple? 

[Snaggletiger]

What color is Hendrix?  Purple?

No, that's Prince.

[WiregrassTiger]

What color is Hendrix?  Purple?

That’s a moranic question.

He’s British.

[GH2001]

I didn't feel like putting in order.  The "greatness" of a band is subjective anyway.  Some can't be argued.  Zeppelin, Stones, KISS, Crue. 

The rest?  Those are the 25ish best ROCK bands I thought of.  And yeah, Def Leppard could have been there.  Beatles more for the later stuff than for the earlier.  There are people who would argue Poison. Or Disturbed.  Or Tesla. Or .38 Special. Or Foghat. Or CCR.  Or Bad Company.

Its why those lists need requirements or guidelines - time together, popularity, album sales, top 40 charting, trailblazing, live performances etc etc. some kind of criteria. 

Honestly if you go total body of work. All of the requirements above - you have to go stones. They’ve got the longevity, albums, concerts, versatility and some pioneering mixed in. Are they my favorite? Probably not but I totally respect their total body of work. More so than the Beatles. John, Paul and the boys will always have the strength of being pioneers and big impact but their lack of longevity and lackluster live performances will always hurt the most in these debates. 

[Kaos]

Its why those lists need requirements or guidelines - time together, popularity, album sales, top 40 charting, trailblazing, live performances etc etc. some kind of criteria.

Honestly if you go total body of work. All of the requirements above - you have to go stones. They’ve got the longevity, albums, concerts, versatility and some pioneering mixed in. Are they my favorite? Probably not but I totally respect their total body of work. More so than the Beatles. John, Paul and the boys will always have the strength of being pioneers and big impact but their lack of longevity and lackluster live performances will always hurt the most in these debates.

This is where and why you can't deny my boys. 

Time together:  KISS since 1973 (and don't give me the crap about only the original four because every other band out there including AC/DC and Stones even has different members at different times)

Popularity:  Up and down, but for a five year stretch there was no band more popular.  When they did the re-makeup tour in 96 millions showed up. Final tour is selling well.  After nearly 50 years people still want to see it. 

Album sales: More gold records than any American band in history.  

Top 40: I'm sorry, what?   

Trailblazing:  Don't even get me started.  There are so many bands that wouldn't exist without the trails KISS blazed.  Just look at the bands that got their touring starts as the opening act for KISS.  Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Scorpions, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine, Slaughter. 

Live Performance:  There is none better.  They created the spectacle and still do it better than any band ever has.  If you haven't gone to a KISS show you really can't understand.  The albums are the albums, but the music comes alive in a way that can never be conveyed on vinyl (or tape or disc or digitally) when you see the band live.  You can't hate KISS until you've seen them in they way they're meant to be experienced.  

I'm fully aware there are better musicians, better singles, better whatever.  I know it's cool to look down your nose and dismiss their history. But as bands go?  Near the top of the list by any qualification.  

[GH2001]

This is where and why you can't deny my boys.

Time together:  KISS since 1973 (and don't give me the crap about only the original four because every other band out there including AC/DC and Stones even has different members at different times)

Popularity:  Up and down, but for a five year stretch there was no band more popular.  When they did the re-makeup tour in 96 millions showed up. Final tour is selling well.  After nearly 50 years people still want to see it.

Album sales: More gold records than any American band in history. 

Top 40: I'm sorry, what? 

Trailblazing:  Don't even get me started.  There are so many bands that wouldn't exist without the trails KISS blazed.  Just look at the bands that got their touring starts as the opening act for KISS.  Rush, Blue Oyster Cult, Scorpions, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Bon Jovi, Rage Against the Machine, Slaughter.

Live Performance:  There is none better.  They created the spectacle and still do it better than any band ever has.  If you haven't gone to a KISS show you really can't understand.  The albums are the albums, but the music comes alive in a way that can never be conveyed on vinyl (or tape or disc or digitally) when you see the band live.  You can't hate KISS until you've seen them in they way they're meant to be experienced. 

I'm fully aware there are better musicians, better singles, better whatever.  I know it's cool to look down your nose and dismiss their history. But as bands go?  Near the top of the list by any qualification. 

No doubt they tick all the check marks other than musicianship. It’s their weak link. No argument here. 

Last I checked Kiss was either 1st or 2nd in us - best selling band. With Aerosmith, eagles and Fleetwood Mac which most consider British-American. 

[Kaos]

No doubt they tick all the check marks other than musicianship. It’s their weak link. No argument here.

Last I checked Kiss was either 1st or 2nd in us - best selling band. With Aerosmith, eagles and Fleetwood Mac which most consider British-American.

Last defense for the day.  

The musicianship isn't really as bad as people make it out to be either.  People see the spectacle and automatically dismiss it.  When you distill it down like they did for the Unplugged show, it's better than you'd think. 

If there is a weak link it is in lyrics.  Most of it is really superficial, juvenile and ham fisted. 

There's plenty of deeper, more introspective, more nuanced songs on the various albums but those never got much traction.  It's not what people expected or wanted from them.  The makeup and the show made them but at the same time it boxed them in and limited what they could be.  

I could talk about KISS all day.  Pointless.  Not going to change anybody's mind.