Your Twenty Favorite Artists

[Dom Heffner]

Not the best, but your favorite - the artists who have meant the most to your life, who even though they aren't Bach, they make you smile when you hear their stuff.

In no order:

Def Leppard- Pop metal never sounded so good. Favorite track is "Hysteria," though really, they're all great. Proof that the lyrics don't have to be ten feet deep to stay with you for years. They totally get that melody is where it's at. There isn't one thing special about the lyrics of Photograph, but it is a soaring gorgeous rock song. That moment in Shawshank Redemption where the prisoners are looking up in awe at the speakers playing opera...that's Def Leppard for me.

Rick Springfield- One of the stranger stories in pop- a 30 year old dude being sold as a teen pinup who reluctantly was in on the joke as long as people heard his music. An underrated musician, he wrote his own stuff and won awards for his work on guitar. Forgive him for Hard to Hold. One of my first man crush's as a twelve year old, it's on the list for old time's sake.

Led Zeppellin- Robert Plant wrote the entry for Elvis Presley in Rolling Stone's Top Artists of All Time feature. He tells the story of meeting Elvis in a hotel where Jimmy Page disclosed that Plant liked to warm up for a show using Elvis songs. "Which one do you do?" asked Elvis. Plant told him the song, and on his way out of the hotel Presley stuck his head around the corner and started belting it out, with Plant joining in. He told Letterman the tears came shortly after (to hear him tell the story is a hoot- search YouTube for Robert Plant on Letterman). I think Robert Plant's voice is among the best ever in rock, and so is the music.

Survivor- I'd argue that Vital Signs was one of the greatest AOR records of the 80s. Top to bottom a great album. One of the rare cases where a lead singer replacement worked out well. One of those records that got me through high school, and I think you know exactly what I mean.

Rolling Stones- they had an eight year period or so in the 60s where it's the best rock and roll ever made.

Bruce Springsteen- I'll never forget my dad watching MTV and saying, "I sort of like that guy," which was my dad's way of saying he really liked him. And I think I know why: rough exterior with a poet's brain and heart of gold. Just like my dad.

Foo Fighters- With all apologies, glad Dave Grohl got to go out on his own. The worst part of Everlong is that it has a perfect chorus, yet they only let you hear it sparingly. It's also part of its genius.

The Cars- They just make me happy. New wavey but accesible. Rock with some cool keyboards. It never hit me that Ben Orr sang lead vocals on Just What I Needed until recently. Too busy loving that song to notice. And the fact they got an 80 something year old Vargas to paint Candy-O is pretty cool, too.

Hall and Oates- The best part of Daryl Hall is that he never sings a refrain the same way twice.

Phil Collins/Genesis: Stop it. I know it's lightweight and the consensus is he wasn't as good as Peter Gabriel. But for those of us born a few years later who didn't get the chance to see Genesis as an art band, we saw a guy who gave us In the Air Tonight on his own and Mama with Genesis. The haters can rest- Phil doesn't have much use of his hands anymore, so no drumming, and his interest in music is gone. But for fifteen years or so, a lot of pop gems that remain my favorites.

Don Henley- his voice is like an old sweater. Remember when the days were long and rolled beneath a deep blue sky. Yes, and thank you.

Fleetwood Mac- I love the diversity of three vocalists. Rumours sold millions on talent and craft alone. Stevie Nicks is my favorite one, probably, and I'm too chicken to look up to see if Sara was really written as a song for a baby she did not end up having with Don Henley. That's what it means to me, and I don't want the internet to ruin it.

Willie Nelson: We can't escape our childhood. I fought liking him for years becuase my mother listened to him and Conway and Dolly and Loretta...and to a five year old....ick! But I can't deny I have a hundred Willie songs on my ipod, and Pancho and Lefty has some melody in it that I can't deny. Always on My Mind is one of those songs everybody covered until Willie did it and now you'd look foolish singing it because it belongs to him. "If you would not have fallen..." is one of my favorite openings to a song. Ever.

The rest:

The Police
REM
Rod Stewart
The Pretenders
Van Halen
Glen Campbell
Keith Urban

[marcshoe]

Some choices I'm happy to see. I remember arguing with a music snob about Vital Signs back in the mid-eighties. I haven't listened to it and years and have no idea how well it held up, but I had it on constant rotation at the time.

I'll try a list. In no order at all, except as they come to me.

1. Springsteen. To me, this is what rock was meant to be. I remember when I first really stopped and listened to him when "Darkness on the Edge of Town" came out. I thought, wow, this is it. This is visceral. I spent the next several years proselytizing, then "Born in the USA" came out and ever since I've been telling people of a certain age that there's so much more.

2. ELO. I mentioned in another thread that their version of "Roll Over Beethoven" played between games of the Hal King doubleheader got me going. For whatever reason, I didn't really get deep into music until I was 15, and "Turn to Stone" had a quality to it that struck me. There was a darkness somewhere beneath the hooks. Afterward I learned to appreciate their often self-deprecating humor.

3, Split Enz. I went into this on another thread, too. Usually, Neil Finn did the pop stuff and Tim Finn the songs that were a bit disturbing. It's hard to name a single song that's a favorite, but "Dirty Creature" has to be on the list.

3. The Beatles. Period.

4. The Who. I learned to love Townsend's cheeky lyrics pretty early. Here's an early underrated masterpiece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4_eSW6D6sc

5. The Rolling Stones. Yeah, I had to put those three groups together. Although I've always liked listening to them, I think I only started realizing how good they were the last ten years.

6. Bob Dylan. Sorry, I'm one of those. I love wordplay and have even learned to like his voice.

7. Johnny Cash. Yeah, it's cool now to like him, but I've been listening to him since before I was born, and he's always been a favorite. Since we're in that era...

8. Roger Miller. One of my favorites growing up. He died too young, thanks to alcohol. Willie Nelson has some great stories about touring with him. These days, my favorite Roger Miller songs are the poignant ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEHLhz8L6vE

btw, "Dang Me" can be sung to the tune of "Wonderwall".

9. The Avett Brothers. I'm reluctant to list current bands, but I've grown to love the Avetts the last few years. Great lyrics, songs presented in a way that's always a bit off kilter.

10. The Church. If you've heard of them, it probably hasn't been for a while. Their top US hit was "Under the Milky Way". My favorite album was the Bob Clearmountain produced "The Blurred Crusade" featuring the wonderful "Almost With You". They only perform acoustic these days because of some tinnitus issues. Should have been much bigger, but they had trouble getting along with each other and with producers.

And yeah, I like weird stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWRK0Prfpv8

fwiw, there are a lot of arguments about the meaning of this song, but I take it as someone asking a dying friend to wait so they can go together. Who knows, though. That was partially based on a mistaken lyric.

11. The Shins. Okay, another fairly recent band. Stuff that sticks with you while being a bit more subversive than you realize.

12. Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler may be my favorite guitarist.

13. CCR. For some reason I think of them and Dire Straits together. I grew tired of them for a while because of AOR overplay, but now that I dont listen to AOR anymore, they're back on the front lines. Include John Fogerty's solo stuff here as well. This is my favorite of his:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbSGMRZsN4Q

14. U2. I know there are some here who don't like them, but there aren't many bands who have been better, even if they haven't done anything particularly noteworthy in 20 years.

15. Tom Petty. Before he hit big, I was telling friends about him. When the Wilburys came along, it was a bit of a shock because the group was made up of my favorites.

16. The Animals. "Don't Let Me be Misunderstood" is brilliant, and I love listening to Eric Burden's voice.

17. David Bowie. To me, the whole new wave movement was a bunch of kids imitating David Bowie.

18. The Police/Sting. Lyrical complexity always gets me to pay attention, which brings me to

19. Al Stewart. Year of the Cat is great, but so were a ton of his other songs, such as "Life in Dark Water" "Soho (Needless to Say)" and "Eyes of Nostradamus". Always enjoyed his historical allusions.

20. I know I've forgotten so many, but I'm going to close with a group mentioned in the op: The Cars. btw, it is still hard for me not to picture Ric Ocasek singing when I hear "Just What I Needed".

I should have mentioned Cold Chisel, Roy Orbison, and Sam Cooke, but I didn't. And I'm sure Mumford and Sons will make the list as soon as they come out with enough albums to qualify.

[Johnny Footstool]

I have 10.

U2
Dinosaur Jr.
Soul Coughing
Afghan Whigs
Superchunk
Drive-By Truckers
GNR
Tom Petty
The Gaslight Anthem
Foxy Shazam

[Superdude]

Ten sounds fun. Twenty sounds like a job.

1) Springsteen: He may not be a rock patriarch like The Beatles, but the dude was just blindingly genius at times. Never got his due respect because the majority of America still sees him as left wing Toby Keith.
2) Titus Andronicus: They make self loathing and nihilism sound like so much fun!
3) Van Morrison: mystical, ethereal goodness
4) The Gaslight Anthem: Last album was a weird direction, but they do have two of my all time favorite albums
5) Andrew McMahon: I listened to Everything In Transit an unhealthy amount in high school. That album dwarfs everything else he's done IMO, but it's all pretty solid.
6) Rolling Stones: Just now getting into them. Awesome, ragged blues rock sound. A prefer their more down to earth sound to Zeppelin's "Hammer of the Gods".
7) Tom Waits: The mad doctor schtick on his later albums never did it for me, but I love his early stuff.
8) Ben Folds (Five): you can't help but relate to the snarky kid on the piano
9) Bon Iver: I'll give myself at least one hipster choice. Self-titled's almost like an Astral Weeks experience.
10) Tom Petty: Doesn't have any album that I really love, but has so much that I really like that it's hard not to include him.

[The DARK]

Ten sounds fun. Twenty sounds like a job.

2) Titus Andronicus: They make self loathing and nihilism sound like so much fun!


Glad that you mentioned these guys. Definitely one of my favorite recent discoveries, along with Japandroids.

[redsfanmia]

The Beatles
The Who
The Clash
The Pogues
Johnny Cash
Oasis
Paul Westerberg
Neil Young
Tom Petty
Midnight Oil
The Police
Springsteen
Bob Marley
Pearl Jam
Chris Cornell
The Band
Radiohead
R.E.M.
Fountains of Wayne
Green Day

[reds1869]

Great thread. Some these (U2 in particular) have fallen off my radar recently but I still deeply love their body of work. In no particular order:

The Beatles
Muse
The Avett Brothers
Jack White (and all associated acts)
U2
Weezer
Billy Talent (best live band I've ever seen)
The Black Keys
Tom Morello (and all associated acts)
Arcade Fire
Pete Seeger
Bob Dylan
Mumford & Sons
Bruce Springsteen
Johnny Cash
Queen
The Wurzels
My Chemical Romance (My wife got me hooked against my will. Great live band.)
Kaiser Chiefs
Radiohead

[Dom Heffner]

I don't know how I forgot U2. They could replace a few on my list.

[Scrap Irony]

REO Speedwagon
First slow dance. First kiss. "Can't Fight This Feeling" from Wheels Are Turning. Awe. Some.

New Edition
"Have You Seen Her?" First bubblegum pop harmonies. Tight still.

Jackson 5
Mom heard my New Edition and turned me on to her record collection. Motown got some serious play.

Beatles
Remarkably consistent and innovative. World-changing. And they blew my 12-year-old mind with "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", then my 16-year-old mind with "Hey, Jude", then my 21-year-old mind with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". What other band (beside possibly U2) can claim that?

Willie Nelson
Sustained brilliance for 40 years. The Stardust album is truly genius.

Ray Charles
Could "become" Atlantic jazz, Big Band, country, gospel, and everything in between.

Johnny Cash
True to himself no matter what. "Rusty Cage" was as awesome as "Folsom Prison Blues." The only difference between "I Walk the Line" and "Hurt" is 50 years of life experience. And you hear it.

Elvis
Black music from a matinee idol.

Sam Cooke
"Change Is Gonna Come" may be the most perfect song ever. Phenomenal voice.

Roy Orbison
"If Cooke's voice isn't the greatest, Orbison's was. Every high school breakup was followed by a few nights of Orbison's "Crying".

The Temptations
"I Wish It Would Rain" and "Poppa Was a Rollin' Stone" are great travel music.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
If Johnny Cash's "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die" isn't the greatest line in music history, then Robinson's "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid" is. Remarkable talent.

Marvin Gaye
Similar to Beatles. in that his early music was great, but his later music was both toe-tapping and had a message. "What's Going On" is one of the best songs ever and still sounds fresh.

The Galoots
A band I got to play with in college. Fun experience.

CCR/ John Fogerty
"Fortunate Son" and Centerfield" are both great, but "Candle in the Window" is a beast.

Janis Joplin
No one's mentioned her yet, but that voice. "Mercedes Benz changed my entire musical ouvre.

Avett Brothers
Really listen to gospel only now and got hooked on "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and the rest of their stuff fairly early. Great harmonies.

Mahalia Jackson
Again, Mom's record collection rears its head. Great stuff.

Beach Boys
"Good Vibrations" changed the way rock and roll was recorded forever. It's still a great album.

Rolling Stones
Is there a better song than "Sympathy for the Devil" while driving 100 mph on a Saturday night?

Louis Armstrong
Played the trumpet in high school and in a couple bands in college. Love his Dixieland Jazz stuff and his later New York recordings with Ella Fitzgerald. "Summertime" is THE American classic, IMO, and no one does it better than Satchmo and The Queen.

Bob Dylan
Lyrics. Genius.

Billie Holliday
Best rainy day music ever.

Norah Jones
Billie Holliday without the drug problems.

Paul Simon
Early stuff with Art Garfunkel is fun, but his later stuff, IMO, is better. "Me and Julio" to "Kodachrome". Great.

Iris DeMint
Love that voice. Perfect harmonies and a great song phraseologist.

Doc Watson
Really went wild for folk music after seeing him in college. 80-year-old could play guitar better than anyone I'd ever seen. And I loved his voice. Sounded like America.

[Dom Heffner]

REO's Hi Infidelity is on my top 20 albums list. Oh man.

[marcshoe]

Can't believe I forgot Paul Simon. And The Beach Boys. And Sinatra.

[Spazzrico]

I don't know if these are truly my favorite 20 or not, but they all came to mind as groups/artists I really truly enjoy to come back to. No particular order.

Arcade Fire
Jimi Hendrix
Rush
Phish
Primus
Decemberists
Belle and Sebastian
Cake
Beatles
Otis Redding
ELO
Neko Case
M. Ward
Wilco
Morphine
Doc Watson
Johnny Cash
Ben Folds
The Clash
The Kinks

[Spazzrico]

The Galoots
A band I got to play with in college. Fun experience.



I used to go see them when I was in HS in Louisville. Twice-told Coffee House. Shannon Lawson dated the hostess at the restaurant where I worked. I've still got and listen to their two CD's.

Are you saying you were a member of the group or that you would sit in?

[George Anderson]

Top 10 in no particular order.

Eric Clapton
Bob Seger
Led Zeppelin
Van Halen
Doors
Neil Young
George Harrison
Springsteen
Tom Petty
Beatles

[camisadelgolf]

It's too difficult to order these right now, but here's my quick stab at it.
Arcade Fire
The Beatles
Beck
Bishop Allen
Johnny Cash
The Clash
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan
The Hives
The Impossibles
Mclusky/Future of the Left
The Muffs
Nerf Herder
Nirvana
Pavement
The Pixies
Radiohead
The Unicorns/Islands
Weezer
The White Stripes

[RichRed]

The Temptations
"I Wish It Would Rain" and "Poppa Was a Rollin' Stone" are great travel music.


I'll have to come back later with my list but just wanted to pop in and say that I think "Papa..." is just about the perfect song. So funky, poignant, catchy...it's got it all.

[WildcatFan]

This might be tougher than the albums list.

Ryan Adams--I've mentioned my affection for him here before; I'm not sure why he hasn't grown more popular with the recent rise in Americana/roots music. Breathtaking songwriter.

Bob Marley--I tend to get lost in his voice and music, even though I don't listen to it as much as most of the others on this list. He always comes across so sincere.

Stevie Wonder--One of the few artists that I can play no matter my mood, setting, etc. He comes on, I'm gonna dance.

Bob Seger--Not much needs to be said about Seger. Had one of the great 10-year runs in rock history and has been the soundtrack of many long car rides.

Garth Brooks--Country music's truest superstar. I know probably 30 of his songs word for word.

Danger Mouse--I was glad I could cheat with him. He's collaborated on so many phenomenal projects (if you haven't heard the Broken Bells record with the Shins frontman, stop reading and go listen to it now). Gnarls Barkley deserves more credit than it got, too.

Chris Thile--Has killed it solo, with Nickel Creek, and now with the Punch Brothers. He understands music like no one else playing right now, and his most recent work will leave you exhausted trying to understand how all the instruments are working together. He's as close to a prodigy as music has seen in the past 20 years.

D'Angelo--I'm really glad to see he's come back. I was afraid we'd only be left with two albums from him. He's known for the naked music video, but every song of his puts me into a groove coma.

Van Morrison--He's overshadowed by the Beatles, Dylan, and Rolling Stones, but for my money, he's the songwriter I most respect. Can make me smile or cry from track to track. Astral Weeks still feels fresh today, and that's amazing.

The Eagles--The first band I remember hearing, from probably 5 years old. They've been an on-and-off passion ever since. I like their country sound, but a couple of the 80s tracks can be pretty cool too. Their Long Road Out of Eden album was surprisingly good for the old timers.

Victor Wooten--I'm a bass player, and he puts me on my ass with some of the ways he comes up with to play that instrument. He's a music historian, and constantly drops little allusions to some of the funk greats.

Glen Hansard--He's quietly putting together an impressive resume, between his work with The Frames and Marketa Irglova. Once is a top 10 movie of all time for me, and the Broadway musical is number one, hands down. His voice is so honest, you believe every word he sings.

Kanye West--Couldn't dislike him more as a person, and I don't particularly enjoy him as a lyricist, but as a producer he's phenomenal. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy felt like something new in hip-hop.

Michael Jackson--The man. Anyone who thinks he just sang songs written for him and danced his way into stardom should watch This Is It and see what his artistry really was. He heard music differently than you and I do, and that's what made him special.

Dave Matthews--Say what you will about him, I love his music, particularly live. He surrounded himself with certifiable genuises and can keep a groove going for seemingly days. Another long car ride choice.

Mary J. Blige--My favorite neo-soul female artist. She's got one of the great voices in R&B and has put out one or two of my favorite R&B albums of the last 15 years.

Outkast--Constantly growing and evolving; I've loved every iteration of the Atlanta duo. Andre 3000 is brilliant, and Big Boi is a really underrated lyricist.

Peter Gabriel--I couldn't tell you if I like his Genesis or solo career better, but I know I'm interested in everything he's ever done. Even his soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ is a work of art. I've been listening to his 2010 record Scratch My Back quite a bit lately, and in his older years his voice has become just so hauntingly beautiful.

The Roots--?uestlove is great, the band is great, the music is always interesting, and they're genuinely funny guys! What else do you want?

Zac Brown--I struggled putting him on here, but man am I having fun listening to his stuff. And he can flat burn it up on that guitar.

[*BaseClogger*]

9. The Avett Brothers. I'm reluctant to list current bands

Why?

[*BaseClogger*]

Mclusky/Future of the Left

Dude... I just saw them at The Grog Shop in Cleveland with Andrew Jackson Jihad, and I'm really tempted to say it's the greatest thing I've ever seen live...

[camisadelgolf]

Dude... I just saw them at The Grog Shop in Cleveland with Andrew Jackson Jihad, and I'm really tempted to say it's the greatest thing I've ever seen live...
They easily have the best between-song banter of any band I've ever seen. Check out Last Night I Saved Her from Vampires for some prime examples.

[*BaseClogger*]

They easily have the best between-song banter of any band I've ever seen. Check out Last Night I Saved Her from Vampires for some prime examples.

Haha me and my friends dictated a lot of their between-song banter that night, but I don't think the discussion is very RZ-friendly...

[Captain13]

Also in no particular order:

Artist-Meaningless Garble. Song I love.

1 Metallica-The soundtrack to my youth, and my life to date. For Whom the Bell Tolls

2 Pink Floyd-Beginning with Meddle and continuing to the present, I love everything Waters and/or Gilmour touch (with the notable exception of The Final Cut). Time.

3 Supafuzz-I have mentioned them before. They were a local band in Lexington that I saw many many nights in bars and clubs throughout Kentucky. King of Karma.

4 Black Sabbath- My introduction into heavy music started here. The first six Ozzy albums and the two Dio albums are all masterpieces. N.I.B.

5 Ozzy- I love almost everything on the first 7 solo albums, after that I hate it. Flying High Again.

6 Sinatra- Nobody quite like him. Luck Be A Lady.

7 Sting- He made this list on the strength of Ten Summoners Tales, I think it is the pinnacle of a fantastic career. Seven Days.

8 Jimmy Buffet- From time to time I need to change the scenery in my head. Volcano.

9 Danzig- Delightfully dark, and a little twisted. Dirty Black Summer.

10 Linkin Park- Great energy that fit their time exceptionally well. One Step Closer.

11 Led Zeppelin- There is nothing I can say here that hasn't been said before. Dazed and Confused.

12 Alabama- I blame Mom. I grew up hearing it over and over and over and... Dixieland Delight.

13 Pantera- Mind blowingly heavy and crisp with a groove. Drag the Water.

14 Louis Armstrong- Great nostalgia. A Kiss to Build a Dream On.

15 ZZ Top- Blues and rock with style. Jesus Just Left Chicago/Waiting for the Bus

16 Iron Maiden- Bruce Dickenson is who I want to be; that voice. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

17 Neil Young- A sound I relate to. I blame Dad, I heard this over and over and... Old Man.

18 Stevie Ray Vaughan- A career cut way to short. Beautiful music to party or cry to. Pride and Joy.

19 P!nk- I don't care what anybody says, Alicia Moore is one talented woman. Her lyrics resonate truth and honesty and she rocks. Sober.

20 Bob Seger- I love Uncle Bob. I can't think of one Seger song I don't like. Some I like more than others, but none I don't like. Sunspot Baby.

[Revering4Blue]

Phil Collins/Genesis: Stop it. I know it's lightweight and the consensus is he wasn't as good as Peter Gabriel.

Bah.

Phil Collins performed the Gabriel era Genesis tracks live without missing a figurative beat in concert.

IMHO, the loss of guitarist Steve Hackett was a much bigger blow to Genesis than the loss of Gabriel.

As for the original topic, there's no way I can narrow it down to five, much less twenty, so I'll bow out of this thread gracefully. But you can rest assured that Rush, is in my top 5, even though I may be in the minority here.

[marcshoe]

Why?

Mostly because I feel as if distance helps me see more clearly. As a teen I loved Styx; now I find them pretentious. I think it's a safe bet the Avetts will hold up.

btw, add Peter Gabriel and Neil Young to those I forgot. Maybe when this is through I'll have a real list.

[*BaseClogger*]

Dinosaur Jr.
Afghan Whigs
Superchunk

What are your favorite albums for these three bands?

[camisadelgolf]

Haha me and my friends dictated a lot of their between-song banter that night, but I don't think the discussion is very RZ-friendly...
The last time I saw them, a Michael Jackson joke somehow got brought up, and then the audience got to spend a couple minutes telling Michael Jackson jokes. Of course, anyone who participated was ridiculed to no end. At any point did they tell the crowd to stop dancing/moshing?

[Gizmo]

The ten I rotate into the player the most. Alphabetically:

The Beatles
Garth Brooks
Counting Crows
Eminem
James Maynard Keenan(A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, Tool)
Korn
Led Zeppelin
Nine Inch Nails
Simon and Garfunkel
System of a Down

[Scrap Irony]

I used to go see them when I was in HS in Louisville. Twice-told Coffee House. Shannon Lawson dated the hostess at the restaurant where I worked. I've still got and listen to their two CD's.

Are you saying you were a member of the group or that you would sit in?

Nope. Just sat in. Harmonica and rythm guitar.

[OldRightHander]

In no particular order:

Rich Mullins
Ray Charles
Alison Krauss
Bebo Norman
The Bothy Band
Dervish
Jim Cole
Jim Croce
Kevin Burke
Matt Molloy
Laurence Nugent
Michael Card
Russ Taff-Under Their Influence and The Way Home were great albums.
Chet Atkins
Altan

I like some of what I hear from Adele, but she doesn't have enough material out yet to see if she cracks the list or not. I think 21 is better than 19.

[*BaseClogger*]

The last time I saw them, a Michael Jackson joke somehow got brought up, and then the audience got to spend a couple minutes telling Michael Jackson jokes. Of course, anyone who participated was ridiculed to no end. At any point did they tell the crowd to stop dancing/moshing?

No--is that something they do? The pit was pretty big and they seemed to be loving it.

For their encore, their new guitarist went down into the crowd, grabbed a kid, put him in a headlock, and dragged him onto the stage...

[BillDoran]

Fifteen off the top of my head:

Pavement
The White Stripes
Neil Young
Neutral Milk Hotel
The Apples in Stereo
Circulatory System
The Black Angels
Califone
Guided by Voices
LCD Soundsystem
The Silver Jews
Ty Segall
The 13th Floor Elevators
Battles
Biggie

[camisadelgolf]

No--is that something they do? The pit was pretty big and they seemed to be loving it.

For their encore, their new guitarist went down into the crowd, grabbed a kid, put him in a headlock, and dragged him onto the stage...
Yeah, every time I've seen them (and Mclusky), they stopped the show to tell people to stop moshing. They said it was out of respect for everyone in the audience, but I have a feeling it might have been more related to preserving their gear.

[Ravenlord]

Alice Cooper--a veritable god in the music pantheon. 40+ years later and he's still relavent and touring the world. Bob Dylan once called Alice the most underated song writer of the day (that was the early 80s) which i very much agree with-especially The Eyes of Alice Cooper and Brutal Planet albums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h5g9hcsFQc

Alice In Chains--i was always annoyed that they got pigeonholed into grunge just because they're from Seattle. i love how dark many of their songs are, especially the ones written by Layne Staley. i think Black Gives Way to Blue is my favorite of their albums, but i definetly miss Layne's lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbpS2LfoTKU

Arkona--an incredible pagan/folk metal band from Russia. the vocal range of Masha Scream is amazing--from operatic harmonies to death metal gutteral brutality. there's also a great diversity of feel from song-to-song. the happy-go-lucky vibe of "Stenka Na Stenku (Wall to Wall)", the spiritual call of "Slavia Rus", to the dark and brooding feeling of "Kolo Nav (Kolo of Nav)". but for me, the jewel in the crown of Arkona is "Na Moey Zemle (In My Land)" a 15 minute epic about a warrior who leaves his homeland to journey westward to find what makes one happy in other lands. as the song progresses (featuring the likes of Heidevolk, Manegarm, Obtest and others singing in their native tongues) he learns that what makes these odd people happy is the same as in his homeland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt6_65LDZ60


The Beatles--i don't really think explaination is in order here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0Q8ytD44Y


Bob Dylan--i still prefer to hear other people sing his songs, but i think his voice has gotten better as he's gotten older.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsR0Y-sWk-E


Eluveitie--a Swiss folk metal band. my introduction to them was the song "Inis Mona" (the old Celtic name for the Isle of Anglesey). usually death metal vocals annoy me, but Chriegal Glanzzman has the ability to actually change keys and notes while doing it which i find absolutely wonderful. they were the first folk metal act i ever heard and i couldn't believe my ears hearing bagpipes, flutes, violins, hurdy-gurdy, and metal blended together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iijKLHCQw5o


Glittertind--a Norwegian folk metal band that concetrates very hard on late period pagan Norway and early period Christian Norway and the cultural shifts that go with it. as their guitarist and co-lead vocalist explains: "Glittertind understands that folk is first and foremost life affirming as opposed to hateful, morbid, anti-social, suicidal and racist. It is also simple and realistic - just like punk."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnd7FMyj4UA&feature=related

Guns N Roses--Izzy's arrangements with Axl's lyrics with Slash and Duff's music. too bad they can't get along with a soberish Axl Rose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kBbnozv-Lg


Here Come the Mummies--they're just fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB5EE42So7I


Izzy Stradlin--it amazes me how many of his solo songs show the most dominant aspect of his personality: his shyness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKrj13nvjyk


Kontrust--they're hard to explain. but they're Austrian (excpet the female vocalist who's Polish), and with that information, their odd styling makes far more sense. i would have thought mixing thrash metal, euro-dance, reggae, and hip-hop into one song and making it seemless would have been impossible. they however prove me wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf--ISBmLno


Korpiklaani--fun with Finnish folk/pagan metal. misrepresented heavily by English language media for being a party thrash band because of songs like "Happy Little Boozer" and "Beer Beer," but just one song out of 12 has to do with drinking (and in the case of "Tequila" it's not about drinking, it's about their first South American tour) and 11 songs about Finnish folk lore or singer Jonne Jarvella's expierience living with the Lapps. "Lonkaluut (Hipbones)" is one of the greatest songs i've ever heard, and i can't disgaree with its premise that the hips are the most important part of ancient life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ftwHWw7uZA


Megadeth--everyone knows that Dave Mustaine can play, but i think he is one of the best lyricists ever. if you don't know it coming in "My Kingdom" just sounds like your normal bit of fantasy, but there's a hint in the song and the track before it (Shadow of Deth) that tell you this is actually about the end days of King Arthur Pendragon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wOTe0HtOZs


Savatage/Jon Oliva/Trans-Siberian Orchestra--possibly my favorite band ever (in Savatage and Jon Oliva). there are three eras essentialy: thrash, progressive, and conceptual with a bit of overlap mixed in. i think Jon Oliva is the most underrated musician and lyricsyst i've ever heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2yN9F3_TE


Paul Simon--great lyrics and great harmonies without being corny, gotta love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsX03LOMhI


Shadows Fall--the kings of American thrash metal, Brian Fair's switching
between clean vocals and thrash vocals i find hypnotic on most songs. i also like that they don't hide their Buddhist and Taoist influences in their lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6hLUG4GPGQ


Skyclad--one of the bands i've somewhat recently discovered, they're actually the pioneer and proginator of folk metal (along with Bathory). i love the double meanings to many of their songs, such as "Inequality Street" and "Thinking Aloud."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKBV2W6YIHg

Slash--i think his career speaks for itself, to some he's overrated, to a few others he's somehow underrated. i think he gets overrated on his playing ability and underrated on his ability to write memorable songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wEnWc2pAZc

Tom Petty--i don't know why i love Tom Petty's music as much as i do, but there's very few of his songs that i do not like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKUBlwVgVYc


Tyr--a Viking metal band from the Faroe Islands. the overwhelming majority of their songs have to do with Faroese legend and Nordic mythology. "Eric the Red" is one of the best arguments i have ever heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wTjIVMnraY


Willie Nelson--i could have just as easily put Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Steve Earle, Merle Haggard, George Jones, or Bob Wayne here cause that's the style of country i love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8A9Y1Dq_cQ

[*BaseClogger*]

Yeah, every time I've seen them (and Mclusky), they stopped the show to tell people to stop moshing. They said it was out of respect for everyone in the audience, but I have a feeling it might have been more related to preserving their gear.

I think this attitude change might be reflected in the lineup alteration they made in 2010 when they decided to add an extra guitarist. Falco said of the new member (Jimmy Watkins) "whose main role(s) in the band are to play guitar and act like a ****ing maniac" haha. He lived up to the billing!

edit: They also weren't the headliners, so maybe it was out of respect to Jihad?

[bucksfan2]

Pearl Jam
Bruce Springsteen
Foo Fighters
Rise Against
The Drop Kick Murphies
Gaslight Anthem
Kenny Chesney
Zac Brown Band
Coldplay
U2
The Offspring
Metallica
Stone Temple Pilots
Elton John
Billy Joel
Garth Brooks
Allice in Chains
Jason Aldeen
Mumford and Sons
Linkin Park

Damn its hard to come up with 20.

[Redhook]

Here Come the Mummies--they're just fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eB5EE42So7I



Going to see them play at Taft Saturday. Should be a good time.

[Ravenlord]

Going to see them play at Taft Saturday. Should be a good time.

i was hoping to get to see that show too, but we finally got confirmed for a show in Fort Wayne yesterday, so i have to go and do that job thing now.

[Captain13]

Ravenlord, thank you for that post. It was awesome to hear some sounds that I've never heard before. I will be youtubing some of those bands later.

[Dom Heffner]

I like Alice Cooper. I don't think he can be described as relevant lol...

[Ravenlord]

I like Alice Cooper. I don't think he can be described as relevant lol...

still selling out arenas world wide. i saw him a while back (i think in March) at US Bank Arena--sold out and a surprising number of people in there late 20s or younger (i'd say about 1/3 of the crowd).

[*BaseClogger*]

still selling out arenas world wide. i saw him a while back (i think in March) at US Bank Arena--sold out and a surprising number of people in there late 20s or younger (i'd say about 1/3 of the crowd).

Is he still writing new music?

[gilpdawg]

Yep. Just released Welcome to My Nightmare Part 2. It's not very good though. He has done some good stuff in the last few years though. Dragontown, Brutal Planet, The Eyes of Alice Cooper. (which I really liked)

[Ravenlord]

Yep. Just released Welcome to My Nightmare Part 2. It's not very good though.
yeah, it got over Bob Ezrin-ed. . .much his 1981 release Special Forces and Kiss' 1979 album Dynasty

[gilpdawg]

yeah, it got over Bob Ezrin-ed. . .much his 1981 release Special Forces and Kiss' 1979 album Dynasty

Ezrin didn't produce Dynasty. That was Vini Poncia. Ezrin did Destroyer, The Elder, and Revenge.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Nosirrah]

A little late to the party, but I've got a few that I haven't seen mentioned yet (highlighted)... Maybe someone will find a new favorite on this list!

- Rolling Stones
- Beatles
- Tool
- Monster Magnet
- Black Keys
- Beastie Boys
- Afghan Whigs
- The National
- The White Stripes
- Pixies
- Black Mountain
- Soundgarden
- Eagles of Death Metal
- Peter Gabriel
- Ben Harper
- Helmet
- The Kills
- Kings of Leon (first 3 albums)
- Matisyahu
- Rage Against the Machine
- Damien Rice
- Zuba

[gilpdawg]

Dream Theater
Rush
Iron Maiden
Pantera
Nightwish
Lamb of God
Queensryche
Savatage and related projects
Kamelot
Megadeth
Machine Head
Overkill
Slayer
Anthrax
Testament
Judas Priest
The Who
Steely Dan
Black Sabbath/Ozzy
Dio/Rainbow/Dio era Sabbath

[Tornon]

Switchfoot
Breaking Benjamin
Anberlin
Skillet
R.E.M.
Queen
CCR
Red
Everyday Sunday
Green Day
Rise Against
The Who
Capital Lights
Blink-182
All Star United
The Killers
MxPx
Thousand Foot Krutch
Relient K
Elton John

[Will M]

Bah.

Phil Collins performed the Gabriel era Genesis tracks live without missing a figurative beat in concert.

IMHO, the loss of guitarist Steve Hackett was a much bigger blow to Genesis than the loss of Gabriel.

As for the original topic, there's no way I can narrow it down to five, much less twenty, so I'll bow out of this thread gracefully. But you can rest assured that Rush, is in my top 5, even though I may be in the minority here.

Genesis made a couple of really good albums just after Gabriel left (Trick of the Tail & Wind and Wuthering). In concert they added a 2nd drummer so Phil could be front & center when he sang. And Then There Were Three, Duke & Abacab were good and recorded after Hackett left (I think). But by the time of the album Genesis (1983) they had become very pop oriented as opposed to 'art rock'.

I always though Phil's pop sensibilities began to dominate after losing both Gabriel & Hackett. But maybe it was just creative drain. Gabriel hasn't done much since ~1986. Lots of artists seem to dry up at about age 35-45.

[*BaseClogger*]

I didn't realize there are so many Genesis fans out there haha. I don't think anybody in my generation likes them?

[Revering4Blue]

Genesis made a couple of really good albums just after Gabriel left (Trick of the Tail & Wind and Wuthering). In concert they added a 2nd drummer so Phil could be front & center when he sang. And Then There Were Three, Duke & Abacab were good and recorded after Hackett left (I think). But by the time of the album Genesis (1983) they had become very pop oriented as opposed to 'art rock'.

I always though Phil's pop sensibilities began to dominate after losing both Gabriel & Hackett. But maybe it was just creative drain. Gabriel hasn't done much since ~1986. Lots of artists seem to dry up at about age 35-45.

In addition to Chester Thompson on drums, as you noted, Daryl Steurmer,a fine guitarist in his own right, also toured with the band.

Hackett left in '77, so the aforementioned ATTWT, Duke and Abacab were indeed recorded following Hackett's departure.

Perhaps it's due to radio overplay, but I never particularly cared for Peter Gabriel's solo work--excluding Live albums--following his Security album. I still much prefer Collins' solo work, excluding the era in which he unfortunately tried to re-invent himself as the next Celine Deon.

[gilpdawg]

I love Trick of the Tail. Collins is singing but Banks/Rutherford/Hackett were still writing stuff that sounded like the Gabriel era. It's probably my favorite Genesis record besides the Lamb. Dance on a Volcano rules.

[Redhook]

Going to see them play at Taft Saturday. Should be a good time.

Here Come the Mummies were awesome in their funky, freaky, dirty kind of . way. They put on one heckuva show and the lead singer, Cass Mummy, is one of the best singers I've ever heard. 2 thumbs up! :thumbup:

[camisadelgolf]

Speaking of mummies, anyone else enjoy The Mummies? I've heard some legendary stories told about their live shows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpPaeBloCXY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr0StuubuaM

[Johnny Footstool]

What are your favorite albums for these three bands?

Dino Jr - "Green Mind." The first DJ song I ever heard was their cover of "Just Like Heaven" (thank you, 120 Minutes), so I went to the CD shop and tried to track it down. It wasn't available, but Green Mind had just come out, so I bought it instead. I heard "The Wagon," and suddenly I was a different person. That's still one of my top 10 favorite songs.

Afghan Whigs - "Gentlemen". I loved "Congregation," but "Gentlemen" was tighter, and all the songs seemed to flow together into one beautiful story.

Superchunk - "Here's Where the Strings Come In". I was extremely late to jump on the Superchunk bus. I really only got into them in the past three years. Their older stuff was more raw and punky, but this album showed surprising maturity and songcraft. You can (and should) play tracks 1-8 without skipping a song. I should have listed this in the Top Albums thread.

[*BaseClogger*]

Dino Jr - "Green Mind." The first DJ song I ever heard was their cover of "Just Like Heaven" (thank you, 120 Minutes), so I went to the CD shop and tried to track it down. It wasn't available, but Green Mind had just come out, so I bought it instead. I heard "The Wagon," and suddenly I was a different person. That's still one of my top 10 favorite songs.

Afghan Whigs - "Gentlemen". I loved "Congregation," but "Gentlemen" was tighter, and all the songs seemed to flow together into one beautiful story.

Superchunk - "Here's Where the Strings Come In". I was extremely late to jump on the Superchunk bus. I really only got into them in the past three years. Their older stuff was more raw and punky, but this album showed surprising maturity and songcraft. You can (and should) play tracks 1-8 without skipping a song. I should have listed this in the Top Albums thread.

BTW Johnny, since you are such a big fan of Dino Jr. and Superchunk I would recommend you check out the Karl Hendricks Trio if you haven't already--they strongly remind me of both bands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oln8yBv_q1o

[Johnny Footstool]

BTW Johnny, since you are such a big fan of Dino Jr. and Superchunk I would recommend you check out the Karl Hendricks Trio if you haven't already--they strongly remind me of both bands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oln8yBv_q1o

I'm 30 seconds into this song, and I'm seriously digging them. Thanks!

[Dom Heffner]

still selling out arenas world wide. i saw him a while back (i think in March) at US Bank Arena--sold out and a surprising number of people in there late 20s or younger (i'd say about 1/3 of the crowd).

Will you get me this for Christmas? Because that rocks.

http://www.backstreet-merch.com/stores/alicecooper/official_alice-cooper_framed-signed-litho-print_limited-edition-autographed-and-framed-lithograph_alic113.html

They want 200 bucks to ship it, pass.

[improbus]

I've had a really hard time with this one. My tastes have changed so much over the last 25 years. But, here is my feeble list (in no particular order):

1) The Who: Their energy, creativity, and sense of humor are endlessly entertaining

2) Kraftwerk: Simple, elegant, melodious. Even their relatively recent Tour De France soundtrack is great.

3) Elvis Costello: I love every period of his career, even the Burt Bacharach part where he was trying to write the perfect Bond song.

4) Kanye: His beats are simply the best. Flashing Lights makes me instantly smile. He might also be one of the most honest artists I've ever listened to. In one song, he will present and glorify his arrogance and in the next song he will tell you how it is his greatest weakness.

5) Beck: I'm a sonic guy, not a lyrics guy (generally speaking). Beck is built for me. I really love Sea Changes, his super sad and beautiful breakup album.

6) The Chemical Brothers: I'm a sucker for that stuff.

7) Peter Gabriel: Someone mentioned the Last Temptation of Christ Soundtrack. A work of art.

8) Radiohead: They've got 4 or 5 albums I can play from start to finish, and that is hard to beat in this era.

9) Stevie Wonder: My dad claims that if he could only have one human being sing one song, it would be Art Garfunkel. I would pick Stevie (or Eddie Murphy's version of Stevie).

10) Wilco: I love both their more and their less ambitious stuff.

11) Air: French, Electronic, Might be responsible for Auto-tune...But, they are still wonderful.

12) A Tribe Called Quest: Way fun.

13) The Arcade Fire: Their energy is outstanding and they have 2 or 3 songs on every album that I adore.

14) The Beatles: They've got it all.

15) Bjork: The manic Icelandic lady.

16) Cut Copy: It's like the best remix of 80's New Wave possible.

17) Chopin: I have no musical talent, but if I would learn to play anything, I would want it to be his works.

18) Nick Drake: He only made three albums, but they are beautifully haunting.

19/20) Pearl Jam/Smashing Pumpkins: I'm putting them together and at the end because they both had a great impact on me when I was younger but I have lost almost all interest in either of them. Pearl Jam has almost become unlistenable to me. Maybe it is because I associate them with a younger version of myself that I don't like to delve into or maybe it is Eddie's mumbly voice. The Pumpkins have aged better for me, but not by much.

[SunDeck]

In stream of consciousness order, but what I notice about my list is that it tends toward music that leans toward the less complicated productions. There are of course exceptions, but in general my preference is for music that has a simpler sound, which is why I much prefer, say Del McCoury to the Nashville Bluegrass Band. Neither of them are on the list, but they would be if it could stretch to a hundred or so.

1) Jonathan Richman - I have a copy of "this is", very hard to come by. He may actually be my #1 among singer songwriters.
2) Loudon Wainwright III - Love his attitude, his humor, cynicism.
3) Bob Dylan - Esp. stuff he did prior to turning 25.
4) The Cure - music of my youth, I listen to them to dream about being a kid again.
5) Beatles - no explanation necessary.
6) Led Zeppelin - the beginning of heavy metal and in some ways the place it should have stopped. I blame Black Sabbath for ruining what Led Zep started.
7) Lyle Lovett - Not necessarily the large band stuff, but the front porch music.
8) Kinks - After the beatles, my favorite invasion band.
9) Ani DiFranco - love the way she beats up on the guitar and the fact that she is smart and angry and unapologetic.
10) Louis Armstrong - I once sat in the first row while Doc Severenson was doing a tribute to Armstrong. In between solos, he had to lean on the barrier between us and the stage to recover. I said, "He could play, huh?" and much to my surprise, Doc actually answered me with one of those "between you and me" looks and just said, "Oh, man could he." Armstrong may be my favorite musician of all time- he represents the capacity of music to uplift and celebrate, no matter the times, the difficulties or the circumstances. That he is a founder of American Jazz, despite the difficulties he obviously faced in the Jim Crow South is a testament to his spirit and the magnitude of his talent.
11) Nat "King" Cole - greatest voice, ever, except for my next selection.
12) Ella Fitzgerald - like a syrupy wave of sound, her voice never fails to make me stop.
13) Frank Sinatra - I don't regard him as much of a revolutionary in music, but one cannot deny the quality of his voice and his interpretations.
14) Doc Watson - Father of the father of Bluegrass
15) Benny Goodman - goosebumps are what I get whenever I hear him play.
16) Joni Mitchell - how many tunings can there possibly be?
17) Billy Bragg - His machine kills fascists, too.
18) Vince Guaraldi - unfortunately, there isn't enough of his music to play all the time.
19) Jerry Garcia - Thank you Jerry for bringing Bluegrass to the hippies.
20) Marian MacPartland - The softest touch on a piano I know. Her playing jumps out at me like no other piano player; I can pick her out almost every time. It's so light and jaunty, yet subtle.

[improbus]

19/20) Pearl Jam/Smashing Pumpkins: I'm putting them together and at the end because they both had a great impact on me when I was younger but I have lost almost all interest in either of them. Pearl Jam has almost become unlistenable to me. Maybe it is because I associate them with a younger version of myself that I don't like to delve into or maybe it is Eddie's mumbly voice. The Pumpkins have aged better for me, but not by much.

After I wrote this, I started to feel some tinges of regret. So, I went back and listened to their first three albums and had some interesting and new/old observations.

1) When they and Nirvana hit, I remembering feeling that they were something totally new (I had no idea about the Pixies and others, but this was the early 90s and I only knew what was on the radio). But, they sounded much closer to many of those 80s bands they were "rebelling" against than I remember. Switch Eddie's brood for Axl's screech and those bands don't seem as different as I remember.

2) Their first two albums could just be called, "20 or so Power Ballads".

3) I can't tell if I like or hate Eddie Veddar's voice.

4) They had some legitametly great tunes. I loved hearing "Oceans", "Dissident", and "Immortalitly" again.

I think my earlier words were a little too harsh. My musical tasted have certainly changed and broadened over the years, but Pearl Jam does still have a place in my rotation.

[Dom Heffner]

Grunge feels like a mistress who you had fun with for six months and looking back you have no idea what you were thinking. Hate that era now, I do.

[kaldaniels]

After I wrote this, I started to feel some tinges of regret. So, I went back and listened to their first three albums and had some interesting and new/old observations.

1) When they and Nirvana hit, I remembering feeling that they were something totally new (I had no idea about the Pixies and others, but this was the early 90s and I only knew what was on the radio). But, they sounded much closer to many of those 80s bands they were "rebelling" against than I remember. Switch Eddie's brood for Axl's screech and those bands don't seem as different as I remember.

2) Their first two albums could just be called, "20 or so Power Ballads".

3) I can't tell if I like or hate Eddie Veddar's voice.

4) They had some legitametly great tunes. I loved hearing "Oceans", "Dissident", and "Immortalitly" again.

I think my earlier words were a little too harsh. My musical tasted have certainly changed and broadened over the years, but Pearl Jam does still have a place in my rotation.

On the "softer" songs I think Eddie's voice is easily in my top 5. He puts (or sells, some might say) some serious emotion into his songs.

But I would agree, stuff like "Evenflow" just hasn't aged well.

[Tony Cloninger]

Black Flag
TSOL
The Yardbirds
Led Zeppelin
David Bowie
Velvet Underground
Clash
Sex Pistols
Buzzocks
The Jam
XTC
The Who
The Rolling Stones
U2
The Smiths
Echo & The Bunnymen
The Beatles
Black Sabbath
The Stooges
Pink Floyd

Hard to leave out some groups like The Fixx, INXS, Roxy Music, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Talking Heads, Strokes and Todd Rundgren.

I love these bands more than just their obvious hits. So many great songs and memories from each of their albums and then CD's that I bought.

[*BaseClogger*]

I always felt like Pearl Jam was the most bland, Alice in Chains never lived up to their immense potential, Soundgarden had devolved into mediocrity before it was even big, and Nirvana was one of the all-time greats but for some reason they never 100% completely clicked with me...

[improbus]

I always felt like Pearl Jam was the most bland, Alice in Chains never lived up to their immense potential, Soundgarden had devolved into mediocrity before it was even big, and Nirvana was one of the all-time greats but for some reason they never 100% completely clicked with me...
I never liked Soundgarden. I would put Spoonman on my list of "Cringe-worthy" music (which might not be popular on this board).

As for Nirvana, I didn't like them a ton at the time. But, I suspect it was because everyone loved them (perhaps I was a pathetic example of a proto-hispter). With the luxury of hindsight, I think Lithium and In Bloom might be the best songs from the whole genre.

[reds1869]

I wasn't a Nirvana fan when they were active but really enjoy them now. I fully own having been a member of the "I don't listen to popular music" crowd in high school.

[*BaseClogger*]

There are some good songs on Ultramega OK, Louder Than Love, and Badmotorfinger. None of them rate along with the other three bands, however.

I can never decide which Nirvana album I like best. I've regarded each of the three as my favorite at various times.

It's a shame Layne Staley passed, I think Alice in Chains could have been the best of the bunch...

[Captain13]

I can listen to all that stuff as much as I want and nothing will convince me that Facelift, Dirt, Ten and Badmotorfinger were not all better than anything Nirvana did.

[*BaseClogger*]

I can listen to all that stuff as much as I want and nothing will convince me that Facelift, Dirt, Ten and Badmotorfinger were not all better than anything Nirvana did.

You're a metal guy though, right? Nirvana was a lot more punk than the metal-influenced AiC and Soundgarden...

[Captain13]

You're a metal guy though, right? Nirvana was a lot more punk than the metal-influenced AiC and Soundgarden...

You are correct sir. There was a power that Chains and early Soundgarden had that Nirvana never matched. AiC is my favorite of those bands, but I believe Ten was the best album. I still love the four opening tracks, but it is side 2 (all the slow stuff) that makes Ten what it is.

[camisadelgolf]

Nirvana used to be called Fecal Matter. In my eyes, they were more punk than the other Pacific Northwest bands being brought up. Speaking of which, why has no one brought up The Melvins?

[*BaseClogger*]

'Touch Me I'm Sick' might be the best...

[OldRightHander]

I wasn't a Nirvana fan when they were active but really enjoy them now. I fully own having been a member of the "I don't listen to popular music" crowd in high school.

That was me, but the funny thing is that a lot of my high school classmates are now listening to things I was into back then, like jazz and classical. Guys acted like they didn't know who Dave Brubeck was and now they're talking about how great his music was.

[marcshoe]

Grunge hit when I was around thirty, but I appreciated it from a distance. At least it wasn't hair metal. I never got that into it, but all four mentioned bands were all right. Nirvana's held up the best, I think, although I'm surprised at how good Alice was.

[kaldaniels]

So Paul McCartney is taking Kurt Cobain's place in Nirvana tonight?

I really wish I could "unhear" that information.