Posted on 10/22/2018 9:20:40 AM PDT by rktman
Like baseball, apple pie, and pickup trucks, rock and roll is considered quintessentially American. Sadly, many of the "best of" lists ranking rock bands are dominated by bands from the UK. Sure, there are some great bands from across the pond, but there's something special about the great rock bands from this country something rebelliously robust. American rock bands are the teeth of our communities and they aren't afraid to get messy. So, my list is comprised of bands that formed in America and whose majority of members are American (sorry, that means The Jimi Hendrix Experience is disqualified).
Before the list, a note of explanation may be in order: readers will notice the conspicuous absence of The Beach Boys as well as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. As far as the E Street Band, and this is probably not fair, but the music is so identified with the Boss as to basically reduce the E Street Band to his backing band (they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a backing band). The Beach Boys, on the other hand, while producing one of the greatest albums of all time in Pet Sounds, are not a great band. In fact, the band barely played on Pet Sounds. The famed Wrecking Crew provided the music for the album, as they did for many of our most beloved albums from that time period. I even considered including the Wrecking Crew on the list.
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S T P
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers....
OK add Curtis Mayfield:-)
also left out Bob segar and the silver bullet band and KISS. Before you trash kiss listen to some of their earlier stuff. Strutter has a ton of layers. and paul stanly wrote Hard luck woman for rod stewart and kept it himself. Anyone mention kid rock ?. IMHthe cars had a ton on talent in all areas from writng to playing. Greg Hawkes a standout on keyboards for of most CARS musical arrangemwnts . and tom petty would have been diffwnt band without benmont tench on keyboards. or a lot of hash... lol
What about The Isley Brothers?
Ernie Isley is critically underrated as a guitarist. The solo on “Who’s That Lady” is smokin’.
Funkadelic (yeah, I know, stretching the definition of rock band)
Luna (yeah, I know, obscure)
ABBA : Rock Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io3KJD_HNhE
“...even though Frey and Henley were/are liberal assholes.”
I’ve seen Henley twice in concert, once in August 2016 at the Minnesota State Fair and in June 2017 when he played at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul.
Both times, I was kinda worried that he’d go off on some sort of liberal rant about something - BUT HE DIDN’T! It was all music, his solo stuff and his stuff from the Eagles.
It was great! But I was so glad he didn’t bring politics into his music those two nights.
I would also include Grand Funk Railroad in there. Maybe replacing Talking Heads.
Other than Levon Helm they're all Canadian.
The Outlaws too.
Both Jacksonville bands as i recall. Tom Petty from just down the road in Gainsville. Go Gators!
The comments on the Beach Boys alone make me question this author’s knowledge of music.
Dio
“Stand Up And Shout” (from Holy Diver) is one of his greats.
Her father was a Wehrmacht soldier, that's why they had to flee from Norway.
And no white boy could rock a ‘fro like Don.
Freddie was bi. He also died from AIDS. Never saw that coming, either.
The Four Seasons
The Talking Heads
Green Day
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