25 Top Bands

[KeithHernandez]

This has been alluded to in other threads, but nobody has done it and the threads seem dead.  If this is inappropriate, fell free to delete it, or whatever.  In this thread we will list our top 25 bands.  I realize that these change alot, so list your top ten, then 15 more that you are digging on.

1  Bob Dylan
2  Super Furry Animals
3  Flaming Lips
4  The Clash
5   Radiohead
6   Beatles
7   Velvet Underground
8   The Smiths
9   Wilco
10 Sonic Youth
11 Stone Roses
12 Talking Heads
13 Gang of Four
14 Pulp
15 Blur
16 OutKast
17 R.E.M.
18 Spiritualized
19 Beta band
20 Modest penis
21 Sly and the Family Stone
22 Modern Lovers
23 Pink Floyd w/ Barrett/ Syd Barrett
24 T. Rex
25 Television
26 The Replacements



I went one over, but that is it.  Pretty much in order as well. 

[Drygioni]

A list.

Nice choices, sir.

1. Talking Heads
2. David Bowie
3. The Clash
4. The Jam
5. Pulp
6. The Pogues
7. Blondie
8. Joy Division
9. Madness
10. The Specials
11. Kraftwerk
12. The Beatles
13. Parliament
14. B-52s
15. The Pixies
16. R.E.M
17. Simon & Garfunkel
18. The Smiths
19. The Flaming Lips
20. Super Furry Animals
21. The Buzzcocks
22. XTC
23. X Ray Spex
24. Squeeze
25. Wire

Not nearly in order, so these are liable to mix and match.

[FlipConstantine]

This is provisional.  Subject to change.  Do not hold near open flame.

1. The Flaming Lips
2. Daniel Johnston
3. The Coup
4. Pavement
5. Wu-Tang Clan (And GZA's solo albums, I'll just combine them)
6. They Might Be Giants
7. Nas
8. The Clash
9. Kool Keith
10. The Adverts
11. The Pogues
12. Rakim and Eric B
13. 3rd Bass
14. Stereototal
15. DJ Delay
16. Adam Green/The Moldy Peaches (they have been amalgamated to make way for...)
17. Bone Thugs
18. Beck (crazy scientologist)
19. The Nipple Erectors
20. The Arcade Fire
21. Rheingold
22. Kraftwerk
23. Finn.
24. James Kolchaka (he does music too!)
25. Three 6 Mafia (they go on here for being hilarious)

[side_show]

24. James Kolchaka (he does music too!)

It's my dick!
It's my dick!
It's my maaaaagic finger!
Pointing at all the pretty girls!

It's my dick!
It's my dick!
It's my maaaaagic finger!
Pointing at all the pretty girls!

[AugustWest]

1. Bob Dylan
2. Pink Floyd
3. Frank Zappa
4. The Grateful Dead
5. Theolonius Monk
6. The Band
7. Jimi Hendrix
8. The Beatles
9. The Who
10. King Crimson
11. Charlie Parker
12. The Allman Brothers
13. Steely Dan
14. Charles Mingus
15. TMBG
16. Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler
17. Little Feat
18. Bill Monroe
19. Zeppelin
20. Asleep at the Wheel
21. Talking Heads
22. John Prine
23. Johnathon Richman
24. Ornette Coleman
25. Procul Harem

You may commence making fun of me now.

Also:

Queen
Lynnrd Skynnrd
Johnny Cash
Marty Robbins
Neal Young
David Murray
Freddie Hubbard
The Rolling Goddam Stones
John Coltrane
Todd Rundgren
Carlos Santana
Bob Marley

[wombat]

OK: Someone needs to buy August some new CDs!

Not fair, perhaps. I should admit that I have only heard of (and this is heard OF, not necessarily actually heard) five out of 23 on Flip's list - I discount  Kochalka on principle and The Nipple Erectors on the grounds that he is obviously making that up.

[FlipConstantine]

I discount  Kochalka on principle and The Nipple Erectors on the grounds that he is obviously making that up.

Nope, in fact they were fronted by Shane MacGowan of Pogues fame.  Look it up.

[Drygioni]

OK: Someone needs to buy August some new CDs!

Not fair, perhaps. I should admit that I have only heard of (and this is heard OF, not necessarily actually heard) five out of 23 on Flip's list - I discount  Kochalka on principle and The Nipple Erectors on the grounds that he is obviously making that up.

Hey now! He's still listening to those bands decades after they started, as do many others. Will people be listening to Clap Your Hands/Spoon/whoever in 30 years? I'm not saying they aren't good, but nearly everyone I know who bought Clap Your Hands album loved it, and have now forgotten about it to be replaced by some new faddy band. Eh, maybe it's just fickle teenageress.

I still believe music was better when it was fresh and original. I can't think of one truly excellent band which revived another bands style 10 years or so later.

[Hobot]

I feel like I've posted something nearly identical to this before (at least once), and any of you could easily click the little globe under my stunning avatar and be transported to my last.fm page anyway, but what the hell:

1.  Radiohead
2.  Denali
3.  Mogwai
4.  Boards of Canada
5.  Broken Social Scene
6.  Blonde Redhead
7.  The Decemberists
8.  Neutral Milk Hotel
9.  Forget Cassettes
10.  Portishead
11.  Broadcast
12.  Pink Floyd
13.  Múm
14.  Khoiba
15.  Iron & Wine
16.  Stars
17.  The Books
18.  RJD2
19.  Dosh
20.  Sigur Rós
21.  Led Zeppelin
22.  Hammock
23.  M83
24.  Godspeed You! Black Emperor
25.  Doves

[KeithHernandez]

3. Frank Zappa

16. Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler
20. Asleep at the Wheel
22. John Prine
23. Johnathon Richman


You may commence making fun of me now.

Zappa- would have made my list like a month ago.  I am real off and on with Zappa.

Dire Straits- Pretty good, would never make my list, but I am happy it made someones.

Asleep at the Wheel- I saw them at the first Austin City Limits concert with my dad.  He was all crazy in to them.  They did last trip to Tulsa, right?

John Prine-  My parents are always telling me to listen to him.  Kind of like Jerry Jeff Walker, right?  My parents have a vinyl cover, but the vinyl is missing.  I have been looking at that cover for like 7 years wanting to listen to him, and not being able to.  Can you recommend a good starting record?

Jonathon Richman- God, I love Richmand.  Should have included it with the Modern Lovers, even though his solo stuff is not the same at all.  Well, neither is Syd Barrett's, and I let that slide.  Would you be willing to trade some records somehow.  I have You Must Ask the Heart, Jonathon Richman, Back in Your Life and The Modern Lovers.  That is all the stuff by him I can find, but I want to hear like everything he has every done.  He is amazing.  I saw him at this really small venue in Oklahoma owned by the Starlight Mints, with like 10 people.  It was AMAZING.  It was me, 4 of my friends, Wayne Coyne, the Starlight Mints and their wives/girlfriends, and the record store owners next door and their wives/girlfriends.  Greatest Show I have ever seen, probably for the intimacy of the show and the people there.  If you would be interested in trading some stuff, I guess send me a pm or something.

Fuck allmusic!!!

The song by him called Walter Johnson is the strangest thing I have ever heard, in a non-confrontational/ weird way, if that makes since at all.



Wait, you can say fuck, but not fuck*ng.  Weird.  What about fuckin'.

[CortJstr]

Based on my actual listening habits from August '04 to the present:

1 They Might Be Giants 1479 (3.6%)
1 Mary Prankster 1479 (3.6%)
3 Pixies 1279 (3.2%)
4 The New Pornographers 1067 (2.6%)
5 The Presidents of the United States of America 949 (2.3%)
6 The Soviettes 909 (2.2%)
7 Cake 794 (2%)
8 Colouring Lesson 783 (1.9%)
9 Fidel 752 (1.9%)
10 Laughing Colors 721 (1.8%)
11 Kelly Bell Band 706 (1.7%)
12 Barenaked Ladies625 (1.5%)
13 Mike Doughty 614 (1.5%)
14 Soul Coughing 611 (1.5%)
15 Spoon 533 (1.3%)
16 The Hives 517 (1.3%)
17 Ramones 513 (1.3%)
18 The Weakerthans 492 (1.2%)
19 Elastica 467 (1.2%)
20 Built to Spill 465 (1.1%)
21 The Breeders 464 (1.1%)
22 The Mighty Mighty Bosstones 451 (1.1%)
23 Garbage 427 (1.1%)
24 Architecture in Helsinki 415 (1%)
25 Beastie Boys 395 (1%)

[KeithHernandez]

Hey now! He's still listening to those bands decades after they started, as do many others. Will people be listening to Clap Your Hands in 30 years?

I hope not.

Can you recommend a good Jam record.  One of the guys at the record store I go to played it for me once, but I didn't really like it.  I think I should though.  Also, I have Wire-Chairs Missing, but don't really like it.  Are they just not for me?

[Drygioni]

I hope not.  Can you recommend a good Jam record.  One of the guys at the record store I go to played it for me once, but I didn't really like it.  I think I should though.  Also, I have Wire-Chairs Missing, but don't really like it.  Are they just not for me?

All Mod Cons is a great Jam album, but a best of (Compact Snap! or The Sound Of The Jam are pretty good) will probably be better as they released some great, great songs spread out over some merely good albums.

Wire are one of those bands that do that to people I suppose. I'd recommend Pink Flag or On Returning (another best of).

[AugustWest]

Jonathon Richmond- God, I love Richmond.  Should have included it with the Modern Lovers, even though his solo stuff is not the same at all.  Well, neither is Syd Barrett's, and I let that slide.  Would you be willing to trade some records somehow.  I have You Must Ask the Heart, Jonathon Richmond, Back in Your Life and The Modern Lovers.  That is all the stuff by him I can find, but I want to hear like everything he has every done.  He is amazing.  I saw him at this really small venue in Oklahoma owned by the Starlight Mints, with like 10 people.  It was AMAZING.  It was me, 4 of my friends, Wayne Coyne, the Starlight Mints and their wives/girlfriends, and the record store owners next door and their wives/girlfriends.  Greatest Show I have ever seen, probably for the intimacy of the show and the people there.  Wait, I am not trying to be an ass, but you are talking about Jonathon Richmond, and not some guy named Jonathon Richman that I have never heard of, right?  If you would be interested in trading some stuff, I guess send me a pm or something.

The song by him called Walter Johnson is the strangest thing I have ever heard, in a non-confrontational/ weird way, if that makes since at all.

I was privileged to meet the man.  I posted about it on here some time ago, but essentially my friend an I were at a bar in a tiny town in Germany where he was playing.  We were the only English speakers there and struck up a conversation with him.

I don't have any albums -- I had some on tape but these were destroyed several years ago.  I have downloaded a few things recently from AllofMP3.  And yes, Walter Johnson is a great song.  You realize that Walter Johnson was a real pitcher, right?

Asleep at the Wheel are great.  There a kind of retro Texas Swing outfit/Boogie Woogie outfit.  Nothing fancy, but a tight band and good fun.

John Prine is an excellent songwriter.  Look for "Illegal Smile", "Paradise", or "Sam Stone".

Mark Knopfler is one hell of a guitarist, kind of the spiritual heir to Chet Atkins. 

As you can see, my interest in new music stopped around 1989.  I've tried, really I have.  I'll give anything a chance, but nothing is really that compelling to me anymore.

[wombat]

The continuing Making It Up Watch:

Hobot: Neutral Milk Hotel
Cort: Architecture in Helsinki

Go on, I'm impressed with your imaginations.