Best British Band of All time?

[Mallery29]

I was suprised that this topic hadn’t come up with the 50th Ann’y of the Beatles in the US.  I’m more of a rock guy, but listen to anything really (country/Classical/rap/Pop/etc).

It’s hard to not say the Beatles were the best because of their influence, appeal, and success…and that they started it all…but that’s a pure US standpoint.

I hate the Stones and hope every year they die off…and every year I get disappointed…

I’m more of a Queen and Floyd guy for longevity…I listen to them way more than anything by the Beatles…for me, these two are what I love about that little island up in the N. Atlantic.  I only wish Oasis had not imploded much like STP did.

While I like Zepplin, I fear they are WAY overrated…but that’s just me?

What are your thoughts?

[LHoffman]

The Beatles have to be called the best British band (if we are measuring this objectively)… or the best band period. No one else can boast their lasting influence, achievement and innovation. I don’t believe there is anyone who even comes close.

Just look at how celebrated they are in the US 50 years later… you don’t see The Stones or Queen or Led Zeppelin being treated to that kind of national celebration… I think that evidence just ends the argument right there. People can argue about the musical prowess of a certain band or their contribution to music… but on any plane, no band can compete with The Beatles. They were not the greatest musicians ever, but they were the greatest band ever.

I grew up listening to The Beatles and still love them today. For a long time I would have called them my favorite band, until I listened to Led Zeppelin that is.

To your statement Brett, no, Led Zeppelin is definitely not overrated. If anything, I think their musical genius and influence is usually underrated. At least that is certainly true in the mainstream music world. The Beatles get the lion’s share of the attention, but that is probably as it should be, even if it becomes trite to hear it so much. The average musical boob will focus only on Led Zeppelin’s legacy as a heavy metal band or them being personal icons of that genre… but really they were so much, much more.

Led Zeppelin was a fusion of so many sounds, with true virtuosity at every musical position (including vocals), that they are more unique than most British rock bands or any band at all. They did not start blues-rock (you could argue they sort of did as The Yardbirds), but they perfected it and transcended it. Many people label them as the heaviest band ever… Whatever does that mean? They were loud, bold, monolithic, provocative, mysterious and just big. More importantly their sound (along with, I think, Hendrix and Black Sabbath) was massively influential on all the “heavy” rock bands that came after.

We could get into ranking the top 10 or top 5 British rock bands, but unless you did a poll, it would really be personal preference for everyone after they put the Beatles at No. 1.

Anyway, that is my two cents.

[LHoffman]

In terms of personal preference…

I like Queen and Pink Floyd. I like Pink Floyd more… but I am not a real apostle of either one. They were both excellent bands, influential in their own right, but I always viewed Queen as something of a gimmick and Pink Floyd as taking themselves too seriously. Don’t get me wrong, I said I like them both. But they are not as appealing as Led Zeppelin or The Beatles.

Queen seemed mostly superficial, with a healthy dose of “pop-ness” to their music. (Call me a hypocrite, because look no further than The Beatles for a rock band writing pop songs…) They had a great line up in their band and Brian May is certainly way, way underrated, but I have never been more than a pedestrian fan.

Pink Floyd I like more, but there is a lot of weirdness to stomach with them too. Not only that, but a lot of their music will tend to sound very similar if you listen for very long. They certainly have a sound quite unlike anyone else, but it can be too much to listen to at great length. That said, still one of the greats and I love their stuff.

The Rolling Stones… well, suffice to say Brett that I held your opinion of them for probably 20 years. I did not get why people thought they were so great and how they could possibly be considered up there with The Beatles in a running for best band. The last 4 years or so, I have enjoyed their music a bit more and respected their accomplishments and their sound. It is very dirty, raw in your face… closer to their blues roots than pretty much any other British rock band save Led Zeppelin and perhaps Cream. Even so, I do not like or enjoy most of their music. I tend to work through with specific songs that I really like and really am open to hearing more. They do not have A-list musicians at any position, their writing is not revolutionary, but their attitude, performance and plain sound can be very appealing.

[johnnymarr]

I’m going to go with the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Oasis and The Smiths.

[Imperious Leader]

Roxy Music, Ultravox, and either John Foxx or Bill Nelson.

[aequitas-et-veritas]

Best British Band of All time?

then TAKE THAT is in that pot too I think, hmm?!

[Young Grasshopper]

For me it’s a tie between Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

[Mallery29]

Pink Flyod is what I grew up on in Junior and Senior High…can’t say anything else that would get me in trouble… :wink:

I love Oasis’s first US album.  Wonderwall, Morning Glory, and Champagne Supernova are songs I can use to reference every major event in 1995-6.