Okay -- here's a fun and hopefully relevant little project with an amusing subtext that we can all get behind while I take a long and well deserved nap:
TOP TEN MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN ROCK BANDS OF THE SIXTIES!!!
No arbitrary rules, except that I said "bands" -- no solo artists or folk duos need apply (sorry Bob, sorry Paul, sorry Artie etc.)
And no singing/vocal groups either. Which means that if you nominate The Mamas and the Papas or any of the Motown acts other than Jr. Walker and the All-Stars I am going to taunt you mercilessly. We're talking bands here -- with people who, like, play guitars and drums and stuff. Okay? Okay.
And so, my totally top of my head Top Ten, in no particular order except for Number One, is/are:
10: The Rascals
Blue-eyed soul. Nobody did it better and with more rock attitude.
9: The MC5
"The American Ruse" indeed, and it's really quite horrific that this song hasn't dated a whit. I should add that the above live version was totally unknown to me until yesterday.
8: The Velvet Underground
Nelson Algren meets the Rolling Stones. If you think that anybody at the moment is doing something as innovative, gutsy and avant-garde, please e-mail me at Just Blow Me.Com. Thank you.
7: The Blues Project
Maybe you had to be there, but these guys were among the most exciting live acts I've ever seen. And they sounded EXACTLY like this in person.
6: Jefferson Airplane
America's loudest band. I was actually at this show, so I know what I'm talking about.
5: Moby Grape
The greatest debut album in all of American rock. And the two that followed were pretty damned good, too.
4: Buffalo Springfield
There's very little to be said about this bunch that hasn't already been declaimed by wiser folks than moi, but may I simply add -- I will never forgive Neil Young for bailing on the group's 2012 reunion tour before it got to NYC, i.e. before I finally got to see them live. Miserable bastard.
3: Paul Revere and the Raiders
FANG!!!
Seriously, that's it. 😎
And the Number 1 best/most significant/whatever American band of the Sixties is -- A FREAKING TIE!!
2/1: The Beach Boys...
...and The Byrds!!!
The short version? Apart from everything else, both the Beach Boys and Byrds invented a sound. Hell, a genre. Very few people in music history can make that claim.
And before somebody goes "What -- Paul Revere and not The Band?", let me just say the The Band would have been my number 11, and that -- heretical as the judgement may be -- they have never really rocked hard enough for me. Sorry.
And also, before somebody brings up The Grateful Dead, let me just say that while it's hardly a secret that I am not now and have never been a fan, I would nonetheless submit that the albums on which their reputation mostly rests -- American Beauty and Workingman's Dead -- were both released in the 70s. And that their work prior to that was mostly along the lines of a fairly meh white blues band with a mildly irritating experimental bent.
Alrighty, then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
24 comments:
What? No Youngbloods?
- Paul in DK
I might disagree with the order but you nailed it.
I assume The Dead are also disqualified because most of their reputation was made through live recordings and performances.
The Raiders we’re one of the great singles bands of the sixties.
In the near future please do a segment on the British bands. That could be very controversial.
Captain Al
What? No Monkees?
More seriously: Does the Jimi Hendrix Experience count as a band? They have guitars, drums and stuff?
What about other "And the" groups?
Top 15?
I kinda always think of Hendrix as a solo act, but technically I guess you're right.
How about the Sonics
I'm a fan, but Top 10? I don't think so...
Not being judgmental here but I'm a bit surprised the Lovin' Spoonful aren't in there. But I guess this list does not go to 11. Actually, the Sonics might make MY Top 10; I'll have to figure that out.
Agree with #'s 10 then 6 - #1.
That makes 7
Santana, Big Brother, Sly& Family Stone
rob
Sly & The Family Stone, The Stooges
Sly for sure. The Stooges -- for me, unlistenable and silly until Raw Power, and that's the '70s.
An addendum - for a short time Horn Bands were all over, Electric Flag, BS & T, DB and Friends.
The best was Chicago with Terry Kath
I probably excluded one of my 3 for them
rob
The Boys should be in front of The Byrds :)
You're still wrong about the Dead, tho. Anthem of the Sun and Live/Dead solidified their rep in the 60s as one if the best.
Surprised no mention of CCR, but my vote goes to...
The Wrecking Crew!
Your choices are yours (obviously!), but some of them would have to go to make room for the Doors, the Sonics and CCR on my list.
And the Band were Canucks (save for Levon, o'course), so you're fine leaving them off, rockers or not.
C in California
Sneaking under the wire -
The Allman Brothers, 1969 -
Idelwild South
rob
I'd leave MC5, Paul Revere, Jefferson Airplane, and The Byrds (gasp) off. I'd replace them with Creedence, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone and this last one is hard, Box Tops, Lovin' Spoonful, Chicago, Sons of Champlin, Electric Flag, Monkees, I can't decide.
Would have to swap Creedance for J/A.
Principal reason at draft age the Resistance and SDS figured into this 18 year old trying to figure out what he could do. Volunteers / We Can Be Together was a rallying song. Creedance
Fortunate Son didn't have that same anger.
Just my opinion 😉
A lot of other great suggestions by everyone so the list should be the top 20. Except then we would want to extend it to top 30.
Great topic Steve. Brits next, someday.
Captain Al
Pretty good choices Steve, but I wouldn't pick the Raiders, Blues Project, MC5 or even the Rascals for the Top Ten.
Just to be a shit, I'd replace those four with
Creedence
Love
The Mothers of Invention
The Grateful Dead
Honorable Mention:
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
The Doors
VR
The Doors
Booker T. & the MG's
Creedence
Lovin
It's "Captain Beefheart and THE Magic Band"
Right. 'The,' not 'his.' "You don't own me." -- Leslie Gore
I would nominate the James Gang for somewhere in the 4-7 range. Their first album was released in March 1969; killer disc, maybe the only American band to really make the power trio thing work.
Agree with you on the VU and Buffalo Springfield. All I know from the Blues Project is the song you picked and “Wake Me, Shake Me”, which are great, but uncertain if they’d make my top 10. Same goes for the unheralded Rhinoceros; great, but they didn’t get much traction so hard to claim they’re important.
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