Rank your ten favourite artists the post Rock'n'Roll era, famous, obscure.etc, and if you want add a short reason why they make it onto your top 10.

Mine would probably go;

1. The Beach Boys/Beatles/The Doors: Just can't decide between these three awesome bands. The Beatles, of course are a given, but I musically prefer the Beach Boys. The Doors mixed great music with the best frontman in Morrison.
2. Radiohead: The best thing out of Britain since the Fab 4. Awesome.
3. Pink Floyd: What can I say about the Floyd? Mainly there early stuff.
4. Elliott Smith: More (though not saying he's superior) than a latter-day Nick Drake. No one consistency penned more emotive melodies than he.
5. New Buffalo: Actually the psuedonym for Melbourne-based singer songwriter Sally Seltman. Though she's only released one album, it is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.
6. The Carpenters: Some of the best pop-songs ever written matched with Karen Carpenter's flawless voice.
7. Jimi Hendrix Experience: People forget how good these songs were. He wasn't just an unreal guitarist, he was a damn fine songwriter (and a not too bad singer).
8. Mercury Rev: This 'indie' group has been around for awhile, but they're still one of the best.
9. Marvin Gaye: I like him mainly for 'What's Going On', but his older stuff is pretty good as well.
10. The Strokes: Another of my favourite groups.

Wow, that's hard.

1. The Beastie Boys
2. Tears for Fears
3. System of a Down
4. Devo
5. a-ha
6. The Postal Service
7. Depeche Mode
8. Linkin Park
9. Talking Heads
10.A Tribe Called Quest

Keep in mind that if I did that again, it would probably change.

1. Momus.. he's simply my favorite artist. I love his ability to take catchy, familiar melodies and put his own unique lyrics to them, yet make the songs all his own. He writes songs like a psychologist almost, creating characters affilicted with various problems, maladies, etc. It's brilliant
2. Ween.. though I don't much like them anymore, they were my favorite artist for well over a year. I love their ability to genre-hop and perform any song in any style, and still do it very well. It's amazing the diverse albums you get as a result.
3. Gary Numan.. a recent addition, and one of my favorites by far. I love the dark lyrics he puts over a wide variety of synth-based tunes.. it's amazing how the man who wrote "Cars" could write a song, like, say "Down in the Park", an amazing view of a Dystopian future.
4. Stephin Merritt.. in pretty much all of his projects, he proves to have a great voice, unique lyrics, and an excellent sense of writing catchy melodies that stick in your head for days.
5. Beck.. anyone who can sound so meaningful, even having openly admitted to pulling most of his lyrics out of his ass, is okay in my book.
6. Daniel Johnston... an amazing songwriter with a child-like innocence and honesty to his music. It's hard to find a good, solid album, but he's fantastic.
7. Modest Mouse.. Isaac Brock is a lyrical genius. Hard to really explain why, but you can really read the emotion in his stuff.
8. Grandaddy.. About halfway between The Magnetic Fields and Modest Mouse.. very nice combo.
9. Voltaire.. this guy wrote my all-time favorite song. He covers human emotion with total honesty, no over-romanticizing, no holding back.. it's brilliant.
10. The Paper Chase... I love the panicked, desperate sound of this band. I'm not one much for anger or loud noise, but they execute it so brilliantly.

1. Madonna - say what you will - she epitomized female musical performers

2. Stevie Wonder - musical genius - enough said

3. The Beatles - pop supreme

4. The Rolling Stones - blues rock supreme

5. Aretha Franklin - you hear the voice of God when she sings

6. Tina Turner - the legs, the gritty voice, acid queen at her best

7. Marc Bolan/T. Rex - he put the glam in glam rock. very much of a mystic

8. Prince - he took funk and married it with pop better than anyone ever could

9. Common/Mos Def - proof positive that hip-hop is more than just bling, girls, cars, and violence - it's consciousness

10. Roxy Music - just took another listen to "More than This" and it's sublime.

Of course, the ranking isn't in order and I have so much more!!!

1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Beatles 
3. Mariah Carey 
4. The Doors
5. Depeche Mode
6. Goldfrapp
7. Kylie Minogue
8. Madonna
9. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
10. Christina Aguilera

1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Beatles 
3. Mariah Carey 
4. The Doors
5. Depeche Mode
6. Goldfrapp
7. Kylie Minogue
8. Madonna
9. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
10. Christina Aguilera



DM REPRESENT! :)

1. Linkin Park
2. Evanescence
3. Silverstein
4. Death Cab For Cutie
5. Foo Fighters
6. Story of the Year
7. Atreyu
8. Depeche Mode
9. Sum 41
10. Three Days Grace

that was pretty hard, there's so many good bands


Wow, that's hard.

1. The Beastie Boys
2. Tears for Fears
3. System of a Down
4. Devo
5. a-ha
6. The Postal Service
7. Depeche Mode
8. Linkin Park
9. Talking Heads
10.A Tribe Called Quest

Keep in mind that if I did that again, it would probably change.


Tears For Fears is awesome. I love the song "Mad World" :)

They Might be Giants
David Bowie
The Beatles
The Flaming Lips
Frank Zappa
Devo
Ok Go
Elliott Smith
Midlake
The Unicorns

1. Leftover Crack
2. Cheap sex
3. Aditcs
4. Circle Jerks
5. Dead Kennedys
6. Ramones
7. Dead Milkmen
8. Clit 45
9. Sub Humans
10. Lower Class Brats

The Unicorns


Again, I re-iterate.. The Unicorns do not count as a band.. they count as one trippy album.

1. Elliott Smith
2. Mates Of State
3. Marah
4. Iron & Wine
5. Meredith Bragg & The Terminals
6. Shout Out Louds
7. Pixies
8. Cursive
9. The Mountain Goats
10. Pretty Girls Make Graves

1.  Ramones
2.  Cars
3.  Little River Band
4.  ELO
5.  Pet Shop Boys
6.  Weezer
7.  The Elected
8.  Rooney
9.  Queen
10. The Queers

Out of many...

Deborah Gibson (the most underrated pop singer/songwriter of the last 20 years, unfortunately,  though most are only familiar with heras the '80's pop princess)
U2
Depeche Mode
Green Day
Blondie
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Natasha Bedingfield
Ramones
Beck
Def Leppard

1. Elliott Smith
2. Mates Of State
3. Marah
4. Iron & Wine
5. Meredith Bragg & The Terminals
6. Shout Out Louds
7. Pixies
8. Cursive
9. The Mountain Goats
10. Pretty Girls Make Graves



Crap! How could I forget Mice Parade!?

Looks like there's a nice mix of classic and contemparary left of field. At least 'The Beatles' don't top everyone's list..

Looks like there's a nice mix of classic and contemparary left of field. At least 'The Beatles' don't top everyone's list..


I know!  I like the Beatles, but having them as your favorite band is extremely unoriginal and lemminglike.

I'll regret this later, seeing as tastes change way too often.

Lets see, as at 25th April 2006...: (Won't do them in order)
Shihad - A 90s/00s hard rock group from New Zealand
Pink Floyd
Crowded House
Soundgarden
Split Enz
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Blur
Pixies
Modest Mouse - As much as his voice can be painful to listen to at times, I still like them

...meh! that'll mostly change in a week or so.  ::)

I know!  I like the Beatles, but having them as your favorite band is extremely unoriginal and lemminglike.


Yet they are really ARE my favourite (well tied), and I've actually heard a whole heap of their music.

Anyway...I still don't get the whole 80s thing. Why are the 80s so much better than the 60s, 70s, 90s.etc? Can anyone answer me that??

I'll regret this later, seeing as tastes change way too often.

Lets see, as at 25th April 2006...: (Won't do them in order)
Shihad - A 90s/00s hard rock group from New Zealand
Pink Floyd
Crowded House
Soundgarden
Split Enz
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Blur
Pixies
Modest Mouse - As much as his voice can be painful to listen to at times, I still like them

...meh! that'll mostly change in a week or so.  ::)



Aw! No more Ween?

Yet they are really ARE my favourite (well tied), and I've actually heard a whole heap of their music.

Anyway...I still don't get the whole 80s thing. Why are the 80s so much better than the 60s, 70s, 90s.etc? Can anyone answer me that??


I was gonna say, if they actually are your favorite that's fine.  As for the '80s, I guess I idolize them since I was born in 1990, and thus barely missed them.  I thus have a desire to be a part of them, something that I was robbed of by birth.

I was gonna say, if they actually are your favorite that's fine.  As for the '80s, I guess I idolize them since I was born in 1990, and thus barely missed them.  I thus have a desire to be a part of them, something that I was robbed of by birth.


I was born in 1986, yet I don't have any desire to live in the 80s. I feel I've been robbed of living in the 70s (so I guess it's the same!) and 60s, but I'd still rather live further into the future. As I've said again, this board is full of GenXers. It's all very GenX.

I was born in 1986, yet I don't have any desire to live in the 80s. I feel I've been robbed of living in the 70s (so I guess it's the same!) and 60s, but I'd still rather live further into the future. As I've said again, this board is full of GenXers. It's all very GenX.


The Gen Yers, for some reason, love the '90s more than the Xers do, even though the '90s is as a whole a Gen X decade also.

The Gen Yers, for some reason, love the '90s more than the Xers do, even though the '90s is as a whole a Gen X decade also.


I heard someone say many late Gen-Yers like yourself relate more to the 80s, due to the 80s nostalgia movement...

Me, I'm a child of the 90s and I love that decade the most...possibly even more than the 60s. I know period born between 1982-1987 really relate to the 90s most (on the whole).

My favorites...damn, this is tough...

1. Madonna-She epitomizes everything I love from popular music, from Stevie Wonder to the Supremes to Peggy Lee to Devo.
2. Prince-Prince is totally, totally genius. Another person like this, he hops genres and takes the best of them and isn't just a mad scientist but a Da Vinci of American popular music.
3. Joni Mitchell-No explanation needed. Her music just touches a place in my heart.
4. Tori Amos-Ditto.
5. Laura Nyro-Ditto.
6. The Smiths-Just really, amazingly good post-punk.
7. The Talking Heads-I really love them.
8. Aimee Mann-For those angry moods.
9. Pixies-Just an affection of mine.
10. The Velvet Underground-I'm glad I got into them, I probably wouldn't like alot of the stuff I like today.

Almost made the list: Beck, Joy Division, Rufus Wainwright, The B-52s, Bonnie Raitt, Frank Zappa, Joy Division, Liz Phair, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, The Kinks, Aretha Franklin, Donna Summer, Devo, Janis Joplin.

Artists who I would need to know better to decide: Elvis Costello, The Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Husker Du, R.E.M.

I listened to both Aimee Mann and Pixies today! ^

I heard someone say many late Gen-Yers like yourself relate more to the 80s, due to the 80s nostalgia movement...

Me, I'm a child of the 90s and I love that decade the most...possibly even more than the 60s. I know period born between 1982-1987 really relate to the 90s most (on the whole).


Us born in the very late '80s and early '90s, the '00s generation I don't think see the '90s as old, that's more the High School Musical tail-end Y faction and of course Gen Z who see it as old, but the '00s are, for better or worse, the decade of those born c. 1990.

Us born in the very late '80s and early '90s, the '00s generation I don't think see the '90s as old, that's more the High School Musical tail-end Y faction and of course Gen Z who see it as old, but the '00s are, for better or worse, the decade of those born c. 1990.


Yeah, we don't see the '90s as old at all...it's 2/3 of our life.

Yeah, we don't see the '90s as old at all...it's 2/3 of our life.


Someone born in 1995, on the other hand would since, the '00s would be more than half their life already. 

My list is pretty weird, I like artists from totally opposite genres, that's just how I am. right now:

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Christina Aguilera
Kelly Clarkson
Rihanna
Ciara
Ashanti
Nirvana
Mariah Carey

1. Guns N' Roses
2. Humble Pie
3. Mountain
4. The Doors
5. The Eagles
6. Aerosmith
7. Led Zeppelin
8. The Beatles  *very lemming like and unoriginal?  shame on you Donnie  >:(
9. Queen
10. Badfinger  8)

not in any order, and i'm sure i'll leave out TONS of important artists.

1. Bowie
2. Gabriel
3. David Byrne (solo)
4. Joe Henry
5. Talking Heads
6. Elvis Costello
7. Thomas Dolby
8. Michael Penn

there's more...but this is what I listen to every day. BUT i don't always listen to popular music. so the favorites in jazz, noise, experimental, punk and rock will have to take slots 9 and 10

Looks like there's a nice mix of classic and contemparary left of field. At least 'The Beatles' don't top everyone's list..


I'm a bit of a Beatles fan.. but I think they're waaaaay over-rated.. but if anyone was gonna lead a musical revolution, I'd rather it be them then some other crap band.

They certainly aren't top 10 for me.. probably not even top 20.. but I'd put them in the top 30, probably around a sound 26.

The Beatles did change rock, but it sounded very much like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley... at first, but then they changed and made experimental things and... just made new music!


And things that weren't new, they popularized.. (Tape collages, sitar songs)...

Subject to change:

1..Emerson Lake & Palmer
2..Triumvirat
3..Jethro Tull
4..Pink Floyd
5..King Crimson
6..Rush
7..Black Sabbath
8..Yes
9..Queensryche
10..Blue Oyster Cult

Looking at my list compared to others really makes me feel old  :(

Subject to change:

1..Emerson Lake & Palmer
2..Triumvirat
3..Jethro Tull
4..Pink Floyd
5..King Crimson
6..Rush
7..Black Sabbath
8..Yes
9..Queensryche
10..Blue Oyster Cult

Looking at my list compared to others really makes me feel old  :(




oooh..I forgot Blue Oyster Cult on my top 10 list...they rock! ;)

I'm a bit of a Beatles fan.. but I think they're waaaaay over-rated.. but if anyone was gonna lead a musical revolution, I'd rather it be them then some other crap band.

They certainly aren't top 10 for me.. probably not even top 20.. but I'd put them in the top 30, probably around a sound 26.


Exactly my thoughts.  For instance, "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", as dumb as it is is genius.  I'd rather the Beatles shape pop music than say the Rolling Stones or Strawberry Alarm Clock. 

But at the same time, the Beatles weren't perfect.  "Yellow Submarine" is a really stupid song, for instance.

But at the same time, the Beatles weren't perfect.  "Yellow Submarine" is a really stupid song, for instance.


That's a strange song.. a bit catchy.. but not particularly good.

In terms of sheer musical complexity or intricacy, there were many bands which topped the Beatles...But no-one managed to get near as big as the Beatles AND have such a lasting influence.

Exactly my thoughts.  For instance, "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds", as dumb as it is is genius.  I'd rather the Beatles shape pop music than say the Rolling Stones or Strawberry Alarm Clock. 

But at the same time, the Beatles weren't perfect.  "Yellow Submarine" is a really stupid song, for instance.


Yellow Submarine was made for kids.

Yellow Submarine was made for kids.
one line was contributed by Donovan. "Sky of blue, and sea of green, in our Yellow Submarine" 

Yellow Submarine was made for kids.


Alot of 'psychadelic music' sounded a bit like child's music. Listen to the Floyd's 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn.'

I have a  wide variety taste  in music.

10. The Doors
9. Nas
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers
7. The Fugees (lauryn Hill)
6. Korn
5. Nina sky
4. Don omar
3. black sabbath
2. Tego Calderon
1. Natalia y La Forquetina  (Spanish band)  8)

There are plenty of people out there for whom the Beatles are actually their favorite. Like my mom, for example...though she was a Beatlemaniac when she was 9 in 1964 and saw them on Ed Sullivan, and still has extremely vehement opinions about each Beatle, and a giant crush on John Lennon.

Alot of 'psychadelic music' sounded a bit like child's music. Listen to the Floyd's 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn.'


Great album.. but really.. Yellow Submarine was INTENTIONALLY a kid's song, and I wouldn't call that psychedelic...

this should be just about impossible but here goes  :D

ABBA
Madonna
Gordon Lightfoot
America
Janet Jackson
Earth,Wind & Fire
James Taylor
Eagles
Barry Manilow
Little River Band

ok and 10 is so not enough  :\'( ;D

Great album.. but really.. Yellow Submarine was INTENTIONALLY a kid's song, and I wouldn't call that psychedelic...


Perhaps not, but the Yellow Submarine film was supposed to be sort of psychadelic.

Perhaps not, but the Yellow Submarine film was supposed to be sort of psychadelic.



I wouldn't argue about The Beatles with Dominion..! He knows all. End of Story..!

I wouldn't argue about The Beatles with Dominion..! He knows all. End of Story..!



'Tis true!

You finally used that nickname!

'Tis true!

You finally used that nickname!


Don't try and argue with me about the Doors... ;)