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THURSDAY
MARCH 7, 2002
9A
DAILY ARTS PRESENTS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
THE 50 GREATEST BANDS
THE REASONS WHY THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE
The list is definitive.
Wholly and completely.
This was called for.
It was long overdue.
The 50 Greatest Bands of All Time in popular music. Our choices, but our choices are inpenetrable - not able to be
penetrated. There is no room for argument. We have not forgotten anything, or anyone. Each band in the annals of his-
tory has been considered for this list. We have forgotten no one.
Bands were selected for this list based on a few simple criteria. The first criterion was simply that artists would have to
be in a band and in a band that plays its own instruments and music. The second criterion is that a band must have
released two studio albums. However, there are times when we (those who made the list) have made specific additions or
concessions with the selection of the list. These concessions were made in the name of the greater good of the list. It was
our decision and we stand by it. Firmly.
This list, like other lists, should serve to incite discussion over a coffee table or some other piece of household furni-
ture. It is nothing to get upset over. It is to enjoy.
6. Frank Zappa and The
Mothers of Invention - There is
no mistaking Frank Zappa and The
Mothers of Invention. Avant-garde at its
finest, Zappa and his entourage of
musical misfits entwined social com-
mentary, satirical lyrics, experimenta-
tion and jazz-influenced jam sessions
into their vast catalogue of material.
More than thirty years later, their music
is as fresh and inventive as it was when
originally released. After landmark
albums such as Absolutely Free and
We're Only in It for the Money, Zappa
went on to do equally gratifying solo
work, including a guest appearance on.
"Ren & Stimpy" as The Pope.
7 Nirvana - Thankfully, Kurt
Cobain died before he blew it. If you
consider Bleach to be a demo recorded
by a mostly different band, then Nirvana
released two great albums and got out
while they were ahead. Sure, Butch
Vig's plastic production of Nevermind
slightly hinders an otherwise stellar
"debut" (see above) record, and Steve
Albini's trademark treatment of In
Utero grates against some people, but
the band's energy and anger tear
through regardless. William Burroughs,
who once worked with Kurt Cobain,
said that Kerouac's "On the Road,"
"sold a trillion Levis and a million
espresso machines." Kurt Cobain sold a
billion cardigans and ten million slacker
kids on the idea of working those
espresso machines while living in their
parents' basements. At least he apolo-
gized.
8. Led Zeppelin - These rowdy
boys from Britain didn't
invent blues-driven rock or
drugs-and-groupie-fueled
excess; they just made
them big enough to fill
arenas and VHL specials
for years to come.
Unfortunately, even
these larger than life
rock "gods" couldn't
rule over that run-
away train and it
all came to a
close, after
albums and a few subsequent shitty
ones, with one of rock's greatest drum-
mers lying dead in his own vomit.
9. Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Contrary to the widespread belief
that Legend is the only album with Mar-
ley's songs on it, there are actually close
to a dozen that were released between
1973 and 1980, all of which are nearly
flawless. Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer,
Marley's original crew from The Wail-
ers, left after Catch a Fire and Burnin',
but with the Barretts and Al Anderson
backing him up, Marley maintained his
level of excellence on his other albums.
Bob Marley became a political inspira-
tion, and he was one of the most charis-
matic live performers ever.
10. The Zombies- One of the
lesser-known gems from the British
Invasion, The Zombies found success in
1965 with top 10 hits "She's Not There"
and "Tell Her No." Their rough garage
band sound on their debut album Being
Here evolved into a harmony-heavy-
psychedelic-rock synthesis for what
would be their second and final album,
1969's Odyssey & Oracle. "What's your
name/Who's your daddy," timeless
lyrics from "Time of the Season," are
perhaps the most recognizable of The
Zombies' work, only to be marred by
sexual innuendos.
11. Love - The best band you've
never heard of. The Los Angeles group
fronted by Arthur Lee was the first band
on Elektra, only to be shoved aside for
future label-mates The Doors. Guitarist
Bryan MacLean and lead singer Lee
composed most of the band's work, but
their first hit was a rendition of Burt
Bacharach's "My Little Red Book."
Never attaining the popularity of
fellow West Coast band The
Doors, Love was more of a cult
phenomenon than a main-
stream success. With its
soothing melodies and
witty lyrics, their 1967
album Forever
Changes remains
one of the best
rock albums
12. Sly and the Family Stone
- In addition to helping to bring funk
to the mainstream and being the first
racially and sexually integrated groups
in popular
music, Sly and
the Family
Stone attacked
politics and
social issues in
their horn and
bass filled
songs. Sly
Stone's drug
problem and
the end of the
idealistic '60s
took theirw
music away
from "Dance to
the Music" and
down a darker Frank Zappa, mother o
path, but
1973's Fresh remains a funk classic,
with incredible tracks like "If you want
me to stay."
13. Ramones - Bands before
them outlined what could be punk, but
the Ramones were the first true punk
band. Their songs were minimally com-
plex, but incredibly catchy. Four chords
would be mixed together behind catchy
melodies and lyrics that at times, truly
meant nothing. But the Ramones' con-
tribution to music as a whole meant
more than anything. The Ramones self-
titled debut set the standard, and created
the genre. The Ramones' vitality is felt
to this day with the ridiculous amounts
of all-too-prevalent pop-punk artists
who shamelessly rip them at every
chord change.
14. The Pixies - A respectable
career in rock and roll comes down to
knowing when to get out. The Pixies
released five albums in four years and
were just reaching their biggest audi-
ences when frontman Black Francis
(now Frank
Black) ended
the band. Nir-
vana acknowl-
edged them as
the inspiration
for the quiet
verse/loud
chorus
dynamic that
made Never-
mind a hit and
spread grunge
across the
country.
Bassist Kim
Deal went on
"You Really Got Me" and "All Day and on the list.
All of the Night," sounded nearly iden- 19. Buddy dolly and the
tical. It wasn't until 1966 with the Crickets - Only 22 years old at the
album Face to Face when The Kinks time of his death, Buddy Holly wrote
went from concentrating on hit singles the best rock songs of the late '50s,
into making strong, cohesive albums. which are still heavily influencing
Post "Lola;' Ray Davies and company bands today (e.g. The Strokes). While
fell apart musically and never reached many of his songs were released as solo
the plateau they attained in the late 60s. projects ("Peggy Sue" and "Rave On"
17. The Yardbirds - The term for starters), Holly released classics like
"Super-group" is thrown around lightly "That'll be the Day" and "Maybe Baby"
these days, but this ever-morphing Lon- with the one-time garage band. Less
don group featured, over its six year well known is the fact that Holly pio-
run, three of the greatest guitarists of all neered studio sound techniques that,
time: Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and the although standard today, were revolu-
under-appreciated Jeff Beck. Depend- tionary in 1957.
ing on the line-up, their music ranged 20. Guns N' Roses - In 1987
from the poppy melody of "For Your Guns N' Roses slit the wrist of every-
Love" to traditional blues. thing that the lighthearted '80s pop
18. The Who - Hypocrites. scene with their now legendary debut
In 1965 Roger Daltrey in "My Appetite for Destruction. Guns cap-
Generation" declared, "I tured all the greed, grit and excess
hope I die before I get old.' that was L.A. in the 1980s. The
Save for drummer Keith band brought an element of dan-
Moon, the band failed to ger and controversy to the rock
commit to their own world not felt since Led Zep-
decree. Smashing pelin ruled the roost. Axl
in s trumentswith his inimitable
and trampled yowl and rattlesnake-
fans made shake coupled with
The Who rock toxic twin Slash's top-
legends, if only hat, dangling cigarette
someone had told and low slung Les Paul
them to stop making made a duo that matched
music after Quadrophe- every ounce of talent with a
nia the band may have courtesy of island Records pound of style.
landed a better position Bob Marley sits high. See BEST BANDS, Page 10A
Courtesy of Rykodisc
of invention.
to moderate-
success with
the Breeders and Frank Black released a
string of initially stellar and later unre-
markable solo records. Though the band
themselves were never cool, knowing
about the Pixies will make you think
that you are.
15. Parliament Funkadelic -
With a sound from outer space and a
name history too confusing to even get
into, Parliament ruled '70s funk. Lead
singer and founder George Clinton and
bass player Bootsy Collins took a cue
from James Brown and Sly Stone,
adding outrageous costumes and freaky
science fiction to their infectious brand
of funk. Despite a lull in popularity in
the '80s, P-Funk, sometimes going by
The P-Funk All-Stars, have stayed on
the scene.
16. The Kinks - Early hits from
this popular British import, such as
"ABSliOLUTElLY HYS19RlIiCALOOm
mATIONAL LAPO0N CLASSIC"
Golden Gate Xpress, Son Fronisco State University
LOVE EVERY PN
OF ITA" THING SINCE
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UMBC Retriever
Towson University Towerlight "RYANRS K FA C"
Boston College He ghs
KLSUFM, Louisiana State University
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