I need to resolve something, and pronto..

Kiester · Nov 26, 2007

One of my mates is absolutely convinced that The Ramones are the best band in the history of music....ever. However, I think that the best band ever is Queen.

My question is, what band would you go for?

(Put another band if thy wants, I like opinions

)

Jabs · Nov 26, 2007

Black Sabbath. Hands down, the greatest group ever.

KTC · Nov 26, 2007

Of the two you mentioned...I love them both. But I have to go with Queen...because there is no other frontman like Freddy Mercury. He was an operatic wonder who was made for the stage and the kind of music he performed. There will never be another. And this is coming from a HUGE Ramones fan.

In my opinion, though, the best bands in the world are: The Cure and T-Rex.

Inky · Nov 26, 2007

Queen.
Bohemian Rhapsody on a Bose...it's better than...er...this is the family thread...

Inky · Nov 26, 2007

....don't think I've ever heard the Ramones.

*rears back from monitor, arms thrown up over face, ducking from the collective WHAT???!!!*

cletus · Nov 26, 2007

My opinion on the best band in the history of music changes on an hourly basis.

That being said, The Ramones are that band on a fairly regular basis. Queen almost never.

The Dictators also spend a lot of time as my best band in the history of music. If your mate likes the Ramones I suggest he also checks out The Dictators.

larocca · Nov 26, 2007

Of the two, Queen most definitely. Of all the bands listed on this thread, Black Sabbath. And for the greatest band of all time, Pink Floyd. And every band in this email is totally awesome. We're in superlative country here.

arodriguez · Nov 26, 2007

um, Soundgarden. Then Audioslave.

Perks · Nov 26, 2007

Queen, of those two. Always liked their music, but fell under a spell watching Freddie Mercury do his thing. He was a rare performer and The Ramones just can't stack up to what Freddie could do.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

Personally, I'd go with Black Sabbath.

A close, near tie, is Led Zeppelin.

Pink Floyd are probably in my top 10.

The Ramones wouldn't even appear in my Top 100 and Queen, although I like some of their stuff, wasn't consistent enough for me. Although I would place Freddie Mercury among the top singers and Brian May among the top guitarists.

Sorry, guess I didn't answer your question.

III · Nov 26, 2007

Of the two, I'd have to go with Queen. As for the rest of the bands in modern history, "best" can have soooooo many different meanings. Biggest impact on musical culture. Most brilliant songwriting. Most brilliant performances. Or just "what I like to listen to the most".

All-around, I'd put the Beatles and Led Zepplin in a tie for first place, although if Dream Theater were more culturally relevant they'd be right up there too.

dolores haze · Nov 26, 2007

Ooh, tough one.

Between Queen and The Ramones I have to go with the Ramones. I have a sneaky feeling that that their influence is deeper and wider than that of Queen. Lordy, I miss Freddy, though.

Rolling Stones anyone? Just pretend (like I do) that they are no longer making records, and judge them on their back catalogue. Up there right alongside The Beatles? Yes or No?

Personal faves that people usually just look at me funny when I mention them: Stiff Little Fingers, The Specials, Public Enemy.

Zep and Floyd def in my top twenty. Black Sabbath, not.

benbradley · Nov 26, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
Pink Floyd are probably in my top 10.

Only before Roger Waters left. "The Final Cut" was Floyd's last album. "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" was by The Pinkish Floyd-A-Llike Band.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

III said:
All-around, I'd put the Beatles and Led Zepplin in a tie for first place, although if Dream Theater were more culturally relevant they'd be right up there too.

What does "culturally relevant" mean and why is it a criteria?

benbradley said:
Only before Roger Waters left. "The Final Cut" was Floyd's last album. "A Momentary Lapse Of Reason" was by The Pinkish Floyd-A-Llike Band.

Well, I'm really old school. I prefer the stuff when Syd was still in the band. I can do with nearly everything after DSOM.

III · Nov 26, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
What does "culturally relevant" mean and why is it a criteria?

I think the Ramones are a fantastic example of a culturally relevant band. They embodied an underground social scene and exposed it to the masses and they became culturally iconic. Technically, their music was incredibly simple, so I don't think an argument can be made that they match up against a band like Zep in the songwriting category, but their relevance was huge.

Another example would be Guns N' Roses. When they broke they were socially relevant and became icons (as well as being superb songwriters and performers). But Axl has spent the last decade trying to put together another version of GNR that will be culturally relevant and hasn't succeeded.

That's why bands like Dream Theater can write the most brilliant, technical music in the world, but they're not culturally relevant except to their own group of fans. They don't transcend the music scene the way bands like the Ramones, GNR, and Zepplin did.

I think the issue of cultural relevance applies similarly to athletes. Regardless of tallent, only a few transcend their sport to become iconic.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

Weird. I guess I've always been a music fan regardless of what the outside world thought of the band. I certainly never considered GnR to be culturally anything other than a band that gave the hard rock genre a kickstart because things were becoming kind of boring and formulaic at the time.

None of the bands that I consider great bands have any cultural significance. To me its all about the music and nothing else.

The reason I've never been much of a Ramones fan was because I didn't think they had much going musically. I certainly didn't think any of them were very proficient at their instruments.

III · Nov 26, 2007

I think that's why it's difficult to say who the "best" band was, because people don't even agree on the criteria, much less rankings within that criteria. I probably wouldn't list any of my top 10 favorite bands in a discussion about the "best" bands, but others might. It does make for fun discussions, though.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

Music is a personal thing. Best band, by extension, is a very personal thing.

My favorites, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Captain Beyond, Hawkwind and Gentle Giant for example (and with the exception of Black Sabbath), probably don't register on anyone else's favorites list or best list.

Jabs · Nov 26, 2007

The Rolling Stones > The Beatles

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

Jabs said:
The Rolling Stones > The Beatles

I thought I read somewhere that The Beatles had actually helped the Stones get started and anonymously wrote a few songs.

I could be wrong.

Jabs · Nov 26, 2007

Dunno but it doesn't change my opinion that the Stones are greater than the Beatles.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 26, 2007

I wasn't trying to change your opinion. I would hope you aren't that easily swayed. Its all about the music, isn't it?

I was just making a comment about something I thought I'd read once. Your post simply me think of it.

veinglory · Nov 26, 2007

Of those two, the Ramones. Those who don't know both should get thee to a music store.

rugcat · Nov 26, 2007

III said:
I think the Ramones are a fantastic example of a culturally relevant band. They embodied an underground social scene and exposed it to the masses and they became culturally iconic. Technically, their music was incredibly simple, so I don't think an argument can be made that they match up against a band like Zep in the songwriting category, but their relevance was huge. . .

I think the issue of cultural relevance applies similarly to athletes. Regardless of tallent, only a few transcend their sport to become iconic.

I think you're right on with this. There are bands I personally don't care for but would never deny their relevance and influence, sometimes spreading outside music into popular culture. They somehow have managed to connect and lock into a cultural ethos.

So the criteria people use to assess the "best" band varies so widely that it's not a question with any real relevance. Although it it a question that will provoke impassioned debate.

I could make a list of my choices for the top ten bands and another's list wouldn't include any of them. And vice versa.

Of course, that would be because they're wrong.

Mjollnir13 · Nov 26, 2007

inked09012 said:
....don't think I've ever heard the Ramones.

*rears back from monitor, arms thrown up over face, ducking from the collective WHAT???!!!*

Here ya go..

WHAT??!!!

You probably have, but just didn't realize it. Their songs have been in movies, commercials, and at sports arenas.

I need to resolve something, and pronto..

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