The greatest band of all time?
Life’s never been better for some of rock’s oldest acts. Says Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell: “Let’s face it, we all have to make a living. What do they want us to do? Go gently into that good night? Hell, no!” But while summer tours like Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Police cashed in, do any of them deserve top honors as the Greatest Band of All Time? Tell us what you think: Which band (or bands) will forever be at the top of your songlist? Are there any bands you’d like to see reunited? Which ones?
The Beatles are definitly the most influential and greatest band of all time. But that is not saying they were the most skilled or greatest musicians.
I believe that personally, The Experience, The Who, Led Zep (yes i know only John is dead, but lets face it, without him it’s not the same) were the greatest.
As for bands still going, the Stones would probably be my pick.
Some of my other favorites: Supertramp, Jethro Tull, Poison, GNR, Cinderella, Floyd, Zappa and his crew, Rush (I’m Canadian, so they’re a must), The Doors, Eagles, Bee Gees, Queen, DMB, The Moody Blues, Clapton, Marley and more (I’m just not in the mood for typing).
And i agree with whoever the hell made that other comment, about there never being a real greatest band of all time because no decision can be made without any personal bias affecting the decision.
the beatles is the greatest band of all time
all people know beatles most number#1 rock band….
The Clash have to be in anybody’s top 5, they dared to be different and mastered different styles of music to a tee…..they sang about politics, unemplyment and gave hope to people who were struggling through a savaged britain due to teh right wing politics at the time, they made it cool to be working class, and instead of singing about love and all that soppy boloocks they sang about what was real.
Here is my top 5 list of the greatest rock bands ever:
1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. Pink Floyd
4. Led Zeppelin
5. The Doors
the greatest band of all timme is the Beatles it’s so obvious and everybody knows this
honorable mentions-
Led Zep, The Who, The Doors
If you were to subtract fame from the equation that determines “greatness,” Five Iron Frenzy would definitely be the greatest band of all time. There is no doubt in my mind.
I’ll through OASIS in the mix. Top 10.
Alright, here are the legends.
1. The Beatles – You can’t deny it, just look at how many people only on this site that agree with that
2. Led Zeppelin – You can’t lie. This is definately number two
3. The Rolling Stones – These guys are so good, they’re even on Guitar Hero. Even teenagers today listen to them.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd – They’re the band that created the most common song and most famous song of all time along with other favorites. Guitar Hero loves them.
The best, well; John, Paul, George and Ringo-the Four Angels, THE BEATLES. They changed the world and perhaps gave us a little more time to gather our thoughts as a civilization so as not to become an extinct species. They’re importance to our world is priceless and of biblical nature so stop wasting time debating over who the best band is and start listening more to the message being conveyed to us by the Beatles by loving your neighbor and caring for our planet.
Believe me I was there and lived through the Beatle years and there’s none like them nor will there ever be. We should be very thankful that they came along.
Peace and Love to all.
The Beatles!
Let me be clear on this: the Beatles are without a question of a doubt, the greatest band of all time. If anyone disagrees, i respectfully say, “You are wrong.”
METALLICA is the best band, I know theres people shakin there head at this but listen to them, actually listen and im not talkin about just there history making songs like Enter Sandman & Master of Puppets. But Listen to every song on every album from Kill’em all – St. Anger. and soon to be Death Magnetic. Metallica is a once in a lifetime band. A band whos fan base will only grow bigger and stronger with time even if they stop makin music. Dont get me wrong I love Led Zep, Tom Petty, The Doors ect. but I dont think any of them can compete with the Monster of METALLICA!
If were rating top five they would be: The Eagles, Huey Lewis and the News,Credence Clearwater Revival,Don Henley,and Tom Petty and the Heartbrakers,in that order.
The Eagles are absolutely the best band ever. Not only are they all alive but they are still together and still turning great songs. Their talent is unmatched and versatility is unmatched. Are they all dead drunks or drug atticks, no they are awesome musicians just like they were 35 years ago.
No doubt the Beatles get the gold! I was nine-years-old when I watched them make their first US appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964(Jack Parr said he was the first to really have them.) The Beatles opened the pathway for all the other “bands” mentioned here. Elvis the first in the US to break away from that big band sound and was the King of Rock… but a soloist..not a “rock band” really. I read somewhere that he was jealous of the Beatles for stealing some of his thunder. However, the Beatle praised him…hum(?) The same could be said for some of the early bands like the Stones..Jagger is lead soloist. The genius of the Beatles music was the effort of ALL four! No band could come close to their writing skills & harmony vocals. (The royalties paid for the use of their music are still rolling in and probably always will.) I challenge anyone that disagrees to buy some of their earlier work and set down and truly listen to every note. My second choice for great writers with great harmony sound would be the Eagles. Peace!
Beatles. (like it or not)
Honorable Mention: The Rolling Stones, Jimi, Zeppelin, The Who, & Floyd
I have to whole-heartedly say that my choice for all time greatest band would have to be RUSH, because their music endures, they have explored every facet of the genre, and oh yeah, they just plain kick ass. Even though their hey day was years before I was even born, the quality of their music, and the strong lyrics from Neil really drive it home. If I could only listen to one band for the rest of my life, I would definitely choose RUSH.
As Delmar said in Oh Brother…” I’m with you fellers “.
The Beatles are the #1 band off all time. i really dont see how anyone can argue that, based on record sales, popularity, influence and song writing ability. no one had more impact than the Beatles.
With that being said, Led Zeppelin is the GREATEST band of all time! By far they were more musically talented and a more exciting band than the Beatles. And their music has stood the test of time much better.
The Doors are the greatest band of all time hands down. They not only made strong advances in hard rock, blues rock, and most prominently psychadelic rock, but they (esp. Jim Morrison) revolutionized the face and attitude of all genres of rock.
To all of you that love alternative, emo, and especially punk rock bands, you can thank the doors because they all were born from the doors.
There are many great ones, but one of the best is The Police. They write great songs, are excellent individually and as a unit, they have a unique form of reggae-tinged rock, put on a great live show and sound incredible. They are innovative, progressed as a band and are just plain fantastic.
The real question here is a person’s favorite band, since nobody here can state the greatest band of all time without expressing some subjective opinion. I’ll throw Joy Division out there just because they haven’t been mentioned yet.
The two greatest rock bands, by far, in terms of popularity and influence are Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. It’s these two, then everybody else. Though The Beatles were great song writers, I think Led Zeppelin were the more versatile and gifted band. Also hats off to: The Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd.
The “greatest” band: not the most influential, nor the most popular, nor the most arrogant. Rush is the greatest band of all time. Thank you very much. Good night.
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!
Nuff said!
go see the power, witness the passion!
see the crowd go wild and move as one!
The Beatles, The Doors, The Rolling stones.
Theres a sanctuary around all three of them! No one else can get in ‘-’
Rolling Stones
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band(Foryoubruce.com)
Pink Floyd
Allman Bros
U2
Santana
untouchable: BEATLES
next tier: Pink Floyd, U2,Led Zep,Doors,Stones
3rd tier:Queen,Rush,Police,Bruce
the longest lasting impact on western culture,most used in movies,most groups that evolved from a single group,longest successful concert tour,earliest in self production,writings, help put Cal. where it is and many other innovations are the beach boys and brian wilson.
most definetly QUEEN! best eva!
Beatles and Guns ‘N’ Roses gid 2 but Queen goes GOLD!
Geeeze–From what I have seen so far I guess I am out of the loop. I don’t call any of those guys mentioned as Bands. Now Glenn Miller had a “BAND”. Guess that dates me somewhere back to WW II.
How anyone can compare Beatles with Led Zep is beyond understanding. To understand the difference you have to consider the entire careers of those involved and not the public reaction to the bands at their height of popularity. Look at the body of work by Sir Paul and Plant. McCartney hardly has the ability to produce background music for cafés while Plant still tries and succedes in making interesting music. Sure some of it failed to hit it’s target but it’s a whole lot better than some of the insane garbage the members of the beatles released. “Ebony and Ivory” anyone? Also consider if any of the Beatles would make a decent Zeppelin; was Lennon a better singer than Plant? Who among the Beatles could play guitar better than Page? Drummer? Please…Plus they looked better and still do, always a plus.
having been an inhabitant on this earth for more than one day, i’ll make my list based on common sense:
the Beatles
Having been a musician for 35+ years, I’ll make my list based on musical talent and songwriting ability. In alpha order, I’d include:
CSN (And Y For Deja Vu)
Deep Purple (MK II, Machine Head Era)
James Taylor (All)
Led Zeppelin (All)
Queen (Up Thru “The Game”)
REM (All)
Rush (Starting With “Permanent Waves”
Steely Dan
The Eagles (Don Felder Tenure Only)
The Who (Until Keith’s Death)
Yes (Yes..Even “TFTO” and “Drama”)
Most of these bands are overhyped.Musically the best are:Queen,Pink Floyd,Led Zeppelin,Aerosmith and Eagles.
According to popularity maybe Beatles
GRATEFUL DEAD,
The Music Never Stopped.
Elvis died, the Who quit, The Stones are sporadic, Aerosmith sold out, no one plays like The Dead.
ac/dc,led zepplin,pink floyd,van halen,def leppard,the who,the stones the eagles,metallica and black sabbath,in no particular order are the greatest bands.
The Beatles,what a joke. ac/dc,zepplin,pink floyd the best ever.The beatles are over rated and sound old when you hear them.
A couple of more great ones for the list: BOSTON, REO Speedwagon, and STYX
Ok people, I tallied everyone’s responses to the question – to this post – and the clear winner with at least 41 votes was ‘The Fabulous Beatles”
Interestingly, Led Zeppelin (note the correct spelling here) was number 2, with around 20 votes, give or take the vague responses. The Stones were probably number 3.
For my part I think Steely Dan is maybe the greatest band in some ways, a lot of Beatle music seems lame now, but Led Zeppelin gets played a lot at my house and in my car.
Greatest Bands
1.) The Beatles
2.) The Rolling Stones
3.) Led Zeppelin
4.) The Who
5.) Tie (Bruce, Chicago, Eagles, etc.)
Favorite Bands
1.) Billy Joel
2.) Chicago
3.) The Eagles
4.) Bruce Springsteen
5.) Tom Petty/Fleetwood Mac (I can’t decide. Help!)
Even though Elvis was one man he is still the king. Most British bands say that Elvis is what influenced them the most.
The Greatest Band of All time is Weezer.
For sheer emotional connection, it is The Who. Led Zep did not really try to connect on the same level.
For technical excellence and great live shows, I’m amazed that nobody has spoken up for Emerson, Lake and Palmer, every bit the equals of Rush, although their glory years were of course much shorter. Also, the Original Genesis (with Peter Gabriel) and Jethro Tull, who continue to change with the times.
The greatest band of all time are the EAGLES. Their music can still be heard live after twenty five years.
There was a comment that our list of great bands means that the band could only have played in the seventies. This is a true statement. There are some good bands today, but great music takes a certain level of consistency within the body of work. Nervana was good, and at the time Curt was compared to Pete Townsend in writing ability, however, the body of work has not reached critical mass. The Traveling Willberries had a top notch line up of great talent, but with only two albums, it had not reached critical mass. Phish was huge, but not played on commercial radio, critical mass is hard to achieve without airplay.
I left off Qween, because I never saw them live, but concert footage indicates that they would be fantastic to see. I did see The Clash, but I needed earplugs just to tell what song they were playing. If you can not reproduce the music live, you can not stack up against acts like Floyd, The Who, or Eric Clapton.
As for US music, Aerosmith has a good body of work, along with Kiss. I have not seen either live. Alice Cooper, I want to see live, and may get the chance around later this year. I would like to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I am sure that that would also be a good show.
As for today’s acts. Britney, not a chance, Crystina Agulara, I don’t think so. Pink, has a good chance if her catalog keeps growing. If I was to pick one act from today, I think that the Fall Out Boys have an interesting start, kind of like Men At Work had back in the eighties. If they can keep it together and be consistant, they might make the list in about 20 or 30 years.
Gold Medal : The Beatles
Silver Medal : Rush
Bronze Medal : Led Zep
Nuff said.
The best live show I ever saw was from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band. Best band ever? Hmmmm, the Beatles have to be right up there along with Lynyrd Skynyrd in my book.
How can Guns N’ Roses not at least be nentioned?
Rock – 1) Led Zeppelin; 2) Crosby Stills, Nash & Young; 3) Eagles
Southern Rock – 1) Allman Brothers Band; 2) Lynard Skynard; 3) Molly Hatchet
I thought we were talking about “ALL TIMES” people. So far, all I’ve read is about 10 -20 years of bands. What about Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman & Glenn Miller?
I think it’s between The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and that is well supported by he comments. Aerosmith and Queen, while not the greatest, are perhaps the most under-appreciated great bands of all time.
I have different levels:
King – The Beatles
Kings Court – Who, Kinks, Stones, Floyd
Nobility – Hendrix, Traffic, Moody Blues, Neil Young, Jeff Beck
Post 80’s – Queen, U2, Collective Soul, Tom Petty
Top 10 bands are:10.Frank Zappa 9.Phish 8.Stevie Wonder 7.Miles Davis 6.Grateful Dead 5.Pink Floyd 4.Beastie Boys 3.Led Zeppelin 2.Rolling Stones 1.Beatles
Pink Floyd.
Led Zeppelin.
Rolling Stones.
U2.
Wow, seems like most people commenting here have forgotten that there’s been new music since the 70s.
There can’t be a best band…impossible! Here are some picks by decade:
60’s: Beatles & The Beach Boys
70’s: Led Zeppelin & CCR
80’s: The Clash, The Police & RUN DMC
90’s: U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, REM
00’s: ??????
Who Ever said Aerosmith has no clue about music….those guys can not be mentioned with bands like Rolling Stones or the Beatles!!!
As long as we have Rock & Roll it’s all good and the debate go’s on.Everybody likes somebody different.Here’s my 2 cents:KISS
The Beatles! Does anyone even come close? Never!
Best rock band of all time – Led Zeppelin no contest, Best album LZ 4
Most influential- Beatles
Best still playing – U2
My top ten (not in any order): The Beatles, Led Zep, Bruce and the E-Street Band, Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, The Eagles, Stones, The Who, U2 and Billy Joel.
Honorable mention: Van Halen, Greatful Dead, Queen, Elton John, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and Chicago. Lets not forgot all the early R & B and 50’s groups that laid the foundation for all the
Rock n’ Roll groups that came after them.
A one-man band and amazing performer:
Prince, greatest of all time.
If you haven’t seen him live – you don’t even know.
Best band of all time: Beatles
Best guitarist of all time: Eric Claption
Best band of the last 10 yrs: Dave Matthews
My favorite that most people don’t know of: Wishbone Ash
Probably among the most important, we would have to consider innovation -Jimmy & The Beatles; and quality in longevity – that would be a toss up between U2 and the Stones (although I think U2 wins that now). But what about the very great – Bob Marley & the Wailers?! What if Bob hadn’t died at 36? They have 10 great albums, in a completely innovative style – influencing so many like The Police, The Clash, Eric Clapton and the list goes on and on.
Best Rock&Roll Band:Led Zeppelin.Most influential:Beatles.Best R/Roll song:Whole Lotta Love.
Are you kidding?
The Rolling Stones
Bruce Springsteen and the E-STREET BAND
End of conversation!
Has any of these posters of lists seen Pearl Jam live? I think not because they easily crack the top 5. #1? Bruce Springsteen.
1. stones 2.aerosmith 3.beatles 4.zeppelin 5.the boss This order may be mixed or changed around but all are valid….
The BEATLES are the greatest song writers of all time!
The best LIVE band is The EAGLES!
Billy Joel and Elton John the Best DUET!
Let’s not forget the guys who provided the inspiration for all the “Bands” mentioned above and below. Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, Chester Burnett aka Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, and the list goes on.
Without their creative contributions nothing else would have happened on the music scene. The “Bands” who were most capable of building on the Blues Music of the Great One’s, are the one’s most highly recognized by your viewing audience.
Long Live the Blues, and may the Rock and Rollers hope they could someday match it.
If Guns N’ Roses could/would reunite with the orignal lineup and do a full fledged world tour without Axl “going Axl” on everyone… WOW! I would say it would be the highest grossing single tour of all time.
Absolutely no question:
DROPKICK MURPHYS
greatlyrics,greatvocals, scathing guitars, banjo, accordian, tin whistle and BAGPIPES!!!
Garcia & The Grateful Dead, the Beatles, Phish, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, The Band, Yes, the Rolling Stones the Talking Heads,
R.E.M. is the greatest band of all time. No other band has produced so much quality and quantity and no other band is more creative.
The Beatles
Miles Davis Quintet
Allman Brothers Band
UFO
SRV and Double Trouble
The Stones are horrible live, The Boss is way overrated, The Eagles live to rob their fanbase.
CSN just misses due to lack of output, BB King is tied. Honerable mention to King Crimson, ELP, Johnny Winter and Jethro Tull for being great , different, and entertaining
Go along with all the above but spare a little thought for Buddy Holly and the Crickets – they did in a tin shed with a tape recorder what many struggle to do today.
U2!!! Same band as when they started. Still writing amazing songs. Still selling out biggest tours in the world! NUFF said!
A little know band that spung up out of Evansville, Indiana in the early 70’s called the Misfits. Kneeland and Ransom on guitar and Blythe on the drums set the standard for the midwest rock sound.
The Beatles, best all-time.
Best live band – Rush (have been playing together and touring for over 30 years).
Metallica has my vote….it would be good to compare if you are looking for overall record sales who has the highest grossing catalog?
C’mon people! It has to be the CLASH! Try to consider music that matters, thank you!
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND are phenomenal. If you’ve never seen them live, you must.
My other picks would be
U2
Floyd
Zepplin
and yes, it started with the Beatles so I guess they’re on my list too.
Please.
Weird Al Yankovic.
OK, discussion’s done- thank you and good night.
I AGREE WITH STEVE BRYANT. LETS’ NOT FORGET EACH OF THE BEATLES WAS PRETTY GOOD IN THEY’RE OWN RIGHT AFTER THE BAND SPLIT. FLOYD, GREATEST LIVE SHOW EVER HANDS DOWN.
The Beatles. They are in in a class by themselves.
Rush is one of the best live acts around these days. Rock on King Lerxst!
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and prior to that was Jimi Hendrix and the Doors. Enough said.
Hey, let’s be real, any band that you had on your stereo when you where in High School at any year
If you want to argue for most influential you would have to go back to Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. The Beatles were lucky to have Lennon writing songs, but they were not a talented band.
Innovation was brought out by Hendrix with groundbreaking playing with exceptional lyrics and when he did his own producing broke away from 3 minute songs to explore music. His smaller library is what hurts him.
Zeppelin was key in taking Chicago Blues and making it their own and getting away from pop music.
You people have obviously never listened to Little Feat. Followed closely by the Coral Reefers.
1. U2
2. STONES
3. BEATLES
Greatest incumberances ALL.
U2 has done more in music, inspired changes in countries, and more for societal change in the world than any band in history; period!
All others were just bands.
Most important band of all time: The Beatles.
Greatest band of all time: Led Zeppelin.
End of story.
The Beatles were the first rock and roll BAND to matter, that’s for sure. The Grateful Dead were important because they gave birth to the idea you can improve on stage in front of a huge audience. Plus, they opened the door for Phish, one of the most underated bands of all time.
How can anyone queston Led Zeppelin, as the greatest ever. The music & vocal quality has never been matched…
I don’t know about all time but the greatest rock band in the world, right now, is playing in someone’s garage and trying to get anyone of age to buy them beer.
Henley said it all. Music evolves with time; bands, although at times great, do not. We evaluate the great ones for their impact on each of us, and on each other. Every poster has offered up a great band, but to me, arguing about which one is better than the rest is futile. Just like all of you, I have favorites, yes. Jefferson Starship. Led Zeppelin. Black Sabbath. Cream. Metallica. Tool. Godsmack. How’s that for range?
Kiss is by far the greatest! What other band could be so original and have as many top hits as they did?
BEATLES hands down.
But honorable mention over the last 40+ years goes to Rolling Stones, Moody Blues, Eagles, Grateful Dead, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Chicago.
Vying for honorable mention should include Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, U2, Beach Boys, ABBA, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Kinks, and a wildcard, The Band.
Nobody mentioned ‘The Band’ in this blog despite the fact that they played behind many of the musicians listed here. They could play seemlessly with Clapton, Dylan, Biaz, Mitchell, Muddy Waters, and many others. If the question is who is the best band ever- the answer is simply ‘The Band’. Watch ‘The Last Waltz’ if you don’t think so.
Zeppelin did it all, rock, heavy metal, country, folk…. and they did all all of it really well. Page,Plant, Jones and Bonham were the best at what they did. Hands down. No other 4 member band can top them, some of their attendance records still stand today…
Sorry folks, but your all wrong. The greatest band of all time was, and will always be “The Traveling Willbury’s.” Never before and never again will that kind of talent come together. Short as it was, the sound was unbelievable. And for those of you who don’t know who they were, Look them up on the web.
1) Beattles
2) Led Zepplin
I would love to see Queen reunite but alas the greatest voice in all of musical history has gone to the great concert in the sky.
I’ll put my vote in for 2 artists that many of the artists on other’s lists were influenced by and who songs were used by many of those bands (sometimes w/o proper credit).
Sonny Boy Williamson [2]
Muddy Waters
I haven’t heard a whispa about Aerosmith. Don’t they deserve a “top five” rating?
Why has no one mentioned Golden Earring? I defy you to find a song with a better riff and baseline than Radar Love.
P I N K F L O Y D #1 – Pre-Breakup, Post without Waters, Waters’ last 2 tours, or Gilmour’s tour last year – all incarnations awsome in their performance interpretations … Radiohead #2 – just amazing talent, Rush #3 despite getting teargassed twice when they opened the Moving Pictures tour in Hollywood, FL back in ‘81 … Built to Spill #4 – probably one of the most talented, but underated and underheard …. the Beatles transcend being ranked though because of the breadth of their creative catalog.
Would also love to see Phish reunite!
Best band: Led Zeppelin
Has to be the Beatles, everyone else is in their shadow in terms of their influence, innovation, and quality of music.
After them, rounding out top ten: Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Who, Clash, Beach Boys, Sex Pistols, U2, Oasis, and Interchords, an obscure but great Bay Area band.
benny goodman glenn miller artie shaw and tommy dorsey count basie earl bostic and duke ellington to name a few
Of course the Beatles rank up there as the all time greatest band, that goes without saying.
But come on, I can’t believe the next greatest band, Queen, has gotten no love from this assemblage. Anyone who has listened to the wide variety of songs and styles that they blazed through with Freddy’s tremendous vocals leading the way could argue. And let’s face it, you would have a hard time arguing with Bohemian Rhapsody as one of the greatest songs of all time, if not #1 then certainly top 5.
I’ve never seen a band get the audience pumped up like Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Their concerts are still the best after 30+ years!
Led Zeppelin is hard to argue with. Phish and Grateful Dead are a couple of my favorites. I think the Allman Brothers is another great choice. Too many to choose.
The Clash is the Only Band that Matters.
Best Band of all time?
1) Beatles for songs that withstand the test of time and were very groundbreaking the music and subjects they covered in their songs.
Other ground breakers
2) Rolling Stones – They were the Anti-Beatles and first Bad Boy Band. They were the band your mother warned you about…and frankly…thats why you liked them 
3) Pink Floyd & Yes – both deeply creative and unique sounds.
4) Led Zepplin – Hard Rock Masters. Screaming guitar work and vocals over a heavy drum beat.
5) Aerosmith – America’s band and have successfully changed with the times with hits in the past 4 decades and have all original members. Also first to merge Rap and Rock (walk-this-way with Run DMC)
6) Nirvana – started the alternative/grunge movement and spawned tons of copy-cat sounding bands
7) Allman Brothers – Rock with a southern twist which started the whole southern rock genre.
Without a doubt- THE BEATLES !!!!!!
How many other groups maintain such popularity after breaking up more than 35 years ago! THE BEATLES created the most intense, exciting and beautiful music matched with honest and compelling lyrics. No other group in the history of popular music can or will ever come close.
Led Zep , absolutely no doubt about it !!! They have pioneered several new styles, met with huge commerical success and most of their songs have a class which can arguably not be attained by any other band.
Highly depends on the generation you grew up in but Soundgarden’s genuis is
my choice
Without the Beatles none of this would exist. You cannot name an artist from the 60s to 2007 that has not been influenced by the Beatles in some way.They are music’s great innovators
The Beatles…..no question. They transformed and influenced popular music more than any other band ever. What other groups can go from “I Want To Hold Your Hand” to “Helter Skelter”?
Unlike Elvis, The Beatles wrote their own music and played their own instruments.
The Beatles are 1-10. Number 11 is theonly subject of debate.
most underrated band of all time.. the original STYX (with Dennis De Young).. should be in the rock hall of fame
Greatest touring bands and music…..
Doobie Brothers, Pink Floyd, Grand Funk Railroad.
Greatest Bands of all time and everyone has given the usual suspects..Beatles, U2, Stones etc.
I look to the influence of bands had on their peers. My vote would be in order of importance:
Beatles, Led Zepplin, The Clash, The Pixies and Nirvana
The Beach Boys–a great concert act when in their prime.
The Rolling Stones is the only band that survived all the different phases of rock and moved with the times. The Allman Brother may still get on stage but they play the same old stuff. When it comes to creativity and consistancy there is no one else but the Stones.
ps…2nd most influential band?
Alice Cooper…from KISS to Bowie to Marilyn Manson to countless black clad metal bands…they all owe it to the Coop. The ORIGINAL shock rocker.
Many mainstream musicians would agree that the greatest band of all time in terms of musicianship, virtuosity, and incredible lyrics is RUSH. No question. I have admired them since 1979. Highly skilled and technically untouchable – Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart.
Rush. Still the SAME thre guys, over thirty years together, still at the top of their game. Widely recognized as the absolute best musicians at their instrument. Still packing venues and making NEW music. You have to put Rush at the top of the list.
RUSH – For musicianship, same members for over 30 years and quality of music for 30 plus years. And let’s see any other drummer at any age pull of what Peart can still pull off in his 50’s!
I figured that they would not get any credit in an article in this genre, but Metallica has to be close to the top of the list. They have been touring religiously for about 27 years, and do it all for the love of fans. Their music also helped change the landscape for modern rock and roll, proving that noise can be orchestrated to make music.
Genesis – there simply is no question.
Most influential – The Beatles
Greatest rock & roll band – The Stones
Simple…with so many types of music, Great can be broken down into any Singer or Band that can fill a stadium without any other performs…true solo appearance. I’ve seen Zepplin, Stones, Who, Van Halen, Pink Floyd, the Dead and others that could full a huge stadium…these lame bands of today require 20+ groups to fill a venue…they just can’t compete.
Rolling Stone Magazine named THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND as the “best band in the land”. The Beatles,Zep,etc., quit. The Brothers are still touring and better than ever! Derrick Trucks plays with Claptan, Haynes replaced Garcia – because they are the best today. The Stones play little DJ songs; the Brothers can jam for an hour! Anyone who knows music and has ever heard the Brothers live, know they are the best band of all time, period.
U2 and The Beatles. Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin deserve considerations too.
From She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand to the White Album, Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road in 7 years ? The Beatles without a doubt. Pink Floyd then picked up where The Beatles left off.
There is no such thing as the “Greatest Band of All Time” since time is eternal and bands are not. The Rolling Stones are probably the most enduring of all time. The Beatles have created the graeatest change. King Crimson or The Moody Blues may be the most unique. There have been several that have created great music.
1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. “The Rest” follow – e.g. The Who, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Bruce & the E Street band, U2, Nirvana, and more
Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead….In order of importance.
Without a doubt, The Allman Brothers Band.
The one group you could go see again and again and leave with the feeling of WOW!!!
Totally amazing, was the group YES.
Oh come on everyone, everybody Knows that the Umpa Band of Wisconsin Rule…Does it matter, look we are all talking about bands that were great when we were young, now well we are not young but would like to think we are young so therefore that band from that era is the “best band.”
Also, do you like have jobs?
The Beatles both in terms of quality (groundbreaking) of music, quantity of music, legacy and commercial success.
Without question, The Beatles are the greatest band in rock and roll history. No one else comes close. Rounding out my top ten, in no particular order, would be The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, U2, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Eagles, The Police, Van Halen, and ELO.
The Beatles, of course. As far as live acts, it’s gotta be the WHO. Ask anybody who saw them in the 70’s.
My List. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Tool
Many great bands were mentioned in these posts. I like most of them. However, Led Zeppelin was the most ground breaking band ever. Each member was the best at what they did. They also never had a publicist. Who was a better drummer than Bonham? Same for Page, Plant and the underrated JP Jones.
Led Zeppelin had the greatest rock singer, the second greatest guitarist(after Hendrix) and the greatest rock drummer ever!!! They have to be the greatest Rock Band of all time. The Stones have toured forever but their songs don’t resonate like Paige and Plant’s. Rock On!
Bruce Springsteen and the E Steet Band
Greatest band ever – Beatles.
Most interesting – Stones
Most entertaining – Eagles
Bravest – to change – Chicago
I love AC/DC. Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Police & U2 would also be up there. Never got into Pink Floyd, Stones or Beatles, although I certainly recognize their talent & influence. Currently liking what Linkin Park has done.
But to me the greatest of all time by far is Led Zeppelin. No other band can stir the depth & variety of emotion in me the way they can.
The greatest band of all time undoubtedly must be the Beatles. Concerning those bands vying for a top five spot,and in no certain order, I believe these bands deserve mention :
The Rolling Stones,U2,Led Zeppelin,
Van Halen,Rush,KISS,ABBA,Chicago,
Aerosmith,Ramones,Pink Floyd
The Beach Boys,The Eagles
Creedence Clearwater Revival,
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,Prince and the Revolution,REM,
The Who, and last but not least, Nirvana.
If Longevity and Resilliance are the key factors :
1)Rolling Stones
2)Gratefull Dead
3)Eric Clapton
4)Bruce Springsteen
5)Billy Joel
The Police have been away too long and Sting has made some boring stuff that can not be called rock(let’s not forget that Sting is pro IRA,and we are in a war against terror )
Rod Stewart is a great performer,but a slacker compared to others on my list.
U2 has been at the top of their game decades. Their music is on a different level than most bands.
The Beatles hands down. They changed my life. There was a time when they were more popular than Christianity. They sold the most albums and it was proven later that Capitol records was selling thousands if not millions more without reporting them or paying the Beatles. Their music will live on long after we’ve forgotten what was on The Rollings Stones 40th album.
I know we’re talking about “bands,” but let’s not leave out Neil Young (w/Crazy Horse), Bob Dylan and his band, and Joni Mitchell. These three are without a doubt the finest songwriters and performers alive/dead/other. Of course Zep is at the top of the list, but Aerosmith????
The Beatles probably had the greatest cultural impact, but the Rolling Stones have endured being “The Greatest Rock In Roll Band in the World”. So who’s the greatest? “Its Only Rock-in-Roll” The Rolling Stones.
How do you not include Led Zeppelin in this list? Rod Stewart and The Police have nothing on Zep. It doesn’t get any better than Jimmy Page on the guitar. There is not better song out there than Black Dog, not to mention all their other hits.
The Eagles. Hotel California features the greatest guitar duet of all time
Of all the great rock bands in the world, its hard to argue against AEROSMITH. They have the original lineup, been together into their fourth decade, constantly tour to keep in touch with their fans, and continually release quality music. I enjoy lots of great bands (Led Zep, Beatles, Eagles, AC/DC, U2) but my vote definitely goes to AEROSMITH as the greatest rock band.
Gotta be The Rolling Stones – who else has lasted so long with so many hits?
beatles , rolling stones, the who, the clash, the beach boys, led zepplin,
The Beatles. Case closed. No discussion need. No more posts are necessary.
Most important/best of all time: Beatles
(esp. for getting out while they still made meaningful music)
Best Band today: Wilco
Reunite the British Invasion bands, such as:
Zombies
Hollies
Procol Harum
Led Zeppelin
Traffic
Ten Years After
Yardbirds,
etc, etc.
Top three bands of all time – The Who, The Kinks and KISS. If you’ve seen them all at there best, you’d agree.
There are so many great bands that have somehow etched lasting memories in each of our minds. When it comes down to an assemblage of pure musical talent, the Beatles and Eagles have to rank at or near the top.
I wished someone could get the three living members of Led Zeppelin to runite for a new album and tour. They should be accompanied by Jason Bonham on drums.
Greatest band ever – Pink Floyd. Why? Variety of their music (compare UmmaGumma to Division Bell); the musical power in their live performances (compare to the Stones, whose live songs are barely recognizeable); the stunning impact of their light shows; and the true artistry of the lyrics.
The Grateful Dead, ’nuff said.
how could you not pick the Beatles? there are more esoteric answers, and more fan-natical answers, but when you look at the history of essentially electric popular music (which is what i think this question is asking), it’s the beatles. if the beatles never happen, the whole history of rock is a giant question mark, and i just don’t see any other band you can say that about.
Greatest bands….Eagles, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Chocago
NO Question Pink Floyd should reunite with Roger Waters. Would be the biggest best and probably highest grossing concert tour ever.
While The Stones and The Beatles are top contenders, does anyone remember The Kinks and all of their great hits?
I’d start with the Black Crowes as my all time favorite….followed by the Grateful Dead, Jimi, The Doors, and GNR.
Without a doubt The Beatles.
They chnaged our culture and our society.
It wasn’t just the music.
It was timing. They arrived here in February 1964 3 months after Kennedy was assassinated. We needed something to lift us all.
Led Zeppelin, hands down, no other band in their league. Period !
It’s no contest. The greatest band ever was The Glenn Miller Band.For tonal quality, orchestration, vocals, dedication to the music– no band ever came close.
The Police is by far the greatest band in history. The only reason some may say otherwise is because of their haetus since the mid 80’s. Their revival tour has shown that they are still the best.
In the immortal words of Ed Sullivan, “Ladies and Gentlemen…THE BEATLES!”
In my mind, there is simply no other option. No other group approaches their immortality – an immortality that was only enhanced by their untimely demise. Where other acts are “one trick ponies” in a sense – a “family” that exists as it is and is lesser without its component parts, the Beatles are a musical “Dream Team” of Historic talent who got together and created, not necessarily THE greatest, but the best consistently great material, ever, bar no exceptions. They did this without descending into the massive immorality and scandal that swirls around most other major rock acts; even the Beatles drug use was seemingly morally ‘justified’ when compared with the excess of their contemporaries.
They may be the obvious choice, but self-evidence is not necessarily a flaw.
Long life the Fab Four!
The greatest rock band of all time is getting back together in November for a charity event in England… Led Zeppelin. Rock didn’t exist before them and has not been the same since.
Pink Floyd. Not just musically tight, spanning decades with fantastic and breakthrough albums, but the concerts involve the latest in lights and effects to bring their music to heights of sensory enjoyment (no altering substances required!). Did I mention tha David Gilmore has been heralded by many in Rock as the most technically proficient lead guitarist alive today. I rest my case when one such as Paul McCartney is quoted saying if he had his choice of lead guitarist for his band, Gilmore would be the man.
I’ve never seen any band match the combination of energy, precision, consistency, and overall excellence of the E Street Band.
My vote is for U2. 22 grammys, 20 plus years as an internationaly popular band, and most of all their ability to constantly adapt and play with their sound.
I would not place a top band, but there are bands that everyone should see. Currently I am trying to fill out my must see concert card. It is going slowly. There groups that you must see are: The Stones, The Who, The Greatful Dead(of the past), Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton. Groups that I have not seen yet Dire Straits, The Kinks, Neil Young, BB King, John Mellencamp, Dave Mathews, Rush, AC/DC, Led Zeplin(?). There are still a lot of great groups that I have to see.
Lastly, there are the others which you should see just because it is a really good concert with music that is fun and you just don’t hear enough of. Those include: Add Billy Idol(only missed the Cyber Punk tour), and Meatloaf(the Jim Steinman music). With both artists, you love the music and the band is loud enough that you can sing along without anyone hearing you.
AC/DC – just plain ol good rock and roll/ blues
The E Street Band is the best of all time. Period.
I can’t tell you which act is the greatest band of all time is but finally seeing The Police live blew me away. Just three guys and their instruments showed me that it’s about muscicianship and quality songs not explosions, back-up singers, giant props, fanciful clothes and backing tracks.
Maybe not the greatest band of all time, but my favorite: PHISH! Would love to see them reunite.
Greatest band of all time? Allman Brothers in their prime circa late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Several bands come to mind. While there are many outstanding bands today it almost seems they will have had to be around for 20+ years before they are able to receive a “best band” nomination. Older bands/artists that deserve this tag: Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Van Halen, Rush. Newer bands: Tool, Radiohead. Wishful thinking; The best band to reunite: Guns ‘n’ Roses.
Hello McFly The Beatles are the greatest and most influential band of all time
Does this conversation really extend beyond The Beatles?
Maybe the question should be about the Top Five, that we could debate in what order the The Stones, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Radiohead should fall.
Hands down, the Stones…nobody even comes close. ..and then, in no particular order, I would include Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Who, Kiss, the Kinks and AC/DC.
There is absolutely no question who is the greatest band ever…it the BEATLES, of course! Every poll I’ve ever seen on this has the Beatles on top. No band has ever, nor will ever, influence music like the Beatles !!!
I still listen to RUSH all of the time. Their new album, SNAKES AND ARROWS is really good.
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The beatles are the most commercial….it doesnt mean they were the greatest band….50 cent is probably the most popular rapper right now but that doesnt mean hes the best hip hop artist….The greatest rock and roll band of all time is the rolling stones…50 years and going…the most influential band of all time is deff not the beatles its obviously the Grateful Dead the beatles werre just that commercial annoyinng sound that gets stuck in your head….every song was simple and extremley commercial thats the only reason they were so popular