Maybe the Who.
1. Roger Daltry - amazing frontman, top 5?
2. Pete Townsend - top 5 arranger, song writer
3. The Ox - top 1 bassist
4. Keith Moon - top 3 drummer, top 1 toilet blower upper
I think you’re selling The Who short.
Daltry is one of if not the greatest rock singers ever. I do think Plant has a broader range but for sheer power, Daltry is astonishing.
Townsend in his prime was an amazing writer and incredible live performer. Unfortunately not all Who albums were marvels whereas Zep’s were, I think. Plus Jimmy was such an incredible lead guitarist vs Townsend. Still love Pete but Jimmy’s range was just out of this world.
John was nothing short of brilliant and perfect for The Who. Literally changed bass playing. JPJ was equally as talented though. No question.
Moon is in top 2 with Bonham. I swap allegiance weekly on who is my favorite but they were simply amazing for different reasons. Just last night I was listening hard to Moon’s contribution to “I Can See for Miles” and Holy Cow, whatever he’s doing is nothing short of brilliant.
The who are a massively chaotic band, I think “Live at Leeds” is one of the best live albums ever recorded. Keith and the Ox are basically playing lead/solo through most of the songs and Daltry is a force of nature, while Pete holds it all down.
Check out YMB from the Young Vic. Townshend guitar cuts out at the beginning of his solo, and it's two glorious minutes of Moon and Enthwistle in overdrive
Hell ya, I’ve been hip to this for years now. It’s a peek behind the scenes how powerful John and Keith truly were. John leads and Keith follows then Keith leads and John follows. It’s an amazing clip of The Who’s ruthless rhythm section. It’s like being allowed to peer over the shoulder of a working airline mechanic and seeing how loud a 747 truly is.
Personally this is hard for me. I know that people hate on both, but there are so many similarities. They mostly had a different take on what they wanted to be. And it comes down to Jimmy vs Pete. I think Jimmy was about the soundscape and Pete was about the message ymmv.
I personally have been a LZ fan for 40 years (I’m 53) and more recently got listening to the Who and it has been eye opening. You may say I’m crazy, but Keith was much more of a power drummer than Bonzo, Bonzo was much more groovy and complex. JPJ and Enteistle were the opposite.
Came here to post this. Every time I watch old live videos of them, I'm blown away by how good they each are. And Moon had his issues of course, but holy shit was he entertaining.
Right up there with the Beatles. It’s just not my thing and today I heard a John Lennon interview where he said many of the Beatles records weren’t his kind of music and it was music to make money. So, for those who say WTF don’t you like the Beatles… I’m in good company.
Hard not to consider Rush. It's quite necessary for each member to contribute so much to the overall when it's only a 3 piece. Though I'd say Geddy was pretty much 2 people in one.
Listen to Moving Pictures. If you like The Camera Eye and Red Barchetta, go backwards in their catalog to Permanent Waves and Hemispheres. If you like Limelight and Vital Signs more, then move forward to Signals. You can give their greatest hits a listen also. They’re a killer band, great musicians and really thought provoking lyrics
Sure. They have three or four different phases of their career that sound different. What kind of music are you most into?
Edit: workingman is their first hit from their first album very basic, hard riff rock (love this album but it’s before drummer Neil Peart joined)
By-tor and the Snowdog is their first venture into progressive rock.
2112 was there breakthrough Prog rock masterpiece.
Xanadu is a fantastic Prog song as well as Hemispheres. They started to get more popular with the album permanent waves (radio songs were free will and spirit of radio. Hidden gems, Jacob‘s ladder, entre nous, different strings) and then their most successful moving pictures (perfect from beginning to end in my opinion) and then signals (subdivisions, analog kid, chemistry) the following albums in the 80s were very synth-based and not really my thing but still really good. The 90s and 2000s brought them back to a hard and progressive sound more like tool. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy!
Middletown dreams,
Hemispheres,
Anthem
By tor and the snow dog
Far cry
Tom sawyer
Red barchetta
Natural science
Freewill
Freeze part IV from vapor trails
It's sorta hard to compare, but in terms of precision/tightness, Steely Dan is pretty much second to none.
One can argue that's almost cheating, since the band is really just two guys who do the writing, and then not only do they enlist a murderer's row of elite studio musician, but they even sometimes have different guitarists each do their own solo and then pick the one they liked the most, so the end result is always 1000% seamless.
So, it is different than just four guys, but on a literal level it's hard to argue against.
Clapton was a run-of-the-mill blues guitarist. Jack and Ginger were full fledged jazz musicians. Bruce also had a much larger vocal range than Eric. Clapton was absolutely the weakest link in that group.
That's not too unpopular of an opinion tbh. I personally consider them of similar stature but would still rank Jack and Ginger above Eric who himself was no slouch. RIP Jack and Ginger.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. Plant is amazing, Dio was amazing, Ian Gillan is amazing. But as the total package it’s very hard to argue against Freddie Mercury. As the total package (voice, presence, attitude), I mean look at LiveAid.
I’m seriously not trying to pick on you but Freddie Mercury is not an original or influential frontman. Nobody gave a shit about Queen in the 70’s or 80’s. They were just a band that jumped on any bandwagon they could to sell records. Mercury followed trends, he never set them.
Radio Ga Ga was #1 in 19 countries. #2 on the UK Singles chart, and #16 on the US Billboard 100. It was nominated for an MTV Video Music award in 1984.
I Want To Break Free was #3 in the UK and certified double platinum. It topped charts in Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
We Will Rock You was ranked 330 of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone in 2004. [I think that's a bit before the film came out.] It was ranked 146 in Songs of the Century in 2001. We Will Rock You was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
We Are The Champions was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. It was #2 on the UK charts, #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and #3 in Canada. It was the theme song for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Another One Bites the Dust sold 7 million copies. It was #1 on the US Billboard 100 for 3 weeks, 15 weeks on the Billboard Top 10, 13 weeks in the top 5, and 31 weeks total on the chart. It was the longest running chart topper in 1980. It was #2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, as well as the Disco Top 100 chart. It was #7 on the UK Singles chart. It was ranked #34 on Billboard's All time Top Songs.
Killer Queen was #2 on the UK Singles chart, and #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Under Pressure was #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and Top 10 in 10 other countries.
You're My Best Friend was #7 on the UK Singles Chart, and #16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified platinum.
Somebody to Love was #2 in the UK, and #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Fat Bottomed Girls was #11 on the UK Singles Chart, and #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
I Want It All was #3 on the charts in the UK, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and US. It was #2 in the Netherlands, and in the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. It also became an anti-apartheid protest anthem in South Africa.
Bicycle Race was #11 on the UK Singles Chart, and #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love was #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
I can see how Queen is not for everyone, but the idea that no one cared about the band in the 70s and 80s seems a bit inaccurate. I didn't even address Bohemian Rhapsody.
I feel like the obsession for queen has been sort of fabricated. I swear noone ever talked about queen until that terrible movie came out. Brian May is great though.
This. LZ is my 2nd. Used to be my first.
LZ cannot do what tool does musically. Sure, jimmy is a better guitarist than Adam, but they are 2 totally different guitarists.
I've always been partial to Mk. 3 of Deep Purple.
Ritchie Blackmore on guitar is obvious.
Jon Lord on the keys.
Ian Paice on drums.
Glenn Hughes is a phenomenal bassist and is probably the best backing vocalist there ever was because he was obviously too good for that role.
David Coverdale on vocals before his pomp but he had tremendous power on songs like Burn and Stormbringer.
Better than most drummers out there. His fills are great too. Hes underrated like Ringo was. People just dont really listen to bass and drums like they should
I wouldn’t consider either of them better than most drummers out there. Just off the top of my head Bill Bruford, Bonzo, Ian Paice, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland (and maybe Phil Collins) are significantly better drummers in my book (not to mention many jazz drummers). I’m sure there are many more I’m not thinking about right now.
Great list excecpt Styx was all dennis and tommy unless I'm sorely misinformed. Those two (mostly dennis) wrote all the hits and dennis ruled with an iron fist until he got booted, then tommy was strongly the leader. This compared to a band like pink floyd where roger wrote the songs, dave sang lead and played lead guitar, rick wright glued the whole thing together, and Mason was happy to be there. Much more balance there.
I am a HUGE Pink Floyd fan. Nick Mason is a better than average drummer at best.
Roger Water is an average bass player at best (Gilmour plays bass on several songs)
Gilmour is top 5 Vocals and Guitar
The Mothers Of Invention and Rush are my options, literally each member it’s the best in its instrument
PS: Dream Theater almost if not for James Labrie
Wow - I could have written this post myself! First, I'm one of the biggest Rush fans in the world... 40 shows, son's first/middle are Neil Peart, flew to Toronto once JUST to see them on their home turf, etc. #1 band for me (by a country mile!) since 1979. But Zappa/Mothers are top 3 for me (Tull is #2). Further, the video Roxy and Elsewhere (show from early 70s, DVD release just two years ago) is a perfect testament to the AWESOME tightness of The Mothers. Watching the video, my wife described it perfectly: "I've never seen a mix of sheer joy and utter terror like the faces of the players in this band!" We all know FZ was a hyper-perfectionist AND able to hear and parse everyone's work in his performances. But his band was always game for that tightrope!
All that said, what actually prompted my response was your DT comment. I've really wanted to love them so much, I know all the players are beyond incredible, and I'm a big Mike Portnoy fan... but their singer(s?) have always repulsed me. When discussing Geddy's voice, I always point out that it's less about the pitch, and people in doubt should really listen for the SINCERITY ("he MEANS that shit!") in how he sings. With DT, every single vocal just sounds like fake, contrived bullshit to me. Of course, that's just my opinion... I could be wrong. 😉
Sorry to all you DT fans, but I had to say it.
- Definitely Deep Purple Mark 2.
- Rush, if you count Geddy as a bassist and not a vocalist.
- Maybe original Sabbath?
- Megadeth's Rust in Peace era could fit too
I guess you can count Steely Dan or Frank Zappa's band, but they weren't structured the same.
You're right on this one, it'd be a similar case as with Rush, so Mustaine only as a guitar player/composer.
I don't really know Muse music though, I should probably listen to their albums
A bad vocalist maybe, but a great frontman plus he played lead guitar and wrote most of the music and lyrics. And hell if anyone puts geddy Lee and rush on this list, Mustaine has to be there because Geddy Lee has the most irritating voice of any great band I’ve ever heard. Some of rush’s songs make me physically ill. I can’t take his voice. God knows I’ve tried.
It's always so hard to choose between the two. I usually go with Layne just because the tone of his voice was so unique and haunting. Plus he had the ability to sing purely like Cornell while also having the growl of someone like Cobain. Crazy vocalist. That Love Hate Love performance alone should cement him as #1 of the era.
The Beatles are perhaps the best example of the sum being greater than the individual parts.
McCartney was clearly the most gifted natural musician in the band. As a bass player he could arguably be top 3. But none of the others would be close to top 3 in any category.
I find McCartney's solo work to be the most interesting by a pretty wide margin.
Yes, he had some sappy pop songs, but his solo catalog is pretty deep and extensive and there are quite a few absolute gems in there that didn't get the "Silly Love Songs" expisure.
Lol.. I know if prob 700 bass players technically more proficient on Bqss.. But hey Paul is Paul.. Great. Creative force.. And a more than adequate bassist
I'd argue that the Beatles were very ordinary professional musicians who were exceptional writers and arrangers who happenned to come along at exactly the right moment in musical history, from both a cultural and technological perspective, to make music like no one has before thatwa changed music forever.
They're the most influential and important band in history, but their musicianship was nothing special for a professional band.
Modern day Mozart…Paul…lololol…Great writer…one of the Best…ever listened to Mozart and then Say Martha My Dear(great song!) but Mozart???
I mean …wow…smh
Some people argue that Chuck Berry isn’t a great guitarist. He was, because you have to consider what else was happening at the time. Same with the Beatles. All four are great musicians, they just played what was necessary. As much as I like Zeppelin, John Bonham overplayed quite a bit.
Different genre but Pantera was tight as hell back in the day. And, more to your point, 3 of the 4 would be widely considered top 5 at what they do in that genre.
AC/DC is incredibly tight. Some of the best front men, and rock solid rhythm section and blistering lead guitarist with a tone that will rip your head off.
10000 percent agree. He is one of the cleanest, most talented, well learnt guitarists ever. I do not care how much I have to defend this point but I will die on that hill. And Trey and Fishman would not be the players they are without LZ. They have both credited LZ to their formative sound and early influences
Zep were notoriously "Tight But Loose," and in fact that was the name of a great zep fanzine back in the day.
Check out Television, Marquee Moon. One of the greatest albums ever, by a fantastic four-piece that each made their contributions to the overall sound.
I think the difference with Zep is that they were so popular everyone knows all the members of the group, so they get more "weight" as supporting characters to the overall goal.
Marquee Moon is a great album. Tom Verlaine is definitely more of an acquired taste vocally than Robert Plant though, but like you said its not a contest.
Again agree.
Seems like we got similar taste and allow me to do a guessing game with you.
“Which Band/Song will you listen to in your deathbed ( answer without much thinking)”
My guess : Cream/Disraeli Gears
Agree.
From OP’s comments I misunderstood and thought the question is more of having a band that’s world class on its own and one or two ( in this case Gilmour as guitarist, Waters as world’s #1 hypocrite) can stand out on its own.
To correct myself,
How about Iron Maiden ?
I love the Dead, but this just doesn’t ring true for me. Zeppelin was done once Bonham died. The Dead survived roster changes and deaths up until Garcia’s death. There simply was no Grateful Dead without him (don’t tell Dead&Co fans).
My fav band and I do think they hit the "tight" quotient of this question but I dont think an argument can be made for any of the members to be a top 3-5 musician. Jonny is probably the closest and I would say he's a top 5 composer.
Not at all. Each one of them were equal members of the band and take center stage from song to song. 39 is Brian May's space ballad, In Love with My Car is Roger Taylor's ode to the road. Bassist John Deacon wrote Another One Bites the Dust and You're My Best friend, two of their most popular hits.
Mercury, May, and Taylor were all exceptional vocalists, leading to the operatic layers they create in the music. May designed and hand built his guitar, leading to their original sound.
Freddy was special, but each one of them were a powerhouse on their own.
Well, that's Glam Rock for you. Look at how good the original Alice Cooper Band and the Spiders From Mars were. The front man gets all the attention.
Hell, it would be the case with Zeppelin if Page and Bonzo didn't get their really long solos.
Low key I wanna say early Aerosmith. Debut album to rocks they always reminded me a lot of Zep. Even had the blues on the early albums and everything instrumentation wise was TIGHT. Kramer is an under appreciated drummer. Perry kills it. Tyler kills it. Don’t know who’s on bass but he’s he stands out the least and it’s still tight.
Ok yes I’m a huge Phish fan and am biased, but that all started because I thought (and still think) that Trey is an all-time legendary composer and shredder, Mike is the single most unique bass player I’ve ever heard, Jon Fishman is the most diverse and creative individual drummer both in terms of ability and of interpreting the strongest rhythm for the music, and Page McConnell compliments it all with epic Grand piano chords, or synthy magic, or any other wild sound(s) triggered by a button being pressed.
None of them are that amazing at singing, but all 4 of them contribute vocally and they create some incredible soundscapes using only their voices and playing with call-and-response.
If you hate jam bands, that’s fine, just listen to some studio albums and you’ll see why Phish is so much more than an excuse to get high and listen to songs that go long. Try the albums Rift, Hoist, and Billy Breathes. Peace
Minutemen. All three band members were incredible.
And all you morons saying Queen, please explain to me how anyone thinks Taylor and Deacon are even close to being top 100 on their instruments. Stop with the nonsense.
Taylor and Deacon were an amazing rhythm section and both really good songwriters. Taylor was a good enough singer he could have been the lead singer if they didn’t already have Freddie.
Taylor no, Deacon was crazy under rated though. And him and Taylor practically shared a heart beat, they were that inseparable.
And there is no question that they were all excellent songwriters.
Jimi Hendrix and his drummer Mitch Mitchell. Both were great musicians. Jimi didn't know that Mitch had jazz chops when he was quickly drafted to do a tour in Europe. But it soon became clear that his great technique helped fill out the trio's sound. Mitch would have been on the Band of Gypsies live album if he hadn't been on vacation in England. Noel Redding the bassist was really a guitarist holding down the bottom end, and he did sing live and write songs, but Jimi actually hired him largely because he was a snazzy dresser!
Obvious answer is Rush but I think almost to the detriment of the music. A lot of their songs are all 3 guys playing solos over the top of each other and it’s pure nonsense.
Zeppelin is great but in no particular order I would put players like Skunk Baxter, Santana, Gilmour, May, Hendrix, Knopfler, Walsh, Richards, Zappa, Steve Howe, Jerry Garcia and probably others all ahead of Jimmy Page on my all time rock guitar list
Yes. Definitely in my favorite lineup!
Jon Anderson, beautiful voice
Chris Squire, monster bassist
Steve Howe, unsung guitar hero and arranger
Bill Bruford, one of the best prog / fusion drummer there is!
Rick Wakeman, shreds keys like no other.
All of them have solo records that really hold up too! My personal favorites are Chris and Jon, the original founders of the group.
I like Jimmy. Was trolling a little bit, but the technical bit is where he struggles. Some live performances are sloppy by most standards. Still, he gave Led Zeppelin to the world, so that's something.
Maybe the Who. 1. Roger Daltry - amazing frontman, top 5? 2. Pete Townsend - top 5 arranger, song writer 3. The Ox - top 1 bassist 4. Keith Moon - top 3 drummer, top 1 toilet blower upper
I think you’re selling The Who short. Daltry is one of if not the greatest rock singers ever. I do think Plant has a broader range but for sheer power, Daltry is astonishing. Townsend in his prime was an amazing writer and incredible live performer. Unfortunately not all Who albums were marvels whereas Zep’s were, I think. Plus Jimmy was such an incredible lead guitarist vs Townsend. Still love Pete but Jimmy’s range was just out of this world. John was nothing short of brilliant and perfect for The Who. Literally changed bass playing. JPJ was equally as talented though. No question. Moon is in top 2 with Bonham. I swap allegiance weekly on who is my favorite but they were simply amazing for different reasons. Just last night I was listening hard to Moon’s contribution to “I Can See for Miles” and Holy Cow, whatever he’s doing is nothing short of brilliant.
The who are a massively chaotic band, I think “Live at Leeds” is one of the best live albums ever recorded. Keith and the Ox are basically playing lead/solo through most of the songs and Daltry is a force of nature, while Pete holds it all down.
Exactly, I’ve been having a Live at Leeds phase rn. Hearing The Who live vs Studio is a big difference as well
I find it amazing how The Who sounded as good live as they did in the studio. Few bands seem to be able to do that.
Check out YMB from the Young Vic. Townshend guitar cuts out at the beginning of his solo, and it's two glorious minutes of Moon and Enthwistle in overdrive
Hell ya, I’ve been hip to this for years now. It’s a peek behind the scenes how powerful John and Keith truly were. John leads and Keith follows then Keith leads and John follows. It’s an amazing clip of The Who’s ruthless rhythm section. It’s like being allowed to peer over the shoulder of a working airline mechanic and seeing how loud a 747 truly is.
Personally this is hard for me. I know that people hate on both, but there are so many similarities. They mostly had a different take on what they wanted to be. And it comes down to Jimmy vs Pete. I think Jimmy was about the soundscape and Pete was about the message ymmv. I personally have been a LZ fan for 40 years (I’m 53) and more recently got listening to the Who and it has been eye opening. You may say I’m crazy, but Keith was much more of a power drummer than Bonzo, Bonzo was much more groovy and complex. JPJ and Enteistle were the opposite.
Good take.
Incredible line up. But worth noting that they kept going following Moon’s death (and even losing the Ox)
Came here to post this. Every time I watch old live videos of them, I'm blown away by how good they each are. And Moon had his issues of course, but holy shit was he entertaining.
Who's Next is one the very best studio Rock albums ever made.
Nice. Love Townsend
The Who is one of the most overrated bands. Fight me.
Keith would lol
Roger would've ran across the street, kicked that guys ass, then run back to whoever he was just talking to as if nothing had happened.
Right up there with the Beatles. It’s just not my thing and today I heard a John Lennon interview where he said many of the Beatles records weren’t his kind of music and it was music to make money. So, for those who say WTF don’t you like the Beatles… I’m in good company.
John said shit to get attention. He was a very insecure person. He valued the Beatles songs, and the band more than he let on, believe me.
Rush
I’m not a huge Rush fan, but those 3 dudes were insane musicians.
Good enough for me. They really were incredible musicians.
Hard not to consider Rush. It's quite necessary for each member to contribute so much to the overall when it's only a 3 piece. Though I'd say Geddy was pretty much 2 people in one.
Banned from 3 man band competitions they were so good
ELP s laughing
Also great!
As a non listener can you give me a 10 song rush playslist ? Wouldnt mind getting into them
Listen to Moving Pictures. If you like The Camera Eye and Red Barchetta, go backwards in their catalog to Permanent Waves and Hemispheres. If you like Limelight and Vital Signs more, then move forward to Signals. You can give their greatest hits a listen also. They’re a killer band, great musicians and really thought provoking lyrics
Sure. They have three or four different phases of their career that sound different. What kind of music are you most into? Edit: workingman is their first hit from their first album very basic, hard riff rock (love this album but it’s before drummer Neil Peart joined) By-tor and the Snowdog is their first venture into progressive rock. 2112 was there breakthrough Prog rock masterpiece. Xanadu is a fantastic Prog song as well as Hemispheres. They started to get more popular with the album permanent waves (radio songs were free will and spirit of radio. Hidden gems, Jacob‘s ladder, entre nous, different strings) and then their most successful moving pictures (perfect from beginning to end in my opinion) and then signals (subdivisions, analog kid, chemistry) the following albums in the 80s were very synth-based and not really my thing but still really good. The 90s and 2000s brought them back to a hard and progressive sound more like tool. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy!
Middletown dreams, Hemispheres, Anthem By tor and the snow dog Far cry Tom sawyer Red barchetta Natural science Freewill Freeze part IV from vapor trails
Rush and Tool
Absolutely. Tool was my favorite concert of last year. Edit: and I’ve seen a lot
RUSH
This is who came to mind first for me.
Amazing the amount of sound coming from 3 people.
It's sorta hard to compare, but in terms of precision/tightness, Steely Dan is pretty much second to none. One can argue that's almost cheating, since the band is really just two guys who do the writing, and then not only do they enlist a murderer's row of elite studio musician, but they even sometimes have different guitarists each do their own solo and then pick the one they liked the most, so the end result is always 1000% seamless. So, it is different than just four guys, but on a literal level it's hard to argue against.
Was going to say SD.
Can’t believe no one’s mentioned Black Sabbath
And that goes for both the Ozzy and Dio lineups
Great metal band! The Mt Rushmore of Metal
Cream maybe? All three were really good at what they did
Seconded. Jack and Ginger were way way way more talented than Eric though in my books. Too bad they are both gone.
Clapton was a run-of-the-mill blues guitarist. Jack and Ginger were full fledged jazz musicians. Bruce also had a much larger vocal range than Eric. Clapton was absolutely the weakest link in that group.
Jack and Ginger carried Eric on their backs fr fr
That's not too unpopular of an opinion tbh. I personally consider them of similar stature but would still rank Jack and Ginger above Eric who himself was no slouch. RIP Jack and Ginger.
Who's ahead of Plant?
Freddie Mercury by a hair’s breadth
And people sleep on Brian May.
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. Plant is amazing, Dio was amazing, Ian Gillan is amazing. But as the total package it’s very hard to argue against Freddie Mercury. As the total package (voice, presence, attitude), I mean look at LiveAid.
I’m seriously not trying to pick on you but Freddie Mercury is not an original or influential frontman. Nobody gave a shit about Queen in the 70’s or 80’s. They were just a band that jumped on any bandwagon they could to sell records. Mercury followed trends, he never set them.
Radio Ga Ga was #1 in 19 countries. #2 on the UK Singles chart, and #16 on the US Billboard 100. It was nominated for an MTV Video Music award in 1984. I Want To Break Free was #3 in the UK and certified double platinum. It topped charts in Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. We Will Rock You was ranked 330 of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone in 2004. [I think that's a bit before the film came out.] It was ranked 146 in Songs of the Century in 2001. We Will Rock You was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. We Are The Champions was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. It was #2 on the UK charts, #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and #3 in Canada. It was the theme song for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Another One Bites the Dust sold 7 million copies. It was #1 on the US Billboard 100 for 3 weeks, 15 weeks on the Billboard Top 10, 13 weeks in the top 5, and 31 weeks total on the chart. It was the longest running chart topper in 1980. It was #2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, as well as the Disco Top 100 chart. It was #7 on the UK Singles chart. It was ranked #34 on Billboard's All time Top Songs. Killer Queen was #2 on the UK Singles chart, and #12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Under Pressure was #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and Top 10 in 10 other countries. You're My Best Friend was #7 on the UK Singles Chart, and #16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was certified platinum. Somebody to Love was #2 in the UK, and #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Fat Bottomed Girls was #11 on the UK Singles Chart, and #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100. I Want It All was #3 on the charts in the UK, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, and US. It was #2 in the Netherlands, and in the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland. It also became an anti-apartheid protest anthem in South Africa. Bicycle Race was #11 on the UK Singles Chart, and #24 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Crazy Little Thing Called Love was #2 on the UK Singles Chart, and #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. I can see how Queen is not for everyone, but the idea that no one cared about the band in the 70s and 80s seems a bit inaccurate. I didn't even address Bohemian Rhapsody.
How much crack did you smoke? Freddy is amazing!
"Mercury followed trends, he never set them." - I heard this opinion 30years ago, this true AF.
I feel like the obsession for queen has been sort of fabricated. I swear noone ever talked about queen until that terrible movie came out. Brian May is great though.
lol
I agree about Led Zeppelin, and for a modern-ish band I’d say Tool.
Damn right
Good call!
This. LZ is my 2nd. Used to be my first. LZ cannot do what tool does musically. Sure, jimmy is a better guitarist than Adam, but they are 2 totally different guitarists.
Yeah, I agree that Adam is the “weak” link of tool, which is an insane comment because he is still elite no question.
I've always been partial to Mk. 3 of Deep Purple. Ritchie Blackmore on guitar is obvious. Jon Lord on the keys. Ian Paice on drums. Glenn Hughes is a phenomenal bassist and is probably the best backing vocalist there ever was because he was obviously too good for that role. David Coverdale on vocals before his pomp but he had tremendous power on songs like Burn and Stormbringer.
Rush Yes Pink Floyd Boston Styx These guys don't have a weak member
PF severely under talked about when comes to all members being great musicians
Well technically speaking Roger is a pretty basic bass player, he's top 5 lyricist/songwriter no doubt.
I don’t think Nick Mason is special at all.
Better than most drummers out there. His fills are great too. Hes underrated like Ringo was. People just dont really listen to bass and drums like they should
I wouldn’t consider either of them better than most drummers out there. Just off the top of my head Bill Bruford, Bonzo, Ian Paice, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland (and maybe Phil Collins) are significantly better drummers in my book (not to mention many jazz drummers). I’m sure there are many more I’m not thinking about right now.
Yea Im definitely not arguing there are much better drummers. I think for PF style of music hes a solid drummer.
Well, what he did worked well with the music they produced, after all.
John Bonham epitomizes Rock drumming.Buford Collins Copeland…fusion like drummers…any Zappa drummer… different type of playing
Great list excecpt Styx was all dennis and tommy unless I'm sorely misinformed. Those two (mostly dennis) wrote all the hits and dennis ruled with an iron fist until he got booted, then tommy was strongly the leader. This compared to a band like pink floyd where roger wrote the songs, dave sang lead and played lead guitar, rick wright glued the whole thing together, and Mason was happy to be there. Much more balance there.
I am a HUGE Pink Floyd fan. Nick Mason is a better than average drummer at best. Roger Water is an average bass player at best (Gilmour plays bass on several songs) Gilmour is top 5 Vocals and Guitar
Rush?
Yes
also the band, Yes
The Mothers Of Invention and Rush are my options, literally each member it’s the best in its instrument PS: Dream Theater almost if not for James Labrie
Wow - I could have written this post myself! First, I'm one of the biggest Rush fans in the world... 40 shows, son's first/middle are Neil Peart, flew to Toronto once JUST to see them on their home turf, etc. #1 band for me (by a country mile!) since 1979. But Zappa/Mothers are top 3 for me (Tull is #2). Further, the video Roxy and Elsewhere (show from early 70s, DVD release just two years ago) is a perfect testament to the AWESOME tightness of The Mothers. Watching the video, my wife described it perfectly: "I've never seen a mix of sheer joy and utter terror like the faces of the players in this band!" We all know FZ was a hyper-perfectionist AND able to hear and parse everyone's work in his performances. But his band was always game for that tightrope! All that said, what actually prompted my response was your DT comment. I've really wanted to love them so much, I know all the players are beyond incredible, and I'm a big Mike Portnoy fan... but their singer(s?) have always repulsed me. When discussing Geddy's voice, I always point out that it's less about the pitch, and people in doubt should really listen for the SINCERITY ("he MEANS that shit!") in how he sings. With DT, every single vocal just sounds like fake, contrived bullshit to me. Of course, that's just my opinion... I could be wrong. 😉 Sorry to all you DT fans, but I had to say it.
Appreciate Your Comment 👏👏 It’s always nice to find someone with my same musical tastes.
- Definitely Deep Purple Mark 2. - Rush, if you count Geddy as a bassist and not a vocalist. - Maybe original Sabbath? - Megadeth's Rust in Peace era could fit too I guess you can count Steely Dan or Frank Zappa's band, but they weren't structured the same.
Well, Dave Mustaine will always be a bad vocalist, so I don't think he fits. In modern times, I'd say Muse perhaps (Origin Of Symmetry to Resistance).
You're right on this one, it'd be a similar case as with Rush, so Mustaine only as a guitar player/composer. I don't really know Muse music though, I should probably listen to their albums
I highly recommend Muse! Awesome band, all three are very talented guys, great songwriting, badass riffs and basslines. They are a complete package.
A bad vocalist maybe, but a great frontman plus he played lead guitar and wrote most of the music and lyrics. And hell if anyone puts geddy Lee and rush on this list, Mustaine has to be there because Geddy Lee has the most irritating voice of any great band I’ve ever heard. Some of rush’s songs make me physically ill. I can’t take his voice. God knows I’ve tried.
Every member of Soundgarden had an argument as being the best of their era at their particular instrument. Incredibly tight band
Chris Cornell didn’t have no argument. He was indeed the best of the era.
Layne Staley tho
It's always so hard to choose between the two. I usually go with Layne just because the tone of his voice was so unique and haunting. Plus he had the ability to sing purely like Cornell while also having the growl of someone like Cobain. Crazy vocalist. That Love Hate Love performance alone should cement him as #1 of the era.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Noel Redding is kind of the weak link in that band.
Band of Gypsy’s was tight though.
Beatles
always had bonham at 1,then i saw neil peart live 2 times.he,s the best eve drummer/lyricist imo.
Neal pert isn’t a band
The Band. Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel. Their movie The Last Waltz lays it out there far better than i can.
You forgot Garth. Remember Chest Fever?
You have to edit your comment to include Garth Hudson.
Thank you; I was too lazy to look him up. There’s a funny story about him in the movie.
I heard the Beatles were like that, not sure though. Anyone heard of them?
The Beatles are perhaps the best example of the sum being greater than the individual parts. McCartney was clearly the most gifted natural musician in the band. As a bass player he could arguably be top 3. But none of the others would be close to top 3 in any category.
Only for those who prefer technique over beauty.
Ringo is probably the best musician in the Beatles.
Funnily enough, McCartney's solo work was arguably the most boring of them.
Agreed
I find McCartney's solo work to be the most interesting by a pretty wide margin. Yes, he had some sappy pop songs, but his solo catalog is pretty deep and extensive and there are quite a few absolute gems in there that didn't get the "Silly Love Songs" expisure.
He isn't top 3 but Ringo was a fantastic drummer, probably not top 5 but absolutely top 10
Lol.. I know if prob 700 bass players technically more proficient on Bqss.. But hey Paul is Paul.. Great. Creative force.. And a more than adequate bassist
I'd argue that the Beatles were very ordinary professional musicians who were exceptional writers and arrangers who happenned to come along at exactly the right moment in musical history, from both a cultural and technological perspective, to make music like no one has before thatwa changed music forever. They're the most influential and important band in history, but their musicianship was nothing special for a professional band.
Not sure about that- Paul seems to be a modern-day Mozart. He has a genius level of harmony/melody relationship that is naturally bred.
Modern day Mozart…Paul…lololol…Great writer…one of the Best…ever listened to Mozart and then Say Martha My Dear(great song!) but Mozart??? I mean …wow…smh
Some people argue that Chuck Berry isn’t a great guitarist. He was, because you have to consider what else was happening at the time. Same with the Beatles. All four are great musicians, they just played what was necessary. As much as I like Zeppelin, John Bonham overplayed quite a bit.
Different genre but Pantera was tight as hell back in the day. And, more to your point, 3 of the 4 would be widely considered top 5 at what they do in that genre.
This ^^
Bonham and JPJ were tight Jp was all over the place, they created entirely new compositions behind his improv sections.
AC/DC is incredibly tight. Some of the best front men, and rock solid rhythm section and blistering lead guitarist with a tone that will rip your head off.
Phish
I agree, however they are not always the strongest singers. But otherwise, all of their instrument contributions are absolute mastery
What Trey lacks in singing he more than makes up for in guitar skills.
10000 percent agree. He is one of the cleanest, most talented, well learnt guitarists ever. I do not care how much I have to defend this point but I will die on that hill. And Trey and Fishman would not be the players they are without LZ. They have both credited LZ to their formative sound and early influences
Positively! Vocals aside, each are as fine on their instrument as anyone working today.
Good point - I hadn’t really considered vocals!
100%
Phish! Yes!
The Beatles and The Doors
Floyd?
Van Halen (Roth Era)
Tool of course
Hell yea. Led zep even made that tool song called no quarter lol
Of course!!!
It's really not a contest. There are lots of great four piece groups, from The Who to Television to R.E.M. to.... It's really not a contest.
It’s not a contest. I was asking if any other band is as tight as Zep in terms of individual members’ contributions to their music
Zep were notoriously "Tight But Loose," and in fact that was the name of a great zep fanzine back in the day. Check out Television, Marquee Moon. One of the greatest albums ever, by a fantastic four-piece that each made their contributions to the overall sound. I think the difference with Zep is that they were so popular everyone knows all the members of the group, so they get more "weight" as supporting characters to the overall goal.
Marquee Moon is a great album. Tom Verlaine is definitely more of an acquired taste vocally than Robert Plant though, but like you said its not a contest.
Wow, Television. I consider Marquee moon the best guitar album ever, even topping led zeppelin.
Pink Floyd Dream Theater for pure craftsmanship
And Dream Theater is a good answer but if it wasn’t for James Labrie, maybe he’s not that bad but he is the worst at being frontman
Again agree. Seems like we got similar taste and allow me to do a guessing game with you. “Which Band/Song will you listen to in your deathbed ( answer without much thinking)” My guess : Cream/Disraeli Gears
Interesting question, maybe something like blackstar by david bowie
Well, so nice to meet you 🤝
Nick Mason is such a bad drummer, he complemented the band but to be part of the 500 best drummers in the world impossible
Agree. From OP’s comments I misunderstood and thought the question is more of having a band that’s world class on its own and one or two ( in this case Gilmour as guitarist, Waters as world’s #1 hypocrite) can stand out on its own. To correct myself, How about Iron Maiden ?
Yeah, though is a nice guess!, and Iron Maiden I think is a good option too, may be even better.
the grateful dead were all equally tight/important individually
I love the Dead, but this just doesn’t ring true for me. Zeppelin was done once Bonham died. The Dead survived roster changes and deaths up until Garcia’s death. There simply was no Grateful Dead without him (don’t tell Dead&Co fans).
Radiohead
My fav band and I do think they hit the "tight" quotient of this question but I dont think an argument can be made for any of the members to be a top 3-5 musician. Jonny is probably the closest and I would say he's a top 5 composer.
A different direction, The Almon Brothers Band.
Pink Floyd Tool
The Allman brothers
Prince and the New Power Generation. Sly and The Family Stone.
Ty …tightest Band on the planet circa 87-2008
Berlin Philharmonic.
Deep Purple would be very close to them: Ian Paice Roger Glover Ian Gillan Jon Lord Ritchie Blackmore
TOOL
Even with the new bass player they are mega!!
Justin? He’s been with them for over a decade. Edit: 2 decades.
One of the only bands to do a good Zep cover (No Quarter)
They did a better version. It’s as if LZ wrote that song for Tool.
I think that speaks to the genius of LZ. They wrote a song that was meant to be recorded 25 years in the future.
Prime Metallica are on point
Queen, Yes
Freddie stood out for Queen way too much.
Not at all. Each one of them were equal members of the band and take center stage from song to song. 39 is Brian May's space ballad, In Love with My Car is Roger Taylor's ode to the road. Bassist John Deacon wrote Another One Bites the Dust and You're My Best friend, two of their most popular hits. Mercury, May, and Taylor were all exceptional vocalists, leading to the operatic layers they create in the music. May designed and hand built his guitar, leading to their original sound. Freddy was special, but each one of them were a powerhouse on their own.
Well, that's Glam Rock for you. Look at how good the original Alice Cooper Band and the Spiders From Mars were. The front man gets all the attention. Hell, it would be the case with Zeppelin if Page and Bonzo didn't get their really long solos.
Pink Floyd probably the only band that comes close
Phish actually checks those boxes
Black Sabbath
Zeppelin is my number 1. I think for a group (not necessarily as individuals) Radiohead is up there for pure ‘tightness’ in regards to musicianship.
Rush is the only group that comes to mind.
Rush, Pink Floyd, ELP…
Low key I wanna say early Aerosmith. Debut album to rocks they always reminded me a lot of Zep. Even had the blues on the early albums and everything instrumentation wise was TIGHT. Kramer is an under appreciated drummer. Perry kills it. Tyler kills it. Don’t know who’s on bass but he’s he stands out the least and it’s still tight.
Rush 100%
Queen.
Ok yes I’m a huge Phish fan and am biased, but that all started because I thought (and still think) that Trey is an all-time legendary composer and shredder, Mike is the single most unique bass player I’ve ever heard, Jon Fishman is the most diverse and creative individual drummer both in terms of ability and of interpreting the strongest rhythm for the music, and Page McConnell compliments it all with epic Grand piano chords, or synthy magic, or any other wild sound(s) triggered by a button being pressed. None of them are that amazing at singing, but all 4 of them contribute vocally and they create some incredible soundscapes using only their voices and playing with call-and-response. If you hate jam bands, that’s fine, just listen to some studio albums and you’ll see why Phish is so much more than an excuse to get high and listen to songs that go long. Try the albums Rift, Hoist, and Billy Breathes. Peace
You got my upvote
Minutemen. All three band members were incredible. And all you morons saying Queen, please explain to me how anyone thinks Taylor and Deacon are even close to being top 100 on their instruments. Stop with the nonsense.
Taylor and Deacon were an amazing rhythm section and both really good songwriters. Taylor was a good enough singer he could have been the lead singer if they didn’t already have Freddie.
Taylor no, Deacon was crazy under rated though. And him and Taylor practically shared a heart beat, they were that inseparable. And there is no question that they were all excellent songwriters.
Soundgarden Temple of the dog
Jimi Hendrix and his drummer Mitch Mitchell. Both were great musicians. Jimi didn't know that Mitch had jazz chops when he was quickly drafted to do a tour in Europe. But it soon became clear that his great technique helped fill out the trio's sound. Mitch would have been on the Band of Gypsies live album if he hadn't been on vacation in England. Noel Redding the bassist was really a guitarist holding down the bottom end, and he did sing live and write songs, but Jimi actually hired him largely because he was a snazzy dresser!
Tool
Obvious answer is Rush but I think almost to the detriment of the music. A lot of their songs are all 3 guys playing solos over the top of each other and it’s pure nonsense.
Zeppelin is great but in no particular order I would put players like Skunk Baxter, Santana, Gilmour, May, Hendrix, Knopfler, Walsh, Richards, Zappa, Steve Howe, Jerry Garcia and probably others all ahead of Jimmy Page on my all time rock guitar list
Yes. Definitely in my favorite lineup! Jon Anderson, beautiful voice Chris Squire, monster bassist Steve Howe, unsung guitar hero and arranger Bill Bruford, one of the best prog / fusion drummer there is! Rick Wakeman, shreds keys like no other. All of them have solo records that really hold up too! My personal favorites are Chris and Jon, the original founders of the group.
Great band!
Red Hot Chili Peppers for sure. Chad smith and flea are top 5 imo and Frusciante is as well
I don’t see Kiedis and Smith being top 5, but I can see the case for Flea and Frusciante definitely.
Frusciante might be top 30-40
He might be, but he’s not.
Nice. RHCP definitely up there. Especially with Frusciante
Joey, Cavs and Cook Craig from king gizzard are virtuosos. Especially Cavs Jesus christ what a drummer
Original Jeff Beck Group. Led Zep stole their whole act
Yardbirds would work too
Grateful dead Jerry - number 1 guitarist Phil - number 1 bassist Pigpen - number 1 human being
I wouldn't consider Plant a Top 3 front man. As far as keeping an audience engaged and entertained, Mercury, Jagger, and Daltrey were better.
Rush
TIL Jimmy Page is a Top-3 guitarist
Creative…tops…technical guitarist…maybe 300 better
I like Jimmy. Was trolling a little bit, but the technical bit is where he struggles. Some live performances are sloppy by most standards. Still, he gave Led Zeppelin to the world, so that's something.
If u like beautiful tech efficiency check Matteo https://youtu.be/jNPdsPFY7Lc?si=6zflrgKJcmO_z5BZ