Best Rock Group Ever?

[red dog 1]

Last edited Fri Apr 22, 2022, 06:46 PM - Edit history (3)

My nominee for Best Rock Group Ever WAS these guys;
https://travelingwilburys.com

(Upon reflection, I have to admit that The Beatles are in a class by themselves)

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. 100 people are going to give 77 different answers

I could only cut it down to top 5.

[red dog 1]

6. Top 5 is OK

(Here are my new nominees for Best Rock Group Ever)


1) The Beatles
2) The Traveling Wilburys
3) The Beach Boys
4) CCR
5) The Rolling Stones
6) The Doors
7) The Grateful Dead

[Ohio Joe]

8. 77?

I would think 100 people would name at least 400 different answers for best rock group ever

[MerryHolidays]

2. Besides the Beatles, I would say they are certainly up there! nt

[red dog 1]

5. The Beatles will always be my favorite band; but The Traveling Wilburys, in my opinion,

are the Best Rock group Ever.

[MerryHolidays]

17. The TWs are truly great, but I would categorize them as a "Super Group"

In other words, the members all came from great bands (George, Tom, and Jeff) or their own amazing solo careers (Roy and Bob, as well as George post-1970).

You can tell how much they loved each other as friends and as musicians. While Tom was a bit younger than the others, they blended together so well. The first album was astounding, from first track to last.

RIP to George, Roy, and Tom. And the TWs

[red dog 1]

18. + 1000

They were the ultimate "Super group"

[MerryHolidays]

23. Absolutely. Had Roy lived, I wonder what they would have come up with.

Bob Dylan is perhaps not the easiest person to form a group with, but you could clearly see how much FUN he and all of them had. Again, that first album is one of the finest of all time, with all of them working and singing together.

Undoubtedly one of the very great groups of all time. Only the good die young.

In homage:

[Walleye]

3. Yes they're one of my favorites as well

[2naSalit]

4. There's no such thing...

Last edited Fri Apr 22, 2022, 07:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Too subjective.

There are many greats, though.

[KPN]

14. Yup. Plus how do you define rock? Beatles are

probably my all-time favorite band, but wouldn’t say they are the best “rock” band ever.

[Midnight Writer]

51. Exactly.

There is no "GOAT". There are only favorites.

[MerryHolidays]

54. Besides the Beatles, I totally agree!

Yes, it is in the ear of the beholders.

On reflection, I would have to say the Traveling Wilburys and Led Zeppelin are the two greatest "supergroups" of all time. IMHO, of course!

But the TWs were tragically cut short of what I would have thought would have been a long road together.

Unlike Wings, which was Paul McCartney and others or the Plastic Ono Band, which was literally meant to be John Lennon and anyone he wanted to work with, there was seemingly complete equality between the TWs. I could have easily seen George stay with this group had Roy not died.

[Midnight Writer]

60. I'd never argue with anyone who loves the Beatles.

I think their music will still be listened to 100 years from now. It still amazes me every time I hear it.

[SergeStorms]

7. Herman's Hermits.

Alright, alright: The Who

[red dog 1]

10. Number 6 on my favorite band list

(I'm a huge Keith Moon fan...He died way too young)

[KPN]

15. Lol! Good one ...

[red dog 1]

22. I liked Herman's Hermits

[I also liked the short-lived TV series "Inside Herman's Head"]

My favorite "The Who" album is their first one [especially "Magic Bus"]

[ZZenith]

9. I'm going to say it's the band that had 20 #1 hits in six years.

Which is about 20 more than the Traveling Wilburys had.

Though they did have a Beatle in them, so, extra credit for that.

[red dog 1]

13. Apples & Oranges, imo

The Wilburys were a band less than 3 years & put out 4 albums.

The Beatles were a band for more than 10 years, released 21 studio albums, 6 live albums, and 54 compilation albums.

[BTW, The Beatles are my "favorite" band too, but my opinion is that the Traveling Wilburys are the "Best" Rock Band Ever]

[ZZenith]

21. But the Traveling Wilburys had nowhere near the influence of The Beatles,

had nowhere near the number of hits and, while all the members had notable careers in their own rights, they will remain a footnote in history, whereas The Beatles will always be considered a turning point in music.

Of course you are welcome to your opinion, but the notion that TTW’s were a better rock band than The Beatles is completely unfounded. Not sure you grasp just how special and rare their talent was, despite claiming them as your “favorite band.”

I am not talking about mere popularity either, I am talking about the genius of their song structure and use of melody, harmony, rhythm and lyrics to paint the human condition. The most that can be said about the Wilburys is that they sang well together and wrote catchy hooks.

(Please note their is NO animosity here, it’s just a passionate subject for me. )

[red dog 1]

24. I said that the Wilburys are my "nominee" for best Rock Group Ever

so it's just a matter of opinion, not a matter of fact
(I'm not a rock critic, just a music lover)

[No animosity here either]

[MerryHolidays]

27. Same with me. Not to take away from the OP, the TWs were great

But ANY band with John Lennon and Paul McCartney is in a class by themselves. Yes, they were an absolutely wonderful ROCK band, but they were so much more and could play and write so many different genres. And we cannot forget about the amazing talent of George. And Ringo is an ABSOLUTELY first-rate drummer.

Some folks think that over-the-top guitar solos and massively beating on the drums is a sign of brilliant artistry. It was the sheer chemistry of the four lads that was amazing. They complemented each other completely. George and Ringo were very content to have their instruments blend in, rather than overpower. Paul is one of the finest bassists that there ever was, with his bass line capable of standing alone as fine music. And of course John and his raw power. I once saw a video dissecting John's rhythm guitar on "I Wanna' Hold Your Hand". It was far more complex than first imagined.

John, Paul, George, and Ringo were/are also unbelievably intelligent (watch some of their early interviews...these were young men BARELY out of boyhood, and the way they spoke was amazing). And they were/are charming and funny as hell.

I saw the Get Back documentary, and it totally changed my opinion of the Let It Be sessions. Once the boys got out of the horrid Twickenham studio and were back at their own Apple studio, you could see how much they loved each other and how much fun they had.

As the Rolling Stone Record Guide said about the Fab Four, "they were the perfect band."

To get back to the TWs, they were great, but they were already superstars. And their band was cut way too short by Roy's sad death.

[ZZenith]

30. MerryHolidays knows what's what!

[MerryHolidays]

55. As my kids would say, LOL!

Last edited Sat Apr 23, 2022, 02:57 PM - Edit history (1)

[red dog 1]

39. Well, upon reflection, I agree with you and Rolling Stone

"The Beales were the perfect band"....and probably the Best Rock group Ever, (as much as I loved The Traveling Wilburys)

Roy Orbison died of a heart attack at age 52.
One month later, his song "You Got It" was released as a solo single & became his first hit to reach the US and UK Top 10 in nearly 25 years.

[Back to The Beatles, if you haven't seen "Backbeat" you should see it...It's an "Anglo-German" independent film about their early days in Hamburg, before they were famous; when Stu Sutcliffe was their bass player and when Pete Best was replaced by Ringo]
(Great movie)

[MerryHolidays]

40. Will definitely check out "Backbeat"

Yes, "You Got It" was a fabulous song, and I would be positive that the TWs would have done so many more great things had he not passed away so young.

I guess after Roy was gone, it probably couldn't be the same. And remember all of the TWs had been connected musically for years with each others. I do think George would NEVER have gone back to the Beatles, but he sure found his second "super" group with the TWs!

[red dog 1]

67. + 1000

You'll love Backbeat...The acting is superb and they all look like who they're playing, especially John & George
(the actor who plays Stu Sutcliffe looks exactly like Kevin Bacon)

[malthaussen]

72. To clarify, I take it you mean the group "Travelling Wilburies" will be a footnote...

... and not the individual members of the band, most of whom were artists of exceptional influence.

-- Mal

[ZZenith]

74. Of course.

[Rizen]

11. REM

[blm]

12. Led Zeppelin

[DBoon]

19. The Yardbirds

Without whom there would have been no Led Zepplin

[red dog 1]

25. I loved The Yardbirds, even before Jimmy Page.

(I love Jimmy Page too)

[red dog 1]

31. Don't forget that it was Eric Clapton who recommended Jimmy Page as his replacement,

when Clapton left the band.

[DBoon]

36. Without the Yardbirds there wouldn't have been Cream,

Derek and the Dominos, and a bitter racist old man who still plays excellent guitar

[MerryHolidays]

57. These days, I have to say that I despise Clapton

I cannot believe he and George Harrison were friends. The racist vile that this cretin spewed in the '70s was shocking.

His anti-vax stance today proves he is a total ass. Indeed, Pattie Harrison Clapton, who was married to both George and Clapton, noted that George was the love of her life, and the loved people. By contrast, she said Clapton loved himself.

I was never a big fan of his, but I was of Van Morrison. Sadly, he too joined the anti-vax side, so my love for him is gone.

How any of this has anything to do with the Traveling Wilburys is beyond me. So apologies in advance for my total digression from your OP!

[we can do it]

20. My pick too

[KPN]

16. Led Zep ... hands down. We're talking rock!

Yeah, they were bluesy too, but nobody rocked better — evah.

[blm]

26. Or harder and with stratospheric skills.

[KPN]

29. Wow ... my favorite Led Zep song. And to think,

the original was on their very first album.

[blm]

33. This live performance was peak Zep, and

an incredible performance by Page who held nothing back.

[WA-03 Democrat]

47. DING DING DING

Correct! You're lucky caller 7 on today's Rock N' Roll radio show!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. The TW's... good pick! I'd go with Pink Floyd, especially when you consider originality.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

32. Queen...

There will only be one Freddie Mercury.

[red dog 1]

34. What's your favorite Queen song?

[Mine is "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"]

Freddie died way too young, imo.

[MerryHolidays]

38. Oh, good Lord, yes. Queen was amazing too.

I generally tend to be a "greatest hits" kind of person rather than listening to albums. Queens' Greatest Hits cd was played so often by me that I think I really did wear it out.

Freddie's voice was heaven-sent.

[Corgigal]

48. Just adding a favorite,

it’s wasn’t a radio hit, but should have been. Named Save Me.

Number 2 is Prince of the universe. No one will ever be able to sing this song, again

[ProudMNDemocrat]

53. Fat Bottomed Girls

Followed by Bohemian Rhapsody with one of the most iconic guitar riffs in rock music. Brian May remains one of the TOP guitarist in the world..

[DBoon]

35. I hereby nominate Buffalo Springfield

Formative members of country rock, spawned many excellent bands (including CSNY), and launched the careers of Neil Young, and Stephen Stills

[GReedDiamond]

63. I second that nomination...

...and it has nothing to do at all with the fact that I own the Camco drum kit that Dewey used on the Buffalo Springfield recordings.

At least the kick and toms (which have been completely restored using DW hardware), the snare is a custom made/hand signed Craviotto.

[red dog 1]

65. That is so cool!

(I used to be a drummer too)

[pandr32]

37. No mention from other DUers of the Rolling Stones?

They have been rocking for decades and helped many blues artists from being rolled.

[wiggs]

43. Stones for sure. nt

[red dog 1]

45. Speaking of the "Stones" - Keith Richards memoir "Life" is a truly great book

I read it on audio, unabridged, I thinkit was 19 CD discs.

It tells the "complete" story of The Rolling Stones, especially how they transformed from being just another blues band playing other people's songs to the great band they became after they started writing & performing their own songs.

(All Rolling Stones fans need to read Keith's book)

[pandr32]

58. +1

[Wounded Bear]

49. You'd think they'd win on longevity alone...nt

[pandr32]

59. Yep--they don't play the casino circuit either

60 years and still A-listers.

[Wounded Bear]

61. Filling stadiums...nt

[Wolf Frankula]

41. One best? Not possible

My five:

Steely Dan
The Beatles
Jefferson Airplane/Starship
Yes
Jethro Tull

In no particular order.

Wolf

[highplainsdem]

42. Led Zeppelin:

[Botany]

64. Thanx for Going to California ...

My Fav.

Clouds so swift and rain fallin' in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money, pull up your tent, McGuinn
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoo-ee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come
Whoo-ee, are we gonna fly?
Down into the easy chair
Genghis Khan and his brother, Don
Couldn't keep on keepin' on
We'll climb that bridge after it's gone
After we're way past it
Whoo-ee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come
Whoo-ee, are we gonna fly?
Down into the easy chair, yeah
Buy me some rings and a gun that sings
A flute that toots and a bee that stings
A sky that cries and a bird that flies
A fish that walks and a dog that talks
Whoo-ee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come
Whoo-ee, are we gonna fly?
Down into the easy chair
Whoo-ee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come
Whoo-ee, are we gonna fly?
Down into the easy chair

[YorkRd]

44. Live? Studio? One Concert? Long term? Versatility? "Supergroup"

Live:Allman Brothers

Studio:Cure

Long Term:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Short term:Joni Mitchell with Pat Methenys band

Versatile: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Supergroup: boygenius or 3 women goofing around with extraordinary harmonies and an excellent backup band

[Unwind Your Mind]

46. Mine:

Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Queen
The Beatles
The Stones

Honorable mention for Prince. The one man band who left us too early, six years ago yesterday 💜

[House of Roberts]

50. My best

Steely Dan

The Allman Brothers

Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble

Pink Floyd

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer

[lpbk2713]

52. Add Chicago and Three Dog Night

But the best group performance I can recall ... Roy Orbison's Black and White Night.
There was a hell of a lot of talent on that stage and they put on a memorable show.

[Elessar Zappa]

56. Mothers of Invention!

[SergeStorms]

62. The Mothers.

"We're only in it for the money" was my introduction to Zappa and The Mother's. Life long fan after that.

[Emile]

66. The Eagles

[red dog 1]

68. I forgot about The Eagles

(I would put them on my top 10 list)

I especially loved their 1st album, which I still have.

[Emile]

69. Oh hell one hell of a band when they added Joe Walsh.

[electric_blue68]

70. "Ladies & Gentlemen..(microphone whine)...The Who"

Last edited Sun Apr 24, 2022, 03:58 PM - Edit history (1)

Announcement either from a bootleg, or one of my own live tapes. I think it was Bill Graham announcing them at The Met Opera House in '70 for Tommy.

I first heard of them through my suburban cousin (usually I found bands through rock radio, or occasional reviews) in 1967, and saw them 3 times in 1968 - pre Tommy.

Townshend's masterful melodies, and often lyrics. His "lead rythym" guitair, and often shortish solos (esp live) are powerful, sometimes extremely beautiful.
His vocals occasionally rough on purpose for a song, usually as a critic from RS way back were like "a clear montain stream".

Entwhistle's lead bass, fingers flying building the foundation. My favorite song of his...no...not...
"Boris The Spider" but ...

Heaven and Hell where he sings lead. Like from 0 to 60 in a flash - an incredible opener!

Keith - arms flailing driving the engine! An amazing focused storm.

Roger who truly came into his own as a singer, and full stage presence singing Tommy sonetimes a roaring voice, other times very nimble as in following Peter's complex melodies in Quadrophrenia, occasionally deeply sweet, yearning listen to that "forever" in "Pure and Easy".

Live shows- especially "Tommy", and "Who's Next" Tours they were untouchable!
Even after those there were lots, and lots of magical times from different cuts in later albums, and performances. The song about Grenfeld (?Street Song) on their 2019 tour was very powerful.

Quadrophrenia was/is an outstanding album, but they had trouble with backing tapes on tour.

Even on later albums, and some cool singles there'd be some superb songs.
----------------------------------------------

I really prefer a Pantheon of my ultra favorites which would be, and I could go in about each of these as I have with The Who 😁

The Who, U2, Bruce Springsteen/E St Band, The Patti Smith Group
(and very, very close contender Midnight Oil)

[Ron Obvious]

71. Mount Rushmoore

Old joke, sorry.

[malthaussen]

73. Rory Gallagher, Gerry McAvoy, and whoever they had drumming at the time. :)

Okay, idiosyncratic pick. But this perennial question (which has been mooted probably hundreds of times just in the Lounge) is only susceptible of idiosyncratic answers.

Anyway, the answer is clearly the Beatles, so it's really "who besides them?"

Watch this performance and then try to tell me you don't agree:

-- Mal