Greatest Rock and Roll Band from the British Isles

[Kensterberg]

Thanks Strat-0. I'm more of an import guy rather than old American iron.

[achn2b]

1. the clash
2. the rolling stones
3. the who
4. the jam
5. U2
6. the waterboys
7. new order
8. echo and the bunnymen
9. the beatles
10. joy division
11. the smiths
12. xtc
13. the kinks
14. the sex pistols
15. the cure



16. culture club ;D

[ScottsyII]

Ok, after much thought last night, I am now willing to post my list of my favourite British bands, ripe for consideration and point scoring in this grand poll... here goes... I was just too tired and out of it to post this last night...

1. Genesis
2. Pink Floyd
3. Radiohead
4. Blur
5. Pulp
6. Doves
7. U2 ( I can count these guys, right?)
8. Idlewild (these guys too??)
9. New Order
10. Supergrass
11. Coldplay (yeah, I see people sneering at this already, but I actually fucking love these guys. Tough luck if you don't agree.)
12. Gomez
13. James
14. Mogwai
15. The Chemical Brothers

So yeah, I am sure that some of you will probably argue against alot of the bands in my list, but these are the British bands I'd be listening to most, pretty much in order of how often I'd listen to them... I can't honestly sit here and reel off "The Beatles, The Clash, The Stones etc etc etc, because I honestly own NOTHING by all of those groups and I can't really say I am into them in any sort of big way... so thats it from me...

I also realised this morning, I am really not that much of a classicist... however I do show a strong preference for 90's material in these polls we've been running...

[Kensterberg]

achn2b said:

1. the clash
2. the rolling stones
3. the who
4. the jam
5. U2
6. the waterboys
7. new order
8. echo and the bunnymen
9. the beatles
10. joy division
11. the smiths
12. xtc
13. the kinks
14. the sex pistols
15. the cure



16. culture club ;D

Achn, there must have been something wrong with your computer when you posted this. I could swear I'm seeing the Beatles at #9, behind Echo and the Bunnymen? I know this had to be some type of server screw-up or something, as someone with your exquisite taste surely wouldn't rate the Fab Four so far down ... would you?

This is gonna be really interesting ... nice list, BTW.

[Kensterberg]

Scottsy -- it's for bands from the British Isles, so yes you can put in U2, etc. (I'm considering the Boomtown Rats myself, seriously). Very interesting choices. Yeah, I think it's safe to say that you're hardly a classicist, unless we can call the last decade "classic" (something I, for one, am not yet ready to do!).

[Kensterberg]

OK, here's my own first attempt at this ... with a few justifications thrown in ...

1. The Clash. The simply defined everything a rock and roll band should be for me.
2. The Beatles. I'm not surprised that they're here, but I'm surprised that they're tied with ...
2. The Who. Pete Townshend is a genius. The premier songwriter of his country and generation, or any since.
4. U2.
5. Elvis Costello and the Attractions. These guys were a BAND, at least as much so as Petty and the HB's, or Bruce and the E Streeters. And they were absolute killers both in the studio and on stage.
6. The Jam.
7. The Kinks.
8. Squeeze.
9. The Cure.
10. The Police.
11. The Smiths. I don't like 'em, but there is just no denying their historic importance. And Johnny Marr was a hell of a guitar player/sonic architect.
12. New Order.
13. Radiohead.
14. Roxy Music.
15. The Boomtown Rats (just 'cause I love 'em, and they were one hell of a singles band).

That is extremely preliminary ... and I'm really trying to justify working XTC, the Eurythmics and Oasis into this list ... damn it's hard trying to limit it to just 15.

[strat-0]

This could be fun. I like Achn's list. I think what may be interesting is where some of the heavies land in peoples' lists.

[ScottsyII]

Indeed... as in my list, which is even missing some of the "heavies"... hahahahaha! I like my list the more I look at it though. I could put any one of those bands on right now and have a cracking good time listening to them... which is a good sign, I think.

[rockysigman]

1) The Clash
2) The Kinks
3) Radiohead
4) The Beatles
5) The Zombies
6) The Buzzcocks
7) The Smiths
8) Oasis
9) Led Zeppelin
10) U2
11) Joy Division
12) The Rolling Stones
13) The Libertines
14) The Who
15) Cream


I'm considering Elvis Costello and the Attractions to be one man with a backing band, so of course they don't make the list. EC will be near the top of a list of solo artists if we ever do something like that though.

[Kensterberg]

Rocky -- I was listening to a live Elvis disc from '78, and figured that if Petty and Springsteen could get votes on the US list, then El and his primo unit deserve some mention here. El (himself) will get a vote from me as well when we head over to "The Greatest Rocker of the British Isles" board in the not too far distant future. (As you can see, I've got a plan for this whole thing )

Unlike Scottsy, I'm totally unsatisfied with my current list ... I think that the Smiths may have to go ... among other changes.

[wayved]

I searched my heart (and wallet) and this is what I came up with. By the way I left the Beatles and Stones out. They will get enough votes. There are too many good important bands from the British Isles to count. THESE ARE THE ONES I LOVE MOST. At least today! This list may change. By the way, this is an impossible task.

1. The WHO
2. YES
3. Led Zeppelin
4. My Bloody Valentine (I still remember the day I bought LOVELESS-like it was yesterday!)
5. Genesis (til after Then There Were Three)
6. Moody Blues (now they are pretty washed up but LOST CHORD and Childrens Children had a big effect on me--and NO I WAS NOT LOST in a cloud of smoke)
7. Echo and the Bunnymen
8. XTC
9. The Cure
10. The Clash
11. Wire
12. Trash Can Sinatras
13. The Fall
14. Pink Floyd
15. The Smiths

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Aztec Camera--High Land Hard Rain is one of the greatest albums ever produced. Beautifully sequenced. Fantastic.

Zombies--Odessey and Oracle is great, the singles are too! (Sorry Rocky! need I need to hear more)

Wedding Present-"Brassneck" anyone!?

Prefab Sprout-Slick overproduced stuff, but I still want to hear SWOON and PROTEST SONGS alot.

FLEETWOOD MAC--once they were a british blues band. None of their albums (I take that back, Kiln House and Then Play On are excellent) did it for me in that period. Later period Mac does not count.

Psychadelic Furs--TALK TALK TALK.

The Police!

[wayved]

F*&K! I left out the KINKS! That is unacceptable. The Smiths will have to go.

[wayved]

And the Cocteau Twins too! I suck! They should be in my top 5.....

[Mary]

All right. Here's my list. For now, at least. And I decided - fuck balancing my personal faves with "objective" quality or anything like that. These are just my 15 faves as of right this minute, which means - sorry beatles, sorry stones - but I'm just plain bored of you all.

1) The Clash
2) The Who
3) Joy Division
4) The Mekons
5) The Smiths
6) Gang of Four
7) Wire
8) The Buzzcocks
9) Thin Lizzy
10) U2
11) Echo and the Bunnymen
12) The Cure
13) The Kinks
14) The Pogues
15) Black Sabbath

Yeah. Shit. Everyone is clumped into that late 70s/early 80s club. Not a single band on here, except U2, had anything resembling a real career into the 90s. (well actually I guess the Pogues had a great album in the early 90s...?) Well fuck me, I'm a stodgy old fart when it comes to British music I guess. At least Sleater-Kinney and GYBE made my American list, right?

Cheers,
M

[Mary]

i love it that rocky loves the zombies so much...