Best American band.

[cadaverdog]

In any discussion of best ever bands it seems British band hold the majority
of the top spots.
Let's exclude them and pick best American band.
Or bands.
I have a hard time picking but I could think of a few .
The Doors.
The Dead.
CVH.
The Beach Boys.
Grand Funk.
Creedance.
What's your pick or picks?

[sadaist]

You listed some great ones. I would add these onto the list, though not quite at the top.

E. Street Band
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Aerosmith
Motley Crue (Not best band ever, but they stack up with the great overseas rock bands from that era - Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, AC/DC)
Metallica

[hideyoursheep]

Best would have to be based on opinion only.

How about most influential? And bands only?

My choices:

50's-Buddy Holly and The Crickets
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60's-The Beach Boys
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70's-Alice Cooper
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Of course the 80's-
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90's- Nirvana
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'00?......

[Mr Badguy]

Yep, the original Alice Cooper band.

They wrote music that matched the lyrics.

Has there ever been a more offensive song than "I love the dead"?

[Coyote]

Mothers Of Invention.

Or The EEAS band...

[FORD]

Greatest American bands

(in order of appearance)

The Beach Boys (while Brian was in charge)
Grateful Dead
The Doors
The Stooges
Aerosmith (up through "Done With Mirrors" anyway)
Lynyrd Skynyrd (pre-plane crash only. Not the tribute band.)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Ramones
Van HALEN
Dead Kennedys
Black Flag
77s
Soundgarden
Guns N Roses (as in the real band, not the Chinese Hypocrisy version)
Nirvana
Mother Love Bone
Alice in Chains
Pearl Jam

Just a few great American bands off the top of my half-conscious head on a Saturday morning........

Honorable mention to Grand Funk Railroad. Wasn't a huge fan of theirs, but they DID write the song "We're An American Band", which seems fitting for this discussion.

[Coyote]

What, no Toto?

[Andy Taylor]

What about America? I still only know a few songs


Bruce Springsteen/E Street
Van Halen
Beach Boys
Carpenters
AIC

[FORD]

Shit.... I just realized who I left off my list.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

[Diamondjimi]

VAN HALEN
LYNYRD SKYNYRD (Original line up)
AEROSMITH
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
KI$$ (70's)
METALLICA (Cliff Burton era)
ALICE COOPER (70's)
THE BEACH BOYS
THE DOORS
JOE WALSH
STP
ALICE IN CHAINS
ALLMAN BROTHERS
NUGENT (70's)
HEART (70's)
JOURNEY (Gregg Rolie era)
C.C.R.
STEELY DAN
AMERICA
THE RAMONES
S.R.V. & DOUBLE TROUBLE
SLAYER
FRANK ZAPPA

[Andy Taylor]

I forgot Kiss and Chic.

[Mr. Vengeance]

Impossible task. I'd list VH, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, KISS.....

But I mean how do you pick? Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is a classic.

but let's face it....you want one American band and one band only...THE RAMONES!

[LoungeMachine]

I hate best/greatest lists.



For the same reason Baskin and Robbins has 31 flavors.

[Panamark]

While British bands were the innovators of Hard Rock/Metal,
most of my favourites are actually American.


Metallica, Megadeth and the obvious, Van Halen are in my
top ten for sure !

[indeedido]

For me, I'd have to say KISS (74-82), CVH, Aerosmith. All super influential on music around the world as well as innovative and commercially viable.