The "Big Four" Greatest Rock Bands

[Flashy]

okay, as a yank, i freely admit that the 4 greatest bands ever all came to us from Britain (plus quite a few more great bands)...they took American blues-based music, were inspired by it, amplified it, and took it up level after level...

so who is the best?

The Who
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin

(yes, there were other great groups such as Pink Floyd, Cream, The Yardbirds)

but if you had to rank the "big 4" how would you do it?

make two lists (and of course feel free to add opinions as well)

List one should be who you feel is the /most influential/most important/most talented overall/ etc/ (rank them 1-4)

List two should be who is YOUR favorite (rank them 1-4)


here is mine

LIST ONE /most influential/important/talented/overall
1. The Beatles
2. Led Zeppelin
3. The Who
4. The Rolling Stones


LIST TWO Your personal favorite order
1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Who
3. The Rolling Stones
4. The Beatles


to be honest...I think in terms of influence and importance, it has to be the Beatles, but in terms of most talented, I think Led Zeppelin were the most talented overall musicians...the one thing the Beatles could not do that the other three could, is really rip in addition to the beautifull more relaxed stuff. In terms of really having the most range, I believe Zeppelin and The Who had a top gear that neither the Stones nor the Beatles could ever match. (of course the Stones and Beatles were still brilliant)

also, I compared the musicians side by side...to try and pick the best in terms of overall musical talent and influence...in a number of categories...

Best Vocalist

1. Robert Plant
2. Roger Daltrey
3. Mick Jagger
4. Lennon/McCartney

Best Guitarist

1. Jimmy Page
2. Pete Townsend
3. Keith Richards/Brian Jones/Ron Wood/Mick Taylor
4. Lennon, Harrison, McCartney

Best Bassist

1. John Paul Jones
2. John Entwistle
3. Bill Wyman
4. Paul McCartney

Best Drummer
1. John Bonham
2. Keith Moon
3. Charlie Watts
4. Ringo Starr

Best Songwriting Pair
1. Lennon/McCartney
2. Page/Plant
3. Townsend/Daltrey
4. Richards/Jagger


also, i rated them in terms of body of work (being prolific while still retaining high quality, plus "best in Live Concert"

Concert...

1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Who
3. The Rolling Stones
4. The Beatles

Body of Work

1. The Beatles
2. Led Zeppelin
3. The Rolling Stones
4. The Who



what do you guys think?

 

[Flashy]

*bump*


any opinions on this topic guys?

 

[B_Hickboy]

I never saw Led Zep live, but can tell you that the Who in Jacksonville Florida in 1976 was far and away the best concert or live event of any kind that I have ever attended. The Gator bowl seats around 70,000 people. The promoters undersold by about half, and the band were FURIOUS. Rather than stalk off, they put all that energy into a magnicently aggressive, urgent show for two and a half hours. I have never seen the like of it. Those who followed the band that summer said that Jacksonville and Denver were the band's best performances ever. Two years later Keith Moon was dead. There is only one drummer, the rest replacements.

 

[Flashy]

I never saw Led Zep live, but can tell you that the Who in Jacksonville Florida in 1976 was far and away the best concert or live event of any kind that I have ever attended. The Gator bowl seats around 70,000 people. The promoters undersold by about half, and the band were FURIOUS. Rather than stalk off, they put all that energy into a magnicently aggressive, urgent show for two and a half hours. I have never seen the like of it. Those who followed the band that summer said that Jacksonville and Denver were the band's best performances ever. Two years later Keith Moon was dead. There is only one drummer, the rest replacements.

thanks...cool story.

The Who and LZ were always the most energetic live performers...they truly gave it all they had, putting in marathon shows virtually every time out.

they knew what it meant to give the fans their money's worth, not to mention, I believe the WHO and LZ were truly happiest when on onstage.

 

[b.c.]

Trying to say which band was the greatest of all time (even in the limited category of rock) is like saying who has the biggest .... well, you get the picture, though surely the bands you named should be somewhere in that top 10. Even more difficult is naming the best guitarist, drummer, etc.

For example, though Jimmy Page is in that number as guitarist, can we ignore Hendrix, or Clapton?

What about drummers? Remember Ginger Baker (Cream), once rated as one of if not the best? And what about Neil Peart of Rush (a band that could also be among the top ten), regarded by many in the business as the best drummer of all time?

Pretty tough job to go naming "bests".

 

[rob_just_rob]

ever

This is where you lost me. "Ever" is a long time, and we haven't gotten to the end of it yet.

 

[submit452]

Here's mine The Doors

The Rolling Stones

The Beatles

Heart