2 great straight up rock'n roll bands The Charlatans UK <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m7iQkLguHOw?list=RDm7iQkLguHOw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The Smithereens <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KxzOaI4Pfkw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> If everything you know about Los Lobos is La Bamba you are missing 30 years of some of the best music in America. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CHO5iwzM8pc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Anyone who's ever seen my posts for years know exactly the 2 bands I'm going to cite: The Kinks and Cheap Trick. And it's because both of them, to steal a Kinks songs as a reference, were Misfits. Both bands didn't fit in their time. While the other British invasion groups were talking about revolution, getting into psychedelia, etc., the Kinks were singing about life in England's countryside. Against larger-than-life albums like Who's Next, Zep IV, Sticky Fingers, and Dark Side of the Moon, the Kinks had The Village Green Preservation Society and Schoolboys In Disgrace. Ray Davies wrote lyrics just as good, if not better, than all the above (Pete Townshend called him England's rock poet laureate). And their early music set the foundation for the rough guitar sound adopted by metal and punk. Cheap Trick was a similar misfit group. If you listen to CT's first album, that certainly rocks as hard as anything from the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and The Clash (no, that's not hyperbole- listen to He's A w**** or The Ballad of TV Violence on YouTube). But they weren't just about that - they had to throw in Beatles and ELO- influenced pop in there. And they didn't look like any of the punk bands at the time- they looked like a couple of rock stars thrown together with the geek squad. You couldn't categorize them. But those who play music know-- just like they knew about the Velvet Underground- and when you have arguably three of the most influential bands of 3 different decades citing them as an influence: The Ramones (Joey Ramone covered one of their songs), Guns & Roses, and Nirvana, not to mention Smashing Pumpkins, Motley Crue, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Green Day...you get the picture.. whether you like their music or not, they're undeniably a force and criminally underrated (although some of the 80s stuff was yecck- but that goes for Aerosmith and Heart, as well.) Kid Rock said it best when he inducted them into the RRHOF: "Cheap Trick has a punk soul with a pop heartbeat...40 ****ing years later and 5,000 gigs later, they're still going... dont' believe me? These crazy ****s have 3 more gigs this week": <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TNjZblze0NQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9-fO3vCIOxA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vt0lt43MdIY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oi_mAs7LVHU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CoAkqB7eRTs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XN7Ugq41ww8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
My father is a luddite hermit living in isolation in the Montana wilderness. He considers any music of the past 50 years to be "pop music", preferring to listen mostly to arias and opera. But he said the only real "pop" band he enjoys are The Kinks. Go figure.
XTC - Despite having a name suitable for a sexually oriented business, they were brilliant songwriters.
Kinks are a good answer. I don't know if I can top that. I would say the Replacements are another one. The roll they were on between 1984-1987 (Let It Be, Tim, and Pleased to Meet Me) is nearly unmatched in rock history by my estimation. Spoiler <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fl9KQ1Mub6Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Absolutely the Replacements. And the Smithereens. Just for reference- please don't watch, I absolutely suck- I got to sing live with Pat Dinizio from The Smithereens at a house concert a few years back: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KbVGES36Pao" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> And then this was last year, so now my life is officially complete:
Nice. Similarly, the Mekons are another British group around the same time that not many people know about, but were hugely influential.
How about Big Star? There was also this group called The Call- man, they had some good tunes. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zWhDbkTmJHA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Going away a bit from rock, I'd put Rickie Lee Jones up there. Very underrated. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGMmuEn3WG0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
All excellent, excellent choices. 4 of my all-time favorites. The punk part of me always loved Fugazi. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B2RyoRG2vs8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Great thread.
A little more evidence for Kings X. You can tell a lot about a band by what other great musicians say about them. Check out what Vernon Reid, Richie Blackmore and Nile Rogers have to say about them: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/btpu65kLSKw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I always kinda thought Midnight Oil was one of those better bands also: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OcKcjpSWmm0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> And let's not forget the great Warren Zevon (RIP): <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UvTv-I2Y390" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
2nd vote from me is for the church, they're still making great music since 1980. As a band they've influenced the Smiths, Stone Roses AND radiohead.
They didn't put out much, but for great 60s psychedelia music, I would also put Love up there. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cNcXFy8QTC4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> And also, even though they're well known, kinda think Buffalo Springfield was a bit underrated- just as good as the Byrds, IMO: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uW_ND105WfE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
On the soul front, most of the press goes to the Temptations, Earth Wind and Fire, Kool and the Gang, but I'd put the OJays right up there with them: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hzTeLePbB08" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In blues, you have BB King, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker usually ranked in the top 3, but I'd also put Albert King up there as well (Stevie knew): <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SeLddbrzsHk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Reggae is usually Bob Marley, Bob Marley, and Bob Marley, but let's not forget Peter Tosh: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aLJFRgE4Ywk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> and Toots & The Maytals: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRSwjhYmAY4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
And for country, I'm going with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5vs3wKLltQA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rap? I don't care how acclaimed Illmatic is, Nas is still vastly underrated (and still kicking it): <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E3wIJ774gJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
