Cheap Trick added a punk element that those bands didn't have. Not saying it's better or worse, just not the same.
Well, you could make the argument for several bands. I don't think America has one clear-cut favorite. I think all of the arguments on here are great. I think, to be honest, that the standard-bearer for American music overall would have to be the individual artists of the '50s. They set the tone for rock and roll, soul, etc. All you have to do is look at the original 10 inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame- all American, all pioneers, all heavily influential: 1. Elvis Presley 2. Buddy Holly 3. Chuck Berry 4. Little Richard 5. James Brown 6. Ray Charles 7. Jerry Lee Lewis 8. The Everly Brothers 9. Fats Domino and last, but not least: 10. Sam Cooke THAT is American music at its finest. But my personal American anthem is from Cheap Trick: Mother told me, yes, she told me I'd meet girls like you She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll catch" Just the other day I heard a soldier falling off some Indonesian junk that's going round Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away Father says, "Your mother's right, she's really up on things" "Before we married, Mommy served in the WACS in the Philippines" Now, I had heard the WACS recruited old maids for the war But mommy isn't one of those, I've known her all these years Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away Whatever happened to all this season's losers of the year? Ev'ry time I got to thinking, where'd they disappear? When I woke up, Mom and Dad are rolling on the couch Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records out Mommy's alright, Daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird Surrender, surrender, but don't give yourself away
I had to vote for the Ramones. This has been a question I have debated with friends and coworkers for years. Despite overall record sales, this band had it all.(longevity, very influential, a sense of humor, style, poppy, etc.)
I was scrolling through the thread and stopped here. Couldn't disagree more, with all due respect. Jimi was the front man, Jimi was the Experience. Jimi was also an American. If you want an idea of how much he meant to the Experience, give a listen to Fat Mattress. I rest my case!
You gave The Doors a 3 out of 10 for originality? Jim's poetry is definitely a matter of one's personal taste, but like his lyrics or not, no one was sounding like The Doors when they were playing and cutting albums. And influence? You gave them a 1?? Anytime you see some Jim Morrison wannabe strutting across the stage, screaming into a mike, where to you think they got that? And that includes Mr. Steven Tyler, who I like very much. A big imitator of Mr. Morrison. Come on! Open your eyes and ears! (yeah, I got to see them in Houston. The Doors, not your eyes and ears! )
