When I think of “greatness” I think of a mythic, larger than life, quality. It’s not just a matter of technical ability, or market share. Michael Jackson and Garth Brooks are certainly very popular, but do they have the touch of enduring greatness? I don’t think that’s established yet, perhaps never.
Rock ‘n’ Roll is energy. When the beat hits your soul, your mind is captured, duct-taped and dumped in the storeroom, your groin gets hot and your body starts dancing of its own accord, well that’s Rock.
If we’re going to talk about Rock ‘n’ Roll greatness, we must start with The King. Elvis is not the greatest anything of Rock, he is Rock. Every other performer can only aspire to and sometimes achieve greatness; Elvis came as the close to godhood as any mortal may.
Then there’s The Beatles. While they certainly acheived greatness, I maintain they achieved it as themselves, not as exemplars of the Rock ‘n’ Roll genre. They never had the raw visceral energy that characterizes true Rock ‘n’ Roll. I maintain there never was a single Beatles song that truly Rocked.
The same goes for bands like Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead. Definitely greats in world of music, but they derived from Rock, they never exemplified it.
No, the band that truly captured and defined Rock ‘n’ Roll must always be The Rolling Stones.
And there’s no doubt that Jimi Hendrix defined the Rock ‘n’ Roll guitar. There are others who perhaps surpassed him in technique, but no one comes close to him in energy, power, and raw creativity.
I believe there can never be a truly great Rock ‘n’ Roll album or song. Rock is not about the music itself, but using the music to release your animal soul from the bond of the mind. Just as there can be no true Jazz recording, since if it’s played the same way twice, it ain’t Jazz, there can be no true Rock recording. Any recording is a pale imitation of the real stuff, which you have to experience live.
“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away”. - Phillip K. Dick