# Let's Play Music Artist vs Music Artist! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [March 29, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306 "2015-03-29T22:50:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/121 "2015-04-09T16:10:22Z")
The Roth-era was much better, less because of Roth than because Eddie Van Halen lost his knack for great guitar hooks and got too fond of keyboards around the time Hagar joined. Bob Seger or John Cougar Mellencamp? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/122 "2015-04-09T16:36:05Z")
Mellencamp. Seger is a good songwriter but too earnest. Mellencamp can leaven the social commentary with a bit of wit on occasion. Marshall Crenshaw or the BoDeans? ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/123 "2015-04-09T16:47:56Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Mellencamp. Seger is a good songwriter but too earnest. Mellencamp can leaven the social commentary with a bit of wit on occasion. > > Marshall Crenshaw or the BoDeans? Marshall Crenshaw all the way! (And I, too, favor Mellencamp over Seger.) Public Enemy or A Tribe Called Quest? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/124 "2015-04-10T16:18:46Z")
I’m going to take the “Boston vs Kansas” one that looks like it got missed. Tough choice - both were great bands with unique sounds, but I gotta go with Kansas because I really enjoy their longer prog-rock songs, and I always thought Steve Walsh had a hell of a set of pipes. Wilco or Son Volt? ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/125 "2015-04-10T18:41:47Z")
As much as I really do like Son Volt, I have to go with Wilco on this one. Okay, well, since no one seems to be biting vis-à-vis PE v. ATCQ, I’ll toss out two WOEFULLY underrated acts from the MTV era: King’s X or Jellyfish? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/126 "2015-04-10T19:18:58Z")
Jellyfish! I can’t believe I missed them the first time around — so good. Cheap Trick or Big Star? ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/127 "2015-04-10T19:55:38Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Cheap Trick or Big Star? Cheap Trick, all the way. Hank, Jr. Or Hank III? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/128 "2015-04-10T20:32:08Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Hank, Jr. Or Hank III? Hank Sr. 😃 Sorry, I’ll let someone else answer this one. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/129 "2015-04-10T21:26:51Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Cheap Trick, all the way. > > Hank, Jr. Or Hank III? Hank III, because his music is truer in spirit to that of his sainted granddaddy, and because he hasn’t become chums with fucking Kid Rock. Okay, I’m gonna pose this query once more: A Tribe Called Quest or Public Enemy? ETA: I must say, though, that songs like “The Conversation” and, especially, “Family Tradition”, are _damned_ fine examples of the country music milieu. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/130 "2015-04-10T21:35:54Z")
Public Enemy ZZtop or J. Geils Band? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/131 "2015-04-10T21:40:41Z")
ZZ Top. Though, I might pick J. Geils Band tomorrow. The Who or Yes? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/132 "2015-04-10T22:23:46Z")
The Who (by a smidge) Rush or Blue Öyster Cult? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/133 "2015-04-10T22:24:22Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > ZZ Top. Though, I might pick J. Geils Band tomorrow. > The Who or Yes? The Who, naturally. Massive Attack or Portishead? ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/134 "2015-04-10T22:43:31Z")
This is a close one, but for me, I like the overall sound of Massive Attack better. Trip hop is a little out of my usual wheelhouse, but I’ve downloaded a handful of Massive Attack songs and they are growing on me. Up next…Grace Potter? Or ZZ Ward? ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/135 "2015-04-10T23:06:32Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > Rush or Blue Öyster Cult? Although I like BOC, this is no contest. Whether looking at songs, albums, musicianship, or just about any other criteria, it’s Rush all the way. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/136 "2015-04-10T23:18:20Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > This is a close one, but for me, I like the overall sound of Massive Attack better. Trip hop is a little out of my usual wheelhouse, but I’ve downloaded a handful of Massive Attack songs and they are growing on me. Try the entire _Mezzanine_ album as a whole. It really is a work that I feel works best start-to-finish, though I do love some individual tracks on it. Really moody, suck-the-light-out-of-the-room music. (I don’t mean that in a depressive sort of way, necessarily. It’s just atmospherically very dark.) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/137 "2015-04-11T17:16:30Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Although I like BOC, this is no contest. Whether looking at songs, albums, musicianship, or just about any other criteria, it’s Rush all the way. I think Rush had a lot more good recordings, but in their prime, BOC were a much better live band. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/138 "2015-04-12T20:38:43Z")
Ed Sheeran or Sam Smith? ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/139 "2015-04-12T21:34:03Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Ed Sheeran or Sam Smith? Sam Smith. Steve Marriott or Steve Perry? ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306/140 "2015-04-13T00:53:09Z")
Steve Perry. Beautiful broadway voice. Britney Spears or Beyoncé? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-play-music-artist-vs-music-artist/716306.md?page=8)