# The 6 greatest British bands of all time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2024, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019 "2024-09-09T16:26:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/141 "2024-09-12T00:57:37Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The Slits. Siouxsie and the Banshees. Bow Wow Wow. X-Ray Spex. I’ve heard of them but I’m not familiar with them—couldn’t name a single song by any of them, nor could I picture what they look like. ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/142 "2024-09-12T02:10:00Z")
I’m not Elmer J. Fudd, but I think Bow Wow Wow did “I Want Candy.” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/143 "2024-09-12T02:31:50Z")
Admittedly my list leans more towards personal favorites, but as none of these bands would be out of place in a list of greats, I think I’m ok. I am excluding solo artists. The Who - incredible hard rocking energy, and each member is ferocious and unique on their respective instruments. Favorite track of the moment is The Real Me. Queen - A great mix of theatricality and rock, and I always feel like the band is kind of winking at us all the time- they never took themselves too seriously and the playfulness comes out in the songwriting and in concert footage. Genesis - My favorite prog band and while I don’t love all eras (I personally could do without everything between Wind and Wuthering and Invisible Touch), the fact that they had 20 years of great material is a rare feat. I won’t spend too much time dissecting their greatness, but Collins, Gabriel and Banks are all unique talents and along with the other two (who also are no slouches) managed to create some weird, beautiful, and compelling music. The Police - A unique sound and unique writing. Their approach does not sound like anyone else. Maybe an odd comparison, but unlike Genesis, their music is empty and full of space. An intriguing sound, and definitional of the era. Jethro Tull - The only band on my list with blues roots. Their unique folk sound, Ian Anderson’s flute, voice, writing, guitar playing, and persona are all captivating. The Beatles - ‘cause. Their greatness as the anointed progenitors of so much of modern pop music is hard to argue against. I also want to give a runner-up position to Supertramp, who I struggle to think of as a “great” band, but they have some stellar songs over many albums, and I find their music really interesting and thoughtful. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/144 "2024-09-12T04:14:30Z")
Kate Bush Peter Gabriel The Beatles The Police Madness Tears for Fears ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/145 "2024-09-12T04:18:34Z")
Divynals (Aussie though) Altered Images Book of Love (American i think) Concrete Blonde (also American and the guy sang some) Clannad Eurythmics Bananarama ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/146 "2024-09-12T05:04:11Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > until recently there just haven’t been that many girl bands. “Recently” there being the 80s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/147 "2024-09-12T05:21:50Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’m having trouble thinking of British bands fronted by women Cocteau Twins. My Bloody Valentine. Lush. Slowdive. Selecta. Yazoo. Strawberry Switchblade. All About Eve. Steeleye Span. Florence and the Machine. Chvrches. Wet Leg. Big Moon. The Last Dinner Party. Curve. Silverfish. Everything But The Girl. Fairground Attraction. Katrina and the Waves. Garbage. I could do that all day. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/148 "2024-09-12T06:52:42Z")
A band I forgot in my earlier list fronted (jointly) by a woman was The Beautiful South, they wrote some fantastic tunes and lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/149 "2024-09-12T06:53:44Z")
A _succession_ of women, all extremely talented. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/150 "2024-09-12T06:59:50Z")
You forgot to say “OK Boomer!” Guilty as charged. But in mitigation, may I point out that I proposed London Grammar ? 😉 j ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/151 "2024-09-12T08:29:08Z")
As I’ve been reading this thread, I’ve been thinking “according to what metrics?” > tl;dr > If we look at how Dopers skew in demographics, there’s no surprise seeing what groups are being mentioned again and again. There’s stuff I spent way too much time listening to during the 70’s/80’s, as a teen and young adult, which I think is ‘the greatest’ but I’d have a hard time defending. > Can a band that made one outstanding album be considered _the greatest_, judged only on that? I mean, if we’re talking albums, then yes, but not the band in itself. One of my all time favourites is by Queen (Sheer Heart Attack), but the rest of their output is kinda only OK, in my opinion. Should they be among ‘the greatest’ then? > > Another way to look at it is how music history will see things. I googled “Contemporary with Mozart” and got this list: > > - Muzio Clementi. > - Franz Krommer. > - Josep Haydn. > - Carl Stamitz. > - Carlos Baguer. > - Joseph Ignaz Pleyel. > - Francesco Antonio Rosetti. > - Johann Baptist Vanhal. > > The only familiar name, to me, is Haydn. > > Groups and music that I thought would stand the test of time are already fading. i.e. Hendrix, Doors and many others. As a comparison, how many millennials know of Errol Garner, Lionel Hampton or Benny Goodman? Without googling? Just from hearing the name? > /tl;dr In short, outside of specific classes dedicated to music history, there’s only one group that will be studied in 200 years. And you know which\*. \*Cue terrible jokes about Napoleon XIV, 1910 Fruitgum Company and such. ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/152 "2024-09-12T10:50:37Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > In short, outside of specific classes dedicated to music history, there’s only one group that will be studied in 200 years. And you know which I don’t think Tenpole Tudor were really _that_ good ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/153 "2024-09-12T15:11:32Z")
Great post all around, thanks for sharing your thoughts. > [@Eonwe](#): > > Jethro Tull - The only band on my list with blues roots. Their unique folk sound, Ian Anderson’s flute, voice, writing, guitar playing, and persona are all captivating. My wife introduced me to Tull. Even though they are well regarded, I feel that they are still a bit underappreciated. Especially in their song compositions. And I do love their early work you mentioned. Their greatness is kind of stand alone. I’m not sure how much influence they exerted. Maybe because they were not well understood? > [@silenus](#): > > Bass players never get any respect. How do you reduce wind-drag on a bassist’s car? Take the Domino’s Pizza sign off the roof What do you throw a drowning bass player? His Amp. What are the three most difficult years in a bass player’s life? Second grade. Sorry, posted with respect and love. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/154 "2024-09-12T16:01:11Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Well, not in the dinosaur rock genre, I agree. Ha, love it! Female fronted bands had a lot of success in the 90s (in the UK anyway) - Catatonia, Sleeper, The Cranberries, Elastica, Garbage, Skunk Anansie - all much more my thing than the ‘rock gods’ of yore. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/155 "2024-09-12T17:49:59Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > Eurythmics I was waiting for someone to include them, in the context of female leads. Annie Lennox is one of my favourite singers, just an amazing voice. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/156 "2024-09-12T18:13:59Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I guess the reference is to _Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend_ (January 21, 2014) by Tony Fletcher. No, Frank Zappa’s eldest daughter Moon Unit Zappa just last month released a tell-all autobiography of growing up in the Zappa household called [_Earth to Moon_](https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/aug/15/earth-to-moon-by-moon-unit-zappa-review-rock-and-a-hard-place). There was a certain degree of resentment and dysfunction in the Zappa household. > [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > They’re named after Mick Fleetwood. Mick. Fleetwood. You can’t _get_ a more British name than that! 🙂 > [@silenus](#): > > And poor John McVie gets left alone again. Bass players never get any respect. Just to make Silenus’ point more directly, the band was named after the entire rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Fleetwood just looms larger because he eventually moved from internal mediator to actual band manager and became the de facto spokesman. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/157 "2024-09-12T19:26:10Z")
According to Trek, its…Beastie Boys right? ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/158 "2024-09-12T19:30:14Z")
10,000 Maniacs, Romeo Void, Throwing Muses, Four Non-Blondes…none of which are English though, I think ---
**Author:** ![Teuton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teuton/32/3864_2.png) [@Teuton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teuton)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/159 "2024-09-17T10:57:04Z")
The BBC have just started a poll to find the best British bands, although they have a shortlist to vote from. It’s worth a look down the list though: > **[BBC Radio 2 celebrates National Album Day with a listener vote to find the...](https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/radio-2-ultimate-british-group-vote-launches)** > > Radio 2, the UK’s most listened to radio station, with 13.3m listeners each week (RAJAR Q2 2024), will be celebrating National Album Day – the theme of which this year is Great British Groups - by launching its very own battle of the bands and asking... ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/160 "2024-09-17T12:19:42Z")
Nitpick: That says “groups,” not “bands.” Which makes it more reasonable that they include vocal groups such as One Direction and the Spice Girls. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019.md?page=9)