# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 9
**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, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/161 "2024-09-17T16:16:01Z")
They do define a British group as: A British group is defined as an act containing two or members that is made-up wholly of, or where the majority are, people who were born, live or hold British citizenship. I note Fleetwood Mac is on the list. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/162 "2024-09-17T16:19:49Z")
Using that definition, I’d give the Pretenders and honorable mention. Those first two albums are some of my all time rock favorites. The first one would probably make my top ten (and has.) ---
**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, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/163 "2024-09-17T17:26:13Z")
I’d put The Pretenders higher on my personal list than some that have made it, definitely, but I suppose they have to provide a range and there’s very few you can reasonably argue don’t deserve it. Maybe The Sugababes. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/164 "2024-09-17T17:41:39Z")
The Beatles The Rolling Stones Led Zeppelin The Who Queen Pink Floyd This is very heavily 60s-70s but that’s when the British really changed rock music. I decided Fleetwood Mac doesn’t quality. I like Elton John and David Bowie too but they’re not “bands” so I take the wording in the OP literally. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/165 "2024-09-18T01:44:54Z")
Thanks. Only 6 on that list that I’d never heard of. I noticed Sex Pistols are not on the list. Or PIL. ---
**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 18, 2024, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/166 "2024-09-18T05:16:05Z")
I cannot believe Dire Straits aren’t on that BBC shortlist. Shocking omission. ---
**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 19, 2024, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/167 "2024-09-19T07:12:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Beatles > The Rolling Stones > Led Zeppelin > The Who > Queen > Pink Floyd I’d say this is close to definitive in terms of bands who score highest in terms of influence, innovation, popularity, and longevity. If all 4 of those criteria are important, it’s hard to think of a candidate to replace any of these. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/168 "2024-09-19T13:42:46Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > I’d say this is close to definitive in terms of bands who score highest in terms of influence, innovation, popularity, and longevity. Those are quite literally the exact four things I always use when rating musical acts. IN TIME, one never knows; Radiohead may prove to be influential and long-lasting enough to edge ahead of Queen or something, but it will take many more years to assess that. I give The Clash a lot of credit too but they don’t quite crack my top six. But the truth is that the Beatles, Stones, and Zeppelin, at least, and probably Floyd, **cannot be surpassed** , ever. Rock music has had its heyday and that day is past. The Beatles were the greatest pop/rock band that ever existed and if anyone is ever more important it will be because they are artists in a totally different kind of music, in a different era, and a comparison wouldn’t make sense anyway. We’re seeing the end of rock music now; boomer influence and money has kept it going and it’s just fun music so it’ll be around a lot longer yet, but it will never be what it once was. It’s a very old form of popular music now. Most of the other popular music styles now were born of rock music to one extent or another, and as rock music slowly dies, as the Boomers die, they will make way to very different musical forms. Then, someday, there could be a new Beatles, as an entirely new generation hears something wildly different. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/169 "2024-09-19T14:07:37Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > 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. And Jethro Tull is not in the R&R Hall of Fame, which I find unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/170 "2024-09-19T15:17:58Z")
Where’s that damn “Like” button? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/171 "2024-10-23T15:23:18Z")
> [@Pavelb1](#): > > Romeo Void Have you listened to Sprints? I highly recommend them to Romeo Void fans. Maybe start with “Heavy”. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/172 "2024-10-23T15:26:48Z")
History tells me that, hands down, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are 1 & 2 in that order. After that, I really wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/173 "2024-10-23T15:40:14Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > History tells me that, hands down, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are 1 & 2 in that order. Definitely. You can hate both the Beatles and the Stones (but who does?), but there’s no denying that they’re the greatest and most influential British bands of all time. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019/174 "2024-10-23T21:07:10Z")
You just used it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-6-greatest-british-bands-of-all-time/1007019.md?page=8)