Yeah, first mentions in post 5 for Skynyrd and the Allmans, and the OP for ZZ Top…
Fwiw, I’m in London and it’s a really interesting question for me as well.
It seems even more valid when you think of some of the US bands who made it in London and then, having been noticed, the US: the White Stripes, Strokes, and Kings of Leon, Chrissie Hynde, that black guitar player feller who died young … Even James Taylor came to London and got his break with Apple.
There’s no easy answer but certainly the super-connectivity and know-how is exceptional. You can come here, plug into the network and your talent - whether writing, producing, singing, spotting, playing - will be seen, and people who know what to do with it (image, money, craft, partnerships). Huge know-how and craft.
But also, left field, there is something else … BBC radio. Always has been - google the John Peel sessions. Or, albeit to a lesser extent, on Youtube Later with Jools Holland. Latterly there is BBC Introducing where literally anyone can submit their music and it will be heard and considered - literally anyone. And the public is receptive and reasonably knowledgeable:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing/uploader
Maybe there’s a US equiv. but I suspect it’s a bit more like how LA works for film.
The impact John Peel has had is probably enormously underrated. Here in the U.S his impact is indirect, but has to be pretty substantial. He could probably only happen in the BBC.
I think so. You can see the evolution of what Peel achieved - as an enabler - in BBC Introducing: It’s more systematic now, a hierarchy of 30 or more local/national stations playing the best new uploaded music, but it does stem from his show.
It would be remiss of me not to mention BBC radio - an absolute gem, not just for every conceivable type of music but discourse in general. Gawd bless ya.
If you can get it online, maybe try BBC 6 Music: Radio 6 Music - Listen Live - BBC Sounds
I agree totally about Peel, and want to also add Melody Maker & NME, in their pre-'98/99 newsprint format, into the mix - they both fostered a kind of music journalism that was distinctly different from the glossy magazines on both sides of the pond.
Yep, good point. And it’s always been inclusive - white boy punk to bonkers asian beats, to dub and reggae, ska, drum and bass, metal, all dance genres, etc. All jammed up.
I’m not sure anyone every thought about a market for what they did though!
And maybe also mention TV, esp. Jools because so many artists got the final step onto the ladder with him.
I have so very many memories of being blown away late at night by an artist making their TV debut - Radiohead, Coldplay, just so many. Here’s a local girl from just down the road on her debut. Turns out she’s not so much nervous about performing as having Paul MacCartney on the same bill and watching her from 20 yards away:
Fwiw, I thought my head was going to explode when I saw this. Pretty sure I cried at the tv: Jools is often the final step for artists, though not all are signed.Oh yeah, I love Later and Jools. There’s always someone I have heard about but not heard, or someone I hadn’t heard of but am glad I got to see them.
It can be great for US bands as well - Dave Grohl treats Jools like a battle of the bands and goes in fully suited. I think on this night there were two good UK bands on as well and he … responded. So, so tight: - YouTube
Yarp. Radiohead’s 1997 performance of Paranoid Android is probably one of the best studio performances I’ve seen of anything, ever. I would not like to have been billed after them that night. From a great height indeed.
Paul Revere and the Raiders.
“Paul Revere and the Raiders.”
Yeah, if not them, The Rock Bottom Remainders. 
To paraphrase: who is the greatest American Band? The Eagles, alas… They’ve got the hits, the longevity, some personnel interest, a hefty dose of Americana. Unfortunately, their songs almost never wear well for me. there are maybe three that don’t make me immediately change radio stations.
I voted for Steely Dan who have hits, great songs, and brilliant playing. But they’re barely a group, and moved away from rock pretty quick. Talking Heads had some hits, and some great songs, but there was more brain than body.
I don’t know if they were mentioned, and I don’t think they qualify because of a lack of longevity. But I just heard Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses, and thought of this thread. Had they (Axel, mostly) kept their shit together longer, GNR could easily have been the GAB.
Classic rock started ~mid-50s and ended ~mid-80s. That’s only about 30 years for the most defining and influential genre of music. Very proficient.
So nominate a band. Cream? The Doors? (I’m gonna assume by your post that Pearl Jam and Phish are out.)
I agree. If they could’ve kept it together and delivered a string of 4 great albums. They had the swagger, the songs, the popularity and the influence.
That’s just it, though. American rock bands seem to be inherently unstable if they have the other factors. At least one person will be thinking, “Do I really need these other guys?”
The same happens for British bands, too, but the old model of releasing at least one album a year meant that they usually had more output before the band imploded.
So maybe that’s the answer: the British Invasion is what tipped the scales in favour of British rock bands, and by the time the Americans got their chance, the model had shifted to one album every two-plus years, which meant no band would ever be able to truly compete with the British greats.
The model changed on both sides of the pond. The rules were always the same for both. I can’t see how anybody gained an edge because of a business model. Those who had the goods produced regardless. Springsteen is popular on this thread but he did more to extend that time between LPs than anyone.
The advantage was that the Brits got there first–they set the template for what a real “rock band” is–and the Americans had to play catch-up.