# What are the best and worst 70's rock bands? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080 "2000-08-28T19:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/1 "2000-08-28T19:28:20Z")
I was just wondering what all of you cyberpeoples think are the best and worst bands or artists from the 1970’s? ---
**Author:** ![lucie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed8c4c/32.png) [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/2 "2000-08-28T19:42:51Z")
Best: Jethro Tull, Blondie, Aerosmith, The Police Worst: Captain & Teneille (sp?), The Partridge Family (notice the careful avoidance of Disco bands in either category - I am mentally deleting dance music from consideration) ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@Me\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Joe)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/3 "2000-08-28T19:53:23Z")
My personal fav’s from the 70’s would be: the Patti Smith Group Talking Heads Blondie Elvis Costello & the Attractions Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars But i’m fickle, and perhaps an hour from now I might just have an entirely different list of fav’s from the 70’s. But the worst of all has got to be whoever it was who recorded that godawful “Dreamweaver” song. Also particularly dreadful were the Carpenters. I don’t care how many half-assed poser wannabe “hipsters” gush about how wonderful and brilliant Karen Carpenter (supposedly) was. Her voice was flat and their music was banal and dull. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/4 "2000-08-28T20:02:25Z")
Have to agree with **Jethro Tull** as one of the best and would add, without giving a huge amount of thought, **King Crimson** (although their best album, In the _Court of the Crimson King_, came out in’69), **Roxy Music** , and **Brian Eno**. For the worst, the **Bee Gees**. This is actually ironic since their stuff from the 60’s was wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/5 "2000-08-28T20:24:53Z")
Best: The Clash, Talking Heads, Pink Floyd Worst: Too many to mention. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/6 "2000-08-28T20:27:33Z")
Best:[ul] [li]Big Star[/li][li]The Modern Lovers[/li][li]The Clash[/li][li]The Rezillos[/li][li]The Jam[/li][li]Shoes[/li][li]The Raspberries[/li][li]The Flamin’ Groovies[/li][li]Television[/li][li]The New York Dolls[/li][li]The Stooges[/li][li]The Dictators[/li][li]The Ramones[/li][li]The Undertones[/li][li]The Only Ones[/li][li]Robert Gordon[/li][li]Dire Straits[/li][li]Rockpile[/li][li]Graham Parker and the Rumour[/li][li]Brinsley Schwarz[/li][li]Ducks Deluxe[/li][/ul] As for the worst, we’ll never really know, now will we? There were tons of bands I whose popularity I found inexplicable (Starland Vocal Band, Little River Band, Seals and Crofts, Loggins and Messina, and America, anyone?), but someone somewhere obviously liked them. ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/7 "2000-08-28T20:29:34Z")
Wow! i’m shocked and amazed that nobody mentioned The Eagles, or Clapton or Led Zepplin or Fleetwood Mac or Lynard Skynard (sp?). By the way, sorry Fat Angel. I really like The Carpenters. ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/8 "2000-08-28T20:48:55Z")
My Favs… Led Zeppelin Black Sabbath Fleetwood Mac Jethro Tull The Guess Who The Doors The worst… I cant it’s just to painful… ouch, there I go thinking again. ---
**Author:** ![Landsknecht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@Landsknecht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landsknecht)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/9 "2000-08-28T21:17:51Z")
How can you not include Rush on the great bands list? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/10 "2000-08-28T21:18:30Z")
**The best:** Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band The Ramones **The worst:** Supertramp ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/11 "2000-08-28T21:46:12Z")
What is the point of threads like this? It’s like trying to flail the ocean. Yet I flail on… The best: - Black Sabbath - Blue Oyster Cult - AC/DC - Van Halen - Aerosmith - Heart (I’m allowed one sentimental fave) - Simon and Garfunkel The worst: - Grand Funk Railroad - Kiss Most overrated: - Led Zepplin - The Eagles - Pink Floyd - Styx - Lynrd Skynrd Let the useless flailing begin! - Steely Dan ---
**Author:** ![seriousart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@seriousart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seriousart)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/12 "2000-08-28T23:27:06Z")
Best: The Clash Sex Pistols Cheap Trick Alice Cooper Iggy Pop Patti Smith Ramones Worst: I was a little too young at the time to remember much, but the Pat Boone-ish, Osmond’s type stuff gives me the willies. ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/13 "2000-08-29T00:22:51Z")
This is no forum for arguing with other persons opinions… although, LED ZEPPELIN cannot be overated!!! just a thought, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/14 "2000-08-29T00:31:39Z")
The best: Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd The worst: **Everything else** ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/15 "2000-08-29T01:00:16Z")
I’m not even going to attempt the worst, but best bands (or bands that I own many of their albums): **Black Sabbath** **Sly & The Family Stone** **Pink Floyd** **The Clash** **AC/DC** **The Doors** **The Guess Who** ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/16 "2000-08-29T01:42:46Z")
Of course, I could have included **Pink Floyd** in my selections above. But, I think of them as 60’s band (_Piper at the Gates of Dawn_, _Saucerful of Secrets_, _Ummagumma_, and ? _Atom Heart Mother_ or was that 1970?). There was life before _Dark Side of the Moon_! ---
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/17 "2000-08-29T03:11:56Z")
IMHO they all suck! A few suck more than others though… My vote for Worst! Bob Seger & Silver Bullet band Credence Clearwater Revival Lynyrd Skynyrd Ted Nugent Bruce Springsteen I digress… ---
**Author:** ![bugman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@bugman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bugman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/18 "2000-08-29T03:17:01Z")
Regardless of anyone’s “humble opinion”, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd cannot be omitted from the “best” list. I would also include Eric Clapton, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Elton John, and Black Sabbath on my “best” list. As far as worst goes, IMHO, Chicago was the worst band EVER. There were a few very overrated bands from the 70’s: Bad Company, the Eagles (although there was an immeasurable amount of talent in that band…just not to my taste), and Thin Lizzy. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/19 "2000-08-29T08:01:24Z")
The Best Alice Cooper Rush (although they didn’t become great till 78) Cheap Trick The Ramones David Bowie The worst The Rolling Stones Crosby, Stills and Nash Neil Young and Bob Dylan (harmonicas suck) ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2000, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080/20 "2000-08-29T11:24:17Z")
Seems like The Ramones are making a pretty strong showing. MagicalSilverKey: I would agree with your opinion of Springsteen if you considered only his work from 1980 on. But his albums in the 1970’s were great. Full of fun, angst, a little self-important - overall a nice soundtrack for a then-teenager. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-and-worst-70s-rock-bands/31080.md?page=2)