# Who are the strongest contenders for the title of "greatest American rock band ever"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 4, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547 "2018-05-04T02:32:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 13
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/241 "2018-05-09T00:43:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> So, the Ramones are on par in popularity on Facebook with Van Halen and Journey, more popular than the Beach Boys, the Dead, Tom Petty, Bruce, Kansas, and Cheap Trick, and less popular than Aerosmith and the Eagles.
Interesting numbers, though Facebook “likes” have other lurking variables in there, including how active the band (or, more likely, their publicity management people) is on Facebook. If a band posts frequent FB updates (particularly if the posts are interesting or relevant to their fans), their posts more likely to be liked / shared / reposted by their current followers, and thus, more likely to pick up more likes for the band.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/242 "2018-05-09T00:59:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#):
>
> Interesting numbers, though Facebook “likes” have other lurking variables in there, including how active the band (or, more likely, their publicity management people) is on Facebook. If a band posts frequent FB updates (particularly if the posts are interesting or relevant to their fans), their posts more likely to be liked / shared / reposted by their current followers, and thus, more likely to pick up more likes for the band.
Of course, absolutely! Which is why I call it a “first approximation.” Still, even accounting for that, I’m surprised by the numbers.
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### Author:  [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/243 "2018-05-09T01:35:57Z")
No one mentioned steppenwolf. born to be wild, pusher man. magic carpet ride!:smack:
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/244 "2018-05-09T01:38:21Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#):
>
> No one mentioned steppenwolf. born to be wild pusher man. magic carpet ride!:smack:
They aren’t American, are they? John Kay is German, yes?
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### Author:  [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/245 "2018-05-09T01:43:27Z")
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> They aren’t American, are they? John Kay is German, yes?
They were formed in Los Angeles but John Kay has German ancestry.
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### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/246 "2018-05-09T01:44:34Z")
They’re also not remotely a contender for the title of “greatest American rock band ever” even if every single member was a direct descendant of an unbroken line of Americans dating back to the Mayflower. Just because they had a few very good songs doesn’t put them in the company of the other bands being discussed here.
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### Author:  [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/247 "2018-05-09T01:50:30Z")
what about van halen formed in Pasadena the brothers halen were born in Holland??
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### Author:  [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/248 "2018-05-09T01:51:08Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#):
>
> They’re also not remotely a contender for the title of “greatest American rock band ever” even if every single member was a direct descendant of an unbroken line of Americans dating back to the Mayflower. Just because they had a few very good songs doesn’t put them in the company of the other bands being discussed here.
Absolutely correct. Here is the true answer to this puzzlement… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw)
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/249 "2018-05-09T02:04:40Z")
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> Tell that to [John Lydon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Pistols#Building_a_following):
Joe Strummer [counters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90zFG5v9u3k) ;).
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/250 "2018-05-09T02:10:16Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#):
>
> They were formed in Los Angeles but John Kay has German ancestry.
Formed in LA, but all former members of Jack London & the Sparrows, A Canadian band.
Wikipedia calls Steppenwolf a Canadian-American rock band.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/251 "2018-05-09T02:12:45Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> Joe Strummer [counters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90zFG5v9u3k) ;).
Oh, fuck yeah! Thanks for that!!
Joe Strummer: you couldn’t put a cigarette paper between one song ending and the next one starting…the record types didn’t know what to do with the piledriver of sound.
And Johnny Rotten afraid he might get beat up. Perfect.
Any questions?
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### Author:  [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/252 "2018-05-09T02:13:09Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#):
>
> what about van halen formed in Pasadena the brothers halen were born in Holland??
Naturalized US citizens. Eddie was 7 and Alex 8 when they moved to the US. They’re an American band.
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### Author:  [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/253 "2018-05-09T02:19:14Z")
> [@bionic\_man](#):
>
> what about van halen formed in Pasadena the brothers halen were born in Holland??
Nah. Americans as kids. You’re confusing them with the incredibly badass Dutch-Indo rock n’ roll band, **The Tielman Brothers** : [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wKvlSlXl8c8](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wKvlSlXl8c8)
😉
(I swear, I’ve spent a bit of time on this rock n’ roll stuff. I’m not just posting randomly when I have something to assert).
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### Author:  [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/254 "2018-05-09T02:33:31Z")
> [@jaycat](#):
>
> Absolutely correct. Here is the true answer to this puzzlement… [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw)
Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.
By the way, there is more energy in this 2:22 than there is in the Grateful Dead’s entire recorded output combined.
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/255 "2018-05-09T02:35:49Z")
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> (I swear, I’ve spent a bit of time on this rock n’ roll stuff. I’m not just posting randomly when I have something to assert).
Say, **WordPerson** , didn’t you make an offhand comment that you have a nomination for this thread?.. A band that Wikipedia calls “…the greatest band of all-time, not just because of its musical impact, but its societal impact as well, bolstering relations between nations and facilitating contact with extraterrestrial life (including Martians)”.
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### Author:  [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/256 "2018-05-09T04:47:05Z")
Maybe a toss-up between [Bubble Puppy 🙂](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qja2ptq_p7I) and [Immolation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljhLSb-0rM4).
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### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/257 "2018-05-09T05:37:51Z")
> [@WreckingCrew](#):
>
> Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.
>
> By the way, there is more energy in this 2:22 than there is in the Grateful Dead’s entire recorded output combined.
Funny, it just reminds me of [Wang Dang Doodle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKoGsBqoc0k) by…why, the Grateful Dead, of course.
Anyway, I’m most certainly not here to slag off anyone else’s musical taste. I still do it, just not here. I can dig _almost_ anything that’s ever been recorded. I draw the line at Ed Sheeran though.
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/258 "2018-05-09T05:44:25Z")
> [@WordMan](#):
>
> The argument for The Ramones is not about fans, it is about influence.
Once again: [\*Pet \*](https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/06/the-genius-of-pet-sounds-artists-reveal-their-favorite-aspects-of-the-beach-boys-classic/full-post/)[_Sounds_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_Sounds#Influence_and_legacy). [\*Pet \*](http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/five-albums-that-wouldnt-exist-without-the-beach-boys-pet-sounds/862695)[_Sounds_](http://www.newsweek.com/radiohead-ok-computer-paranoid-android-influences-593206). Oh, and[_Smile_](http://www.nme.com/news/music/my-bloody-valentine-21-1281648).
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/259 "2018-05-09T05:54:26Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> Joe Strummer [counters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90zFG5v9u3k) ;).
Joe Strummer being, of course, the main Pistol. :rolleyes:
The Pistols were around for 2 years before that concert (1 year with Lydon) and gigging for 6 months, with the Bromley Contingent already in existence.
I’ve been \*very specific \*that the statement I take exception with is the stronger “No Ramones, No Sex Pistols”, not the weaker “The Ramones were a strong influence on UK punk bands”, which I absolutely agree with.
I’ve also said they weren’t a strong influence on the _South African_ punk scene, just as a data point as to their supposed universality.
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### Author:  [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2018, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-the-strongest-contenders-for-the-title-of-greatest-american-rock-band-ever/813547/260 "2018-05-09T06:01:02Z")
The Sex Pistols were probably more overall influential to punk than the Ramones, absolutely. But the Ramones perhaps played a role in making it more palatable to people who might otherwise be turned off by the concept of punk rock. This isn’t to minimize their impact, but they maybe played a similar role that Elvis did in introducing “black” music to “white” Americans; introducing “angry lower-class British people” music to Americans, in a way that seemed more fun than scary.
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