Of course they’re rock bands! I mean how are the Beach Boys any less rock than Tom Petty?
I think the only intersect between my personal top 5 and popularity and influence top 5 would be the Beach Boys. Looks like in the old poll, I did actually vote Ramones due to their great influence. I actually can go with the results of that list: Bruce, Aerosmith, Dead, Beach Boys, Ramones. Maybe I’d swap out the Dead with Van Halen. Or maybe the dead with the Allmans if we’re swapping similar styles, but I think Van Halen needs to be somewhere in the mix there. And, of course, if were including solo acts, Chuck Berry would be the clear #1 for me.
My personal list would include the Pixies, the Velvet Underground, Sleater-Kinney, Cheap Trick, and the Beach Boys. But that’s a much more subjective grouping.
I do not get the love or respect about the Ramones in regards to greatest band. I really don’t. As mentioned above I can’t name one of their songs. Was Lola one?
I’m trying to figure out how Tom Petty is a band. Ditto Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, etc. Sure, Bruce and E Street, Petty and the Heartbreakers, Seger and Silver Bullet, etc.
But if we’re gonna go thataway, I nominate Bob Dylan and The Band.
Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore, the son of an immigrant who worked in a chemical plant. The family kept gas masks in the house in case something happened at the plant.
Lynyrd Skynyrd isn’t getting any love? Sure seems like they check all the boxes and are at least worth a mention. Their greatest hits is basically a list of American classics.
