Post by countjohn on Nov 23, 2020 21:11:09 GMT
Go back as far as you like and say who the best rock band in the world was at any given time. Try not to use hindsight, as in, naming someone the best prematurely based on what they had not yet done. Just base it on who was the best at that moment. Not sure how many replies I'll get since this might be a bit too in depth for some people but I'll give it a shot. I'm starting in 1965 since that seems like the birth of modern "rock" music and is when my musical knowledge really starts.
The Beatles- 1965-1970
The Beatles start out with the crown by default and earn it with their streak of classic albums from 66-68. Although both The Kinks and Stones topped Abbey Road in 69 I likely would have stuck with The Beatles as the best band in the world until their breakup.
The Rolling Stones- 1970-1974
Inherit the crown from The Beatles by default and solidify their place a the best band in the world with their two best albums back to back in 71 and 72. I also like Goat's Head Soup in 73 a lot more than most people. The Stones were slipping a little in 73-74 but this was kind of a lull in between the 60's bands and punk so I'm not sure who I'd put ahead of them. Maybe Lou Reed, but he's not a band and just doesn't have the Stones "oomph".
Queen- 1975
The release of the Bohemian Rhapsody single and then A Night at the Opera would have been enough for me to name a new best band in the world for a brief period.
Ramones- 1976-1980
There is audio of a coked out Lou Reed emphatically declaring "everything else is shit" after hearing an early Ramones performance in New York and I'd say that's an appropriate response to hearing their debut album for the first time. I would have been tempted to switch to the Sex Pistols in 77, but ultimately the Ramones released three really good albums in the time frame where the Pistols released just one, and Nevermind the Bollocks is really just the great singles + Bodies. The Ramones albums are much stronger track for track. Ramones were also one of the most exciting live bands ever as well.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- 1980-1987
EC would have been right behind Ramones in the My Aim is True/This Year's Model era. I like Ramones' End of the Century better than some people, but that marked the beginning of their decline in the 1980 while Costello released possibly his best album in Get Happy that year. That's enough to move him ahead. He continued to release good albums throughout the 80's and the mid 80's is a bit of a weak period for me so there's no one I'd put ahead of him.
Sonic Youth- 1988-1995
I would have considered putting either Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth ahead of EC in 87 with the release of You're Living All Over Me and Sister, respectively. But after Sonic Youth released their second masterpiece in a row with Daydream Nation in 88 it was clear it was their time. I also like Sonic Youth's early 90's albums better than basically anything Britpop or grunge were putting out at the time so I'll stick with them through the first half of the 90's. Might have considered putting Blur ahead when Parklife came out in 94 but that's just one album.
Radiohead- 1995-2011
Sonic Youth were getting a little older in 95 and Radiohead released The Bends which immediately would have put them ahead. Their place was solidified with two of the five best rock albums of all time in my opinion in The Bends and OKC. Basically everything they released in this period was a masterpiece or close to it, outside of Amnesiac, which still has some very impressive superlatives despite its flaws (super cohesive, Life in a Glasshouse is better than 99% of bands best songs)
Arcade Fire- 2011-2014
I like Funeral, but for me Arcade Fire's peak is the Suburbs/Reflektor era. The release of The Suburbs in 2010 combined with the meh King of Limbs from Radiohead in 2011 is when I moved Arcade Fire ahead (no would have this time, I was actually cognizant for this)
A Giant Dog- 2014-present
I'm at a bit of a loss here. The second half of the 2010's is when rock music really started to go downhill. During Arcade Fire's hiatus leading up to the crummy Everything Now, these guys (an Austin Punk band) and St. Vincent were the two highlights for me. St. Vincent isn't a band so I'll give it to A Giant Dog. The thing is, they are both on hiatus now so I really don't know who I'd say now. I liked Fontaines DC's first album but I didn't really like the second one (too pop and new wave-y) so I am reluctant to say them. Arctic Monkeys are only releasing an album every five years now days and their early stuff is better anyway so they're legacy artists now. You could argue the title is vacant.
The Beatles- 1965-1970
The Beatles start out with the crown by default and earn it with their streak of classic albums from 66-68. Although both The Kinks and Stones topped Abbey Road in 69 I likely would have stuck with The Beatles as the best band in the world until their breakup.
The Rolling Stones- 1970-1974
Inherit the crown from The Beatles by default and solidify their place a the best band in the world with their two best albums back to back in 71 and 72. I also like Goat's Head Soup in 73 a lot more than most people. The Stones were slipping a little in 73-74 but this was kind of a lull in between the 60's bands and punk so I'm not sure who I'd put ahead of them. Maybe Lou Reed, but he's not a band and just doesn't have the Stones "oomph".
Queen- 1975
The release of the Bohemian Rhapsody single and then A Night at the Opera would have been enough for me to name a new best band in the world for a brief period.
Ramones- 1976-1980
There is audio of a coked out Lou Reed emphatically declaring "everything else is shit" after hearing an early Ramones performance in New York and I'd say that's an appropriate response to hearing their debut album for the first time. I would have been tempted to switch to the Sex Pistols in 77, but ultimately the Ramones released three really good albums in the time frame where the Pistols released just one, and Nevermind the Bollocks is really just the great singles + Bodies. The Ramones albums are much stronger track for track. Ramones were also one of the most exciting live bands ever as well.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- 1980-1987
EC would have been right behind Ramones in the My Aim is True/This Year's Model era. I like Ramones' End of the Century better than some people, but that marked the beginning of their decline in the 1980 while Costello released possibly his best album in Get Happy that year. That's enough to move him ahead. He continued to release good albums throughout the 80's and the mid 80's is a bit of a weak period for me so there's no one I'd put ahead of him.
Sonic Youth- 1988-1995
I would have considered putting either Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth ahead of EC in 87 with the release of You're Living All Over Me and Sister, respectively. But after Sonic Youth released their second masterpiece in a row with Daydream Nation in 88 it was clear it was their time. I also like Sonic Youth's early 90's albums better than basically anything Britpop or grunge were putting out at the time so I'll stick with them through the first half of the 90's. Might have considered putting Blur ahead when Parklife came out in 94 but that's just one album.
Radiohead- 1995-2011
Sonic Youth were getting a little older in 95 and Radiohead released The Bends which immediately would have put them ahead. Their place was solidified with two of the five best rock albums of all time in my opinion in The Bends and OKC. Basically everything they released in this period was a masterpiece or close to it, outside of Amnesiac, which still has some very impressive superlatives despite its flaws (super cohesive, Life in a Glasshouse is better than 99% of bands best songs)
Arcade Fire- 2011-2014
I like Funeral, but for me Arcade Fire's peak is the Suburbs/Reflektor era. The release of The Suburbs in 2010 combined with the meh King of Limbs from Radiohead in 2011 is when I moved Arcade Fire ahead (no would have this time, I was actually cognizant for this)
A Giant Dog- 2014-present
I'm at a bit of a loss here. The second half of the 2010's is when rock music really started to go downhill. During Arcade Fire's hiatus leading up to the crummy Everything Now, these guys (an Austin Punk band) and St. Vincent were the two highlights for me. St. Vincent isn't a band so I'll give it to A Giant Dog. The thing is, they are both on hiatus now so I really don't know who I'd say now. I liked Fontaines DC's first album but I didn't really like the second one (too pop and new wave-y) so I am reluctant to say them. Arctic Monkeys are only releasing an album every five years now days and their early stuff is better anyway so they're legacy artists now. You could argue the title is vacant.
- my timelines are shorter usually ....basically the best band in the world changes with new record releases or a live show after the pre-Punk era. 
