Best British band EVER!

[swiss tony]

This whole debate is going nowhere on the basis that no distinction has been made between "Group which meant must to you in your life" and a more objective view of "Best Group" in terms of general cultural impact.

I am by no means a huge Beatles fan but to use their early boy band era as representative is silly. I prefer the raunch and strut of Jagger any day but can appreciate that the Beatles were a more "important" band in terms of the cultural influence they had and also their originality. Wasn't there at the time, but my dad tells tales of how a new Beatles album would literally change the way music sounded for the next 12 months.

My boring musicologist view would therefore be The Beatles but my more wahey-get-in-there personal one would be The Roses. Still think of it as the best debut ever. Very retro but somehow captured the mood of the time. Still think Squires' guitar playing on that album is sublime and like other people have said has that timeless quality that only truly great artists can produce.

"I don't have to sell me soul....he's already in me".

By the way, this is my first ever post even though I've been reading for the past year. Hello to everyone!!!!

 

[the right footed denilson]

doesnt need saying again but...f*** me mate!!! how can u exclude the clash?? this poll is a joke.
and..the libertines?
what about the specials?? or duran duran or even the f***ing pet shop boys!?!

the verve

im enraged

 

[El Presidente]

Apparently Ian Brown did a gig last week with a Roses tribute band and did all the old stuff!!

 

[the right footed denilson]

apparently the libertines are better than the stranglers

 

[swiss tony]

Read this article on the Independent website about Ian Brown which sounded like an absolutely immense gig:
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/story.jsp?story=545684

Squires has got no excuse not to reform the Roses- his career like Johnny Marr's has been pants since the demise of his group.

I've been living outside the UK for 18 months but would be straight down to the travel agent if they got back together.

 

[Soul Finger]

Read this article on the Independent website about Ian Brown which sounded like an absolutely immense gig:
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/reviews/story.jsp?story=545684

Squires has got no excuse not to reform the Roses- his career like Johnny Marr's has been pants since the demise of his group.

I've been living outside the UK for 18 months but would be straight down to the travel agent if they got back together.

Me too mate. Missed out on their 95 Brighton Centre gig.

Would give my right arm to see the original line up live. OK, my left arm.

 

[swiss tony]

Was lucky enough to get to see them at Leeds on that tour. Highlight was the encore of I am the Resurrection at which point a completely f**cked Bez suddenly appeared in the crowd behind me and my mates. Priceless memories.

 

[dougdeep]

I think to really appreciate the Beatles, you had to grow up with them.They were really progressive, and their harmony and song writing were unrivalled at that time. They even sound dated to me now,especially their early stuff.

 

[Yorkie]

I love Oasis but the Beatles drown them in stinky urine from a massive height. Manufactured? FFS, that wasn't the case back then. Look at who they've influenced.

They are, and will always be, the greatest band ever to walk God's earth.

Harmony, melody, rhythym and soul. Not all music has to be riddled with pessimism, angst and sorrow.

Sorry, I'm shitted but I think I'm making a relatively valid point

How could they be manufactured when three of them went to school together?
Admittedly Ringo was brought in because he was a better drummer but they had already written a lot of their stuff prior to that.

As someone else said you had to live in the 60's to appreciate what the Beatles did to pop music. The Stones just expanded the already existing Rythm and Blues stuff (old style R&B not what you call it now)

Oasis have said that the Beatles were their inspiration and lots of other groups have as well.

Of course their gigs were full of youngsters. In my generation there really was a generation gap.
Anybody over the age of 25 was past it, square etc (and all the other daft words we used back then)

I went to a Paul McCartney concert last year in Manchester where he had 3 session musicians with him. He was just as superb as ever.
In the audience were loads of people my age but there were also loads of 40's, 30's, 20's and teens.

He was onstage for over two and a half hours, at one stage on his own with just an acoustic guitar. He held that audience spellbound.

How many other groups have had members who can write film music and 'classical' music?
Before anyone has a go back, yes, I even liked the Frog song as my daughter who was small at the time adored it.

Something for everyone.

 

[pasty]

A fairly precictable (for those that know me) vote from the Pasty jury for Queen

Closely followed by Pink Floyd

 

[alan partridge]

Listen to 'She loves you'.
Then listen to 'Masterplan'.
Which is more complex and developed musically?
Which band are more evocative of an entire culture then Oasis during the early 90s?

I like the Beatles and Oasis. There's a lot of things on this thread that I disagree with but this comment takes the biscuit.

So you're saying that 90s culture can be summed up in one word are you Richie? RETRO.
Oasis are a great band, but original they are NOT. I didn't grow up in the 60s but it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see how ahead of their time the Beatles were.

It seems you hit those wonderful late teen, early twenties at the time of Brit Pop and in your nostalgia clouded memories you want to make the bands of that time better than they actually were.

Everyone does it, I do it with Acid House, people about 10 years older than me do it with Punk, then there's the 60s etc. and ofcourse the Beatles.

One thing the Beatles and Acid House had in common was, before them there was nothing else like it.
I don't think Oasis should even be on the list, great band that they are.

I'm going for the stone roses. On the basis of just one album. Bit unfair to the others I know, but it is a pretty damn fine album.

 

[Northstander]

these lists make me laugh, everyone has their own opinion and diofferent tastes in music, and if this wasn't the case the world would be very boring.

BUT I would have to say The Beatles regardless of their era, they revolutionialised music at that time!! The song writing of Mccartney and Lennon and of course not forgetting Harrison and Star was legendary.

The other bands there would certianly top lists of other criteria, ie Queen....most definatley the best ever LIVE band!! See ...Live Aid as an example!!

I have voted The beatles....

 

[Trufflehound]

Gang of Four, IMO.

One of the first really loud bands you could actually dance to.

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers freely admit it was seeing Go4 that inspired them to form a band (some may argue whether that was a good thing or not). They also had a big impact on Michael Stipe and Kurt Cobain. How many British groups (possibly Beatles and Stones apart) can claim to have had as much influence on the recent American music scene, as opposed to the other way around?

 

[Trufflehound]

Oh, and how come no one's mentioned Echo & the Bunnymen?

Cack now that Ian McCulloch's voice has abandoned him, but in their day they were untouchable.

 

[JJ McClure]

Stones, Beatles, or Queen. One of any of them. Probably Queen....or the the Rolling Stones...or

 

[aftershavedave]

clash followed by the stones, then stone roses for me.

and how on earth mister morris can comment on the jam's live performances when they split up before he was born is beyond me!

 

[The Orange Seagull]

Has got to be Queen without a doubt,I was lucky enough to be at Live Aid and Freddie Mercury was the best showman ever!!

A close second would be The Rolling Stones,great music and live act!(also happened to be at number one in the charts with Jumpin Jack Flash the day I was born!)

Oh but what about Oasis,The Smiths,Beatles,The Who ...................damn,the list goes on and on!

 

[lincs seagull]

The Rolling Stones...su-bloody-perb. Much better then the beatles and didnt turn into pretensious tossers.

love the stones but they have become a coperate band now dont really offer any thing the best thing to do is hang the old musical instuments up now as they tarnish a great image they created

 

[Marshy]

I wouldnt expect Richie to rate the Beatles after all they are the best.....

People who think they know a lot about something never view what is commonly viewed as the best to be just that.

The Beatles are the best and the results of the poll show that, there music will be played and loved in another 50 years time, unlike MOST of the other bands on that list.

 

[NMH]

Having just got home from their gig tonight at the Hollywood Bowl, I am reminded that the best band ever to walk England's green and pleasant land are indeed the 'orrible 'oo !!

They opened with Can't Explain, Substitute, then Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, Baba O'Reilly, Behind Blue Eyes, several off of Quadrophenia, and some of Tommy, Eminence Front, Who Are You, You Better You Bet (the weakest of their set, imo) My Generation, and Won't Get Fooled Again.

QED !