Best British bands ever

EricTheWeary

Because I'm doing anything other than things I actually need to do I've pulled out @RonnieHotdogs suggestions for the Top 10 Best British bands ever from another Discussion if anyone is interested:  

1) Beatles
2) Stones
3) Kinks
4) Who
5) XTC
6) Small Faces 
7) The La's
8) Shack
9) The Jam
10) Supergrass

 
In terms of record sales it would be (according to Wikipedia):

1. Beatles
2. Zep
3. Queen 
4. Floyd 
5. Stones 
6. Coldplay
7. Dave Clark Five
8. Deep Purple
9. Depeche Mode
10. Dire Straits

I've had a quick go at my own list:

1. The Beatles
2. The Stones.
3. The Who
4. The Police
5. The Clash
6. Led Zep
7. Sabbath
8. Dr Feelgood 
9. Queen 
10. Japan    

[ rough mix of sales, perceived influence and personal preference  - quite hard not to include The Beatles even though I would rarely choose to listen to them]

None of this is very contemporary but then I guess in terms of having an influence and selling records when that was a thing you are always looking backwards. The idea of 'a band' also maybe had it's day as Adele and Ed Sheeran  would have to be on the list if it was artists rather than bands ( although that would also pull through Elton John, Shirley Bassey and Cliff Richard on sales).     

ICBM

A top 10 is impossible.

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Black Sabbath
Led Zeppelin
Deep Purple
Pink Floyd
Genesis
Queen
Roxy Music

Just off the top of my head. All of which deserve to be on any list... and it hasn't even got past the early 1970s yet.

Whitecat

I mean, I guess this is a fun thing if you are talking strictly ultra-mainstream - my *favourite* British bands (e.g. Doves) wouldn't be near any of those lists despite being semi-popular, they aren't really in that 'legendary' category at all. There are also some other omissions like Radiohead & Muse (Supergrass beat both of those? Really?) - for example - that you might surely think would be on one of them... they aren't really super mainstream in the musical sense but they are extremely popular - if you can headline Glastonbury I'd say you've made it to that echelon.

So with that in mind -

Pink Floyd
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Kinks
Muse
Queen
Led Zeppelin
Genesis
The Police
Iron Maiden

munckee

Okay can’t remember if as posted yesterday but

beatles
stones
kinks
pink Floyd
the jam
police
stone roses
the la’s
radiohead
dire straits. 

munckee

The clash, The Who, Clapton and cream  could all have made it. 

stickyfiddle

In no particular order, but probably roughly in this order

Beatles
Stones
Radiohead
The Who
Led Zep
Oasis
Blur
Muse
Queen 
The Police

I did have Floyd on there in my draft list  but honestly 3 great records and a load of other stuff isn't enough. I've never really listened to Sabbath - I probably should. I like certain songs from The Smiths, Joy Division, The Clash and The Jam and I'm aware they're all very important but none make a top 10 for me

munckee

Floyd would be close to top for me, Meddle, DSOTM, WYWH, The Wall alone would get them in let alone great moments on numerous other albums.

Never got Zep just don't like Plant's singing.  Queen were a novelty song band to my ears.

thecolourbox

I can't do a "best" list only a "my favourites" list, not least because I don't really like a lot of the late 60s early 70s stuff that tends to be in the lists above. Not that I consider then rubbish, they just don't have any resonance with me and my tastes. Also I'm finding my favourite bands tend to be American, though favourite solo artists tend to be British.

I would probably go for:

1. Beatles
2. Led Zeppelin
3. Radiohead
4. Queen if they had stopped before the 80s.
5. The Kinks

6. ...


Actually after that it's just bands I listen to a lot that are not necessarily grand enough to go on such a list (looking at Spotify I've got  Libertines, the XX, The Kills are half British, Noah and the Whale, Mumford and Sons)

digitalkettle

Whitecat said:

I mean, I guess this is a fun thing if you are talking strictly ultra-mainstream - my *favourite* British bands (e.g. Doves)...

Doves you say?

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/190182/i-entered-a-doves-recording-competition

Reverend

Maiden
Sabbath
Purple
Motorhead
Beatles
Stones
Kinks
Small Faces
Napalm Death circa 1988

Philly_Q

It's too difficult to weigh up what I like against what's popular, what's "significant" etc.

But I wouldn't be too different from the 1970s-flavoured suggestions above.  Except I'd include Wishbone Ash.  Maybe Jethro Tull.

EricTheWeary

Philly_Q said:

It's too difficult to weigh up what I like against what's popular, what's "significant" etc.

But I wouldn't be too different from the 1970s-flavoured suggestions above.  Except I'd include Wishbone Ash.  Maybe Jethro Tull.

When I was looking at the Wikipedia list I was surprised by how high up Tull were in terms of sales ( certainly top 20). I guess a lot of people in the U.K. would see them as a bit quirky, cult sort of thing here whereas they were pretty huge worldwide. 

Redlester

The only way to resolve this is to organise a 'World Cup' of bands on this part of the website. 

I would be happy to do this in conjunction with other members. 

Just as a starter for ten, the initial group stage could probably be categorised by era or genre.

The 'group of death' would probably have to be the one for metal I think  

I'd rather do it as a parlour game like this that encourages a bit of banter and debate, rather than 'here's my list of stuff', which is the sort of thing that gave Q magazine et al an increasingly bad name. 

pintspiller

I cant figure the love for The La's. I saw them live once after There She Goes came out and the set seemed full of turgid shite. Maybe i had different expectations from hearing the big single, maybe my taste was different (i cant honestly say i thoufht the material was better when the album was finally released as i cant actually say ive heard anything other than There She Goes since).

Redlester

The Shadows have got to be in the list. Great tunes. Fabulous image. Tangible influence on UK culture, and that's before we talk about their influence in pure musical terms. 

Rocker

Beatles
Stones
Queen
Dire Straits
Smokie
Led Zep
Kinks
Shadows
Sex Pistols
Oasis

Vintage-T

Mine would be in no particular order

Beatles
Fleetwood Mac 
The Wildhearts
Manic Street Preachers
Biffy Clyro
Rolling Stones
Frightened Rabbit
Hundred Reasons
Idlewild
Stereophonics

Purely on being a child of the 90's and not really extensively listening to much old school british rock or not liking it that much....an American Bands list would be way harder for me.

blobb

Soft Machine surely?

scrumhalf

In no particualr order

Beatles

Stones

Jimi Hendrix Experience (2/3 of them were English)

Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green incarnations)

Man

Yardbirds

The Move

Led Zep

Deep Purple

Sex Pistols

Hattigol

The Beatles
Radiohead
Sex Pistols
Led Zeppelin
Stone Roses
The Jam
The Police
The Rolling Stones
Queen
The La's

You can close the thread now - we're done here....

Redlester

Sabbath simply have to be on this list. They created a new genre and altered our culture. End of story.