Coming home from Indianapolis Saturday, I listened to Creed's "My Sacrifice" and realized, "There's a group I miss." Then I thought of Guns 'N Roses, another band with a distinctive sound and a collection of great songs. Miss them, too. Nobody has replaced Creed or Guns 'N Roses. They were unique.
What makes a band unique and memorable? This is what I thought about much of the way home. I decided on these traits:
- Great songs.
- An overall distinctive sound, unlike anyone else.
- A distinctive front man who is a big part of that distinctive sound.
- The Beatles (obviously)
- Rolling Stones
- Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Boston
- REM
- Beach Boys
- U2
And that's about it. I considered Green Day, while listening to "I Walk Alone." I considered Bon Jovi (a great body of work, distinctive lead singer, but not a distinctive enough sound overall). Aerosmith, Kiss, Eagles, the Who--no. Heart--closer. Springsteen--great songs, but you can't pin him down to a certain sound. Styx--real close, but I'll say no for now. Various singers, like David Bowie, sported a distinctive sound but weren't associated with a specific band, so they don't count.
Any groups you would include?
Career-wise, I've been hanging around and writing about and cheering on churches and pastors for the past 25 years as my denomination's Communications Director.
My suggested add: Creedence Clearwater Revival
Chicago with Peter Cetterra.
Wow! Good selection Steve. Having spent some years in radio, and a love for music, you pose a great question. Most of the bands anyone would choose would stem from personal preference, of which I've tried to stay away from. So in no particular order here's a few I've given some thought to...
- Chicago
- Three Dog Night
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Led Zepplin
- Allman Brothers
- Eric Clapton
Rick--
I considered Three Dog Night, one of my all-time favorite bands. However, their "lead singer" was split between three persons (though Chuck Negron sang nearly all the big hits).
Skynyrd almost made my list, but I wasn't sure if their overall sound was all that distinct from other southern rock groups.
Chicago's a good choice. Clapton, Allman Brothers, Zeppelin--honestly, I'm not as well-versed about them as I'd like to be.
Two of my all-time favorite groups have very distinctive sounds. One is ABBA and the other are The B-52's.
Ed - I already listed Creedence.
Rick -- Abba and the B-52s do have a distinctive sound, but neither have a great front-man. In fact, they are more about harmony (especially Abba).