Guest deleted_19765 Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) Simple question:What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best? I started out on a poll for this, but it could have in no way accounted for our diverse tastes wholly.These occurred to me:The Beach BoysCreedence Clearwater RevivalJefferson AirplaneCSNYThe Grateful DeadLynyrd SkynyrdThe Allman Brothers BandAerosmithVan HalenThe RamonesGuns N' RosesMetallicaRed Hot Chili PeppersNine Inch NailsGreen DayNirvanaFor me, The Beach Boys embody America more accurately than any other group. If I had made the poll, I would have voted for them. Although, a case can be made for almost all of these bands. Nirvana, for example, represented America in the 1990s the best. There's a strong case for GNR as well, I believeWhat do you think? Edited September 21, 2009 by AgainstAllOdds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lithium Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) I believe the first two bands of your list, as well as Skynyrd and, to an extent, Allman Brothers and CSNY, are the ones who represent America the best. The bands you suggested, like Nirvana or Guns N' Roses, are more of a result of cultural clashes from all over the western world, ergo a result of an increasing globalization, or maybe occidentalisation, of culture.When I think of music that is 100% Grade-A American, I think of country, jazz and blues. Edited September 21, 2009 by Lithium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunko12345 Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I think Metallica were too influenced by the British metal bands like Diamond Head, Sabbath and Motorhead for me to think of them as a typical American band. Plus they have the most cliched European man who ever walked the earth as their drummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumpin' Jack Flash Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Oh wow! I was actually thinking of making a thread like this the other day!!! I think bands that best represent America are The Ramones, The Beach Boys, and to an extent Nirvana. Although you could probably guess most of these just by looking at my signature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Some of them speak mostly to a certain part of the population, but it's hard to think of one that covers everything that is America. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vince41090 Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Beach Boys & Skynyrd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axlslash Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 50s and 60s - Beach Boys70s and on - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axl_on_drums Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Beach Boys (greatest band of all time)CCRSpringsteenGNRAerosmith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Satanisk_Slakt Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 (edited) This is a topic I really don't know anything about, but how about adding The Stooges to the list?Definitely one of Americas best bands, and after what Frankwhite and Lithium told me once, one of the, and maybe even the most important band.Here is the topic: http://www.mygnrforum.com/index.php?showto...t=0&start=0 Edited September 21, 2009 by Satanisk_Slakt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightningBolt Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 I love The Stooges and all, but saying they're the most important band to ever come from America is just an overstatement, pure and simple.As for the question from the OP, I'd have to think about it more. Bruce Springsteen does seem to have that "American sound" to his music, and is also vastly popular. All of those "heartland rock" type groups make me think of America, to be honest, like John Mellencamp and the rest of those guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucketslash Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Aerosmith5 boys from boston who, without gimmicks or music videos, became the worlds greatest hard rock band, mixing american rock n' roll of the 50's with the blues, a true american art form. They struggled and floundered, and fell, but rose again. Because great americans are challenged to be great time and time again. Fifteen minutes of fame doesn't create a champion that people believe in. The american dream isn't a plateau. It's a mountain, and climbing it twice and never giving up like aerosmith is a story for america. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.A. Guns Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Aerosmith and Skynyrd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest floyd the barber Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 How awesome are the Beach Boys? They kick major ass.I hope my hair could look half as awesome as Brian Wilson's when I'm his age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luciusfunk Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Probably Beach Boys, Aerosmith or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axl_on_drums Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 How awesome are the Beach Boys? They kick major ass.I hope my hair could look half as awesome as Brian Wilson's when I'm his age. He's my hero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zint Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?Alice CooperHe's delved into American culture on many levels.This is the band/artist that's been holding a mirror up to American culture and laughing at it...and with it...all the way.While Springsteen's heroes were picketing at the textile mills...little Betty was at home eating a pound of aspirin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest floyd the barber Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?Alice CooperHe's delved into American culture on many levels.This is the band/artist that's been holding a mirror up to American culture and laughing at it...and with it...all the way.While Springsteen's heroes were picketing at the textile mills...little Betty was at home eating a pound of aspirin.I respectfully disagree.In terms of record sales from American musicians, the Beach Boys are number 1 on the list. They have three platinum records in Little Deuce Coupe, Pet Sounds, and Still Cruisin' and they have eight other albums that have reached Gold. Additionally, they've reached the charts every single album they've released with the exception of their second to last album in the United States, they've reached the charts on almost every album they've sold in the UK, and they've done quite well in Australia too. Keep in mind that the Beach Boys have released over 25 albums since the 1960's.Paul McCartney also spoke at their Rock N' Roll HOF. How awesome is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zint Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?Alice CooperHe's delved into American culture on many levels.This is the band/artist that's been holding a mirror up to American culture and laughing at it...and with it...all the way.While Springsteen's heroes were picketing at the textile mills...little Betty was at home eating a pound of aspirin.I respectfully disagree.In terms of record sales from American musicians, the Beach Boys are number 1 on the list. They have three platinum records in Little Deuce Coupe, Pet Sounds, and Still Cruisin' and they have eight other albums that have reached Gold. Additionally, they've reached the charts every single album they've released with the exception of their second to last album in the United States, they've reached the charts on almost every album they've sold in the UK, and they've done quite well in Australia too. Keep in mind that the Beach Boys have released over 25 albums since the 1960's.Paul McCartney also spoke at their Rock N' Roll HOF. How awesome is that?I don't recall this being a thread about which American band has sold the most records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest floyd the barber Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?Alice CooperHe's delved into American culture on many levels.This is the band/artist that's been holding a mirror up to American culture and laughing at it...and with it...all the way.While Springsteen's heroes were picketing at the textile mills...little Betty was at home eating a pound of aspirin.I respectfully disagree.In terms of record sales from American musicians, the Beach Boys are number 1 on the list. They have three platinum records in Little Deuce Coupe, Pet Sounds, and Still Cruisin' and they have eight other albums that have reached Gold. Additionally, they've reached the charts every single album they've released with the exception of their second to last album in the United States, they've reached the charts on almost every album they've sold in the UK, and they've done quite well in Australia too. Keep in mind that the Beach Boys have released over 25 albums since the 1960's.Paul McCartney also spoke at their Rock N' Roll HOF. How awesome is that?I don't recall this being a thread about which American band has sold the most records.You can't be America's band if you cannot sell albums, obviously the Beach Boys did that and more. Record sales have a lot to do with America's greatest band, don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zint Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Simple question:What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?There's no one-band-personification answer to this question really.Everyone has hit on important elements.The Beach Boys delved into American culture and philosophies on a somewhat superficial level....but brilliantly on an artistic level.Some artists took "popularity, influence" and explored "America's culture and philosophies" further.Waaaaaaaay further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevGNR666 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 (edited) the velvet underground. dirty. sexy. simple.ed. also didn't write about being on a beach for half their career. albeit, the other half of the beach boys career was spent experimenting and achieved a level of artistic grandeur, but most of vocal-harmony music, for me, sounds contrived and too damn happy (aesthetically) for it to capture the cultural void that is america. Edited September 23, 2009 by stevGNR666 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucketslash Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I think brian wilson as a wholeafter the beach boys you add in smile, a true tribute to america, and that lucky old sun, a tribute to brian wilson's life growing up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axl_on_drums Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Simple question:What major American Rock band combines popularity, influence, and a representation of America's culture and philosophies best?There's no one-band-personification answer to this question really.Everyone has hit on important elements.The Beach Boys delved into American culture and philosophies on a somewhat superficial level....but brilliantly on an artistic level.Some artists took "popularity, influence" and explored "America's culture and philosophies" further.Waaaaaaaay further.haha, so wrong.Go look up smile and see what that was all about. That's american history right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zion Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Kiss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunko12345 Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 ZZ Top? Wu Tang? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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