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Still the greatest rock band!


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The full top 10 among all generations are as follows:

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Foo Fighters
3. Nirvana
4. AC/DC
5. Kurt Cobain
6. Alice Cooper
7. Thin Lizzy
8. Foreigner
9. Ozzy Osbourne
10. Nickleback

Nickleback?!?! Damn it people!

 

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1046170/Led-Zeppelin-Foo-Fighters-UK-favourite-rock-bands-Nirvana-Kurt-Cobain

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Foo Fighters. A notch above Nickelback.

Anyone else find Zep's success kinda strange? Now of course I'm speaking as an 80s kid who didn't experience it first hand, but most of the band's catalogue is very offbeat musically and doesn't really have that cookie cutter, mass appeal format or production. It couldn't all be because of Stairway and Kashmir could it? Or just because they "Put on a great show". Now don't get me wrong, Zep are by far my favorite band and I truly understand and respect their talents, but it never really seemed to me like those talents were ever geared toward a massive, general audience. More for like blues rock, folk crossover die hards. 

Even their setlists, 1977 for example, seem oddball for an average listener. Tracks like TSRTS, a weird, upbeat progressive style overture with a twelve string guitar and just a few verses. Sick Again- A solid rock track, but was it really that popular? Not exactly Highway To Hell or Brown Sugar. IMTOD- a 10 minute slide blues track. Did this thing even get played on the radio back then? Ten Years Gone is a wonderful tune, but even a ballad like this seems oddball stacked up to something like Angie or [other popular rock ballad]. Apart from Going To California, none of their acoustic tracks seemed to be radio staples. Then something like Achilles Last Stand- as badass as the track is, imagining teenage girls or middle aged dudes wanting to hear it live is difficult for me (though I suppose a lot of the girls were there for other reasons). Then factor in Plant's high pitch, wailing vocals (which a lot of people don't like) and it's hard to picture Led Zeppelin as the leading rock act throughout the 70s.

Long story short, Zep always seemed like the underground band the cool kids in school would go see while the average listener saw Paul McCartney or Elton John. I just find it hard to imagine that Misty Mountain Hop and Dancing Days could compete with the other 70s rock staples that were flowing out in the 70s. Maybe some of the old timers here will give their account on the driving appeal of Zep back in the day.

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1 hour ago, Tainted cheese said:

Rolling Stones must be 11? Goofy list . . . Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac would make #s 2-10 sound feeble . . . Oh Well . . .wink, wink

Well it’s weighted on the more metallic side. All these polls are goofy and why is Kurt in there on his own? 

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7 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Foo Fighters. A notch above Nickelback.

Anyone else find Zep's success kinda strange? Now of course I'm speaking as an 80s kid who didn't experience it first hand, but most of the band's catalogue is very offbeat musically and doesn't really have that cookie cutter, mass appeal format or production. It couldn't all be because of Stairway and Kashmir could it? Or just because they "Put on a great show". Now don't get me wrong, Zep are by far my favorite band and I truly understand and respect their talents, but it never really seemed to me like those talents were ever geared toward a massive, general audience. More for like blues rock, folk crossover die hards. 

Even their setlists, 1977 for example, seem oddball for an average listener. Tracks like TSRTS, a weird, upbeat progressive style overture with a twelve string guitar and just a few verses. Sick Again- A solid rock track, but was it really that popular? Not exactly Highway To Hell or Brown Sugar. IMTOD- a 10 minute slide blues track. Did this thing even get played on the radio back then? Ten Years Gone is a wonderful tune, but even a ballad like this seems oddball stacked up to something like Angie or [other popular rock ballad]. Apart from Going To California, none of their acoustic tracks seemed to be radio staples. Then something like Achilles Last Stand- as badass as the track is, imagining teenage girls or middle aged dudes wanting to hear it live is difficult for me (though I suppose a lot of the girls were there for other reasons). Then factor in Plant's high pitch, wailing vocals (which a lot of people don't like) and it's hard to picture Led Zeppelin as the leading rock act throughout the 70s.

Long story short, Zep always seemed like the underground band the cool kids in school would go see while the average listener saw Paul McCartney or Elton John. I just find it hard to imagine that Misty Mountain Hop and Dancing Days could compete with the other 70s rock staples that were flowing out in the 70s. Maybe some of the old timers here will give their account on the driving appeal of Zep back in the day.

It's truly amazing. But remember, the '70's seemed to be able to accommodate a lovely broad soundscape for artists to successfully explore. Queen, The Who, Pink Floyd, Dire Straights, The Stones, The Boss, Neil Diamond (yes, Neil Diamond) Neil Young, the list is endless....

It has to be the reputation for the live shows coupled with every album having no filler at all. They were great rock albums. While the song structures aren't "easy listening" as @Strider pointed out to me recently, they still are amazing to people who just love good music. Remember, that was the age of no internet, limited press (limited to rock magazines), album covers meaning a LOT, and it was truly the golden age of rock albums/tours. Basically word of mouth???

I'd be interested also in members who were teens in the '70s give a good take on it. What a time to be alive!!! BEST decade EVER.

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I think they existed in the golden era for such music of album oriented complex rock and they had enough of guitar and also vocal hooks although mostly not in a pop way, radios played whole albums those days and Zeppelin played fantastic shows that just grew and grew.

Zeppelin are still very popular, but a Zeppelin fan that is totally immersed in it, might be a bit in the mist how that actually manifests in the real world. It's much more dispersed these days, there is tons of music, especially bad, corny, cheap selling music and in many countries and towns you would have to look really hard to find people who love such music especially very deeply, but put them all together and ask the right poeple for a right magazine or radio station and Zeppelin is still many times right on top yeah! 

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10 hours ago, gibsonfan159 said:

Maybe some of the old timers here will give their account on the driving appeal of Zep back in the day.

I guess I am an old timer since I am 59.  It would take a long time for me to write up how I perceived Zep success throughout the 70s, but there  are two moments that stick with me.   When Black Dog finally hit the radio the new "cool" kid in town from the city played it during homeroom.  Most people did not know what it was and he said come  on people this is the new song by the coolest band.  Everybody wanted to know what it was. 

 In 1975 right after PG was released there was this moment when I knew Zep had conquered all.  We were allowed to play rock music in the lunchroom that year.  I think the music teacher set up a turntable and sound system.  Anyway, the music was chosen by people like top athletes and cheerleaders.  One day I heard Custard Pie blasting .  I looked up to see the record had been put on by two of the most "popular"  cheerleaders who defined fashion for most of the girls in school.  One of them was junior class president.  There they were, in their finest platform shoes and bell bottoms rocking out and dancing to  Custard Pie.

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1 hour ago, John M said:

I guess I am an old timer since I am 59.  It would take a long time for me to write up how I perceived Zep success throughout the 70s, but there  are two moments that stick with me.   When Black Dog finally hit the radio the new "cool" kid in town from the city played it during homeroom.  Most people did not know what it was and he said come  on people this is the new song by the coolest band.  Everybody wanted to know what it was. 

 

Thanks for the first hand account. It's weird, and maybe it's just the hick town I grew up in, but I never heard any older person talk about Zep. The Stones, Beatles, Elvis, sure. But never Zep.

I imagine that the fourth album had a greater impact than most people my age realize. Black Dog, Rock And Roll, Stairway To Heaven, Misty Mountain Hop, Going To California- that's five radio staples on one album, and the other three tracks aren't too shabby. They had more of a general appeal radio format as well, which probably got those soccer moms interested in seeing them live lol.

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On 11/19/2018 at 8:29 PM, gibsonfan159 said:

Foo Fighters. A notch above Nickelback.

Anyone else find Zep's success kinda strange? Now of course I'm speaking as an 80s kid who didn't experience it first hand, but most of the band's catalogue is very offbeat musically and doesn't really have that cookie cutter, mass appeal format or production. It couldn't all be because of Stairway and Kashmir could it? Or just because they "Put on a great show". Now don't get me wrong, Zep are by far my favorite band and I truly understand and respect their talents, but it never really seemed to me like those talents were ever geared toward a massive, general audience. More for like blues rock, folk crossover die hards. 

Even their setlists, 1977 for example, seem oddball for an average listener. Tracks like TSRTS, a weird, upbeat progressive style overture with a twelve string guitar and just a few verses. Sick Again- A solid rock track, but was it really that popular? Not exactly Highway To Hell or Brown Sugar. IMTOD- a 10 minute slide blues track. Did this thing even get played on the radio back then? Ten Years Gone is a wonderful tune, but even a ballad like this seems oddball stacked up to something like Angie or [other popular rock ballad]. Apart from Going To California, none of their acoustic tracks seemed to be radio staples. Then something like Achilles Last Stand- as badass as the track is, imagining teenage girls or middle aged dudes wanting to hear it live is difficult for me (though I suppose a lot of the girls were there for other reasons). Then factor in Plant's high pitch, wailing vocals (which a lot of people don't like) and it's hard to picture Led Zeppelin as the leading rock act throughout the 70s.

Long story short, Zep always seemed like the underground band the cool kids in school would go see while the average listener saw Paul McCartney or Elton John. I just find it hard to imagine that Misty Mountain Hop and Dancing Days could compete with the other 70s rock staples that were flowing out in the 70s. Maybe some of the old timers here will give their account on the driving appeal of Zep back in the day.

I think the key to Zeppelin's appeal in the 70s was their diversity.   They had everything and they did everything well.  They had hard rocking tracks, folky songs, pretty songs, epic songs, bluesy songs, funk, glam rock stuff and sometimes they mixed it all up.  

They were never just just a hard rock or blues group,a folky group ,or just a prog group.  And when they played proggy things they still had a hard rock edge.  They clearly hit the big time when Whole Lotta Love took AM and FM radio by storm.   Then Heartbreaker.   Black Dog was a huge radio hit, as was Rock and Roll.  Stairway did not catch on right away.  

Houses of the Holy was so different from what came before, a completely different sound and approach.  The Ocean,  Dancing Days, and D'yer Ma'ker were huge radio hits.  Over the Hills was very popular too.  No surprises there.  Then you have  the PG songs that were on the radio.  Their popularity was cemented.  I heard Houses of the Holy on the radio all the time in 1975 for instance.  It was big on FM radio.

As to the 1977 set list.  TSRTS was a wonderful energetic upbeat song that became very popular due to the 1976 release of the movie and the soundtrack.  Sick Again was in fashion because it was so rough and sleazy, and it had really wrapped up the PG album so well.  Nobody's Fault was a HUGE success and was wildly popular among the hard rock/album rock set - just listen to the crowd reactions during that song.  No Quarter had hit the big time due to the movie and the soundtrack.  Everyone loves a great blues like SIBLY.  Dying Time was for serious heavy music fans.  They lightened the mood with the acoustic set, they played the monster epics (Kashmir and Achilles), and in those days Ten Years Gone was very popular.

I do think alot of people who went in 1977 were casual fans who loved Stairway and the other radio songs, and they wanted to be part of the biggest rock event of the year.  Zeppelin were mysterious and larger than life.  They were not as one dimensional as other big bands of the day.  They had everything and they had swagger.

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On 11/19/2018 at 10:59 PM, chef free said:

The full top 10 among all generations are as follows:

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Foo Fighters
3. Nirvana
4. AC/DC
5. Kurt Cobain
6. Alice Cooper
7. Thin Lizzy
8. Foreigner
9. Ozzy Osbourne
10. Nickleback

Nickleback?!?! Damn it people!

 

https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1046170/Led-Zeppelin-Foo-Fighters-UK-favourite-rock-bands-Nirvana-Kurt-Cobain

Er really ?  ..so no Stones, Deep Purple, The Who, Rush, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Queen (early) etc etc ...What a crap poll —apart from No1 of course !

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It's not so easy to say if Led Zep still is the greatest Rock band in the world. I put Led Zep as No. 1 BUT I also put The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd on the FIRST place. The big difference between these three bands is that the only group which exist today and still are touring and release music is The Stones. It's strong by Mick and Keith to still after 55 years release good rock and make world tours.

I remember an interview with Mick in Swedish television for a couple of years ago. He was asked if it wasen't time to ger retired. He answered... my education is as a plummer but I think I make a better job as a rocksinger.  😀

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Led Zeppelin 

Beatles

Queen

The Rolling Stones

Jimi Hendrix Experience / Band of Gypsies

The Who

Cream

Rush

Foo Fighters / The Police

Pink Floyd

(in no particular order except Led Zeppelin being  # 1 of course)

R😎🎸👍

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4 hours ago, reids said:

Led Zeppelin 

Beatles

Queen

The Rolling Stones

Jimi Hendrix Experience / Band of Gypsies

The Who

Cream

Rush

Foo Fighters / The Police

Pink Floyd

(in no particular order except Led Zeppelin being  # 1 of course)

R😎🎸👍

A much better "top ten" list!  I'll give you 9/10 for it, I just can't fathom Foo Fighters and The Police with the rest of these bands...

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2 hours ago, chef free said:

A much better "top ten" list!  I'll give you 9/10 for it, I just can't fathom Foo Fighters and The Police with the rest of these bands...

Hard to narrow to just 10 but in place of those I'd put Sabbath, Purple, even AC / DC

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I have to add, one of the most "left out" groups that absolutley are in the top ten is Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, for only 2 plus years they created some great songs and Greeny was a force on guitar! I believe Page has even mentioned them a few times early on (1970) and later as an influence, especially the song Oh Well, which has similar breaks/pacing to Black Dog.

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38 minutes ago, Tainted cheese said:

I have to add, one of the most "left out" groups that absolutley are in the top ten is Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, for only 2 plus years they created some great songs and Greeny was a force on guitar! I believe Page has even mentioned them a few times early on (1970) and later as an influence, especially the song Oh Well, which has similar breaks/pacing to Black Dog.

Hear Hear! Great post. 

I also believe Rory Gallagher warrants a place 

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18 hours ago, vinylcollector said:

It's not so easy to say if Led Zep still is the greatest Rock band in the world. I put Led Zep as No. 1 BUT I also put The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd on the FIRST place. The big difference between these three bands is that the only group which exist today and still are touring and release music is The Stones. It's strong by Mick and Keith to still after 55 years release good rock and make world tours.

I remember an interview with Mick in Swedish television for a couple of years ago. He was asked if it wasen't time to ger retired. He answered... my education is as a plummer but I think I make a better job as a rocksinger.  😀

I have to mention a pop/rock band who have sold more records and have reached more No. 1 at global top charts than any other rock band in the world - THE BEATLES. For a couple of weeks ago the 50th anniversary of The White Album was released. The only "bad" thing with The Beatles was that they only made 3 world tours (1964, 1965 & 1966). But the first concerts The Fab Four made outside The UK after they became famous and after they released She Loves You in August 1963 was in Sweden in October och in November 1963 they released I Want To Hold Your Hand.

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7 hours ago, Tainted cheese said:

I have to add, one of the most "left out" groups that absolutley are in the top ten is Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, for only 2 plus years they created some great songs and Greeny was a force on guitar! I believe Page has even mentioned them a few times early on (1970) and later as an influence, especially the song Oh Well, which has similar breaks/pacing to Black Dog.

The thing is despite it being an obviously crap list, it is supposed to be a list of the most POPULAR groups ( by readers of the express I assume) and as much as I love Peter Green and those early Fleetwood Mac Lps and Singles they are swimming against the tide in terms of popularity with the great unwashed. They’ve even managed to almost eclipse themselves in that regard!

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