Favorite Band/Artist

[Shadow23]

Only an approximate list. Only the top 5 is cemented.

1. The Beatles
2. David Bowie
3. Talking Heads
4. Pink Floyd
5. Arcade Fire
6. John Lennon
7. Wings/Paul McCartney
8. Godley & Creme
9. Queen
10. George Harrison
11. Supertramp
12. 10cc
13. Fleetwood Mac
14. Roxy Music
15. Was (Not Was)
_________________
One thing I can tell you is you've got to be free

[Kiki]

1. Manic Street Preachers

[RoundTheBend]

I split my favorite bands up into 3 categories: Favorite artists, meaning those that do more than make music, they make art. Favorite Rockers, those that aren't amazing at creating pieces of art, but are amazing rockers. Those are the two main ones, and everything that doesn't fit in those two categories usually I like a bit of their stuff but they can't really be considered my favorite because their music just doesn't speak to me:

First I will list the bands that have become a part of me. I care to know everything about their history, etc. You could say I am a fanatic when it comes to these bands. I truly enjoy their entire discography. In this order, but they go back and forth, pending on how time changes my perception.

1. The Beatles
2. U2
3. Radiohead
4. Nirvana/Foo Fighters (I know they aren't the same/but I group'em that way)
5. Led Zeppelin
6. Muse
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. R.E.M.
9. Paul Simon/Simon and Garfunkel
10. Coldplay
11. The Smashing Pumpkins
12. Elbow
13. Rage Against the Machine
14. Weezer
15. Thrice

GENERAL LIST:

Favorite Artists:
The Beatles*
Radiohead*
U2*
R.E.M.*
Arcade Fire
Beck*
Coldplay*
Muse*
The Cure
The Doors
Donavan
Paul Simon*
Elbow*
The Smashing Pumpkins* (on the border of rocker and artist)
Sigur Ros
As Tall As Lions
Velvet Underground/Lou Reed

Favorite Rockers:
Rage Against the Machine*
Sly and The Family Stone
Led Zeppelin*
Rolling Stones
311
Foo Fighters*
Red Hot Chili Peppers*
Little Richard*
Chuck Berry
Buddy Holly
Elvis
CCR
Eagles of Death Metal
Green Day
Incubus
CSNY
Jane's Addiction
NIN
Pearl Jam
Pixies
Sublime
Steve Miller Band
Tom Petty (with and without the Heartbreakers)
Weezer*
The White Stripes
Thrice*

[RoundTheBend]

As I was going through these musicians and rating thing/thinking about their significance in my life etc. I had these thoughts:

1. Do we look at an artist only in their prime, or average out their career to rank them higher than others? If you like them you like them, this question doesn't matter, but if you start ranking them, it starts to... for example, had the Beatles not broken up, and therefore go on to create sub-par Beatles music (I don't love everything they did in their solo careers for example), would I rank them lower? Or a band like U2... I find it amazing that they have been going 30 years strong, but their quality of albums surpass the Rolling Stones, IMO... but if I just ranked the Stones work on songs, in their prime versus, U2s album in their prime... REALLY hard choice to make.

2. Is it a big deal that their entire discography is amazing? For example Weezer and Thrice... I REALLY like their good stuff, and REALLY dislike their not so good stuff... it is funny, these two bands mirror each other chronologically... I REALLY like Thrices last three albums - Alchemy Index, but their early stuff I dislike because they were trying to sound like other people to get somewhere. Weezer on the other hand was amazing when they started off, and have hated everything they did past the Red Album.

3. Due to the criteria of my list, does the ability to be artistic rank higher than to be a good musician? Meaning, I can play guitar like no other, but I can't really create art with it... which has more worth. I am starting to believe the latter, as the Beatles and Radiohead I think are ranked so high on this site because they are artists first and amazing musicians second.

[DarkSideOfTheComputer]

The Beatles

Queen

Nirvana

The Smiths

The Misfits

Minor Threat

The Replacements

Bruce Springsteen

Elvis Costello

The Ramones

The Clash

Green Day

The Strokes

Cat Stevens

TLC

Notorious BIG

[JOSweetHeart]

The following is my list of favorites.

1.) James Otto
2.) Alison Krauss & Union Station
3.) LeAnn Rimes
4.) Tanya Tucker
5.) Trace Adkins
6.) Darryl Worley
7.) Brad Paisley
8.) Kenny Chesney
9.) Toby Keith
10.) Hal Ketchum

Duo/Trio/Band: Brooks & Dunn, SheDaisy, and Diamond Rio

God bless you and them always!!!

Holly