DTF's Top 50 Bands/Artists Countdown Thread! (the final list)

[Jamesman42]

My dad loved LZ. He saw them multiple times at the height of their popularity. I don't remember much of what he specifically said but they were his favorite or second favorite band ever (the other being AC/DC).

[Indiscipline]

Bloody hell yessir, we needed coolin' ... and schoolin'.

Definitely Top 5 for me, if The Beatles are Homer, LZ is Milton. Four incredible voices whose sum is exponentially larger than the total to such an extent matched by maybe only other two acts in rock history. "Chemistry" fails to describe the way those talents interlocked to produce an unrepeatable brand of rock'n'roll (and mystique); you have to resort to some new term sitting between "occult alchemy" and "voodoo magic". 

[emtee]

I don't have the time to participate in these kinds of threads but I read them.

If you were of an age to be listening to Zep at the time of their release (in other words, old) than you know they were a phenomenon that has really only been equaled by the Beatles. At every party, at every school dance, on every day skipping school, on every radio station...they were there. Omnipresent and with a power that was otherworldly. To this day, No Quarter from TSRtS, is a top 5 all time song.

[Stadler]

I didn't have Zep ranked. I respect them heavily, and they are, without a doubt, highly influential. My Dad was a big Zep fan. He got to see them in 1968 opening for The Iron Butterfly. I would argue that the secret to their success was not Page and Plant, it was John Paul Jones and Bonham. Those two were perhaps the best bass and drums duo of all time, and that gave Page and Plant the ability to do what they did.

I wouldn't argue this at all.  There's a post in the Zeppelin countdown where I talked about the lack of REALLY good Zeppelin covers... because most drummers couldn't replicate that push and pull of Bonham (and Page, really, not JPJ).  They played with time in a way that not a lot of musicians can, and it's what made that band breath.  You can't put Stairway to a click track, for example.  There's are plenty of examples on HTWWW that show that. It's what made that version of Achilles Last Stand so good; Matt Cameron GOT IT.  That song just FILLED that arena; it was swirling it was driving... I don't really have the words for it.

If you want a geeky example, this is a fun video by Nick D'Virgilo breaking down/demonstrating two possible ways to play the ending section of Stairway, and even he's not sure how it was actually played on the record.

https://youtu.be/m6uvA8U35mY?si=uuiqEU0H5P216C9T

WOW, that was a real treat.  I didn't understand half of it, because I'm not a drummer, but his enthusiasm and interest in the subject made it compelling. (And not for nothing, I went back after and listened to the examples again, and I could hear everything Nick was talking about).  That was really cool.

[HOF]

I didn't have Zep ranked. I respect them heavily, and they are, without a doubt, highly influential. My Dad was a big Zep fan. He got to see them in 1968 opening for The Iron Butterfly. I would argue that the secret to their success was not Page and Plant, it was John Paul Jones and Bonham. Those two were perhaps the best bass and drums duo of all time, and that gave Page and Plant the ability to do what they did.

I wouldn't argue this at all.  There's a post in the Zeppelin countdown where I talked about the lack of REALLY good Zeppelin covers... because most drummers couldn't replicate that push and pull of Bonham (and Page, really, not JPJ).  They played with time in a way that not a lot of musicians can, and it's what made that band breath.  You can't put Stairway to a click track, for example.  There's are plenty of examples on HTWWW that show that. It's what made that version of Achilles Last Stand so good; Matt Cameron GOT IT.  That song just FILLED that arena; it was swirling it was driving... I don't really have the words for it.

If you want a geeky example, this is a fun video by Nick D'Virgilo breaking down/demonstrating two possible ways to play the ending section of Stairway, and even he's not sure how it was actually played on the record.

https://youtu.be/m6uvA8U35mY?si=uuiqEU0H5P216C9T

WOW, that was a real treat.  I didn't understand half of it, because I'm not a drummer, but his enthusiasm and interest in the subject made it compelling. (And not for nothing, I went back after and listened to the examples again, and I could hear everything Nick was talking about).  That was really cool.

I'm not a drummer either, but I love Nick's videos in part because of his enthusiasm. That whole series is good, as well as all the stuff he does for Sweetwater.

[TAC]

Yay, I can add another band to my list!

25
24   Led Zeppelin  (10)
23
22   Black Sabbath  (20)
21   Megadeth  (32)
20   Van Halen  (13)
19
18
17
16
15
14   Kiss  (30)
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5   Helloween  (38)
4
3
2
1   UFO  (42)

[pg1067]

10. Led Zeppelin

Zeppelin came in at #15.  In retrospect, I think that's too high.  Zeppelin has some amazing material, but the bluesy sludge does nothing for me.


1. LOCK
2. LOCK
3. Fates Warning (12) (I'll be very sad if they don't make the list.  I'm guessing if they aren't one of the next few picks we won't see them.)
4. LOCK
5. Yes (15) (LOCK)
6. Judas Priest (17) (Slightly better than 50/50)
7. Probably (75%+)
8. At this point, I think there's no chance.
9. See #8
10. No way, eh?
11. Probably 90%+
12. LOCK
13. Helloween (38)
14. UFO (42)
15. Led Zeppelin (10) (I think they're probably a lock, but 17 or higher seems surprising to me)
16. LOCK
17. At this point, I'm going to say no better than a 20% chance - surprisingly underrated around here
18. See #17
19. Black Sabbath (20)
20. Not a chance
21. I'm probably the only one to submit this artist
22. See #17
23. Probably?
24. Scorpions (46T)
25. See #17

Not ranked:  Miles Davis, Symphony X, Algalloch, Avenged Sevenfold, King Crimson, The Deer Hunter, Frank Zappa, Evergrey, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Nightwish, Katatonia, Anathema, Between the Buried..., Radiohead, Big Big Train, Peter Gabriel, Megadeath, Riverside, KISS, Ayreon, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, Pain of Salvation, Devin Townsend, Coheed & Cambria, Mastodon, Queen, Tool, Transatlantic, Marillion, Opeth, Van Halen (36), Steven Wilson, Haken

[devieira73]

LZ (my #7) is my favorite classic rock band, impeccable discography and really diverse. It's a shame that the band just lasted a decade.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I'm a casual fan of Zeppelin.  Also more of a fan of their more expansive acoustic-injected material than the straight-ahead hard rock. 

[wolfking]

Can't stand LZ personally.

[SomeoneLikeHim]

Not a huge fan of Led Zeppelin but they were one of the 8 bands I was sure of heading into the top 10.

[ReaperKK]

Another set of 4 British musicians!

09. The Beatles
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Spotify Profile
Monthly Spotify Streams: 36,256,395
Highest Finish: 1 (Stadler, Zydar)
Number of top 10 finishes: 7
Number of Lists appeared on: 14 (coz, DragonAttack, Dream Team, Metropolaris, pg1067, Stadler, twosuitsluke, Dave_Manchester, Zydar, jammindude, nobloodyname, SomeoneLikeHim)

It took a vary long time for me to get into The Beatles. I recognize their impact and greatness but the music never really spoke to me, I also sort of rebelled by people constantly telling me they were the greatest band ever. After multiple discographies spins I finally came to appreciate them in my own way. One thing I appreciate is that while their sound changed they stated consistent in their output, I can find music to enjoy from their entire catalog.

[KevShmev]

Nice!  I had a bad feeling that the Beatles were going to be one of the odd bands out (of the 12-15 I had in my head once we got to the top 10), but it's good to see that a forum dominated by hard rock/metal fans went this way with the votes.

[jingle.boy]

They didn't make my list, but they absolutely deserve to be here.  I remember reading a comment about their impact to music was that they basically created the genre of rock and roll.  Hard to argue that.  Without a doubt, they were pioneers, and had the greatest impact of any band in the history of rock, perhaps in the history of music in general.

[Zydar]

Ah, there they are - my favourite band of all time. There was no doubt that they would be my #1, they have been #1 ever since I heard them as a 7 year old boy (35 years ago now). No band has ever come close to dethrone them. No band has ever touched me or rocked my foundation as they have and still continue to do. Although I've listened to their songs for many many years there's always something new I find that blows my mind. And thanks to the tremendous remixing job that Giles Martin does with their catalogue, there are always new details to marvel at. They are the sole reason why music is my one and only interest/passion in life. Why I picked up the guitar as a kid. Why I still love 60s music so passionately. I can't thank them enough for this.

I'm glad they placed so high on DTF's ranking, considering it's mainly a forum geared towards either metal or progressive music. That kind of shows how influential they are.

[Indiscipline]

Faith restored. The most progressive act ever.

[Jamesman42]

The Beatles would have made my top 25, possibly in the late teens. They just have so many amazing and varied songs, and they are iconic as well. Favorites include "Eleanor Rigby", "Come Together", "Ob-La-Di, Ob-la-Da", and "Hey Jude".

[Mladen]

It's terrific seeing The Beatles in the top ten on a progressive metal forum. Had it not been for a band that's yet to come up, they would have been my number one.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

My mother in particular was quite fond of the Beatles, so I've heard a fair amount of their material even outside of popular culture osmosis.  I've moderately liked a decent amount of it, but they're probably just not the type of group that's going to be a top favorite for me. 

[HOF]

I like and certainly appreciate The Beatles, but I've never been a fan of The Beatles if that makes sense. I know tons of their songs, and I generally really admire their creativity and what they did for rock and even progressive music. But I also don't really seek out their music. I own a couple of their albums, and I enjoy them but don't reach for them often. I do feel like I should make an effort to collect more, but they just aren't a priority. I also have this weird thing where I enjoy when bands draw influence from and reference The Beatles (things like Neal Morse, King's X, XTC, Field Music) more than I enjoy listening to The Beatles themselves.

So The Beatles weren't on my list, and for a little bit I was worried they might not make the top 50, but I certainly expected them to be here and think they are deserving.

[TAC]

I have never listened to an entire Beatles album.

[WilliamMunny]

This band is the epitome of 'I respect 'em, but meh' for me.

There are some brilliant Beatles songs, and far be it for me to criticize a band that proved so influential to KISS, but, for me, the Stones (and, to a lesser degree, the Who) are 'my' bands from this era.

[Dream Team]

#6 on my list, I was late to the party but managed to catch up. Lennon and McCartney were an unparalleled songwriting team.

[Dave_Manchester]

The most progressive act ever.

[SomeoneLikeHim]

25. Between the Buried and Me
20. Avenged Sevenfold
17. Spocks Beard
15. Opeth
14. Ayreon
13. Haken
12. Marillion
11. Steven Wilson
10. The Beatles
9. The Dear Hunter
8. Big Big Train
6. Pain of Salvation
4. Neal Morse
3. Transatlantic

Hell yeah! I was beginning to doubt whether they would make it and they were not among the 8 I was sure of in the top 10. They were still one of my two guesses for the remaining two spots though and I'm really glad they made it. They even placed higher than on my list!

#6 on my list, I was late to the party but managed to catch up. Lennon and McCartney were an unparalleled songwriting team.

This sums up my thoughts pretty well.

[Stadler]

NR Frank Zappa
NR Steven Wilson
NR Devin Townsend
NR Tool
NR Symphony X
NR Spock's Beard
NR Riverside
NR Radiohead
NR Pain Of Salvation
NR Opeth
NR Nightwish
NR Megadeth
NR Mastodon
NR Katatonia
NR Judas Priest
NR Helloween
NR Haken
NR Godspeed You! Black Emperor
NR Fates Warning
NR Evergrey
NR The Deer Hunter
NR Miles Davis
NR Coheed And Cambria
NR Big Big Train
NR Between The Buried And Me
NR Ayreon
NR Avenged Sevenfold
NR Anathema
NR Allagoch
53 King Crimson (Red, Larks Tongue In Aspic, ITCOTCK)
47 Peter Gabriel (US, So, Car)
35 Scorpions (Taken By Force, Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism)
34 UFO (Mechanix, SITN, Force It)
30 Transatlantic (The Whirlwind, Bridge Across Forever, The Absolute Universe)
26 Van Halen (Fair Warning, A Different Kind Of Truth, 1984)



25  Sadly, not a shot
24  Sadly, not a shot
23  Given
22  Queen (Queen II; Innuendo; A Kind Of Magic)
21  Given
20  Given. SHOULD BE a Given, but given this crowd - see what I did there - sadly, "Probably not"
19  Probably not; they are a classic, but don't seem to get much love here
18  Sadly, not a shot
17  Sadly, not a shot
16  Given. SHOULD BE a Given, but given this crowd - see what I did there - sadly, "Probably not"
15  Probably not; it's an offshoot of another band here and it won't likely make the grade
14  Sadly, not a shot
13  Sadly, not a shot
12  Neal Morse. (And yes, I lumped.). (Innocence and Danger; The Grand Experiment; TSOAD)
11  Black Sabbath (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, Heaven and Hell)
10  Sadly, not a shot
9  Given
8  Probably not; his more popular (here) incarnation already appeared
7  Given
6  Marillion (Clutching At Straws, Misplaced Childhood, Brave)
5  Yes (Going For The One, Fragile, Close To The Edge)
4  Led Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti, IV, How The West Was Won)
3. Kiss (Rock And Roll Over; Creatures Of The Night; Hotter Than Hell)
2  Given. SHOULD BE a Given, but given this crowd - see what I did there - sadly, "Probably not"
1  The Beatles (Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper, Revolver)


What Zydar said, basically.  I get hearing them now and hearing music that SEEMS derivative or seems like any of 100 other bands but that is, ironically, the argument FOR their greatness.  More than any other band, the second wave of "derivative" bands have themselves achieved a level of greatness that makes them - the progenitors - seem mundane.    I've always loved them, I've always said they are the Number One band, but the recent box sets, with the studio tapes, and the recent reissue of Get Back! (Peter Jackson's version of the "Let It Be" movie) it's just amazing what they did, how they did it, and the time frame within which they worked.   It sounds simple today, sixty years on, but it was truly otherworldly back in real time. To think that Bob Dylan, The Stones, The Beach Boys and The Beatles were each listening to the others' work, and actively trying to raise the bar with each successive release... AND (in the Beatles case, since they were the most successful at it) maintaining their chart presence throughout... it is, to me, truly amazing.

I am now, surprisingly, 2-2 with "Givens".

[Stadler]

This band is the epitome of 'I respect 'em, but meh' for me.

There are some brilliant Beatles songs, and far be it for me to criticize a band that proved so influential to KISS, but, for me, the Stones (and, to a lesser degree, the Who) are 'my' bands from this era.

The funny thing, not just Kiss.  They were perhaps the most influential band in real time as well.  Everyone from Hendrix, Crimson, Yes (they covered several Beatles songs live and in studio), Elvis, Dylan, The Stones, The Beach Boys, even the mighty Led Zeppelin (the Rain Song is widely credited to George Harrison for inspiration, and they played "Please Please Me" and "I Saw Her Standing There" early on as encores when they ran out of other songs).  THEN you have the entire next wave, where bands like Aerosmith, Kiss, Cheap Trick barely concealed their love for the Beatles (Cheap Trick has covered several Beatles songs and in fact covered the entire Sgt. Pepper ALBUM at one point).  THEN AGAIN:  Oasis.  Phish.  Dream Theater.  Jellyfish.  It's almost an endless list.

[Jamesman42]

I can't wait to see these lists revealed where you guys thought it should be given.

[romdrums]

I didn't have The Beatles on my list, but my Dad would have. Probably at number one. He was 12 years old when they came to America in 1964, so he was in the perfect age bracket to get them. I have a massive amount of respect for them, and their sonic evolution in just 8 years is truly mind-blowing. I honestly just don't listen to them that much, because they're so ubiquitous. They were a phenomenon that won't happen again.

[SwedishGoose]

Still at 9

The Beatles
They deserve to be here even if I did not put them in my top 25.
I do listen to The Beatles with enjoyment from time to time.
There are just other bands I enjoy more.



Not rated
Symphony X , Miles Davis, Avenged Sevenfold, Allagoch,
Scorpions, The Dear Hunter, Frank Zappa, Evergrey, UFO, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Nightwish, Katatonia, Halloween, Between the Buried and Me, Anathema, Radiohead, Big Big Train, Megadeath, Riverside, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, Devin Townsend, Mastodon, Black Sabbath, Marillion, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Fates Warning, Haken, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles

25
24
23
22
21 Transatlatic  (favorite album: The Absolute Universe - Forevermore, favorite song: Duel With the Devil)
20
19 Steven Wilson (favorite album: The Raven That Refused To Sing,  favorite song:  The Raven That Refused To Sing)
18 Queen  (favorite album: Innuendo favorite song: The Show Must  Go On)
17
16
15 Yes   (Favorite album: Close to the Edge, favorite song:Roundabout)
14 Opeth (Favorite album: In Cauda Veneum (swedish), favorite song: Deliverance)
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6 Pain of Salvation  (favorite album: BE, favorite song: Undertow)
5
4 Ayreon (favorite album: The Human Equation, favorite song: Valley of the Queens)
3 Peter Gabriel  (favorite album: US, favorite song: Here Comes The Flood)
2 King Crimson  (favorite album: Red, favorite song: Starless)
1

[Adami]

So, I didn't submit a list because the world changed a bit too much for me to focus on it at the time.

That said, if I had submitted a list at that time, the Beatles wouldn't have been on it. I knew their hit songs (or some of them at least) but had never listened to much more than that. They were always a band I respected a lot and enjoyed a little. Then one day a few weeks ago I was walking and A Day in the Life came on shuffle. I'd heard it before but for some reason this time it hit a little harder. So, I decided to take a journey through the Beatles. For the last few weeks I've dedicated a week (not every day of the week though) to Beatles albums by year. So one week was 1963 (Please Please Me and With the Beatles) on repeat for a few days. Then the next week was 1964 (A Hard Days Night and Beatles for Sale), and this week is 1965 (Help! and Rubber Soul). Making sure to listen to each album at least 3 times to let it sink in. Today I listened to Help! twice but will get to Rubber Soul on my way home from work.

I really like them! I don't love every song, there's a stinker here or there, but it's rare. Also their covers on those early albums are really hit or miss. If it's John Lennon going nuts, it's good, otherwise it's pretty meh.

So if I were to do this list in the next few weeks, the Beatles would definitely make my list. And I'm excited to keep going through their major discography (not doing every single, etc.)

[hefdaddy42]

Didn't get a list composed in time, but the Beatles would have made my list, for sure in the Top 10 somewhere, possibly higher.

[The Great Zo]

I recognize their impact and greatness but the music never really spoke to me.

This is exactly how I feel about both Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Neither made my list, but I'm not surprised at all to see them here.

There are a few LZ songs I genuinely enjoy. On the flip side, there are some Beatles songs I actively dislike.

Only eight bands left, and my list has three remaining "locks" and three remaining "probably ins" so I'm prepared to be wrong about one or two of them!

[Stadler]

So, I didn't submit a list because the world changed a bit too much for me to focus on it at the time.

That said, if I had submitted a list at that time, the Beatles wouldn't have been on it. I knew their hit songs (or some of them at least) but had never listened to much more than that. They were always a band I respected a lot and enjoyed a little. Then one day a few weeks ago I was walking and A Day in the Life came on shuffle. I'd heard it before but for some reason this time it hit a little harder. So, I decided to take a journey through the Beatles. For the last few weeks I've dedicated a week (not every day of the week though) to Beatles albums by year. So one week was 1963 (Please Please Me and With the Beatles) on repeat for a few days. Then the next week was 1964 (A Hard Days Night and Beatles for Sale), and this week is 1965 (Help! and Rubber Soul). Making sure to listen to each album at least 3 times to let it sink in. Today I listened to Help! twice but will get to Rubber Soul on my way home from work.

I really like them! I don't love every song, there's a stinker here or there, but it's rare. Also their covers on those early albums are really hit or miss. If it's John Lennon going nuts, it's good, otherwise it's pretty meh.

So if I were to do this list in the next few weeks, the Beatles would definitely make my list. And I'm excited to keep going through their major discography (not doing every single, etc.)

With respect, something to consider. It might be enlightening to include the singles because of the way they released their records.  They would put out an album - oh, and up through Revolver, the UK and US releases were different (then there's the Mono and Stereo issue as well) - and in between they would put out one or two singles that never appeared on an album.  These singly chart the process; Rubber Soul to Revolver doesn't really make sense without "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" in between.    Revolver to Sgt. Pepper doesn't really make sense without "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields" in between.  "Penny Lane" is absolutely a track that COULD have been on Revolver, but SF?  No way; vice versa, though, for Sgt. Pepper.   I don't think they planned it that way, but that's how it worked out. 

if you want to visit the singles and keep to your "album" concept, you can listen to Past Masters Vol. 1 (through mid-1965) and Vol. 2 (late-1965 through 1970) and "Magical Mystery Tour" (originally a double EP that on CD includes the singles released around that time, between Sgt. Pepper and The White Album).

[Evermind]

By the way Chad, can we try and guess the participants at the same time as we guess the hangman?