Who in your opinion is the greatest band to have come from America?

IMO Public Enemy is America's greatest ever band encompassing Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Terminator X, Prof. Griff, The S1W and the production team The Bomb Squad (Hank Shocklee et al)

Chuck D the prophet wonderfully juxtaposed with the clownish Flavor Flav to a back drop of Terminator X's most innovative scratching tricks and the Bomb Squad offered up a web of innovative samples and beats.
Minister of Information Professor Griff words were garnished with the black power of the S1W's.
This whole movement was Public Enemy.

Perfectly balanced, well thought out, stylished street agitation that delivered consistently brillant albums. Most notably "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" AND "Fear of a Black Planet" which are two of the top 100 albums of all time.

Here's my top three in reverse order

3. The Velvet Underground

2. Pixies

1. Public Enemy

Your Choice?

The Isley Brothers (1959-1983)

Although I like Public Enemy, i'll avoid the discussion of whether they actually qualify as a "band".

In no particular order...

Duke Ellington's Orchestra
Miles Davis - 1st & 2nd "Great Quintets"
John Coltrane Quartet - (McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison)

...just for starters.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Talking Heads sure didn't suck.

BobPaisleyPark said:

The Beach Boys or The Eagles.

Not my choices for sure, but i'd imagine critically these would be the two that got picked.

Any band I would put on it would not think of themselves as the "greatest ever band". Just sayin...

Monks
Melvins
Swans

PE is NOT a band.

1. The Beach Boys
2. Nirvana
3. The Supremes
4. The Temptations
5. Public Enemy
6. The Eagles
7. Van Halen
8. The Ramones
9. Talking Heads
10. The Grateful Dead

James Brown
Prince
Mint Condition
Slave
P-Funk
Bootsy
Duke Ellington
Cab Calloway
Isley Bros.
Ohio Players
EW&F
[Edited 4/30/09 6:55am]

Graycap23 said:

...psssst...the beatles weren't american...

Anxiety said:

cheap trick

I always thought the English had the best BANDS (Beatles, Stones, Who, Clash, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Cream) and America had the best SOLO artists (even if they led a band...Prince, JB. Otis, Aretha, Bruce, Elvis P,Marvin, Brother Ray)

jjhunsecker said:

I'd never thought about this topic before now but on reflection I have to agree, us Brits know a thing or two about forming groundbreaking bands and although we have some great solo artists none can light a candle to Elvis, JB, Prince, MJ et al in the innovation stakes.

In no particular order:

The Funk Brothers
The Stone City Band
Earth Wind and Fire
Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
Parliment Funkidelic
The Isley Brothers
The Beatles
James Brown (his band)
Pride
Chic
Sly & the Family Stone
The Rolling Stones
The Commodores
The Doors
The Roots (repin' the new skool)

off the top of my head

it's interesting to read the replies, as no clear band sticks out from the posts, and thinking about it, it does seem the best bands are from the uk...

beatles
stones
led zep
the who
queen
the clash
the smiths
oasis
etc

as much as i like public enemy, and i'd say they were the best hip hop band, with the beastie boys a close second, wouldn't put them in the catogory of best band ever, i don't even consider them a real band in the sense that they don't play instruments and the sounds are created through drum machines and sampling mostly. the beastie boys at least play instruments

david byrne is scottish, yet the band were formed in america, but i wouldn't imagine many thinking them americas greatest band, nor blondie, who had more commercial success

a few to consider

rem
aerosmith
the beach boys
the eagles
the doors
van halen
iggy pop and the stooges
peal jam
black crowes
nirvana
guns and roses
the grateful dead

The Eagles

I'm from the UK and when someone asks who is America's greatest ever band i think of bands who define what that country is about. For me i think The Allman Brothers Band are the greatest ever American act. I would follow this with The Beach Boys, The Ramones and the whole PFUNK thing.

FUNKADELIC

Best American groups
(They can be black too)

The Eagles
Fleetwood Mack (Mostly American)
Sly and Family Stone
Prince and the Revolution
The JBs
The Jackson 5
The Four Tops
Ray Charles and his Orchestra
Santana
Guns and Roses
The Crickets
The Temptations
The Commodores
The Four Seasons
Love
The Beach Boys
Kiss

And the greatest ever, The Red Hot Chili Peppers (Best line up Anthonykledisfleachadsmithjohnfrusciante)

Huggiebear said:

Are you, by any chance, completely insane?

Beach Boys
EWF
Supremes
..

I know this is not the topic of the thread, but this really does illustrate that the best, most influential, bands came from the UK.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I don't like them either but could see the inclusion if it was best american band of the last 20 years or something. Best ever though i could name 100 acts that come before RHCP.

Huggiebear said:

Actually, the best known Fleetwood Mac line-up was 3/5ths English

well its hard to say from era to era, some of those big bands of the 30's were some of the best musicians ever. Moving on to the 60's and 70's with the likes of The Doors, Aerosmith and the Eagles, bring int the RB classics of the Isleys,Commodores,EWF and then Fleetwood Mac and sorry but CHICAGO needs to be on everyones list! As do Heart, how can they be not mentioned, shame

lastdecember said:

Well I guess we should add Journey too?

SUPRMAN said:

Well Heart is in a different mold than Journey, but then again, why would Journey be disqualified?? because of ballads, dudes could play, which is what makes a band, before the ballads these cats were doing 20 minute rock/jazz jams.