The Border Battle Of The Bands 2015

[WalshFan88]

As I've said previously, I've always liked the more "mainstream" bands and even poppier stuff. I've always been hits-driven, perhaps because I'm a performer and want to play the big hits. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than launching into a guitar intro that brings everyone to their feet. But still, even my own listening is made up of stuff I've heard lots of times. I rarely burn out on songs, and when I do it usually wears off. I like the hits, and personally believe that most songs are a hit because they are great songs and they resonate with people.

So I've never been much of a Genesis, Floyd, RUSH, Yes, etc fan. Prog has never been my thing. I've always liked poppier stuff and stuff that was less "experimental".

Which is why I'm so disappointed in modern mainstream music, as it used to be really good. I'm not much of an indie/underground guy. I miss the days when pop-style rock n' roll was good and had great lyrics and real music played by real people. I miss the pop rock bands of the 70s and 80s like Sweet with Fox On The Run, or Styx with something like Come Sail Away or Too Much Time On My Hands. I'll take that stuff anyday over "2112" or "YYZ", for instance. I like easy listening where the guitars and the music make the song as much if not more than the lyrics. I pay attention to lyrics, not as much as the music but I do, and today's lyrics are garbage and the music is computerized.

That's why I love modern country (although it's showing signs of becoming less human in it's production) - the music sounds like classic rock. Now the new thing is RnB though (with guys like Sam Hunt), which sucks. I went to see Keith Urban live because of his guitar playing and the music on his records. I couldn't sing one of his songs to you, or know the words but I know the riffs and melody intimately. I've just always been more about the music, less about the lyrics/words. The guitar is what captures me and when I go to a concert, I spend the whole time looking at the guitarist(s). I think frontmen and vocalists are wildly overrated (see another thread in this section for more). They are needed, and I like meaningful lyrics, but their importance to a band is not as much as they think it is, or most people think it is.

[Freypower]

Genesis do have 'poppier' material on the Collins era albums which is why a lot of Gabriel era fans deserted them. Perhaps you should give the Invisible Touch album a try, but you still probably wouldn't like Domino or Tonight, Tonight, Tonight. However I guess that ultimately they are not a guitar band although obviously guitars figure in their work.

I would have thought you would have some appreciation of Alex Lifeson as a guitarist even if you find Rush too prog. I don't really think YYZ is prog & certainly Tom Sawyer isn't. Both of those songs fit your criteria for the music being as important as the lyrics (er... YYZ is an instrumental, of course. Working Man, then. That's just a mainstream rock song).

What about Blue Oyster Cult? Do you consider them prog? Donald Roeser is a great guitarist.

I wasn't into prog at all until I met my husband & to this day I've never heard any Yes. I have no interest in Pink Floyd's earlier albums before Dark Side & I ddin't like The Wall. My husband worships ELP but I can't make myself like more than a couple of their songs.

Lyrics are extremely important to me & that is one of the reasons why suddenly Genesis resonate with me; their lyrics, just as Dire Straits are important. I find that it's hard for me to talk about my other favourite bands on this board although in a way I would like to. It seems too personal & self-indulgent.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

IMO, you have to be a real fan of the Eagles to come here and post a lot, yet I like how we all love this band and yet our other favorites are so very diverse.

[AlreadyGone95]

Styx are considered a prog/aor band, like Kansas or Supertramp(I love both Styx and Supertramp. Breakfast in America is one of my top 15 albums). Granted, they're no ELP, but Come Sail Away definitely as prog aspects to it, as do other hit songs, like Miss America, Mr. Roboto, The Grand Illusion etc.

Rush, I think, are one of the few bands that prog fanatics and rockers can agree on. I love Rush, too, especially the song Subdivisions. Songs like Freewill anx Working Man are more hard rockers than prog rock.

Genesis, I cannot express how much I love the song No Son of Mine. FP covered them well, but I had to talk about that song. (The lyrics of the first verse resonate with me because in most ways, that was my childhood).

I'm a fan of almost every rock/metal sub genre(exceptions being pubk and indie rock). I like a bit of everything. I love prog rock, blues rock, folk rock, hard rock, southern rock, heavy metal, pop rock, thrash metal, death metal, doom metal etc.

[AlreadyGone95]

Here are my favorite bands:

10. Black Sabbath
9. Lynyrd Skynyrd
8. Van Halen
7. Styx
6. Iron Maiden
5. Def Leppard
4. Free
3. Eagles
2. Fleetwood Mac
1. Bad Company

If I had more time, I'd give reasons why I like each band, though the Eagles should be obvious lol.

[Freypower]

I don't know if a separate topic is needed now. Anyway my top 10 bands are:

Beatles
Rolling Stones
Dire Straits
Led Zeppelin
Genesis
Eagles
Bee Gees
Queen
ELO
Oasis

They are all British except for the Eagles who have slipped down the list, and there is nothing I can do about it.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

My favorite bands:

Eagles
MercyMe
Boston
Van Halen
Led Zeppelin
U2
Genesis
Foreigner
Cheap Trick
NewsBoys

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band would hit #3 on my list if I really considered them a band and not a solo artist. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would also make the list.

[AlreadyGone95]

VA, you like Foreigner enough to list them twice?

[WalshFan88]

My top 10:

Eagles
Rolling Stones
AC/DC
Aerosmith
Led Zeppelin
Guns N' Roses
Fleetwood Mac
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Journey
REO Speedwagon

Lots more faves though from Van Halen to Foreigner to Styx to Def Leppard and on and on.

As you can see, other than the Eagles - I prefer more rockin' stuff and guitar-focused stuff. "Eagles" have always been the anomaly for me - normally I'd hate a show that isn't a bit more advanced in lights and production and more upbeat but their music resonated with me. But you'll never find me at a CSN concert. I did go see Jackson Browne, and while it was amazing, it also was a rare occurrence. I think it was because it was such a short drive. Normally I like high energy rock n' roll and modern country shows.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

VA, you like Foreigner enough to list them twice?

Good catch!! Not sure how that happened! I edited my list..