best rock band from the U.K. (1 Viewer)

To each his own and we all have our own musical tastes, but to compare an 80's hair band to perhaps the greatest band of all time is comical to say the least and I'm not really a big Beatles fan.

While you're at it, you could take the collective work of the members of the
Beatles AFTER they split up and it would be better than 75% of the music out there.............
 
"Best" is subjective. I listen to Bowie, the Clash and the Stones. Some people can't stand them. What's this I hear about the BBC cutting back on their radio programming? That would be unfortunate given the lousy state of american radio.
 
well i must be on another planet ,because in my opinion these bands did and have a major influence and could qualify for best brit band anytime.

the jam
the ruts
s.l.f
cure
smiths
psychedelic furs
kaiser cheifs
plus dozens of other bands
remember popularity doesn't always mean its good

simo
 
I note that Def Leppard is not even a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.



Yes, Pink Floyd, also one of my favorites, a few years ago (close to 30), they were my absolute favorites. When it comes to classics I now prefer either the Beatles or Procol Harum.
But it's not hard to find great stuff coming from the UK:
THE POLICE!!!!!!!
Roxy Music/Bryan Ferry
PETER GABRIEL!!!!!
early Genesis
Joy Division
ROLLING STONES!!!!!!!
Moody Blues
Massive Attack
Supertramp
Elton John


Paulo


Paulo
 
What with this thread about UK rock bands it was almost serendipity that BBC4 on Friday evening screened a superb 90 minute programme called "Heavy Metal Brittania" and recalled a great number of brilliant British rock bands that had slipped my memory such as Budgie; Saxon; Diamond Head; MotorHead; The Edgar Broughton Band; Uriah Heep (very 'eavy-very 'umble) as well as most of the big bands mentioned previously on this thread.

It was amazing to see all these old wrinkled Brit rock musicians with thinning but still very long hair proudly recollecting stories of how heavy metal music all started with working class guys who laboured in the dark Satantic steel mills in the North of England.

The expert talking heads all agreed on a number of solid facts and historical anecdotes which were amusing and darn interesting such as
1. The first song which had a heavy metal riff was The Kinks 1964 "You Really Got Me"
2. The first recorded use of the term "heavy metal" in music was Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild in 1968.
3. Jon Lord of Deep Purple said that their famous opening riff on "Smoke on the Water" was pinched by Richie Blackmore from a Ricky Nelson country ditty which Blackmore added a couple of extra licks to in case Nelson noticed.
4. Ozzy Osbourne was recruited directly from a slaughterhouse to head up Black Sabbath the name coming from an old Boris Karloff movie.
5. When Judas Priest played for the first time in a Sheffield pub their first opening notes shook all the glasses and bottles off the landlords shelf-He paid them to leave.

And so and so on fascinating programme and if you guys can get this Stateside Do not miss it!
Especially you Brad for this programme will most definitely sweep you away to your own personal music heaven :D

Reb
 
there are some great rock bands from the UK .

but for me it is madness !! :D

richard .
 
IMO the "best" title belongs to the Beatles, hands down. Some of my other personel favorites were Elton John and Rod Stewart. I qualify those two with the term "early works", ie., the 70's. And not to forget my all time favorite (almost on par with the Beatles), Peter Gabriel. Hard to find a more innovative artist willing to take chances with his music, and have it work. He has a long line of wonderful music that is just very unique. -- lancer
 
...And not to forget my all time favorite (almost on par with the Beatles), Peter Gabriel. Hard to find a more innovative artist willing to take chances with his music, and have it work. He has a long line of wonderful music that is just very unique. -- lancer

Just read an article in the New York Times recently about his new album. Sounded interesting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/arts/music/02gabriel.html
 
Just read an article in the New York Times recently about his new album. Sounded interesting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/arts/music/02gabriel.html
Have heard this album and I quite like it. Normally I don't care for cover work as original work "belongs" to the original artist and hearing the music in it's original state is just correct. Still, I liked the dark take on this new album (even though the music is dark to start with) and I thought the orchestra was a nice change of pace. Still like the original Lou Reed version of Power of the Heart, though. -- lancer
 
lots of them already mentioned, the best depends on mood but how about including Free (alright now), bad company and Paul Rodgers and Queen

Beatles fantastic but heavey rock? Get back.

What about

thin Lizzy bit irish, boys back in town - better than U2? Not posy

Budgie - welsh - check out napoleon bona part 1 and 2 on youtube

Arguably the best though, those Scottish exiles, best rock band ever? ACDC from Oz, do they count
 
Music is even more a question of taste than the main subject here but still it is hard to deny the technical merit of some of the best known British bands. Objectively and without considering my own preferences I would certainly include the Beatles and Rolling Stones. Then I think it gets more interesting with many great bands already mentioned and some not. Some of my favorites rougly in order would include

Cream
Led Zeppelin
Peter Gabriel
Jethro Tull
Fleetwood Mac
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Cat Stevens
Moody Blues
Queen
Who
Yardbirds
Pink Floyd
Blind Faith
Yes
Animals
Genesis
U2
Procol Harem
Whitesnake
Rod Stewart
Phil Collins
 
One advantage of growing up in London and it's suburbs in the 60/70's was being able to see literally dozens and dozens of Brit bands that sprung up in the wake of the Beatles. Some became famous others you never heard again. Some changed their names along the way I saw a four piece band called Hotlegs who absolutely knocked me out with their set-two years later they came back with an even bigger bang but this time calling themselves 10cc.

I was always a great fan of a band mentioned a few times on this thread The Yardbirds and saw them whenever they played anywhere in my area-Clapton; Beck. Paul Samwell Smith; Keith Relf and Jimmy Page. Clapton soon left, Beck was sacked just before the band splintered leaving Page with just the name before he metamorphised it into Led Zep.

Beck formed a group soon after just named the Jeff Beck Group and me and pal of mine with our girlfriends at the time went to catch him playing in a local club.Surprisingly that night did not draw much of a crowd and I must admit Beck was not in good form and the singer he had at the time I thought was pretty dire and looked a bit odd although my pal raved over every blues number he sang
"He sings just like Sam Cooke" he kept saying. The chicks we were with were bored and so was I and wanted to pull out during the interval but my chum insisted we stay awhile longer.

Taking off to the rest rooms we find the singer in there during his call of nature, my chum acting like some groupie stammered "Hello mate I just love your singing absolutely brilliant" To which the singer replied "Well I reckon you are the only one who does, bloody place is half empty much more of this and I'm chucking this singing lark in and playing professional football more money in it"
He washed up and was gone.

Two years later with another band he burst through on both sides of the Atlantic with an album "Every Picture Tells A Story" and a single "Maggie May"

Over the years at many dinner parties when asked if one had met any famous people? I always answer "Well I once had a pee with Rod Stewart" :D

Reb
 
lots of them already mentioned, the best depends on mood but how about including Free (alright now), bad company and Paul Rodgers and Queen

Beatles fantastic but heavey rock? Get back.

What about

thin Lizzy bit irish, boys back in town - better than U2? Not posy

Budgie - welsh - check out napoleon bona part 1 and 2 on youtube

Arguably the best though, those Scottish exiles, best rock band ever? ACDC from Oz, do they count

They certainly do mate!.Superb band in their heyday.I once had the pleasure(in the seventies) of seeing both AC/DC and Status Quo in one week whilst both bands were at the top of their game.Absolutely fantastic gigs and I was deaf for days!.I've seen many of the biggest names in this thread,Stones,Queen,Pink Floyd,Genesis,the Who,but to this day I've never seen a band drive an audience wild like Quo could do in their prime,it was like being in some massive,male dominated,blue denimed,frenzied, tidal wave of adulation.Such a shame that they became a very sad shadow of their former glory with tired old cover versions etc.Mind you lots of acts go that way,Rod Stewart made some great records in his time,but now produces some (imo)real dirge.(but I hear he pees with only a class type of chap!;))

Rob
 
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UP THE IRONS!! :D

Iron Maiden is my number one band period.

Beyond that- the Moody Blues are up there as well. Sex Pistols and Clash too- favorites are "Bodies" and "Death or Glory" respectively.

And still mad crazy about Ginger Spice. HAAAAAAAAYYYYYY:D
 
UP THE IRONS!! :D

Iron Maiden is my number one band period.

Beyond that- the Moody Blues are up there as well. Sex Pistols and Clash too- favorites are "Bodies" and "Death or Glory" respectively.

And still mad crazy about Ginger Spice. HAAAAAAAAYYYYYY:D


LOL - now ginger spice is certainly 'heavy rock'.

Some superb rock bands mentioned here. When do they become heavy though?

Pink Floyd do some really great stuff, it really rocks but is it heavy?

Beck, Clapton, Bad Company and many others do great blues, it is heavy? Check out Pork Pie Hat by Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scotts on Youtube, superb, in that series he also guests with Clapton and some 'beaut singers' including Joss Stone, who isn't even the best.

But when does rock become heavy? The Stones are fantastic, are they heavy?

Undisputed Heavy Rock - Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Quo, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Deep Purple and my favourite Led Zep - does anyone not have Led Zep 4 - etc etc ???????????

I can't match Rebs superb anecdote but did see Blondie from 3ft away in the 70's. Thought the band were superb but Debbie was not my thing. She was certainly fetching though wearing a shirt with a paper poster wrapped round her waist for a skirt, that gradually wore away until it fell off leaving her in her tights. My mate was a fan and thought that was rather good. He was a very happy man and the grin on his face lasted for weeks. Not sure it was all down to the music. I may have preferred Susie Quatro but never saw her live, she could certainly rock.
 
They certainly do mate!.Superb band in their heyday.I once had the pleasure(in the seventies) of seeing both AC/DC and Status Quo in one week whilst both bands were at the top of their game.Absolutely fantastic gigs and I was deaf for days!.I've seen many of the biggest names in this thread,Stones,Queen,Pink Floyd,Genesis,the Who,but to this day I've never seen a band drive an audience wild like Quo could do in their prime,it was like being in some massive,male dominated,blue denimed,frenzied, tidal wave of adulation.Such a shame that they became a very sad shadow of their former glory with tired old cover versions etc.Mind you lots of acts go that way,Rod Stewart made some great records in his time,but now produces some (imo)real dirge.(but I hear he pees with only a class type of chap!;))

Rob

Bon Scott was a sad loss.
 

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