Classic Rock's 50 Greatest Live Bands Ever

[Goreripper]

1. Led Zeppelin
2. The Who
3. AC/DC
4. Jimi Hendrix
5. Pink Floyd
6. Queen
7. Iron Maiden
8. Rolling Stones
9. Kiss
10. The Beatles
11. Aerosmith
12. Van Halen
13. Guns N Roses
14. Radiohead
15. Rage Against the Machine
16. Cream
17. Bruce Springsteen
18. The Clash
19. Thin Lizzy
20. UFO
21. Yes
22. The Police
23. Slayer
24. Rammstein
25. Motorhead
26. U2
27. Soundgarden
28. Ramones
29. David Bowie
30. Fugazi
31. Paul McCartney
32. REM
33. Status Quo
34. Nirvana
35. Rainbow
36. Rush
37. Fleetwood Mac
38. Marillion
39. Motley Crue
40. Metallica
41. Deep Purple
42. Alice Cooper
43. Jeff Beck Group
44. Genesis
45. Sensatuional Alex Harvey Band
46. Dio
47. Grateful Dead
48. Heart
49. Muse
50. Rory Gallagher

Discuss.

 

[phlogiston]

What was the criteria they had? Because I'm having trouble finding fault with at least the top 20 of that list. Except for maybe Radiohead, but then again they might put on a top show.

 

[Shadow298]

is that you list, Gore, or one from a magazine/website/news poll/et cetera?

as for discuss: agree with most of the list, just not the order.

would move a lot around, add Judas Priest, Tool and The Tea Party and a bunch of Aussie bands like Powderfinger and TISM, get rid of The Police, Heart, RAtM and some others.

but is a hard list to make really -since we all have our own bands that we love live.

 

[Spiff]

It's from Classic Rock.

 

[Shadow298]

It's from Classic Rock.

thought that was a statement of the status of the bands and line ups.
but still don't know what Classic Rock is.

 

[Spiff]

Sorry, Classic Rock magazine.

 

[Spruce Goose]

The Beatles at number 10?
What the hell?
They stopped touring very early in their career and when they did play shows they weren't great beacuse of 'Beatlemania'.
Unless they are judging purely on the Cavern Club gigs and that sort of thing... but seems strange

 

[Shadow298]

Sorry, Classic Rock magazine.

thanks.

though, there must be other lists from Rolling Stone mag and such on the same topic.

am interested to see who they list and why.

 

[Goreripper]

They asked a bunch of promoters, musos, roadies, journos and stuff. Apparently the Beatles got the nod because they were able to play their songs note for note even though the crowd was so loud they couldn't hear what they were playing.

 

[Iron Zombius]

4. Jimi Hendrix
17. Bruce Springsteen
29. David Bowie
31. Paul McCartney
42. Alice Cooper

as the criteria is greatest bands, these should not count because they are solo artists.

 

[Iron Zombius]

Having said that........not to sure on the greatest LIVE bands criteria either.

From a speculative point of view, if bands from this era are not as good live as the bands from the '70s and'80s then they should give up. The LIVE stage shows now days should kick the arse of the shows 20 yrs ago. shows have to improve with time, otherwise our kids will be watching drum shows in caves for entertainment.

if we look at the whole package (songs and stage show) then we need to take the LIVE part out of the equation.

As for Jimi V Maiden... setting a guitar on fire versus an 18 foot mechanical Eddie? I know where my hard earned is going!

 

[dreamwatch]

There aren't many on there that I take issue with, but Paul McCartney? The last couple of shows of his I've seen (and granted, they were televised, I wasn't there in the flesh) were soooooooooooooooooooooo boring. Perhaps Wings would have been a better choice, but Sir Paul live doesn't seem all that interesting.

 

[Goreripper]

4. Jimi Hendrix
17. Bruce Springsteen
29. David Bowie
31. Paul McCartney
42. Alice Cooper

as the criteria is greatest bands, these should not count because they are solo artists.

They all have bands backing them up.

 

[FerretallicA]

as the criteria is greatest bands, these should not count because they are solo artists.

Perhaps if there was an exclusion clause added...
"Greatest bands-that-don't-name-themselves-after-a-front-man-or-otherwise-significant-figure".
Hm... do you have any issue with Van Halen being on the list? If not, maybe we could have...
"Greatest bands-that-don't-name-themselves-after-a-front-man-or-otherwise-significant-figure-as-long-as-there-is-someone-else-in-the-band-with-an-arguably-bigger-presence-or-personality".

Take Bon Jovi and John Bon Jovi as an example. What determines whether a musical entity is a band or a solo artist? The name? The presence of permanent vs session musicians? What about bands with high 'member' turnovers vs solo artists with pretty much permanent 'session' members?

</bored>

 

[Goreripper]

Besides which, Hendrix always performed as the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Springsteen's listing was based on his Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band period and ALice Cooper was originally the name of the band as well as the singer.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

would move a lot around, add Judas Priest, Tool and The Tea Party and a bunch of Aussie bands like Powderfinger and TISM, get rid of The Police, Heart, RAtM and some others.

I agree with adding Judas Priest, Tool and The Tea Party, and I would bump Jimi down a bit, but other than that it is a pretty good list. I am happy with RATM being up there....they are the only band I have seen that caused the f'n earth to move!

 

[salty]

Tool

Fuck no.

The Tool show in Brisbane on the Lateralus tour was one of the most absolutely boring live shows I've ever seen, in terms of the band itself and their performance.

It SOUNDED great, but I would have had a more exciting time listening to a live CD at home reading Maiden Downunder when nobody was posting here for a while. At least I could have entertained myself with reading old Terry threads.

</rant>

 

[Bucko]

No Sabbath, thats a bit disapointing to me. But again Ozzy's not the greatest singer but he is a good showman and could work a crowd in his day.

 

[Spiff]

But then, Classic Rock is the magazine that admitted they totally forgot about Deep Purple's Made In Japan when doing their list of greatest live albums, so read into that what you will.

 

[Bucko]

But then, Classic Rock is the magazine that admitted they totally forgot about Deep Purple's Made In Japan when doing their list of greatest live albums, so read into that what you will.

Ah yes do recall that....this months has the 40 Greatest Sourthern Rock songs ever...