CHUD.com Community › Forums › MUSIC › Music › Your Favorite Band of All Time Is...?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Your Favorite Band of All Time Is...?

post #1 of 135
11/8/08 at 10:12pm
Thread Starter 
I actually haven't noticed a thread in this vein on this board. So as a conversation-starter, I ask you to tell me what is your defining band if you could name only one. The music you are most passionate about.

For myself, it's Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band. I believe Don Van Vliet is an absolute genius among the great composers of centuries ago - I've yet to hear any rock musician that could nick Trout Mask Replica's innovation. But it's very difficult to get anyone into his music - it takes a certain desperate, bored mind. But anyone adventurous in music will find one of his albums appealing, eventually. Maybe it'll be the garage rock funk of Doc at the Radar Station. Or the bluesy, apocalyptic Lick My Decals Off, Baby. The tropical Shiny Beast. As Oscar Wilde said, a work of art is relevant when there is extremely diverse positive/negative reaction to it...
Reply
post #2 of 135
11/8/08 at 10:22pm
I tend to like more solo artists than bands, actually. But I'd probably go with Talking Heads as my all-time favorite. Pogues would be a close second.

If you're talking about "modern" bands, I'd go with The National, then Hold Steady, then Arcade Fire. Because I'm like that.
Reply
post #3 of 135
11/8/08 at 10:22pm
Wow....tougher question then I initially thought. Just one?

I guess I'd go with NIN. They were easily my favorite band in High School, but Reznor kind of dropped off the radar after The Fragile (still love the Fragility Tour DVD, though). And while I wasn't a big fan of With Teeth (the first half), I love what Reznor has done recently (Ghosts, Year Zero, The Slip). From embracing technology and fans, to just genuinely good music, I love NIN.

Their also the band I've seen live more than any other, and their just flat out awesome live.

Second favorite is TV on the Radio.

Potential favorite band of the future: AUTOLUX. Get that second album out already, dammit!
Reply
post #4 of 135
11/8/08 at 11:14pm
The easy (and bland) answer is The Beatles. John Frusciante is my favorite musician of all time, both in The Peppers and in his solo endeavors. There are few things I enjoy more than Pearl Jam concerts, though, so that counts for something. Then there are the bands that I love - Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Soul Coughing, Oingo Boingo, REM.


Always a difficult question.
Reply
post #5 of 135
11/8/08 at 11:50pm
I don't listen to them as much any more, but I'd have to go with Thursday.
Reply
post #6 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:28am
The Beach Boys. If I'd been more into them back when I registered on Chud, my username would probably be Mike Love or something.
Reply
post #7 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul McCartney View Post
The Beach Boys. If I'd been more into them back when I registered on Chud, my username would probably be Mike Love
Of course it would.
Reply
post #8 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:33am
Not that hard for me, actually:

Rock -
1. Rush
2. Dream Theater
3. Queen

Jazz -
1. Al Di Meola
2. John Coltrane
Reply
post #9 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:36am
Duh -- The Police.
Reply
post #10 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:41am
Oh, and my favorite Rap Artists/Groups:

1. Ghostface (His new album, 'Supreme Clientele,' is fucking addictive.)
2. Nas
3. Biggie
4. Wu-Tang
5. Jay-Z


Fuck (most) of Tupac. Obviously, if I had to pick just one, it would be Ghostface Killah.
Reply
post #11 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:01am
In thinking about this, I would probably put the Beach Boys next to Talking Heads. The fact that I have something in common with McCartney makes me want to throw up a little.
Reply
post #12 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:03am
I can't understand the concept of having a favorite band. Although it's certainly better than having a favorite song. People who have a favorite song aren't even human. But my god, the sheer breadth of music that I'm into makes it impossible to choose a single band or artist that stands above the rest. I don't know how you'd begin.

I guess my short list of favorites would include The Beatles, The Who, They Might Be Giants, The Police, and Devo.
Reply
post #13 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:06am
How bout' favorite group from each genre?
Reply
post #14 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:07am
I have an iffy relationship with genres. I don't even know what genre you'd call something like They Might Be Giants.
Reply
post #15 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg David View Post
I have an iffy relationship with genres. I don't even know what genre you'd call something like They Might Be Giants.



Black comedy?
Reply
post #16 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:09am
True. I don't really know what genre you'd put TVOTR in, either. It's hard to fit a lot of modern music into genres such as 'Rock,' Jazz,' 'Rap,' etc. Basically, it's a meld of all of them.
Reply
post #17 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:11am
What's your favorite song, Greg? Just out of curiosity.
Reply
post #18 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:15am
I know that I can identify my favorite song. Saga: 'On the Loose'.

You may commence with the mocking now.

Edit: Actually, my favorite song alternates between the song above and Rush: 'Subdivisions'.
Reply
post #19 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raspberry Leper View Post
John Frusciante is my favorite musician of all time
I honestly wasn't familiar with his solo work until recently, when the new concert they filmed aired on HDnet and he got to solo while the rest of the band took a break (I guess). He has a surprisingly good voice, and I liked the song. I've been meaning to check out his albums.
Reply
post #20 of 135
11/9/08 at 2:21am
Impossible to answer. Different periods of my life would lead to a variety of choices. As much as I love a band like Tv on the Radio, they don't have the robust catalogue that could possibly make them even a contender. They're probably my fave band making music right now, though. Them or Belle & Sebastian.
Reply
post #21 of 135
11/9/08 at 7:03am
Pink Floyd or The Who.

I listen to lots of different types of music but I always come back to those two bands.
Reply
post #22 of 135
11/9/08 at 7:27am
The Smashing Pumpkins.
Reply
post #23 of 135
11/9/08 at 9:54am
I've been on a serious The Who bender for at least a year and a half which doesn't seem to let up. My longest lasting favourite is David Bowie, though.
Reply
post #24 of 135
11/9/08 at 10:54am
I'm not sure if I have one. Autechre would be a serious contender right now, if it even counts as a band.
Reply
post #25 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:00am
Not easy at all. I'd be inclined to say Pearl Jam, but then I'd change my mind ten seconds later. This is like one of those "lol wuts ur favorite movie" threads.
Reply
post #26 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:19am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake View Post
Not easy at all. I'd be inclined to say Pearl Jam, but then I'd change my mind ten seconds later. This is like one of those "lol wuts ur favorite movie" threads.
No, it isn't. This is the only question that matters over those retarded lists, such as the ones Rolling Stone puts out. You can't 'rank' art over other art you love, but I do believe it's possible to decide on a defining band of yourself. Naturally, this is based on your own self-image...so what the fuck are you? Eh? Heh...
Reply
post #27 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreary louse View Post
Naturally, this is based on your own self-image...so what the fuck are you? Eh? Heh...
A violent date rapist, and you're next on my Match.com queue.
Reply
post #28 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:42am
I try to imagine that this question would mean what's the one band you could listen to at any given time.

For me, that's Faith No More, the Patton era.

I was recently talking about this with a friend and we decided that aside from a really small amount of choice groups, you end up loving albums, not necessarily bands.
Reply
post #29 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreary louse View Post
No, it isn't. This is the only question that matters over those retarded lists, such as the ones Rolling Stone puts out. You can't 'rank' art over other art you love, but I do believe it's possible to decide on a defining band of yourself. Naturally, this is based on your own self-image...so what the fuck are you? Eh? Heh...
So very, very wrong. Defining yourself through only one band is absurd. It's like an online test that asks you eight questions and then tells you what movie your life is like. Only, you know, with seven less questions.
Reply
post #30 of 135
11/9/08 at 11:52am
Velvet Underground: they have everything I want.
Rolling Stones: they still have amazing lyrics and the flow.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: the band is an integral part of the end result. They are fantastic.
Reply
post #31 of 135
11/9/08 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan S~ View Post
So very, very wrong. Defining yourself through only one band is absurd. It's like an online test that asks you eight questions and then tells you what movie your life is like. Only, you know, with seven less questions.
Agreed, and it's not flexible. Music is so dependent on mood that I don't think this question has an answer, but I will give Dreary Louse credit...it does spur good discussion. But, how am I supposed to balance The Supremes against Okkervil River against The Beach Boys against Radiohead? I'm not going to turn on Kid A when I want to celebrate Obama's victory, and I'm not going to turn on Pet Sounds after someone breaks my heart. But, winnowing down, even beyond the point where it's reasonable, can tell you something about yourself.
Reply
post #32 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:01pm
Heard "Thunder Road" on the way home from the gym this morning, and now I want to switch to Springsteen. This truly is an impossible question.
Reply
post #33 of 135
11/9/08 at 1:06pm
There's a few bands in which I'll always buy their new CD's immediately without question. These bands are: eels, Afghan Whigs/Twilight Singers (or all things related to Greg Dulli), and Nada Surf. The National will also be on this list now after "Alligator," "Boxer," and their recent b-side album/DVD.
Reply
post #34 of 135
11/9/08 at 2:31pm
If forced with a gun in my mouth to choose just one, I think I'd lean towards The Who. Just glorious bombastic rock gods.

However, at very times in my life, my answer may have been: Heart, Lush, They Might Be Giants, Devo or Sleater-Kinney.
Reply
post #35 of 135
11/9/08 at 3:06pm
Easily Talking Heads. No question.

Picking the runners-up is, however, daunting. Off the top of my head: Bedhead, Pixies, Patton-era Faith no More, Spoon, Afghan Whigs, Neutral Milk Hotel. For modern bands, it's a toss-up between Radiohead, TVOTR, and Spoon. At War With The Mystics dropped Flaming Lips out of contention for me. The others I've listed don't have a travesty of that magnitude in their discographies.
Reply
post #36 of 135
11/9/08 at 3:18pm
Well, I can't point to a single band to define myself, I can look to the most influential band whose music I listened to the most in any given period of my life.

High School: The Replacements
College: The Afghan Whigs
Post-college: Arab Strap
Now: Jury's still out.
Reply
post #37 of 135
11/9/08 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kovacs View Post
I was recently talking about this with a friend and we decided that aside from a really small amount of choice groups, you end up loving albums, not necessarily bands.
That's a good point. Even my favorite bands have made multiple albums I don't care for. Hell, a lot of my love for The Who comes from growing up listening to Who's Next.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RathBandu View Post
What's your favorite song, Greg? Just out of curiosity.
The theme from The Banana Splits.
Reply
post #38 of 135
11/9/08 at 4:15pm
My answer, depending on the day, could be any of these:
- Led Zeppelin
- The Beatles
- Jimi Hendrix Experience
- Pearl Jam
- Parliament-Funkadelic ('70s era)
Reply
post #39 of 135
11/9/08 at 5:28pm
I guess if you went by what band I've been listening to for quite some time and still thoroughly enjoy, and look forward to the next release*, it would most likely be Anthrax.


* - though I'm off their train since they canned John Bush. Still, their discography holds up pretty well after 20-some years with only maybe one clunker of an album in it
Reply
post #40 of 135
11/9/08 at 7:30pm
Smashing Pumpkins. Sigur Ros.

Close runner ups: Radiohead, The Smiths, The Beatles.
Reply
post #41 of 135
11/9/08 at 8:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chavez View Post
I guess if you went by what band I've been listening to for quite some time and still thoroughly enjoy, and look forward to the next release*, it would most likely be Anthrax.
That's a rather "Antisocial" choice, Chavez.

For me it's RUN DMC. Their DJ's better than all these bands.
Reply
post #42 of 135
11/9/08 at 9:03pm
For my all time favorite band, I can only come up with a 3 way tie
The Police
Genesis (both Peter and Phil era)
Depeche Mode
Reply
post #43 of 135
11/9/08 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post

For me it's RUN DMC. Their DJ's better than all these bands.
Yeah, Run DMC first said a DJ could be a band, stand on you on your feet, get you out your seat....
Reply
post #44 of 135
11/9/08 at 9:41pm
Rock: Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine

Rap: The Roots, Eminem, Public Enemy
Reply
post #45 of 135
11/10/08 at 2:10pm
the original Danzig fronted Misfits.
Reply
post #46 of 135
11/10/08 at 2:23pm
It's a toss-up between Nine Inch Nails and Faith No More.

And yeah, I like the Chuck Mosely era FNM stuff as well(the band has always been damn good), but holy shit does his voice suck, especially if you compare him to Patton. Which is kind of inevitable. Mosely was one of those singers who was always trying to do more than he was capable of, which wasn't much. He was good with the faster stuff and early-rappish songs though.

Rappish is a word right?
Reply
post #47 of 135
11/10/08 at 2:31pm
A short list:

Older stuff, still strong today:

Dead Can Dance (and Lisa Gerrard solo)
The Tea Party
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
New Order

Modern:

The National
The Arcade Fire
Sigur Ross
Reply
post #48 of 135
11/10/08 at 3:02pm
I don't think I can get the number below 10-15 personally. It depends on mood, day of the week, and what I'm having for tea.

ETA: 23. I can think of 23 bands/artists that I dearly love, could enjoy on most any day, and for whom I own or want to own even their weakest efforts.
Reply
post #49 of 135
11/10/08 at 7:03pm
Zeppelin
Reply
post #50 of 135
11/10/08 at 7:47pm
R.e.m.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Music
CHUD.com Community › Forums › MUSIC › Music › Your Favorite Band of All Time Is...?