Your top 10 favorite artist/bands...with a slight twist

[remphish1]

Tell me your top 10 favorite bands and also what percentage of their musical output you like*...

 

1. R.E.M. -95% (I can do without most of Around the Sun and Reveal)

2. Radiohead-93% (a few song misteps but I still dig almost everything. Radiohead in my mind has some of the best B-sides of all time)

3. Wilco-90% (Wilco the Album and Sky Blue Sky has a few duds...but don't worry I forgive them )

4. The Cure-88% (they got an off the wall mid 80's career but I appreciate the strange stuff and what they were aiming for)

5. Blur-87% (Great Escape..mostly meh...in mind mind though second best B-sides band off all time!!!)

6. Bruce Springsteen- 85% (prolific..maybe too much soo and yikes with Lucky Town/Human Touch/Tunnel!)

7. Beck-84% (strange guy, weird throwaway tracks on earlier albums but mostly solid)

8. The Charlatans UK- 83% (such an underated band, newer albums kind of blah)

9. The Jayhawks-82% (A few misteps in the middle part of their career but they are always solid)

10. Medeski, Martin and Wood- 80% (Only modern Jazz group that catch my attention...couple of songs too out there for me...)

 

Honorable mention-- Phish-75% When they are on they are ON! Lyrics are mostly terrible though

 

Gone but not Forgotten

Elliott Smith 80%

Morphine 80%

 

Would have loved to see what direction they were going and I loved their live shows..Both Morphine and Elliott Smith had perfect final albums in my mind!

 

*All percentages are arbitrary but it is hard to compare art so here is my attempt.

[PopTodd]

Tom Zé -- 98% (Even his failures are thrilling.)

The Kinks -- 75% (Some of their late-period stuff was a bit lacking, but Ray Davies is still pound-for-pound the best songwriter alive, and Dave is underrated in that category.)

Nick Lowe/Brinsley Schwarz/Rockpile -- 75% (Another brilliant songwriter with a great sense of humor. Such a vast catalog that the percentage is bigger than it seems.)

Harry Nilsson -- 85% (He can sing just about anything and make it sound like magic. And then, there's his sense of humor. Love.)

Brian Eno -- 60% (Maybe seems like it doesn't fit with that percentage, but what I like of his, I LOVE, and what I don't, just isn't really my style)

John Cale -- 85% (Always searching and usually succeeding.)

XTC -- 85% (Maybe the most unfairly overlooked band in rock history.)

Jim Ford -- 99% (A recent addition to this list, but I really have yet to hear anything from him that I don't love. I took away the 1% just on principle.)

Toots & The Maytals -- 96% (Of what I've heard, that is. I have only just begun to explore their catalog. But, really, the guy could sing just about anything and I would listen!)

Roy Wood/The Move -- 80% (He gets so out there that he sometimes looses the thread, but is usually dead-on, and almost always surprising and fun. Love his quirkiness.)

Shrimp Boat/The Sea and Cake/Falstaff -- 80% (Early SB stuff could be damn-near unlistenable. But when they got it together, it was magic.)

 

Of course there are others, including those that I love, but have not yet heard enough of their output to fairly include in this list. Those include:

Jimmy Cliff -- 95% of what I've heard

Kirsty McColl -- 90% of what I've heard

 

And those whose catalogs are too small to fairly include in the above list, even though they really are favorites:

Neutral Milk Hotel -- 95% (The Everything Is EP has a couple of clunkers.)

Tenpole Tudor -- 90% (Pure, unadulterated fun.)

[tinnitus photography]

in no particular order

 

Guided By Voices/Robert Pollard - best songwriter of the post-70s, hands down. prodigious output...95%+

Neil Young - can be soft, can be abrasive, can write some amazing lyrics. 75%

Mogwai - kings of the loud/soft dynamics. absolutely wipes the floor w/ bands like Explosions in the Sky. 95%

Sonic Youth - the most influential band of my generation. i don't find my self listening to the very early material or the outre-SYR recordings that often, though. 80%

Black Sabbath - the most important metal band of all time. i've got time for all the Ozzy material, and most of the Dio. the other stuff is patchy...80%

The Church - the best Australian band of all time, and one of best complementary guitar duos as well. 90%

The Chameleons - my favorite post-punk band...they didn't realize a whole lot in their day, but what they did is spotless. the 2000 reunion material is pretty decent, but not up to previous quality. 90%

John Zorn- capable of quiet beauty or face-ripping noise, sometimes in the same song. a master of attracting highly skilled musicians to play with him. 60%

Robyn Hitchcock- a perfect amalgam of Dylan, Barrett, Lennon and Dali, with a guitar. 90%

The Verlaines - it was tricky to pick a New Zealand band, but i went w/ Verlaines on the strength of their first 3 LPs and singles, which are incredible. but i could have chosen any number of other bands. 75%

 

 

edit - an obvious omission is Blue Oyster Cult...their music quality dropped off quite a bit after Origin of Unknown Fire, so i will rate it 66%. but the stuff before that is untouchable.

[jff]

Cool thread idea. I don't know who my favorite bands are anymore, so I'll name some I like a lot who have a fairly large amout of recordings.

 

The Who - 70% Don't care for Who Are You or anything more recent.

Beatles - 95% Aside from a song here and there, they are not to be trifled with. They probably benefit greatly from calling it off when they did.

Kinks - 50% They did a lot that doesn't work for me, but that which does, jeez, can't be touched. The evolution (de-evolution, actually) of production values really hurt the sound of their music post mid-70s.

King Crimson - 60% I don't like Beat, or much of what they've done since the mid 90s double trio era, but everything up to that point has something mind bogglingly good on it.

David Bowie - 60% I'm not even sure where to start with him. So much good music, but quite a lot post Let's Dance that I don't care for.

Polvo - 85% Everything they did was amazing, except for most of Shapes and their reunion album, which would have been a damn good album if it was by any other band.

Mary Timony (solo and in various bands) - 95+%. I can only think of one one song of hers that I think is subpar.

Led Zeppelin - 85+% Some mis-steps on In Through the Out Door, but top notch otherwise.

Captain Beefheart - 70% Stellar except for Mirror Man, and most of the Tragic Band era.

Talking Heads - 50% Their first four albums are possibly the best four album run any band has ever produced. The rest of their output, by comparison, is spotty.

[tinnitus photography]

 

Polvo - 85% Everything they did was amazing, except for most of Shapes and their reunion album, which would have been a damn good album if it was by any other band.

 

 

 

i think _In Prism_ is the best thing they've ever done.

[jff]

 

 

i think _In Prism_ is the best thing they've ever done.

 

Ok. Sounds a little slick to me, and their new drummer's playing lacks character.

[brianjeremy]

No real order:

 

Sebadoh/Lou Barlow - 90% Great Indie rock, still have to skip some of the earlier lo-fi noise.

Wilco - 90% SBS and W(TA) lower this percentage a lot for me, pretty good with everything else though.

Guided by Voices - ~66% Seriously, Bob is a great song writer and probably one of the best out there but at least 1/3 isn't my cup of tea (Circus Devils, Acid Ranch, most recent solo stuff).

Neutral Milk Hotel - 95% Only two albums, so very skewed.

The Mountain Goats - ~66% Same as Robert Pollard, lots of songs, I'm some what put off by his earlier records. Later period TMG is off the chain though.

The Smashing Pumpkins - 80% Late-career crap kills the Pumpkins earlier stuff. Zwan is great though.

The Replacements/Westerberg 90% Most of his stuff is great. Can't really relate to the early 'Mats or Major Label solo stuff

Ryan Adams - 85% I really find most of his officially recorded work quite enjoyable.

REM - 85% Most of their stuff is great in my book...

Pavement 85% Last 3 albums are hit or miss to me.

[uncool2pillow]

Bob Mould - 70ish% - Pretty much everything from 83-98 is pure gold. His first solo CD, Workbook, has been my personal favorite from the moment I heard it in 1989. Not much even good since '98. Not sure I could compile a 45 min. playlist of listenable music since then.

 

Bowie - 50-60% - Hunky Dory through Tonight is pretty damn good. Let's Dance and Tonight have some clunkers, but some gems too. Tin Machine's first is mostly great, then lots of hit and miss.

 

Wilco - 95% - W(TA) is mediocre, AM is a band figuring out who they are. The rest is phenomenal.

 

Iggy Pop

 

Lou Reed - Around 1/2 - Velvets are all gems, solo stuff is good right around 50%

 

Neil Young - 75%

 

Replacements - 80% - Even All Shook Down and Don't Tell a Soul have some great songs.

 

Richard Thompson 80% - Some dreadfully boring ballads, but most of it is just top notch.

[brianjeremy]

Richard Thompson 80% - Some dreadfully boring ballads, but most of it is just top notch.

 

The only concert I have ever fallen asleep at...and I was in a room of geriatrics too (Maybe not geriatrics, but I was like 24-25 and there was a good 30 year gap between myself and the next "youngest" person).

[dawarren33]

No order here as well:

 

Wilco - 95% . . . all of the tremendous bootlegs on Owl and Bear push this percentage up! Tapers are the best! I will save Jay vs Jeff vs Nels for another time.

The Kinks - 90% of everything thru Low Budget . . . Arthur is a Desert Island disc for me.

NRBQ - 90% . . . best bar band of all time.

Neil Young - 85%

The Band - 85%

Los Lobos - 90% . . . give Wilco a run for their money as America's best live band today (along with MMJ)

Elvis Costello - 80% . . . would put his first five albums up against anyone else's (My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!, Trust)

Robbie Fulks - 90% . . . Illinois' second greatest contemporary artist

Ass Ponys - 90% . . . Five years before their time . . . if you like Wilco/UT you will probably like Ass Ponys (great guitars, and Chuck Cleaver's voice grows on you)

Rolling Stones - 90% thru Tattoo You

 

Pressing the Top 10: Ian Hunter, early Elton John, The Clash/Joe Strummer, David Lindley, King Crimson, XTC, Fastball (very under-rated!), Todd Rundgren, Frank Zappa, Blasters, English Beat, Ween, Charles Mingus, Bim Skala Bim.

 

Great thread! Merry Christmas to all!

[Autumnteeth]

Wilco - 90%

Radiohead- 90%

Flaming Lips-85%

Beatles-80%

Pink Floyd-75%

Bowie-75%

Minutemen-70%

Neutral Milk Hotel-65%

Grateful Dead-60%

Peter Tosh-60%

 

This is harder than it looks. Artists with relatively small catalogues that throw in one clinker are bounced. I had to make the Roling Stones 11th or 12th, even though they have 5 or 6 albums that are better than every Peter Tosh album. The Dead have so many what the hell moments that they fall to 9th, while Floyd, if you were able to eliminate outliers like the Division Bell, could be at the top. Fun thinking about though, and is the case in every one of these posts I will wake up realiing I missed a couple.

[Vacant Horizon]

Neil Young 99% (don't like a few tunes on This Note's For You)

Wilco 100%

 

 

 

cool topic

[sgtpepper64]

In no real order....

 

Beatles: 98% - I find all of the their early work and especially later work mind blowing even after the 1000000th listen. I still don't believe they get the kind of credit they deserve for how revolutionary they were.

The Band: 97% - Really only don't like "The Moon Struck One" but it's still way better than most other things. Would have had them at 98% too but hey, no one is up there with the Beatles.

Wilco: 95% - Even though most people don't enjoy SBS and WTA, I do.

Paul Simon: 95% - Really, what's not to like? Especially lyrically, he's just about untouchable.

Band of Horses: 93% - Besides the obvious melodic similarities between a couple of songs on their first two albums, all of their output has been amazing. Infinite Arms is one of my favorite all time albums.

Cat Stevens: 90% - Someone who I think is an extremely underrated songwriter. Could do without "Remember the Days of the Old Schoolyard" though.

Neil Young: 90% - Mastered acoustic and electric. Some of his later stuff got a little unlistenable but most of his output is great.

Steely Dan: 88% - Other than being kind of self indulgent sometimes, they are brilliant songwriters and master-craftsmen.

Motown: 85% - Granted Motown isn't an artist, but all of their output as a whole is so fantastic, I thought I'd include it.

Solo Beatles (minus Ringo): 84% - They all had weak songs and weak albums, but as a whole there is a bunch of great great great stuff out there.

The Beach Boys: 80% - Mmmmmm all that harmony.

[anthony]

Bob Dylan - 66% - Dont care for much after the Carter Administration

Neil Young - 77% - Generally prefer Neil unplugged ... some exceptions, of course

Led Zep - 88% - a few ITTOD tunes I could skip

Wilco - 88% - WTA only blip, it seems

Iron & Wine - 99% - almost perfect

Radiohead - 66% - Love the middle records; luke warm on early/late stuff

Ryan Adams - 50% - Either awesome or terrible, wide swing on this tremelo

[Wild Frank]

1) Lambchop: 75% - My favourite band but, strangely, I struggle with their first two albums. They have just got better and better in my opinion. 'Nixon' and 'Damaged' are timeless. Really looking forward to the new record in early 2012.

 

2) Wilco: 90% - 'The Whole Love' boosts the percentage, which was dropping following SBS and WTA. I still enjoy both those albums but they can't touch the first five and the most recent.

 

3) Sparklehorse: 92% - Four albums from late, great, Mark Linkous. All great. 'Vivadixie' and 'Good Morning Spider' still sounds amazing. A great artist whose death still affects me to this day.

 

4) Tom Waits: 98% - The main man. Has never put out a bad album in over forty years. When he was starting to sound a bit tired he re-invented himself with 'Swordfishtrombone'. His new record maintains his ridiculously high standard. 'Rain Dogs' is pure genius.

 

5) Micah P Hinson: 90% - Young Micah has put out five records now I have have thoroughly enjoyed them all. The covers album was a bit patchy.

 

6) Neil Young: 70% - 'On the Beach', 'Tonights the Night', 'Rust Never Sleeps', 'Ragged Glory', 'Time Fades Away'. Neil is a god. He has no quality control switch though. Unlike Tom Waits his output seems less thought out. I respect Neil for the way he follows his muse but I feel some of his albums in the eighties and the last decade shouldn't have seen the light of day. So many albums that his percentage is going to suffer.

 

7) Genesis: 80% - My first music love. When I was a kid it was the eighties pop Genesis that fascinated me. I then worked back to find some staggering progressive rock such as 'Foxtrot', 'Selling England' and' The Lamb'. As per my avatar, 'Duke' is one of my favourite records; a perfect mix of prog and tight eighties pop-rock. I sometimes wish people would give them the respect they deserve. In the UK at least they still are derided in the music press when they should be hailed and wonderful British group.

 

8) Mercury Rev: 70% - Going against the grain I feel Mercury Rev have improved with age. I don't fawn over the earlier records like some and really enjoyed their most recent release, the criminally overlooked 'Snowflake Midnight'. 'Deserter's Songs' is a total classic.

 

9) Van Morrison: 65% - I love Van Morrison. Astral Week and Veedon Fleece are both in my top ten, the later could be my all time favourite record. He hasn't put out any real stinkers but some of his later albums are like van-by-numbers.

 

10) Grandaddy: 60% - Last on the list a great band that are sadly no more. Jason Lytle's solo work is also great and 'The Sophtware Slump' is one of the key records of the last decade. Not too won over by their earlier material, or their last proper record.

[remphish1]

I'm impressed how few repeat bands there are...we are a diverse group

[CortezTheKiller]

1) Neil Young 76.2% - Excellent in the 60's. Essentially flawless in the 70's. Borderline unlistenable in the 80's. Rediscovered the muse in the 90's. Hit or miss since. Mad props for diversity & longevity. Long may he run.

 

2) The Rolling Stones 63% - Really hit their stride in the late 60's. Beggars, Bleed, Sticky, Exile is the greatest album run in the history of rock and roll. Spotty since Exile with the notable exception of Some Girls. In it for the $ for the last few decades.

 

3) Bruce Springsteen 69.8% - Some really impressive highs (Darkness, BTR, Greetings, TW,TI&TESS) with some spotty patches. Still a viable force as a live performer.

 

4) Jay Farrar 90.7% - Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt or solo the man gets it done. I'd meet him anywhere the western sun meets the air.

 

5) Drive-By Truckers 88% - Still going strong in their third decade. The quality has dipped a bit in the last couple of releases, but still a tremendous band.

 

6) The National 95.4% - Fantastic live or in the studio. I LOVE all their albums with the exception of SSFDL, and I like the majority of that one. Can't wait for the next release.

 

7) Jason Molina 81% - Like his stuff with Songs: Ohia and love his Magnolia Electric Co output. Was on quite a prolific tear until the bottle slowed him down the past couple of years. Get well Jason.

 

8) Waylon Jennings 70.6% - The man certainly puts the 'O' in country. His 70's output is sublime. His later releases were mostly regretable, but he was the ultimate country badass. Hey, hey.....

 

9) Will Johnson 78% - Centro-matic, South San Gabriel and solo... it's all excellent. Another artist who expertly maneuvers between sparse, peaceful beauty and feedback-drenched volume.

 

10) The Black Keys 90.1% - Gone in a more commercial direction these days, but I still love them.

[i'm only sleeping]

Wilco - 100%

Television - 90%

Miles Davis - 90%

Ry Cooder - 85%

Beatles - 84%

Rolling Stones - 80%

Neil Young - 80%

The Band - 75%

Steely Dan - 70%

Graham Parker - 65%

[remphish1]

Wilco - 100%

Television - 90%

Miles Davis - 90%

Ry Cooder - 85%

Beatles - 84%

Rolling Stones - 80%

Neil Young - 80%

The Band - 75%

Steely Dan - 70%

Graham Parker - 65%

 

I think you win! First 100% response! Nothing you don't like by Wilco??? I am also suprised more of you haven't included them in your list.

[tinnitus photography]

well, for a Wilco-themed board, i figured it was a foregone conclusion. assume it's a top 11, then.

[i'm only sleeping]

I think you win! First 100% response! Nothing you don't like by Wilco??? I am also suprised more of you haven't included them in your list.

Nope! I'm able to enjoy ALL of their albums, though not to the same degree, obviously. If anything, I'm beginning to be fed up of hearing 'A shot in the arm' but this is my fault, probably due to over-esxposure (á la Clockwork Orange-style)

[remphish1]

Nope! I'm able to enjoy ALL of their albums, though not to the same degree, obviously. If anything, I'm beginning to be fed up of hearing 'A shot in the arm' but this is my fault, probably due to over-esxposure (á la Clockwork Orange-style)

 

Gotcha...

 

As much as I also love Wilco I Can't Stand Shot in the Arm, I'm The Man, Jesus, Spiders and Heavy Metal anymore...at least live I heard those everytime I have seen them since Yankee Tour/Ghost

[IRememberDBoon]

This is how being a Radiohead fan goes

First listen: What the fuck is this crap

Second listen: This is okay

Third listen: This is the best fucking song human beings have ever made

Fourth listen: I want to have sex with this song

[remphish1]

This is how being a Radiohead fan goes

First listen: What the fuck is this crap

Second listen: This is okay

Third listen: This is the best fucking song human beings have ever made

Fourth listen: I want to have sex with this song

 

I kind of felt that way with King Of Limbs...love it now!

[Mr. Heartbreak]

Bob Dylan (97%) - In the words of George Harrison, "One hundred years from now, Bob Dylan will still be the man."

 

The Beatles (96%) - Pretty much flawless, with the exception of a few of the rather mindless early tracks. Agree that they still don't get enough credit for how revolutionary they were.

 

Frank Zappa (95%) - With the exception of a few late albums, and some annoyingly self-indulgent avant garde orchestral works, FZ's catalog firmly establishes him as one of the towering musical figures of the 20th century. While The Beatles don't receive quite enough credit for how revolutionary they were, FZ only receives credit from about a thousand people. He deserves his place in the top three.

 

Bruce Cockburn (93%) - This number would be higher if not for parts of a few late career albums. What do you get when you cross a beautiful singing voice with a phenomenal songwriting skill and the guitar playing virtuosity of a Segovia? You get Bruce Fucking Cockburn.

 

Phil Ochs (92%) - If you like left wing politics and folk music, and you wonder what Dylan would have written if he had not gotten extremely popular, you just might like Phil. He was the soundtrack of my 20s.

 

Joni Mitchell (90%) - One of the most underrated guitarists ever - her early battles with polio forced her to create her own (brilliant) guitar tunings - she also taught herself to play the piano and the dulcimer, and went through a period where she switched among all three instruments in concert. Also, her best lyrics are as good as the best of Dylan.

 

Muddy Waters (90%) - Do I really need to explain this? Nah.

 

Howlin' Wolf (90%) - See Muddy Waters.

 

The Rolling Stones (85%) - Sure, they learned everything they know from Muddy, the Wolf, and Chuck Berry, but that's pretty good, right?

 

The Grateful Dead (80%) - If pressed, I'd admit I like the Dead better than the Stones, but the % gets sort of artificially lowered due to the huge catalog of shitty bootlegs that got officially released after Jerry's death, along with things like "Picasso Moon." Sorry, Bobby.

 

Much as I love Wilco, their post-2002 output drops their % to only about 75 for me. Also, I did not include instrumental jazz in this, or Coltrane and Miles would have been in here.