r/musicsuggestions • u/RRE4EVR • 5d ago

Best American rock band of all time

This is obviously a subjective post. As post suggest “all time” so feel free to go back to to the 50’s and please consider that bands from this millennium may not hold up in a couple decades. Also genre blending bands welcome.

Greatful Dead my answer

173 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

36

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago edited 5d ago

Classic rock: CCR

Solo Rock: Chuck Berry

Blues Rock: Muddy Waters

Indie Rock: GBV

Punk Rock: Ramones

American Hardcore: Black Flag

New Wave: Talking Heads

12

u/Delicious-Chart-1595 5d ago

fellow CCR fan spotted in the wild!

11

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

band had one of the greatest runs of albums in one of the shortest periods of all time. banger after banger. personal. political. fun. scary. short pop hits. long jams. best to ever do it imo.

9

u/Delicious-Chart-1595 5d ago

three albums in one year is crazy in itself, but that every one of those albums is a masterpiece is something else, and then two more the very next year? unbelievable... I got into them back in uni and still listen to them to this day, can't say that about a lot of music I listened to in my life... just the perfect combination of four extremely talented guys who couldn't get along for long, but when they did, they gave us some of the best music ever...

2

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

Well said

2

u/Responsible-Cut-3566 4d ago

If I had to pick a band that dominated the charts in 1968-1970 and then blew up, it would be Sly and the Family Stone.

5

u/stirgy69 5d ago

I can dig it. However, personally would choose 'Grandaddy', maybe even 'Pixies' for indie/Alt Rock.

5

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

I have no objections there. Both awesome bands. Pavement would be my number 2

1

u/stirgy69 5d ago

oh yes! 🤘

Maybe even Minor Threat!

2

u/blueflloyd 5d ago

Excellent list

3

u/Jamowl2841 5d ago

Ain’t no way you’re calling muddy waters blues rock lmao

-1

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

Thats…exactly what it is?

4

u/GeprgeLowell 5d ago

Muddy is one of the most famous blues (not “blues rock”) musicians in history.

1

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

Im not gonna get into semantics here I was just answering the prompt but for me it works. Blues rock isnt some kind of pejorative here. If you want an american artist who successfully melded those two forms i cant think of anyone who did it better thatq Muddy

https://youtu.be/uPZCxfuad-U?si=XQ0S3MYcN7pjaw6a

3

u/GeprgeLowell 5d ago

Muddy was one of the ones who turned acoustic delta blues into electric Chicago blues. It’s not a matter of whether it’s a “pejorative.” If Muddy wasn’t blues, I don’t know who was.

0

u/TheShipEliza 5d ago

I said he was blues. But he spent the better half of his career playing with rock as a genre. He was at the last waltz. Electric Mudd is an amazing record. It is ahistorical to ignore his contribution to the genre. And imo he did it better than anyone else.

1

u/Jamowl2841 5d ago

Ok champ

-1

u/One_Salt3754 5d ago

When one has no intelligent argument, one replies, ”Ok champ.”

1

u/Jamowl2841 5d ago

He’s Chicago blues. I said “ok champ” because I didn’t think the dude was worth the time

1

u/One_Salt3754 5d ago

Watch out Skippy, you’re backtracking so fast you might fall on your arse.

1

u/Jamowl2841 5d ago

How?

0

u/One_Salt3754 4d ago

Google What black musicians were pioneers of the blues rock genre and Muddy Waters will be the first name you see Professor Einstein. Enjoy eating that crow for dinner lmfao!!!

1

u/Jamowl2841 4d ago

Oh Google huh? Lmao well Wikipedia says otherwise since we’re quoting meaningless shit… genres listed as blues, Chicago blues and delta blues. I see you’re also gonna be a waste of time lol

→ More replies (0)

2

u/CloudsTasteGeometric 5d ago

Great picks. Personally I’d swap CCR for Little Feat. And The White Stripes for indie - but CCR and GBV are excellent choices, too.

1

u/VernT06 2d ago

Id pick bad brains or minor threat over black flag

1

u/Steal-Your-Face77 5d ago

Alt Rock: REM

Grunge: Pearl Jam