The Most Important Bands of the last Quarter Century

Originally posted by sir_slide
Gone are the days when artists were celebrated for finding divinity in music. Gone are the days when artists were celebrated for challenging their audiences. Gone are the days when bands strived for perfection, for innovation and for a love for the music itself.

I disagree with this statement, but it seems that you do too, so I am unsure why you stated it.

Originally posted by sir_slide
I guess I'm talking about bands formed after that date, they wouldn't be eligible if they had something out in 1986. It is tough, mainly because there haven't been that many important bands emerging during this period. Not many anyway.....

In my opinion, this is about the worst possible start date that could be used. Beginning in the 90's would work, or starting around the mid 60's, or even the late 70's, but '86?

reply to post by sir_slide


Great list man! Whilst i'm not really a fan of White Stripes or Radiohead they do deserve to be on there and as for the rest? It looks like the most played list on my winamp!

I would also say Blur, Strokes, Verve, Kings of Leon and NWA would be on my list too.

pz

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Didn't get much worse than 86, wasn't trying to really have a start date, just trying to sum up the most important /influential music of roughly the last quarter century. Start at 1990 if you'd like.....

Originally posted by sir_slide
reply to post by questcequecest

 

I think the stones are better than chuck berry, not more important but better, I guess the rest is opinion...

This whole thread is your based on people's opinion. To say x is better than y is purely an opinion, its a subjective discussion.
We can determine the fastest rapper, the most number ones, the longest album, but we can never fully determine which is better, or more important, as everyone will feel differently about it.

Also, i think these examples are littered with bands "wanting to be" other bands (radiohead - pixies, oasis - beatles), unfortunately true originality will never get mainstream attention, it doesn't sell enough records!!!

Nice Thread!

In terms of influence/importance, yeah, can't argue much with Nirvana. They literally changed the game for both alternative and mainstream rock.

Of course, if you're going to talk Nirvana, you absolutely must throw The Pixies into the mix, possibly even a notch above Nirvana as The Pixies begat, not only Nirvana, but countless other bands.

I'm also going to step up and make the case for my girl, PJ Harvey. She's really set the bar for women in rock and is named as a massive influence on any strong female artist or frontwoman. Add to that a level of critical adoration that few women in rock receive (only Patty Smith comes to mind as a competitor and most praise heaped on her has been in hindsight). Women are still largely marginalized in the world of rock, but PJ is the Godmother of them all.

And this being a conspiracy website, I have to say that should the SHTF, a band out of the Boston area may arise as the most important of the next 25 years. HUMANWINE, is a duo of punk/folk anarchists who are legitimately working towards an off-grid existence. Musically and lyrically, they are the ultimate soundtrack for the dark pre-apocalyptic times in which we live. They rock as few do while tapping into a kind of modern tribalism that would be setting the world on fire were the people more awake. I can't post YouTube links from where I am, but seek them out. Songs to check out: Wake Up (sample: "I felt lies pouring down my throat
then splash in my stomach which sent out a jolt, they gave me a number in place of my name a guaranteed role in their New World game") You Are Free ("Those who keep locking us, locking us away, find the strength inside us like a virus grows every day"), Pique ("Don't take what we grew, we didn't plant it for you, work for once 'cause these seeds are ours"),

reply to post by RobertAntonWeishaupt


Good point about the pixies, although I find people relate them to nirvana more for the Smells like teen spirit LOUD quiet dynamic than anything else, not an especially big influence on kurts songwriting, it was more the combination of heavy with tunefulness that forced the comparison. I actually saw them last year and they were great, it was on the Dolittle tour where they played the entire album, they were great.

Great post by the way!

reply to post by regularbonj


Which is the beauty of discussion, OPINION!

Gotta disagree about Radiohead wanting to be the pixies, that's pretty narrow minded in my opinion and I have never seen a similarity other than a superficial one.

A few great bands ended ( Mother Love Bone) and started( Pearl Jam , Soundgarden) around Temple of the Dog so I would add them. Great music that did get a lot of attention at the time.

Originally posted by sir_slide
reply to post by regularbonj

 

Which is the beauty of discussion, OPINION!

Gotta disagree about Radiohead wanting to be the pixies, that's pretty narrow minded in my opinion and I have never seen a similarity other than a superficial one.

Yes, it is a narrow-minded view, but spoken by the band themselves of that period. Maybe that's what they liked to think they were, as opposed to what they actually were. who knows.
I never really liked radiohead although i love the pixies, so perhaps the similarity isn't that huge after all.
Music is totally subjective, each to their own. You like chocolate, i like vanilla, i don't hate you for liking chocolate, but don't try and tell me its BETTER than vanilla, just enjoy your chocolate, and i'll enjoy my vanilla.

Boom.

reply to post by regularbonj


Vanilla is a classic, although more flavors have been borne through chocolates inspiration, there has got to be some point where overall importance comes into it don't you think? Chocolate has been more helpful than vanilla, therefore its totally possible that its more important....although there is still the element of opinion, know what I mean?

reply to post by regularbonj


Vanilla is a classic, although more flavors have been borne through chocolates inspiration, there has got to be some point where overall importance comes into it don't you think? Chocolate has been more helpful than vanilla, therefore its totally possible that its more important....although there is still the element of opinion, know what I mean?

The biggest problem with music these days other than lack of talent, is a severe lack of emotion. I don't care what genre's your into, or even what your "other" belief's might be, but music is spiritual. Even if it's just in it's own way.
I know this is older than we are discussing, but to make my point, I have before in other threads spoke of guitar playing. Especially David Gilmour. You might can replicate the notes he plays, but few if any can accurately replicate the emotion he exudes through his playing.

Stupid little teenaged girl hormones flowing from The Jonas Brothers, or Justin Bieber DO NOT count as emotion.

This does though. AND it fits within the OP's time frame. They had it then, and they still have it. No reasonably feeling human being can't not feel emotion to lyrics such as this:

And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Of what was everything?
All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

Real music didn't die with Kurt Cobain, or Shannon Hoon, but real emotion sort of did.I mean come on...this is 2011. We are fighting 2 obvious wars, and several other not as obvious wars. And for what reason? If that isn't enough to bring emotion back into music, then i don't know what is. Or what ever will.
Real music is still out there. But unfortunately, the OP is very correct. Gone are the days of musical divinity in the fore front.
Needless to say...I just wanted to make sure Pearl Jam got added to the list here of most important bands in the last 25 years.

I have to agree with (several people), this question is really subjective - a lot of bands have influenced me in the last 25 years - doesn't mean anyone else has heard of them (or did hear of them and didn't think they were influential) - so instead I'll narrow it down and go with this...

Originally posted by amaster
It simply gets no better or more influential than Tool

------
oh man, and Notable mention (ty webpirate): Pearl Jam
you just can't beat a live version of black (even if he does mess up the words sometimes)
the man looks like he's dying everytime he sings - I just love it

Tool
Rage Against the machine
NIN
Public Enemy
In Living Color
The Dixie Chicks...and not for their music

Oh and I had to add...even though they arent technically a band, they are a huge inspiration to me and I think have contributed an obscene amount of kickass to their genre...Daft Punk

Definitely:
Incubus
Nirvana
Oasis
Radiohead
Third eye blind
Pearl Jam

All of these bands have had great influence but I feel Incubus' ability to reinvent themselves and truly be original is overlooked by a majority of people.

reply to post by sir_slide


No mention of JAMES on your list.

www.youtube.com...

Muse:


Nirvana:


Soundgarden:


Deftones:

When I think of music from the last couple decades nothing brings back more memories for me than Sublime, especially this song:

metal gets no love these are my 2 most influential bands (and I'm sure millions of others agree).

you really can't say this doesn't have talent, or emotion =/ sorry I hate when people say that about ALL of today's music.

For the heavier, progressive side... i'll go with Dream Theater and Between the Buried and Me. Both were major pioneers in their respective genres.