Ozzy Osbourne had a lot of people to do a lot of things for him. He had people helping to write songs, brought in virtuoso guitarists whenever he needed one, and let his spouse handle his business affairs.Â
The most underrated member of a band is, almost without fault, the bass player. Then again, the reason why a band’s sound works or not will typically be the ability of the bass player.
Zook – Absolute Misery The fabric of the modern world is stronger and more expensive-looking…
For a man notorious for following his own muse wherever this may take him, Neil Young has been a part of at least two legendary bands. The lesser discussed, and arguably better of the two, is Buffalo Springfield.
The greatest drummers of all time are musicians blessed with impeccable timing who are diligently studied by those who want to play like them. Still, I suppose that if you go by Spinal Tap standards, they’re the folks in whose biographies bizarre gardening accidents are mentioned as the cause of death.
The greatest rock songs of all time innovated, bewildered and inspired passionate reactions. The greatest rock songs of all time are played loudly and in near-perfect rotation on oldie rock stations, devoted rock fans’ playlists and in the struggling music shops still selling them in the form of records. Always there, but never quite overplayed, these songs still deserve our attention.
The B-52s may be known to you as either an eccentric, adventurous new-wave band or a highly successful, slightly kitschy pop group. But you’re unlikely to know or appreciate them for both these things. Still, the B-52s are one of the greatest alternative rock bands of all time.
Fountains of Wayne may have just been the best pop band of the 1990s. Passionately admired by some, and completely ignored by most, the band created some of the sweetest, most cleverly melodic guitar music ever recorded. It’s clear to me that Fountains of Wayne is one of the greatest alternative rock bands.
Belle and Sebastian are the dark horse challengers for being, alongside groups like Nirvana or Oasis, one of the most influential groups in the world, albeit for entirely different audiences. These gentle-sounding, deep-thinking indie-pop artists are one of the most important bands in alternative music and indie music overall.
The greatest guitarists of all time are musicians who didn’t just dazzle with their fretwork but were also constant innovators who inspired others to pick up the instrument. Some of them got on the radio, many of them didn’t. Some of them got to play their riffs to arena audiences, others just have their posters plastered on the bedroom walls of the true believers.