Top 25 most important bands of 1981-2006

[Only In Dreams]

Yeah, Lagwagon are still around. They released an album late last year, the name escapes me, but I'd be able to show you where to find it if you want?

I too personally prefer Sick Of It All to Bad Religion, but the whole California connection, with me feeling they're responsible for not only one of my favourite bands, but a hell of a lot of other bands. But if it were a question of song writing talent then SOIA would win hands down, but the fact that nearly every punk-rock band names BR as an influence is huge thing. And for that, for really 'influencing a whole genre' they deserve to be on the list. Plus there's the fact that they also achieved mainstream success to boot.

[gunnar hendershow]

Actually, why are Bon Jovi on here over Motley Crue? I'd say Crue are more important than Jovi in terms of 80's metal... and possibly even GnR since Crue according to a lot were the first truly "evil" band to make it big and they also probably kickstarted glam metal.

Probably because the Crue has sold 60,000,000 fewer albums than Bon Jovi. And the Crue has been pretty much doing the same thing for the last twenty years, while Bon Jovi morphed their style into appealing to all audiences from Pop, Rock, to Country.

Surely Bon Jovi is better, but the list is importance not best.

[fineintent]

Jon Bon Jovi was also on Ally McBeal, if that's not important I don't know what is.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yes, but are you aware Tommy Lee was in one of (It might actually be) the most widely circulated porn tapes ever?

[zero]

Actually, why are Bon Jovi on here over Motley Crue? I'd say Crue are more important than Jovi in terms of 80's metal... and possibly even GnR since Crue according to a lot were the first truly "evil" band to make it big and they also probably kickstarted glam metal.

Probably because the Crue has sold 60,000,000 fewer albums than Bon Jovi. And the Crue has been pretty much doing the same thing for the last twenty years, while Bon Jovi morphed their style into appealing to all audiences from Pop, Rock, to Country.

Surely Bon Jovi is better, but the list is importance not best.

I would actually say I enjoy the Crue more than Bon Jovi. I say the reasons I listed above makes Bon Jovi more important, not better.

[Visionary]

The lack of love for Bon Jovi hurts. But to back up a former poster, Green Day and Bon Jovi took their genres into the mainstream and allowed others to follow suit.

Also what makes someone a "real" punk fan and are they better than a "fake" punk fan?

Remember it's to do with important and that doesn't make way for taste. On a side note all the bands you seem to hate i love............ :thumbsdown:

[Bob Roberts]

Again, you think the underground scene matters, it doesn't. "True" punk fans called Green Day sellouts? What makes someone a "true" punk fan? That's elitist subculture bullshit that doesn't matter. Without Green Day, there would have been no 90s punk revival. Just like without Nirvana, there'd be no grunge movement. Ask any "true" grunge fan, and they'll say Nirvana is overrated. But your average person does not give a fuck about what makes them a "true" fan. They like the music they hear on the radio and see on TV, because most people don't want to go searching for music because most people don't care about liking a band two years before they're mainstream. People turn on the radio and listen to what they like, simple as that. Just like I said before, the greatest band in the world is probably playing in a bar somewhere and will only be heard by a couple hundred people. You have to realize that MTV, VH1, Kerrang, record labels and every radio station on the air are not in the world of art. They are selling a product. No different than the film industry, and no different from Wal-Mart. The music business is just that, a business. It's not about art, that's why Green Day's on this list and that's why Iron Maiden is number one.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Bob Roberts

[Liam]

Is it importance to sow the seeds of a genre, or to take it in the direction which ends up influencing the future of it?

Elvis lived off of the seeds sown by earlier black artists, but Elvis is deemed more "important". Without the Pixies, Nirvana may not have existed, without Nirvana, grunge wouldn't have been as huge as it got. They took an alternative music to the mainstream, and effectively killed off hair metal (which is the bigger thing about it....people were bored for the most part of those kinda bands, and Nirvana offered a mainstream alternative).

Although Faith No More are there admittedly for sowing the seeds of later stuff, as are some of the other bands, bands like Nirvana and Emperor get there because they took what was there and ran with it, taking it somewhere that it wouldn't have gone. Purists can scoff about it, but meh.

And as someone else stated, Tool aren't that influential. Sure, they do things on there own terms, they do good music, yadda yadda yadda, but thats it...and thats coming from a big Tool fan. You can at least pretty much pick out the influence of most of the bands on the list.

And I still don't get why you keep bringing up Radiohead....

Oh, and the idea that Pixies influenced most of the bands on the list is either hyperbole, or laughable...your choice.

Edited June 1, 2006 by HGwannabe

[Bob Roberts]

How is Nirvana's impact felt today? They were an in-the-moment type of thing. Nirvana's rise, IMO, was due to the fact that hair metal was already dying before they hit the scene, and Axl Rose and GnR were imploding right as Nirvana was getting popular.

But what is their long term impact on music? People are still as rabid for GnR as they ever were, and many hair metal bands are still out touring and putting out records, and grunge music has pretty much gone by the wayside.

And as someone else stated, Tool aren't that influential. Sure, they do things on there own terms, they do good music, yadda yadda yadda, but thats it...and thats coming from a big Tool fan. You can at least pretty much pick out the influence of most of the bands on the list.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Bob Roberts

[Liam]

How is Nirvana's impact felt today? They were an in-the-moment type of thing. Nirvana's rise, IMO, was due to the fact that hair metal was already dying before they hit the scene, and Axl Rose and GnR were imploding right as Nirvana was getting popular.

But what is their long term impact on music? People are still as rabid for GnR as they ever were, and many hair metal bands are still out touring and putting out records, and grunge music has pretty much gone by the wayside.

To be honest, any middle of the road alt-rock act is where the impact of a band like Nirvana's sits...I didn't say it was all positive impact.

And people aren't rabid for G'n'R to be honest, people still like their old stuff, but G'n'R nowadays comes across more as a nostalgia trip as anything. And also, I'm sure most of the middle of the road alt-rock acts outsell hair metal acts these days. Doesn't mean it makes them better, just that Nirvana's impact is arguably more lucrative.

EDIT: Aren't you knee-capping your argument for the Pixies somewhat? Pixies influenced a genre that has little impact on today is how what you are saying comes across...

Edited June 1, 2006 by HGwannabe

[zero]

What is this list about? Most popular, or most important?

Popularity doesn't = importance.

The underground scene matters so much more than you seem to be grasping. The best example would be the shocking exclusion of The Pixies, because they influenced most of the bands on that fucking list. Without them, there would be no Nirvana to lead the grunge movement. The Pixies started the entire Seattle grunge movement, just because Nirvana and others brought it to the mainstream doesn't make them anymore "important". If Eddie Vedder killed himself after "Ten" or "Vs." Pearl Jam would be what Nirvana is right now, and Nirvana would just be "another good grunge band" like Soundgarden or STP.

I mean, that's basically why Faith No More is on this list. Were they really THAT popular? "The Real Thing" sold really well, but after that they stepped out of the limelight and their album sales plummeted. They aren't on this list because they were all over the radio and MTV like Green Day, they're on this list because they are hugely important to the music landscape, much like Tool and Radiohead. Pretty much every rock/rap band you hear today is making music because of FNM.

You can go on and on about who influenced who. Without (insert band here) there'd be no Pixies. Sure, without the Pixies, there'd be no Nirvana, but Nirvana brought the grunge scene to the masses. Popularity does = importance in the context of this list. You can't be important if no one knows who the fuck you are.

Faith No More were a huge band in the late 80s. Popular like Nirvana? No, but they were a very big MTV band, "Epic" was one of the biggest videos in rotation on the channel. And yes, because they had a huge influence on rap/rock today... just like Green Day had a huge influence on every pop-punk band today. Faith No More brought their genre-blending style into the mainstream thanks to the music video and Patton's charisma. You're making my point for me. Not every band has to be as popular as Green Day to be considered important, but it is all about who made it to the mainstream. How many Pixies videos were played on MTV? None. But there were plenty of Faith No More videos. But I don't want it to look like my point is based on who's on MTV either. Slayer's on the list despite little attention from radio and MTV, but they're an insanely popular thrash metal band. There are tons of other hardcore metal bands out there that play a lot harder, faster, and better than Slayer, but they're not on the list. Why? Because they're not Slayer. It's about brand equity. Whose name carries weight and why. Sorry, but while the Pixies influence is far reaching, it just doesn't carry that weight with mainstream audiences. They're a band with a big audience, no doubt about it, they're legendary, but they're not mainstream. If you want to make a list of important bands, and include the innovators of the genres, then it's going to be a bunch of bands no one has ever heard of. And guess what? That doesn't sell magazines.

[Liam]

How are RATM, Emporer, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Black Flag, Napalm Death, Fugazi, Blink 182 & Korn more important than Tool?

For most of them, because the world doesn't begin and end in alternative metal.

[Benji]

Now, am I the only one thinking KISS are missing from that list?

I've got no real qualms with who is on it, just the fact that KISS aren't.

[Bob Roberts]

How are RATM, Emporer, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Black Flag, Napalm Death, Fugazi, Blink 182 & Korn more important than Tool?

For most of them, because the world doesn't begin and end in alternative metal.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Bob Roberts

[Liam]

I'd argue that the Pixies influence bands that THEN go on to influence other bands. It is possible, yanno. If someone picks up a guitar and plays because of Nirvana, does that not count because the Pixies influenced Nirvana? If you go by that kinda view, then throw The Melvins and The Meat Puppets out there as well.

Well judging by the guy above you, "You can't be important if no one knows who the fuck you are." So I think that would cross of Emporer, Black Flag, Napalm Death and Fugazi.

Well, it would cross those off if I had stated that, but I haven't. Considering Kerrang! cover a broad range of metal, why would they cut out bands who influenced other types just because they aren't popular generally? The way of looking at niche bands against the bands you two are arguing against are kinda different, as you can't penalise a band who WON'T or CAN'T be mainstream because they aren't.

And I didn't really need to dodge the question, as it was pretty redundant...they are more important because for the most part they've influenced their respective genres of music a lot more than Tool have theirs....not hard really.

Edited June 1, 2006 by HGwannabe

[zero]

How are RATM, Emporer, Slipknot, Soundgarden, Black Flag, Napalm Death, Fugazi, Blink 182 & Korn more important than Tool?

Rage Against the Machine were one of the very few successful "political" bands since the 60s. Their music was strictly political, but they went on to sell a shit-ton of records. Whether or not you agreed with it, they were saying something - without fear of backlash - in every one of their songs. One could argue that Rage had the biggest balls of any band in history.

Slipknot, as previously stated, made it cool to like metal again. Metal was dead, grunge was dead, record companies were just throwing anything at the wall to see what would stick. That's why the majority of 90s rock music can only be labeled as "post-grunge," because the spectrum was so broad. When Slipknot hit the mainstream in 99, they brought metal back. Whether or not you like them, they were the band that got kids delving deeper into the heavy scene.

Soundgarden is a strange inclusion to the list, but I don't argue to them being there. On top of being one of the Four Horsemen of Grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains being the other three), I would say they were the most creative of the Seattle scene to hit the mainstream. Superunknown and Down on the Upside are two of the most underrated albums of all-time, despite being big sellers. Not to mention Cornell is one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Napalm Death, I don't know much about aside from them pretty much being the innovators of "Grindcore." But everyone here knows my hatred of sub-genre labels.

Fugazi is on the list because they are pretty much the exception to the point I've been making throughout this debate. They are a band that has rejected the mainstream, yet became insanely popular regardless. What makes them important is due to their popularity, they are the only band that has achieved a great deal of success without "selling out." They remain independent, true to their beliefs, don't sell merchandise like t-shirts, and keep their ticket prices low. A very rare feat in the music industry.

I don't get how you can argue KoRn is less important than Tool. I love Tool far more than I like KoRn, but KoRn was responsible for the late 90s rock music boom. The late 90s were dominated by teenie-bopper music and rock was in awful shape. When Follow the Leader hit stores, that all changed. Hard Rock was in again, which opened the door for all the sub genres like nu-metal and rap rock. KoRn hit it big, then came Limp Bizkit, Godsmack, Disturbed, Drowning Pool, etc etc etc.

[Liam]

Napalm Death, I don't know much about aside from them pretty much being the innovators of "Grindcore." But everyone here knows my hatred of sub-genre labels.

"Scum" was like extreme metal's version of "Reign In Blood". Everyone was like "woah" when "Reign In Blood" came out, as for its time it was some heavy stuff....and then Napalm Death blew it away the next year with "Scum". It was the pushing of the boundaries and the influence on a whole new genre that gets Napalm Death the placing on the list.

Plus being British >_>

[apsham]

As far as Blink 182 goes, I think that most people just write them off their lists as unimportant because they don't like it. As was stated above with "the world doesn't begin and end" comment. It did a lot for its genre, and while it may be unimportant to most of the posters here, or at least the ones that tend to post in these topics, it was a really big thing for Blink to break through the way that they did, and end up making something out of it. Say what you will, Blink accomplished a lot, it was big for an entire generation and it spawned an attitude of sorts. I also enjoy watching the transitional changes over the albums.

I'll admit to not knowing much about Tool, but just making a note about Blink.

EDIT: And just as a short note here, I as well would've liked to see Bad Religion somewhere on that list.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Beautiful Midnight

[zero]

To me, importance is not whether or not you get the #1 album on the Billboard Hot 200, it's about how many bands you influence and what kind of a mark you leave on the music world. The Pixies rank extremely high on the list in both of those categories.

Yeah, but how far back do you go? Like wannabe said, if someone picks up a guitar because they like Green Day, then GD influenced them. By your logic, if someone picks up a guitar because of Green Day, then they're picking one up because of Bad Religion, but then if that's the case they're picking up one because of the Clash, or the Sex Pistols, or the Rolling Stones, or the Beatles, and you just keep going back. By your logic, no bands are important, because there was always someone before them that influenced them. There's no such thing as 100% originality. I say Tool can't be on the list because they were influenced by King Crimson. When I'm in my sixties, people I know aren't going to look back and remember the Pixies, they'll remember Nirvana. That's just the way it is. Just like was mentioned above, Elvis just took black music and made it mainstream since he was good looking and white, but to say he isn't important to music would be the dumbest thing ever.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Zero

[ClaRK! Kent]

As it's a Kerrang list, I'll be honest and claim to know about half of the bands on there anything more than superficially, and like about half of those.

Metal isn't really my thing, punk to an extent but in the old-school sense so not really 1981 onwards, unless you claim that The Clash and The Jam were still making albums in '81 and afterwards, although that doesn't seem to be the Kerrang attitude to the selection criteria.

I'd say that, if I had to make a list of MY top 25 important bands in that era (and I probably will, as list threads rock), I'd have maybe Nirvana, RAtM, and maybe Greenday and Blink-182 on there too. But again, I'm into a whole different realm of music, so... yeah.

I dunno if I can add anymore to the topic, thus, but that's my two-penneth.

In a random aside, they played some Rage in Funky Buddha Lounge last night and it was the best thing ever. Although I think I scared all of my friends with my reaction/dancing/moshing.