I agree on Pearl Jam. Also, I honestly don't know who INXS is.
I agree on Pearl Jam. Also, I honestly don't know who INXS is.
The OP is obviously a troll, but to answer the question:
"America has produced several rock bands that have to be considered legendary. They include (for sure) Metallica, Aerosmith and GnR. You could also make a case for Pearl Jam and Nirvana."
You can get into off-topic discussions, but the quoted bit above isn't really up for debate.
rekrunner wrote:
7 pages of treating the object of your question as the subject. Grammatically parsing your question shows that the subject is "America", and the verb is "never produced", and the object is "truly legendary rock band". Since you say "No U.S. band ever came close", I guess you mean U.S.A. when you say "America", so we will exclude Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America. (Was INXS legendary in Peru?)
So in essence, your question is "What is wrong with The United States of America that it doesn't, can't, or won't produce legendary rock bands?"
America is about making money and profits, not producing legends. What comes from America? Things like McDonald's and Wal-Mart -- popular, yet not legendary, in any positive sense. McDonalds does not produce legendary hamburgers, yet almost everybody has eaten one. Legends won't be produced unless someone sees a potential profit. Contrast this with Ireland, whose national government doesn't tax musicians.
Another thing about America, is that it's not only, or even mainly, about Rock (or Heavy Metal). Who else, in their right mind, produces Country or Western, unless they are mimicking (or mocking) American culture?
America has some great bands, and some really great individual talent, but that seems to be only possible if some producer or record label thinks they can make a big return on some initial investment.
Like running, for its size and wealth and resources, America should be able to produce "legendary" bands at least as well as countries like England, Ireland, or Canada (forgetting for a moment that Canada is North American).
I grew up with popular bands like the Eagles, Journey, Styx, Chicago, The Cars, ELO, ACDC, Talking Heads, Guns and Roses, and popular artists like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel. But even in my own personal history, these acts seem equaled or even outnumbered or overshadowed just by the British, not only with the Beatles, Who, and Rolling Stones, but also Pink Floyd, Yes, The Police, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Slade, Genesis, Deep Purple, Wham, Bee Gees (English?) and not to mention Elton John, and other individual efforts by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Pete Townsend, Phil Collins, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and George Michael. And that's just England. I should also mention Rush, because they are great, and Canada is not the United States, and Olivia Newton John, just because she has a great voice, and for her part in Grease.
Of course, we should not ignore that non-English speaking countries could produce legendary bands. But in an English medium there is an obvious barrier, unless they produce songs in English. Some foreign bands like Scorpions, and Falco, and Toten Hosen, and one hit songs like from Nina (99 red balloons) (just to mention a couple German acts) have penetrated the English market, but there is a barrier for English speaking fans to consider them legendary. Jean-Jacques Goldman and Billy Holiday are legends, but who here knows that?
So maybe a better way to rephrase the question is, why should America produce legendary rock bands?
ok, fair point - the thread has been hijacked.
But
what is it about America that has allowed it to create giants of pop music - Dylan, Presley, Berry, Springsteen, Paul Simon, Madonna, MJ, etc. If the money motive were the dominating factor that has prevented legendary BANDS from forming, why has it not prevented legendary INDIVIDUALS from creating?
agip wrote:
what is it about America that has allowed it to create giants of pop music - Dylan, Presley, Berry, Springsteen, Paul Simon, Madonna, MJ, etc. If the money motive were the dominating factor that has prevented legendary BANDS from forming, why has it not prevented legendary INDIVIDUALS from creating?
Again, "Springsteen" pretty much refers to the E-Street Band. Springsteen is not an individual act. He is one member of a great band.
I like to make points no one has yet thought of. Not so easy jumping into page 7.I haven't really thought this through yet, but have a few ideas:- Maybe something about the USA promotes individual creativity, while the environment in England supports bands- Maybe there is no significant difference, but Americans simply market individuals, because that give a band a face that fans can identify with. Individuals may be just more marketableWhat separates individuals from a band? Is Elton John an individual performer, if his songs are written by Bernie Taupin? Others mentioned Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band. Simon had his Garfunkel, with a special harmony. Madonna made her career because she's simply a genius who is smart, good looking and talented. Michael Jackson was in a family band before going solo.It's hard for me to make this "individual" versus "band" distinction and generalization.Money cannot suppress individual expression and creativity, but it certainly shapes how it is recruited, marketed, and sold to the public.Not sure how this is relevant, but it just popped into my head -- Manfred Mann's Earth band still tours without him. How weird is that?
agip wrote:
ok, fair point - the thread has been hijacked.
But
what is it about America that has allowed it to create giants of pop music - Dylan, Presley, Berry, Springsteen, Paul Simon, Madonna, MJ, etc. If the money motive were the dominating factor that has prevented legendary BANDS from forming, why has it not prevented legendary INDIVIDUALS from creating?
Bhuyt wrote:
Eagles, Dead, Doors, Allman Bros.,...
...and Journey!
I've had a rough night, and I hate the f---ing Eagles, man
This American group is so legendary that they have "Legendary" in their name:
"The Legendary Shack Shakers" playing "Iron Lung Oompa"
Enjoy!
I love the Legendary Shack Shakers
Monkey on the Doghouse
No Such Thing
Wait . . . so Bands in the UK don't make money?
Anyone who thinks the Grateful Dead weren't a legendary rock band has obviously never heard any of their shows from May of '77. They were great all the time. But they were absolutely ON FIRE in '77, especially in May.
When you get right down to it, the Beatles are, without question, the most overrated band of all time.
The lyrics aren't deep, they are pseudo-political nonsense. The musical composition is like bad dada. The vocals are barely above average pop drivel , just like Katy Perry is today.
I find their "fans" insipid and dull. Super group my arse.
I'm not on the inside, but I think most bands in the US or the UK don't make much money, once they get done paying managers, promotors, agents, and whoever else happens to leach onto the bandwagon.But that's not really what I said. Making legends and making money are not mutually exclusive. You can have none, one, or both.To explain why America produces fewer or less legendary bands, we must look at the differences. I know Ireland fosters cultural development by giving tax breaks to artists. America leads the world in capitalist mentality, which is more about making money, than legends.But it's just my own idea. Maybe the UK is just as greedy, and the perceived difference is simply a question of marketing indivduals over bands.My main idea was to rephrase the question to think about what is different in America versus other countries.
Another lunatic wrote:
Wait . . . so Bands in the UK don't make money?
........................ wrote:
When you get right down to it, the Beatles are, without question, the most overrated band of all time.
The lyrics aren't deep, they are pseudo-political nonsense. The musical composition is like bad dada. The vocals are barely above average pop drivel , just like Katy Perry is today.
I find their "fans" insipid and dull. Super group my arse.
Um......no.
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