What is/was the Quintessential American Band?

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Have we done this before?

Seeing Creedence's name reminded me about this question. I would suggest The Band, but most of them were Canadian, so I might go with Creedence.

I thought that Grand Funk Railroad already laid their claim to the title...

Oh noooooooo!

America's Team is from Texas. Butthole Surfers are from Texas. 

I'm partial to the grateful dead

Beach Boys

 

Chicago

 

Allman Brothers, Skynard w original lineup

 

Aerosmith

 

Differant eras and styles...

 

But...ill go ZZ Top....for pure americana

Capt. and Tennille?

Beach Boys. Good one Jambone. Saw them in DC the 4th of July until James Twat thought they were a bad influence.

I expect this to continue to be mostly bands that are predominantly white...

You'll have to tell me which America you are talking about. 

Idk, Hall, i think you gotta look at all the biggest of the Motown acts...temptations, supremes, and since it just mentioned bands...it leaves out ray charles, michael jackson, james brown , and little richard...all CLASSIC american music groundbreakers.

E, Grateful Dead and DNB are my favorite bands by far, but I'm not sure they're "QAB"'s. Maybe because I don't know what it really means?

The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces

Motown in their hey day Were Bad Ass !

I agree Jambone, I'm saying I don't think non white bread genres will get mentioned much here.

 

BTW: I DO like the Butthole Surfers.

I'm with jambone

BEACH BOYS!

Well, Sly and the Family Stone is a pretty good candidate if you want a little bit of diversity and a positive American message.

 

I was going to say that Beach Boys was one of the quintessential American bands, especially when it came to trying to defend the USA from the British Invasion.

GD may not qualify because they played intergalactic music, not necessarily American.

I hear ya , Hall....

 

E street band....

Elvis > Beach Boys

Credence

Slacker with the BH surfers and his phallic vegetable pics????

What gives dude?

 

 

 

And seriously I don't want to know!

I would also say Credence Turts.

Judit, i dont know what it means either....in my mind, the "quintessential" one is prob. The one playing down the street at corner bar tonite...which now makes me think southside johnny, or j geils prob a better mention than my e street band post....

 

Love the thread, though, j

 

(Could we at least spell it correctly??...creedence) 

 

 

 

 

The Byrds

>>>>What gives dude?

 

 

He is Really Weird Joe

 

Hence and Thus.........

tie:  The Grateful Dead & The E Street  Band...then Chuck Berry & Elvis...or versa vicea...

I haven't been listing folks like Elvis, Chuck, James B, etc, because I'm thinking of actual BANDS.

 

Would Lance chime in with X?

Beach Boys

 

 

 

 

 

Back to my ZZ TOP vote...formed in 1969...first album in 1971...totally took advantage of mtv , re energizing career (all about money...very american)...basic same 3 members for 45 years...blasting out blues, rock, w just bass, drums, guitar....

 

 

If someone lived longer...the answer would be THE DOORS, hands down

KISS - big, loud merchandising machine.

Dylan?

Los Lobos

>>THE DOORS, hands down

 

ban this guy, before it gets worse

The Stooges

The Ramones...

 

 

Keep going, Jambone. Twenty more. 

Thats my point, slack....

 

You just keep posting root veggies, and butthole album covers....

 

You ll figure it all out soon...the answer is out there

Drive-By Truckers, American Band

Our first self-nomination 

[I would nominate the GD.]

i think rod stewart was always so wonderful...

Rod Stewart

Not American

Not a band

Quintessential Rod Stewart, though

The Band

Menudo

Los lobos

Oh, Judit, dear Judit
I just can't belive it
starting a thread
on a topic so Dead

Take it from one
who listened to the bone
of American music
and loved the Zone

Gimme Ry Cooder
Gimme the blues
Gimme stolen plates and bread
Never heard nothing
quite so true
as the guys in Grateful Dead.

Is that American ?
I don't know
I live at the other
side of the world

And  it hit me like a hammer blow.

( Lots of people got the Cumberland blues).

 

the meters 

funk is american as fuck

Big Chief got a golden crown.

rod is so a band..

Village People 

 

rsz_img_20161221_210440.jpg

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen

Deadheads love to rank things

 

The Grateful Dead get my vote on this one.

it looks like ccr fans can't spell

>>>>> which America

 

Them.

 

Not Them.

 

America.

Grand Funk Railroad...where is the love, at the time .....didn't suck

sha na na

GD

 

The Band were too Canuck-y.

Mountain

 

 The U.S. Teens featuring Raoul

America? (Crazy but true)

Best stuff produced by George Martin!

I've been a wild rover for many a year And I spent all my money on whiskey and beer, And now I'm returning with gold in great store And I never will play the wild rover no more. chorus: And it's no, nay, never, No nay never no more, Will I play the wild rover No never no more. I went to an ale-house I used to frequent And I told the landlady my money was spent. I asked her for credit, she answered me "nay Such a custom as yours I could have any day." chorus I took from my pocket ten sovereigns bright And the landlady's eyes opened wide with delight. She said "I have whiskey and wines of the best And the words that I spoke sure were only in jest." chorus I'll go home to my parents, confess what I've done And I'll ask them to pardon their prodigal son. And if they caress (forgive) me as ofttimes before Sure I never will play the wild rover no more. chorus

John Phillip Sousa.  Does it get more American than 3 cheers for the red white and blue.

i guess the stones were cool....

  • The Eagles
  • Doobie Brothers
  • Chicago
  • Partridge Family
  • Metallica
  • America

America as a concept is supposed to be open & free, so in that way I would say the Grateful Dead by a wide margin, and then maybe the Allman Bros.

But of course America isn't truly open & free, but dresses itself in just the surface ideal of that, so in that way I say the Grateful Dead the last ten years of their career, and that bogus noisy group the Allman Bros. were in their later years, without Dickey & with that annoying percussionist mucking up the already too busy sound.

But it's jamming man!!!

Meh.

I'll second Commander Cody and his lost Planet Airmen. Solid boogie-woogie, great roots rock, a killer live band.

GD

 

The Band were too Canuck-y.<<<<<

 

kindly and respectfully disagree...while most of the members r canuk's most of the song book is as American as baseball...

The Monkees

Fake,  a totally produced commercial product, and on TV.

It should be The Beach Boys, but their songs have become a hate crime:

A Kentucky professor says singing a Beach Boys song got him in trouble for sexual misconduct allegations

A University of Kentucky journalism professor was punished for what school officials believe was inappropriate behavior during a teaching trip to Jilin University in China.

Part of that behavior was singing the classic Beach Boys song, “California Girls,” in front of students. Buck Ryan, an associate journalism professor, also is accused of inappropriate touching and use of sexual language.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/12/19/a-kentucky...

NRBQ encompassed most all American music styles, and still does with the new lineup ...

Leftover Salmon

IMG_3413.JPG...

 

The Band is as American as apple pie, baseball and cracker jacks.

 

 

That "annoying percussionist" was the best drummer in the band for its last decade, IMO.

Quintessential American band?

well the good 'ol Grateful Dead of course.

America  

rubber bands

band aids

 

Not saying I'm a fan but Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers make a pretty good case.

Ubiquitous (some would say annoying) FM radio presence.  Tons of hits. Tons of hooks.

image_94.jpg...

>>>>America (the band)

Ironically formed in London, England by some US Air Force brats.

Every body likes Willie Nelson and band.

Aerosmith, jambone? Blahahaha. Quintessential bullshit American band, maybe.

Not a fan?....they epitomize rock and roll....

 

 

Happy Holidays, Mr. Timpane

Aerosmith, jambone? Blahahaha. Quintessential bullshit American band, maybe.<<

 

Aren't they the "American Stones"?smiley


 

But of course America isn't truly open & free,>>>

 

Openest and free-est on the planet, well until recently.

Name an opener and freer country, I dare ya!

USA USA USA!

So sick and tired of America haters, good thing about the Good Ole USA, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LEAVE!!!!

Quintessential American band?

GD of course.

 

Fuck this guy^

I'd go with these:

 

Velvet Underground

 

The Doors

 

Lynyrd Skynryd

 

Bruce and E Street Band

 

 

The OP is asking for one so I'd chose Skynyrd.  They are quintessential.

 

I expect this to continue to be mostly bands that are predominantly white...

On a Grateful Dead inspired messageboard? White people? No way!

It should probably be a jazz outfit, that type of music being distinctly american..

Bluegrass, delta blues and rock-a-billy are also all distinctly American.

WEEN

 

ween_1.jpg

^^ well, then, it must be the good old grateful dead...since they spanned all spectrums...

 

I hereby change my previous thirty votes

Actually, I'm changing my vote to Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. It doesn't get more American than that. Although you could argue it's an orchestra and not a band.

Is it an orchestra w/o strings?

 

Think I'll break out my Digital Duke CD.

 

Thanks, Jerry!

the original allman brothers band doesn't even get an honorary nod?

The Meters.

 

Sly and the Family Stone.

Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys might be arguably a distinctively USA band with repertoire and touring under their belts.

The Band, despite Canadian roots, had a Fine grasp upon American music, but technically Canada and Mexico are part of America.

Then there's always Good Old Grateful Dead.

Hillman, i gave original ABB, and original skynard a nod in my first post, but, it prob got lost in with my other 95 votes...:)