Is a band Aerosmith in the same league with British classic rock greats?

[Stadler]

Full disclosure, I can take or leave both the Doors and the Eagles.  But while the taste is subjective, there are some things here that kind of need some proof; like "the Doors are groundbreaking". What, actually, did they do that hadn't been done before and has been copied ad nauseum since?   Maybe no bass player (which is sort of a myth; their studio albums ALL had significant bass playing on them).   Jim Morrison?  Except for the "exposing of the cock", nothing that Elvis, Mick Jagger, and Lou Reed hadn't done before, and, arguably, better. 

[jammindude]

If anyone in mainstream rock did spoken word before Jim Morrison, I stand corrected.

That’s just off the top of my head.

There’s also the aforementioned incident with Ed Sullivan...which by itself earns my vote for one of the most awesome middle fingers in rock history. Every other rock band (most notoriously the Stones) begrudgingly complied to clean up their act or change lyrics for TV. But Sullivan ordered The Doors to change the lyric “girl we couldn’t get much higher” to something else. But when the live feed went out, Jim sang it as it was. Sullivan was livid and screamed at the band that they would never do the Sullivan show again. Jim responded “Man, we just did the Sullivan show!” Classic

I can think of more.

[Train of Naught]

like "the Doors are groundbreaking". What, actually, did they do that hadn't been done before and has been copied ad nauseum since?

For me personally, I think a more interesting question is: assuming a band (in this case The Doors) was indeed groundbreaking, how does that make them better musically by default in any way? That just sounds like faulty reasoning to me.

[Stadler]

If anyone in mainstream rock did spoken word before Jim Morrison, I stand corrected.

That’s just off the top of my head.

There’s also the aforementioned incident with Ed Sullivan...which by itself earns my vote for one of the most awesome middle fingers in rock history. Every other rock band (most notoriously the Stones) begrudgingly complied to clean up their act or change lyrics for TV. But Sullivan ordered The Doors to change the lyric “girl we couldn’t get much higher” to something else. But when the live feed went out, Jim sang it as it was. Sullivan was livid and screamed at the band that they would never do the Sullivan show again. Jim responded “Man, we just did the Sullivan show!” Classic

I can think of more.

Well, it's "classic", but is it "groundbreaking"?   Jagger did as told, but he made it abundantly clear that he was doing something he was asked to do (he basically rolled his eyes).   Jackie Mason gave Sullivan the finger a couple years before.   Yeah, Morrison didn't like authority, but that's not new, he was just less subtle.  "Will the people in the cheap seats, clap your hands.  The rest of you, rattle your jewelry." 

[TAC]

Jim Morrison is the most overrated person in music history.
Puleeze!

It just my opinion but I don’t find anything remotely interesting or groundbreaking about the guy. He’s even less interesting than Kurt Cobain, and that’s saying something.

[KevShmev]

There is a mystique about the music of the late 60's that will never go away.  Acts like The Doors, Janis Joplin, Hendrix and CCR are acts I totally associate with the late 60's and that time in history; throw Woodstock (which happened in 1970) in there as well.  To music fans of that time period, there is just something very special about that year or two in history, and it is impossible to disassociate acts like them from that brief, yet magical, era in music history.

[Stadler]

Jim Morrison is the most overrated person in music history.
Puleeze!

It just my opinion but I don’t find anything remotely interesting or groundbreaking about the guy. He’s even less interesting than Kurt Cobain, and that’s saying something.

I am so with you on that.  I was watching Dan Rather's Big Interview with Robby Kreiger and John Densmore (who is out of his mind), and there played some clips of him on stage, and it was like watching that skit on SNL where the guy from the AT&T commercials is a grown man in a baby body.   Zero stage presence, just running like a maniac then, invariably, whipping out his cock. 

[The Walrus]

I don't get the Morrison hate, dude had a fantastic voice, lovely to listen to in my opinion... greatest ever? Nah, but damn good

[TAC]

I would never hold anyone liking his voice against them. I mean hell, people listen to Steven Wilson.

[jammindude]

Of all the 60s bands, I would also put Morrison as the greatest “poet”.....on par with Dylan. (who I really don’t like at all...but recognize his talent as a poet)

[Peter Mc]

Even as a US hard rock band, I would place them behind the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Kiss, Van Halen, Metallica etc.  Wouldn't put them anywhere near the likes of The Stones (not experimental? They played so many different styles of song) Sabbath, Led Zep, Purple, Maiden etc.

[WildRanger]

Even as a US hard rock band, I would place them behind the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Kiss, Van Halen, Metallica etc.  Wouldn't put them anywhere near the likes of The Stones (not experimental? They played so many different styles of song) Sabbath, Led Zep, Purple, Maiden etc.

Behind Bon Jovi? Are you kidding?

[Stadler]

Even as a US hard rock band, I would place them behind the likes of Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, Kiss, Van Halen, Metallica etc.  Wouldn't put them anywhere near the likes of The Stones (not experimental? They played so many different styles of song) Sabbath, Led Zep, Purple, Maiden etc.

Behind Bon Jovi? Are you kidding?

Yeah, I was going to say that too.

Aerosmith is on the same level as Kiss, Van Halen and Metallica, and the derivatives - Bon Jovi, Guns, Crue - are a step or two behind (well, Guns and Bon Jovi are a step, Crue is two or three). 

[Peter Mc]

Bon Jovi and GNR made a much bigger worldwide impact than Aerosmith. Songs like Livin On A Prayer, Sweet Child Of Mine are bonafide classic songs known the world over. Bon Jovi may never have been particularly cool or fashionable or critics darlings but they can still sell out stadiums all over the world just on the strength and number of huge hit records.

[jammindude]

Bon Jovi is a flash in the pan.   His first three albums are admittedly staples of the “hair metal” genre...but starting with New Jersey, it was all downhill.   He’s a nostalgia act who keeps cashing in on a 5 year window from a distant past.

Aerosmith has had multiple radio staples *in three separate decades*... this isn’t even a contest.

[TAC]

Bon Jovi may never have been particularly cool or fashionable or critics darlings but they can still sell out stadiums all over the world just on the strength and number of huge hit records.

They were all of the above.

Bon Jovi and GNR made a much bigger worldwide impact than Aerosmith.

Huh? Dream On? Walk This Way?

[TAC]

Bon Jovi is a flash in the pan.   His first three albums are admittedly staples of the “hair metal” genre...but starting with New Jersey, it was all downhill.   He’s a nostalgia act who keeps cashing in on a 5 year window from a distant past.

Exactly how I'd describe GnR.




New Jersey is awesome, though..

[jammindude]

Heck the more I think about it, the more ridiculous that claim is.

Aerosmith’s most recent greatest hits package only contained all the stuff played constantly on the radio that I’m completely sick of.......and there were too many to fit on an 80 min CD....they had to make it 2 CDs.   And that was just the crap I’m sick of. 

[jammindude]

Bon Jovi is a flash in the pan.   His first three albums are admittedly staples of the “hair metal” genre...but starting with New Jersey, it was all downhill.   He’s a nostalgia act who keeps cashing in on a 5 year window from a distant past.

Exactly how I'd describe GnR.




New Jersey is awesome, though..

And you wouldn’t be wrong about GNR either....although I will admit.  Appetite (for better or worse) was beyond huge.   Maybe even the Back in Black of its time.  So that does put their impact on a bigger scale.

As far as New Jersey goes, it just seemed like it was a slight step down from the first 3 albums....and kinda signaled the beginning of the end.

[TAC]

Heck the more I think about it, the more ridiculous that claim is.

J Dude........WE ARE IN AGREEMENT

[soupytwist]

Aerosmith first time round made no impact at all in Europe.  It wasn't until Walk This Way (with Run DMC) and Pump era that they charted.  Even then only 'Pump' and 'Get a Grip' really sold any volume, admittedly the horror that was 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' was huge.   Bon Jovi on the other hand have been massive in Europe since 'Slippery' even their newer albums always chart in the top 5 in the UK.

Aerosmith's biggest selling album in the UK (Inc greatest hits) is Get a Grip with 300,000 sales.   Bon Jovi have 6 albums sold more than that - and 3 of those have passed the million mark.

[Orbert]

It would seem that the question has at least two interpretations:

1. Is a band Aerosmith in the same league with British classic rock greats, to Americans?
2. Is a band Aerosmith in the same league with British classic rock greats, to Brits and maybe the rest of the world?

Most posters here are in the U.S., and Americans are notoriously Americentric.  If something's big here, it's big.  If it's big in the U.K., or not, we neither know nor care.  Brits tend to be more aware of the U.S. market.  Americans don't really give a shit about anywhere else.

[soupytwist]

Van Halen and Kiss are probably the two that standout for me as huge in the US but more of cult bands in the UK.  Kiss have had one top 40 single in the UK - it's Crazy, Crazy Nights...Van Halen are known for 'Jump' and that's it really.  I guess you can throw in The Eagles too, everyone knows 'Hotel Cali' but after that the only other Eagles related song you hear is 'Boys of Summer'.  Weirdly depict being a UK act Def Leppard were always much bigger in the US than the UK.    Yet acts like The Doors, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bon Jovi have always been hugely popular in the UK, the latter two probably more popular thesedays over here.

[Cool Chris]

In fairness, how much would or should someone know or care about the markets of other countries? If someone asks me if Band X is big, aren't I naturally going to consider my local (meaning regional and national) markets? I am generally not going to be aware of what music is big in ZImbabwe. It's not a case of "not giving a shit" about other markets, but my local radio stations (and MTV when they played videos) are going to play what's popular here, not half way across the world.

[Fritzinger]

Don't agree on the last point. Rush are huge, but literally no one knows them in Europe.

[King Postwhore]

That's because for the most part, they stopped touring Europe.  Towards the end they started touring in Europe again.

[Herrick]

If anyone in mainstream rock did spoken word before Jim Morrison, I stand corrected.

That’s just off the top of my head.

There’s also the aforementioned incident with Ed Sullivan...which by itself earns my vote for one of the most awesome middle fingers in rock history. Every other rock band (most notoriously the Stones) begrudgingly complied to clean up their act or change lyrics for TV. But Sullivan ordered The Doors to change the lyric “girl we couldn’t get much higher” to something else. But when the live feed went out, Jim sang it as it was. Sullivan was livid and screamed at the band that they would never do the Sullivan show again. Jim responded “Man, we just did the Sullivan show!” Classic

I can think of more.

  I've heard that story of course but I've never heard that Morrison quote at the end ha ha!

[WildRanger]

Don't agree on the last point. Rush are huge, but literally no one knows them in Europe.

Yep, apart from Britain they are an unknown band in most of Europe. Also they never cracked Australia.
In the USA (and Canada) they are super-known and have a very big following because they had a few radio hits and they have always toured there frequently unlike Europe where they toured only the UK many times and it resulted a solid British fanbase.

Rush is definitely not a worldwide band.