8. YesOne of the disputed kinds of progressive rock, Yes is a band that just has a vibe quite unlike any other out there. I credit that to Jon Anderson, whose vision always seemed to drive the band when they were at their best. God only knows what that vision always was
, but it almost always resulted in killer tunes. Also, I am one of those Yes fans who loves the Rabin era, too.
90125 is a terrific pop rock record,
Big Generator was good, too, and
Talk is a great record that even got a little progressive, and rocked pretty hard at times, too. It is a shame what has become of the band in the last few years, but nothing can take away from the all-time greatness of records like
Close to the Edge,
Fragile, etc. Simply put, Yes is one of the best bands ever.
Favorite albums: Close to the Edge, The Yes Album, Fragile, Talk and Relayer
Favorite songs: "And You and I," "Starship Trooper," "Close to the Edge," "The Gates of Delirium," "Endless Dream," "Yours Is No Disgrace," "Siberian Khatru," "Roundabout," "South Side of the Sky," "Hearts," "I Am Waiting," "Turn of the Century," "Time and a Word," "Cinema," "Machine Messiah," "I've Seen All Good People" and "The Calling."
7. The Beatles There are not enough superlatives in the dictionary to sum it all up about the Beatles. It is hard to believe that all of their music is over 40 years old now, but it still sounds fresh and ground-breaking to these ears. They are undoubtedly the most influential rock band of all-time and no one is even close to them in that regard. I still remember discovering the
Sgt. Pepper vinyl in my parent's collection when I was 7, being enthralled with both the front and back cover, the latter of which had the lyrics printed on it, and the music...yeah, that was the music I listened to quite frequently when I was a young boy. I love how so many of their albums basically sound like greatest hits collections. That is a testament to how many damn good songs they wrote. I
the Beatles.
Favorite albums: Abbey Road, Revolver, The White Album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Rubber Soul
Favorite songs: "A Day in the Life," "Something," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "For No One," "Doctor Robert," "Glass Onion," "Here Comes the Sun," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Mother Nature's Son," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Hey Jude," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "In My Life," "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and all of Side 2 of
Abbey Road.
6. Dream Theater Do I really need to go into detail about them, considering this is a DT forum? Probably not, but oh well.
Their unique blend of progressive rock and metal was an instant attraction to me back in 1993 and I have been a fan since. Interestingly, while their chops are the allure for many, to me, the insane musicianship was merely the icing on the cake. I instantly loved the songwriting, as well as the melodies provided by James La Brie's voice and by their use of keyboards, courtesy of original keyboard player Kevin Moore. I feel the band it is at their best when rocking, but also focusing just as much on melody and atmosphere. And while I have been heavily critical of them at times over the years, they are still one of my favorite bands of all-time, and were a gateway to quite a few bands I now listen to.
Favorite albums:
Awake,
Images and Words,
Scenes from a Memory,
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and
Black Clouds and Silver LiningsFavorite songs: "Scarred," "Voices," "Erotomania," "Learning to Live," "Metropolis, Part 1," "Trial of Tears," "Take the Time," "A Change of Seasons," "Space Dye Vest," "The Spirit Carries On," "Lines in the Sand," "Finally Free," "Surrounded," "Home," "Misunderstood," "Hell's Kitchen," "The Count of Tuscany" and "The Glass Prison."