Editor’s note: We published this last year, not suspecting that readers of the Viator blog had such strong opinions about UK and London rock music. We generated quite a stir with what bands did (or didn’t) make Scott’s “Favorite / Most Influential British Bands” list. So we thought we’d stir up the UK rock pot once again… if you have a favorite London or British rock band, leave us a comment and get ready for music snobs to tell you how mediocre your musical taste is.
The Clash? #2 on the list.
Just when you think there’s nothing new to get excited about, just when you think the Web 2.0 has become stilted and boring, something comes along to reaffirm your faith in the Internet’s creativity, innovation and plain old fun factor.
Which is why I was so unspeakably happy to discover a site called England Rocks. First off, it’s been AGES since I had to mad-panic-scramble to mute my computer because of embarrassingly loud website music. Websites with music were annoying back in the 1990s; somehow today, England Rocks is a breath of fresh Internet air. (Mind your computer volume when loading the site. You have been warned.)
England Rocks takes a simple concept - that London, England and the UK in general have spawned innumerable great bands and have rich musical legacies - and makes it accessible to music fans. Did you know that a young Jarvis Cocker once worked in a fish stall at the Castle Market in Sheffield? Or that Dublin Castle in Camden, London, was where Blur got an early start playing live gigs? Or that the Fox and Hounds pub in Reading is where a pre-Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney worked behind the bar during the week and then played on Saturdays as The Nerk Twins?
Nope. Me neither.
The site is heavily skewed towards The Beatles. Which is fair enough. There’s also a decent mix of both modern and classic British rock bands, from Oasis to Blur to The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin. But it also got me thinking about my own personal favorite Brit bands, which are not heavily featured (hint hint, England Rocks, please add more about these bands to your wonderful site). So I did what I always do in these situations, and made a list:
Scott’s Top 10 Favorite / Most Influential British Bands
- Bauhaus. If you know me, you’ll understand why this is #1 on my list.
- The Clash. Joe, we miss you.
- The Pogues. Yes yes they’re not British. However Dublin is on their Google map, thus The Pogues ought to be included.
- The Sex Pistols. You never forget your first bloody nose.
- The Cult. Ian Astbury, where are you now???
- The Cure. I don’t know why The Cure’s entry in Wikipedia cracks me up. C’mon people, it’s just a rock band.
- Billy Bragg. Anybody who can get me fired up to join a labor union deserves a place on this list.
- Stiff Little Fingers. Go Belfast go!
- Simple Minds. I’m using Simple Minds as a placeholder for all my favorite Scottish bands, from Big Country to The Proclaimers to The Cocteau Twins.
- Roxy Music. Punk, new wave, new romantic, call it what you like. The early stuff is amazing.
To those who didn’t make my list — Radiohead, PJ Harvey, The Jam, The Smiths — my sincere apologies. I still listen to your records, EPs, CDs and MP3s, so don’t take it too hard.
PS: Since I originally published this list, I received a lot of - um, constructive feedback? - about bands missing. So in one of the comments below I amended the original list as follows. And this list is final! And please don’t bother to point out that my top 10 list has 15 entries. Duh.
Scott’s New & Improved Top 10 Favorite / Most Influential British Bands
- Bauhaus
- The Clash
- The Pogues
- The Sex Pistols
- The Cult
- The Cure
- Billy Bragg
- Stiff Little Fingers
- Simple Minds (don’t even start with me Bruce) / Big Country / The Proclaimers / The Cocteau Twins
- Roxy Music
- The Damned
- The Specials
- Motorhead / the Kinks / the Buzzcocks / Madness / English Beat
- Elvis Costello
- David Bowie (nothing past 1985)
Interested in music? So are we. Check out our London rock music tour, a small group London Rock tour, NYC Rock ‘n’ Roll City Tour, NYC Hip-Hop tour, the Hound Dog - Elvis in Memphis tour and the Blue Music Tour in Memphis. There’s also classical music tours in Austria, Broadway shows in New York and musicals in London.
March 12th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Hi Scott,
Bauhaus #1….wow…I am impressed…I have seen them in concert a decade ago (even Mr Murphy while he was going solo). Ian Astbury has played with the Doors original members during some tour but I guess it didn’t do anything good to him as he disappeared straight afterwards.
For me, Sisters of Mercy has to make the top 10 as well.
(on another subject, I went to see NIN last night in London, did you know that on their last US tour, Bauhaus were playing with NIN…)
Congrats for this new blog initiative with Viator.
All the best.
Guillaume
March 12th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Ian Astbury playing with the Doors original members?? Wow. That’s so weird it almost makes sense.
I did see Bauhaus on a reunion gig here in San Francisco. I was expecting to hate it, to be underwhelmed, to be annoyed at being swept up in the hullabaloo. But then Peter Murphy and David Jay and the other two whose names I always forget did their thing. And all was forgiven.
I’ve never been a big Sisters of Mercy fan. Not sure why. So thanks for the nudge, I’ll go out and find some. This will be an interesting test… does iTunes carry Sisters of Mercy? (Answer: only one, and it’s a greatest hits album.)
Also — I remember one band that I left off the list. In true Spinal Tap form I am making my Top 10 list go to 11. And #11 on the list is The Damned. Dave Vanian and Capt. Sensible, I can’t believe I left you off the list.
March 12th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
what, no Take That or Wham! on the list?
Or what about a little band called The Beatles!
March 13th, 2007 at 10:42 am
What about The Police? My god man, where have you been!?
March 13th, 2007 at 11:35 am
OK, so The Beatles didn’t make my list because the England Rocks site already is heavily skewed towards them. Ditto with some of the classic rock acts like AC/DC, Led Zep, Black Sabbath, etc.
Take That? Not my speed.
Wham? I missed the whole New Wave, it’s OK for boys to dance and wear make-up phase.
The Police? I’m torn. I was a big fan in high school. The early stuff was amazing. But then Sting had to go and become weird and egotistical and musically boring. So my feelings for Sting are clouding my judgment.
I just remembered a #12 for my list. The Specials!!!
March 13th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Ah, you’ve redeemed yourself by adding The Specials, I’ll forgive the oversight of Pink Floyd…
My husband is thrilled at the inclusion of some of his personal favorites as well - The Pogues, Stiff Little Fingers. There’s me thinking I was the only wife in the world that had to put up with these little gems, glad to hear yours does as well, I’m not alone!
March 14th, 2007 at 2:46 am
oh dear. we knew scott was an iconoclast, but this is taking it a bit far. first of all, the beatles are no. 1 no matter how many other people (including me) rave on about them.
secondly, david bowie is no. 2. where are the who? hello? the kinks? pink floyd (the early stuff of course)? yeesh. i’ll give you roxy, but where’s eno? ‘here come the warm jets’ should be enough to get him in.
if a welsh band counts as british (last time i checked my geo taxonomy, it should), then super furry animals are in there somewhere.
i’ll take the stranglers and the damned over all those other punk bands, tho SLF are strong contenders. then again so were ian drury (RIP) and the blockheads. and PIL are a better band than the pistols, and the fall are better than all of them. and what about the buzzcocks or the jam?!
xtc have to be in there, as does robyn hitchcock and related projects (ie the soft boys). nick lowe deserves a spot just for those first two solo records alone (and for rockpile). in fact, without elvis costello, your list has no credibility at all.
if we were going to 20 (tho my math might be faulty) i would also include orange juice (and edwyn collins solo), television personalities, nick drake, donovan, the mekons, magazine, hefner, and belle & sebastian - and just for old time’s sake, genesis (gabriel-era, naturally).
lastly, simple minds suck scott - but kudos for naming the band after the audience they wished to attract.
March 14th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Simple Minds? like Bruce said. I can abide the fans of glam rock (roxy & bowie) and psychedelic rock (floyd) but seriously…I know so much more about you with your top ten. Btw, AC/DC is considered an Aussie Band even if the bros were Scottish by birth.
C’mon The Jam doesn’t make the top ten cut or the Specials? I’m going to ignore all the Beatles talk, yes they were great. But, many, many of these bands would not be on this list without the influence of “the Who”!
Where are the Small Faces, the (English) Beat, the Kinks, Buzzcocks, Madness, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest? Scott, your list is all filler and no killer!
March 14th, 2007 at 11:49 am
What about Depeche Mode…tke Kings of the newwave era…surely they should make the top 10.
DM is #1 for me without a doubt .
March 14th, 2007 at 11:49 am
I am sorry, but you left of the #1 British Band EVER — The Spice Girls.
Or maybe they werent a band after all…hmmm
March 14th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
BRUCE — I’ll give you Bowie. And the Beatles. And Floyd. If I could TURN BACK TIME (sing it Cher) I would add them to the list.
The Who? I guess your age is showing Bruce. It’s not my generation.
Eno? While I am a fan, I wouldn’t classify him under even the broadest definition of “Rock”. Nope. He’s the king of ambient. (Maybe you should check out some of the popular ambient music blogs…)
The Damned? My oversight has been noted.
The Stranglers? Good, very good even. But better than “all those other punk bands”?? Again Bruce, your age must be showing. The only other punk band on the list is the Sex Pistols, and they WILL remain on the list PIL notwithstanding. (And let’s be honest — when’s the last time anybody actually listened to a PIL album?? Worthy in concept, tough to listen to.)
XTC, Robyn Hitchcock, Elvis Costello, Belle & Sebastien, Donovan??? Nope. I’m having none of it. Maybe you should start a blog about softcore 1980s singer-songwriters.
SUZANN — The Jam and the Specials have been noted, and addressed. And your list of add-ons is very appealing. Motorhead, the Kinks, the Buzzcocks, Madness, the Beat, all great bands. They are my new collective #13.
GUILLAUME — Depeche Mode, I’m sorry. Is it a French thing?
JOHN — what, is the stand-up comic’s blog 503 - Service Temporary Unavailable right now?
March 14th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
ah the blissful ignorance of youth - whose age is showing now? post-roxy, eno did four perfectly brilliant rock/pop albums before going ambient - if ‘baby’s on fire’ isn’t rock, i’m a winky.
‘those other punk bands’ - i was thinking of the clash and stiff little fingers as well as the pistols.
can’t take PIL? you’re soft, scotty, sooooft. much easier to listen to in my opinion than simple minds.
bowie makes up for a lot, tho without costello i can’t take you seriously. thanks for playing!
March 14th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Scott, your roots, your roots. Echo and the Bunnymen. Unforgivable name, unforgettable sound. And where would music be today if Joy Division wasn’t there to rip off? Who knows what the kids would be listening to.
Also, a little T Rex in your diet is always good to counteract the side effects of mid-era Bowie.
Lest we dive into obscurities of marginal influence like The Wonder Stuff and The Mighty Lemon Drops (boy those brits know how to name a band), let’s not forget the far-reaching influence of The Stone Roses, the Happy Mondays, and the entire “I’m-Tripping-My-Nuts-Off-on-Ecstasy” Manchester scene.
Admittedly, probably no top-10 material here, but still better than dragging out the rotting corpse of U2.
March 14th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
BRUCE — I must to go and dig up some Eno rock-era LPs from my grandpa’s attic. I’ll dust them off and give them a listen, tell you what I think. Anybody got a Victorola I could borrow?
BRENT — Wow, just when I think there are no more bands to consider, one comes along. Echo and the Bunnymen, you got me there. Unforgivable lapse on my part. Joy Division also makes it Top 25, not sure if it’s Top 10. I can honestly say I’ve never listened to the Wonder Stuff. Isn’t that a Fox TV show?
March 14th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
Lists. Love lists. In no order…
Billy Bragg
Brian Eno (all guises)
The Jam
Radiohead
The Cure
Elvis Costello (really, Scott, he HAS to be there)
The Clash
Echo and the Bunnymen
Duran Duran (seriously…)
Blur
If I saw them on the street, I apologise to the following for leaving them out:
Bowie
Floyd
Specials
Joy Division
Police (I agree Scott, the Police are a different band since Sting became a plonker)
and - just cause they’re hilarious - Happy Mondays…
Hey, some of that pre-Joshua Tree U2 is damn good! Was listening to War again last night - bloody great stuff…
I’m not delving into music released before I was conscious. Too hard.
March 15th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Scott - I do like your list and I see a few bands that definitely make the cut:
1. The Clash
2. The Cure
3. Roxy Music
BUT, I also agree with Bruce - no Elvis Costello. Lyrics alone he is the hands down winner. And what about The Pretenders - yes I know Chrissie Hynde is a Cleveland/Akron native, but James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon were from the UK - they also had links with Nick Lowe, Ray Davies and Johnny Rotten.
March 15th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Sheesh. You leave one thing off the list and everybody’s on your case. I AM NOT A MONSTER. I will add Elvis Costello as the new #14.
Take that kenbrucejohnnyr.
One other thing that needs cleaning up. Brian Eno. After some careful soul searching, I admit my mistake. I can’t bring myself to adding him to the Top 10 list. But I like JohnnyR, I would now apologize to him (unless he’s dead) if I ran into him on the street.
So the new Top 10 list, without further ado…
1. Bauhaus
2. The Clash
3. The Pogues
4. The Sex Pistols
5. The Cult
6. The Cure
7. Billy Bragg
8. Stiff Little Fingers
9. Simple Minds (don’t even start with me Bruce) / Big Country / The Proclaimers / The Cocteau Twins
10. Roxy Music
11. The Damned
12. The Specials
13. Motorhead / the Kinks / the Buzzcocks / Madness / English Beat
14. Elvis Costello
15. David Bowie (nothing past 1985)
March 15th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Speaking of no. 11 (d) on your list, Scott, it was pure MADNESS until Johnny R came along about 15 posts in and finally mentioned Duran Duran (…seriously).
Now, don’t hate me because they’re beautiful. Or because they all are, or were at one time, dating or married to a super model. Or because at least two of them are known to still wear eyeliner on occassion - boys will be boys afterall.
Influential - I am sure they influenced some bands, in fact bands like the Killers and Franz Ferdinand have said so…publicly (…seriously). I just happen to love the music, love the vibe - going on 25 years or so…but please, no one suggest sending me to Promises for that.
April 1st, 2009 at 9:23 pm
It’s been a while since I checked in on this music madness. I think it’s time for another go at building the definitive Top 10 list of to British rock bands. Maybe all those Eno & Who fans have stopped reading this blog, so I can get some peace from those rock hippies and focus on the GOOD bands ex. Britain. Stay tuned.
April 8th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Who fans are not (all) hippies. That’s like judging all the Beatles on the White Album. Mod or rocker, clearly rocker, Scott. Clearly. Go Mods!
April 8th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
You have terible taste yourself Scott. Bauhaus number 1?? Please tell me your vote is about their legacy (not much of one) and not the music. Peter Murphy was a show pony. All makeup and no talent. David jay, shimmer of talent but WHERE IS HE NOW? My opinion is, if you’re worthy of #1 then you CANNOT disappear for 20 years. Kevin haskins? He’s the ringo star of goth.and the guitar player, I bet nobody here even remembers his name! And for good reason. A pansy in a black coat. So really if this is your #1 band how can I take you seriously?? Your list is a sham.
April 9th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Ahem . . . Firstly a correction, and let’s not spearhead into a lengthy debate about what defines a Bands heritage, just read the reviews, the history, the whatever, and you will quickly learn that ACDC is a proud Australian band and therefore not to be touched in this blog.
Second point - I recently have learned that Siouxsie & the Banshees kicked off gothic rock and deserve some mention here??
April 11th, 2009 at 3:42 am
Everyone needs a little Black Sabbath to start their day off right…probably 13th? Near Madness, of course!
May 20th, 2009 at 6:09 am
There’s a lot of great bands mentioned above but I’m amazed nobody has mentioned the Rolling Stones.