When was the last time the biggest band in the world was the best band in the world?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Or has it never happened? Can it ever happen? And why?

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think it has happened .. The biggest bands I can think of right now - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lambchop ... 'can't call either of them the best band in the world....

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The day before Paul McCartney released "McCartney" and left The Beatles.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Can we have a list of biggest bands in the world by date pls? It would be very helpful!

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"The biggest bands I can think of right now - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lambchop ..."

Polyphonic Spree?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:47 (twenty-one years ago)

The Beatles -- 64-66

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Monday, 8 September 2003 11:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Was that the last time? Thats really depressing!

Was Nirvana not the biggest band in the world? (Not from 64-66, I mean post-Nevermind for however long it lasted)

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Monday, 8 September 2003 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone who bothers to try and name Radiohead will be shot on sight.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Monday, 8 September 2003 13:36 (twenty-one years ago)

1985 - Stockholm Monsters

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 8 September 2003 13:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Radioh...

*BANG*

― nickalicious is dead, long live nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Guns N Roses, 1987. (close: the Beastie Boys, 1987.)

― chuck, Monday, 8 September 2003 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Or at least: Michael Jackson, 1982 (assuming he was a band.)

― chuck, Monday, 8 September 2003 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Chuck wins with GnR. Definitely.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

The Revolution.
Doctor Fink was wearing scrubs.
1984

― p.j. (Henry), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Or at least: Michael Jackson, 1982 (assuming he was a band.)

Never.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Some people thought U2 was the best band in the world. I wasn't one of them.

My question is, assuming people still remember all the biggest bands in the world from now in 100 years, who isn't going to think they weren't also the best ones?

― dleone (dleone), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:55 (twenty-one years ago)

How about The Cure 1986-9?

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 8 September 2003 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

when have radiohead ever been the biggest band in the world ?!!
they've never been big big like,
spice girls madonna oasis jacko springsteen u2 beatles big.

the *cure* ?!! again likewise.

― piscesboy, Monday, 8 September 2003 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

But I don't think a diet of millions-selling oasis (most popular band of the mid 90's) sticks to one's ribs like an Appetite for D-D-Destruction!

― p.j. (Henry), Monday, 8 September 2003 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

And I think the last time taciturn Springsteen was the biggest was like in 83 or something. he probably might've been the most important then, if anyone was braced to admit it.

― p.j. (Henry), Monday, 8 September 2003 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread questions whether the majority are suitable arbiters of merit, and I don't think that's ever been the case.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 September 2003 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"majority are suitable arbiters of merit"...rarely. Usually for this idea to work at all it has to be a talented performer very rightly keying into the majority.

I have to back up Prince some more. "Purple Rain" was not only mighty, but a mighty freakin great record. GNR wasn't *quite* as awe-inspiring to me, if I may split hairs.

― p.j. (Henry), Monday, 8 September 2003 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Stones, 1969/70-72.

― Adam Harrison-Friday, Monday, 8 September 2003 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Oasis were never big at all (even in their heydey) here in the U.S.

The real answer: Led Zeppelin.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 8 September 2003 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Chuck wins with Beastie Boys, definitely.

I'm not counting solo artists+backing bands and I don't think Nirvana were ever the *best* band on the planet.

Is Outkast a band? Are they the biggest in the world?

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Monday, 8 September 2003 17:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Neptunes? They at least set off that "they're great, but I don't want to go see them at that arena" tension in my head. Maybe it's just the overexposure talking.

― E. (ebb), Monday, 8 September 2003 17:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Spice Girls, but it was only for a little bit.

― J (Jay), Monday, 8 September 2003 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread questions whether the majority are suitable arbiters of merit, and I don't think that's ever been the case.

the majority has picked, or has come awfully close to picking, elvis, the supremes, the beatles, the stones, led zep, abba, michael jackson, prince, gnr, nirvana, etc. that's not such a horrible track record. they went with nsync and eminem, too, which weren't such terrible choice either.

― fact checking cuz, Monday, 8 September 2003 18:22 (twenty-one years ago)

The Smashing Pumpkins, 1995-1996

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Monday, 8 September 2003 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

AC/DC circa 77 - 81?

― Mil, Monday, 8 September 2003 23:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I won't say N*Sync have ever been the biggest band of the world, as picked by the majority. Judging from record sales, Nirvana never were either.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 8 September 2003 23:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll say Nirvana because they certainly felt like the biggest band in the world when they were huge. (not in a personal-fandom kind of way, in a pervasiveness-in-culture sense, at least where I was at the time)

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 8 September 2003 23:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I'd agree with Nirvana, and I'm torn between the Beatles and the Stones ((c)Guy Chadwick heh)

― Trayce (trayce), Monday, 8 September 2003 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Fleetwood Mac, circa '77

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh god. I remember when they used to play "Tusk" on TV as a filler, and thinking how weird a song it was as a kid :)

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

The majority are fuckin' braindead sheep. Always have been. Always will be.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Killing Joke, 1980-2003... FUCK YAH

― Paul Levesque (Bryan Moore), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Nirvana sucks.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:33 (twenty-one years ago)

My gague of Nirvana's big-ness came from Kurt's death - it was reported on the six o'clock news, and you don't often get that with pop types unless theyre HUGE.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)

The Spice Girls, most definitely.

― Larcole (Nicole), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)

One could make a case for Nine Inch Nails during the summer of '94.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:38 (twenty-one years ago)

haha i third the spice girls! (gee, that sounds kinda dirty...)

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

But they never actually took it to the States with a big ol' multimedia show until they had lost a key member. Or is that rockist? ;-) (I am intentionally not counting the movie.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 02:56 (twenty-one years ago)

for a few glorious moments, i thought this could happen again with Queens of the Stone Age, but that kinda faded.

― colin mcelligatt, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 03:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Geir wins.

― Cub, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The Smashing Pumpkins, 1995-1996

Second that.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Outkast circa Stankonia.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 04:25 (twenty-one years ago)

N*Sync were NEVER big in the UK. That's why Justin's been embraced so wholeheartedly by the UK style/pop/indie/adult/tabloid/everyone press - unlike the rest of the world, where he's, yes, still very bloody famous and popular, but still carrying the boyband baggage.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 10:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Interesting. Were the Backstreet Boys ever big in the UK? Britney Spears? Anybody else really really famous in the US but not in the UK?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 11:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Despite lotsa great bands named - and regardless of Mr.Snrub's Led Zep proposition, that I happen to find more plausible than most of the rest - this thread's now kinda making my tits hurt. A bit.
It's a recurring ailment, sort of. ('Sure, man, might be just my own "little" problem, bla-bla-blah'. (No, not really, the way as it happens))
Well, it's that allergic rush-ette triggered by being poked in the eye again with the fabulous assumption that US+UK=the world.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sure there are those who would agree with Metallica when the black album was released. That was a bit of a boiling point for them, right? When they had all the hype built up from their previous career and before everyone decided that they suck.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:41 (twenty-one years ago)

(I am intentionally not counting the movie.)

That is rockist. ;-)

― Larcole (Nicole), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 12:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Eminem circa 2000? Maybe not the *best*, but way up there.

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:14 (twenty-one years ago)

That is rockist. ;-)

Astounding! Actually, wasn't it released in the middle of Titanic ruling the world and all that? Bad timing!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you never watched it? It is a classic. It has Meatloaf and Ginger on the same screen, what more can you ask from a film?

― Larcole (Nicole), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

So who is the biggest band in the world at the moment? If we count solo artists, I would definitely say Eminem, for pop culture buzz and talk-about-ness, and also for bankable record sales.

― Nick H, Tuesday, 9 September 2003 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Not counting solo artists (Eminem, 50 Cent, Norah Jones), it has to be Coldplay, hasn't it?

― Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Killing Joke, 1980-2003... FUCK YAH

-- Paul Levesque (Creativespamme...), September 9th, 2003. (later)

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/jaz/habloodyha.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Whatever the answer is, it certainly wasn't anytime in the past fifteen years.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.purple-beats.com/pictures/fat-boys2.jpg

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 9 September 2003 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.impawards.com/1987/posters/disorderlies.jpg

― Dada, Wednesday, 10 September 2003 00:15 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.impawards.com/1987/posters/disorderlies.jpg

http://www.thebrokenlink.org/images/tbl-title.png

http://www.road-kill.net/products/belt_buckles/images/15549_jpg.jpg

― Dada, Wednesday, 10 September 2003 00:17 (twenty-one years ago)

ABBA circa 1976.

― V (1411), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

That picture of the Fat Boys just made my week!

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

wud after say U2 are the biggest band at the moment and are for sure not the best, i wud say the best band at the moment is radiohead by far!

― namedavid, Friday, 21 April 2006 15:35 (nineteen years ago)

wud after say U2 are the biggest band at the moment and are for sure not the best, i wud say the best is radiohead by far! but then lets not forget about greenday.

― namedavid, Friday, 21 April 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

I'd have to say Nirvana, because they were the last band who impacted enough to where people wanted to be just like them. Just like how in the sixties after the Beatles came out, everybody wanted to look just like them and stuff, everybody had a Beatle haircut. Well there were, and actually still are, a bunch of guys who tried/try to dress just like Kurt Cobain, or adopt the whole grunge look.
The same thing with both bands is that countless imitators popped up who tried to sound just like them as well. Even to this day there are crappy bands who try to sing just like Kurt Cobain.
I haven't seen too many people trying to go for the whole Prince or Radiohead look or sound. Or most of the other bands listed.
Well, of course there probably are many people who have been highly influenced by a lot of the bands mentoned, but I don't think they have influenced people to actually turn into clones.

By the way, that Fat Boys picture threw me into a total flashback!!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 21 April 2006 21:11 (nineteen years ago)

Duke Ellington. Excuse roffletry at Nirvana on "biggest" and best fronts.

― Boring Someone in Some Dark Cafe (noodle vague), Friday, 21 April 2006 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

Bee Gees.

― friendship7, Saturday, 22 April 2006 02:46 (nineteen years ago)

I'd have to say Nirvana, because they were the last band who impacted enough to where people wanted to be just like them.

Green Day + eyeliner

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 22 April 2006 03:03 (nineteen years ago)

B.E.P

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Saturday, 22 April 2006 04:45 (nineteen years ago)

Duke Ellington. Excuse roffletry at Nirvana on "biggest" and best fronts.

"Roffletry" (as you say) at Duke Ellington being considered a "band."

Go look at your eyes, they're full o'moon.

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Saturday, 22 April 2006 05:14 (nineteen years ago)

If we assume people are bands too, how about Bruce Springsteen?
We could say the E Street Band instead if we want to get anal about that one.

Who is this "we" anyway?

― Brian O'Neill (NYCNative), Saturday, 22 April 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

"Roffletry" (as you say) at Duke Ellington being considered a "band."

Go look at your eyes, they're full o'moon.

He was a bandleader. I think we all understood what noodle meant.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 22 April 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, but for an apostrophe and a "s" my snark would've been foolproof.

I mean the idea of a "best" band seems laughable to me anyway, and it's impossible to imagine anything like even a 6-month span where the best-selling band in the world or however you wanna define biggest would also be the most compelling or skilled or inventive or whatever. It's a rilly stupid question, and Ellington's band seems as good an answer as any.

― Ricky Nadir (noodle vague), Saturday, 22 April 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.