My friend Sarah was in town over Memorial Day, and we spent the weekend in the car, driving around and taking pictures of all kinds of offbeat L.A. landmarks (those Watts Towers are really short, up close). We thusly also spent a lot of time listening to the car radio, and as we flipped around, avoiding commercials, we kept coming across KROQ’s countdown of the 106.7 Biggest Bands of All Time.
Oh, how I love me a good list! This one was voted on by KROQ listeners, and when we first encountered the station, they were in the middle of a four-song block from the No. 8 band, U2. We sang along with a live version of "Bad" until we reached our destination, then got back in the car in time for the No. 5 band, Rage Against the Machine. The sound of me hollering "A BULLET IN YOUR HEAD!" provided a perfect soundtrack for our (unsuccessful) quest to find someplace where we could sneak down into the L.A. River. But Band No. 3, Sublime, was incredibly questionable. Really? Sublime as the third-biggest band of all time, KROQ listeners? Especially considering that, once the countdown whipped back around to the end, we learned that the Pixies were way down at No. 104, a full three slots below freakin’ Wolfmother (or, as the display on my digital car stereo read, "Wolfmoth")?
Yeah, we started to smell something fishy. But we kept driving, andkept listening, and eventually learned that Nirvana were at No. 2,which left open the huge question, Who in the world would be No. 1?The Clash? Radiohead? Metallica? On Monday, we stopped for a drink atthe fabulous Chez Jay before I drove Sarah to the airport. As we pulled into the parking lot, the radiowas blasting Pearl Jam’s "Dissident," and we figured this was perfect — any countdown that’s willing to put Sublime at No. 3 could certainlyvote Pearl Jam No. 1, right? I love Pearl Jam! I would have no problemswith that choice whatsoever…
But no! Pearl Jam was way down at No. 16! SIXTEEN! Beneath theKillers and Linkin Park! Oh God, PopWatchers, this could mean only onething. Only one band could rise to the top in that sort of environment,and they are pictured above: your No. 1 Biggest Band of All Time, According to the Fine Folk of the Los Angeles Area. I shall withholdcomment, except to say that I continue to like that "Snow (Hey Oh)"song, even though Sarah screamed at me to change the station when itcame on.
Here’s the complete list.Feel free to yell at it in the comments. Please. It thinks Panic! atthe Disco is a better band than Talking Heads! This is just notokay.
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another stupid list. how they think that offsprings is a better band than metallica is beyond me…
Indeed. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around for a LONG time. And look, they’re still making relevent, creative, and catchy music (and even picking up a Grammy or two…or three or four). Not only that, but their music is crossing and closing the ages gaps between the crusties like my brother and myself who’ve been fans for a long time, and the twinkietwits in high school who think they’re cool just because they like a RHCP song when they wouldn’t even KNOW that some of the best stuff wasn’t even commericially released. Still…I’m inclined to agree with this list-topping choice.
When did Billy Idol, Marilyn Manson, Jack Johnson and David Bowie become bands?
the rest of the list however is a bit strange…i mean….Beastie Boys, Velvet Underground, The Clash, Garbage, Fleetwood Mac, AEROSMITH!!!!!, these are not on the list…interesting. And very curious…
Red Hot Chili Peppers, no. 1? No way. Sure, they were great in the 90’s…when “Under The Bridge” came out it was an instant classic; something we’d never heard before… original & inspired. But they haven’t grown as artists over the past decade…all their songs sound the same, and they’re still singing about California! (FYI-I’m from CA) I find myself changing the station anytime one of their songs come on the radio. Sure they should be on the list, but no. 1? Puh-leaze.
oh, wait, my bad…garbage did make the list…WAY at the bottom at 90. still…very sad to be so low.
Sara: What did you have in mind?
Harris: Well, I was thinking of taking you on a cultural tour of L.A.
Sara: That’s the first ten minutes, then what?
Hey aramis..
Fleetwood Mac?! Aerosmith?!.. Dude, this list is supposed to be bands THAT YOU HEAR ON THIS PARTICULAR RADIO STATION.. Fleetwood Mac and Aerosmith are NOT KROQ bands..
Well, it’s obvious that the list was created based on input from Generation-X.
That explains why the majority of the top bands are either grunge or grunge-era. Metallica and GNR are the only 80’s metal represented – and only because they transcended.
Since it is KROQ, and since everyone in SoCal has this thing for Sublime, that explains their high placement. I don’t agree with it, but whatever.
The omission of Counting Crows is criminal. Where is Live? And personally, I think RHCP peaked at “Knock Me Down”. Sorry, Pepperheads. That’s just one man’s opinion.
That list is a KROQ of sh*t. Fall Out Boy higher than David Bowie?!?! Are you kidding? Maybe his skin-tight satin pants in Labyrinth worked against him…
The fact that Good Charlotte made it onto the list shows the irrelavancy of it.
Ahhh, Depeche Mode at #6. It continually amazes me that they’ve never been bigger (although they’ve had their moments). I’ll put Martin Gore’s songwriting talents up against literally anyone’s.
Ron Mexico: as a Gen-Xer, I take exception to that. I would put the average age of the listeners somewhere in “Emo” territory.
Victor – I wouldn’t know. I don’t listen to station all the way out here in Mississippi. But when I see a “Best Bands of All Time” moniker, names like Aerosmith (which is a band comparable to the Chili Peppers, and why it’s not by this radio station is questionable) and Fleetwood Mac are names that pop into my head right off the bat.
Oingo Boingo? Come on. This isn’t a list, it’s a publicity stunt.
Nose, I agree that overall the list is a little younger than Gen-X. But, with the exception of Linkin Park, the top ten all had big runs in the early-mid 90’s. I am Gen-X myself, for the record.
That list is so retarded.
Anybody with a journalist degree oughta know that the biggest band ever is The Polyphonic Spree.
Thirty two band members.
And this doesn’t include The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, who charted in the 1950s.
Anybody who says that the biggest band (which contains four measly, malnourished) members is clearly in need of some remedial schooling.
My Chemical Romance and SOAD higher than REM? HAHAHA!!! Yeah, right!
And any list with 311 is a joke – unless it’s a list of suck bands trying to fuse raggae and rock.
SoCal needs to put the bong down already.
Worst. List. Ever. Good Charlotte? In what world do they belong on a best of anything list?
And krikky – I would think David Bowie’s skin tight pants in Labyrinth would be a point in his favor.
I was a KROQ listener when I was growing up in L.A., and I’m not terribly surprised at this list. Just remember it was voted on by people who listen to this station, and basically the more KROQ plays their songs, the higher a band is on the list. People have short memories that way. And yeah, it probably also has a lot to do with the age of the people who voted.
This list was created by having listeners choose their three favorite bands from a pull-down menu on the KROQ website, so it’s by no means scientific. And yes, it is only “KROQ bands,” not all bands. Plus, they seem to do this same countdown every two years or so, and a different band usually ends up on top each time. I think Sublime actually won it recently. Never underestimate the power of Long Beach.
I guess at 32, I’m officially old. I really could care less about this list…after reading it, I smell Hot Topic in my nostrils, and it’s not always good.
I agree with every choice on this list. Blink-182 is soooo much better than The Clash and The Sex Pistols.
But seriously, this is what happens when you have a list made by committee, some good choices mixed in, but mostly just a whole heap of mediocrity.
And to your point, Suz, am I the only one annoyed at everyone’s short memory?
I mean, yeah, alright – AFI is good. I’m not saying newer bands aren’t any good, and I’m not saying there weren’t suck bands back in my college days (Deadeye Dick, anyone?).
But, come on, there has to be more respect to the bands that made KROQ what it is.
Even as a hesher in the 80’s, I would have known that Black Sabbath should be ranked higher than Poison – despite Poison being bigger at the time.
I never underestimate the power of Long Beach, Tom. I can smell it everytime I drive through there.
I think it was Marlin Brando that once said: “I love the smell of weed and industrial waste in the morning!”
I’ve listened to KROQ for years and it’s very simple… the list isn’t of the 106.7 bands of all time… it’s of the 106.7 KROQ bands of all time.
First of all, it’s a completely bogus list. They solicit for listener votes, but in radio these lists are always made up before the listeners even cast the first vote.
Second of all, these bands are very representative of KROQ. Sublime is HUGE in SoCal, and with the KROQ audience.
Sublime and The Chili Peppers are California bands. Of course they will be at the top! Why do they let you work at EW?
Paige…omg, i just read your post…and can it be!? Something we both agree on?! LOL. The world will freeze over as giant pigs learn to fly. Offspring is certainly NOT a better band than Metallica. I did notice that on the list, and was expecting a sort of backlash with those two bands (particularly since they are NOTICEABLY one-after-another on the list). Interesting.
Sublime and The Chili Peppers are California bands. Of course they will be at the top! Why do they let you work at EW?
Unfortunately, when you have lists like this where the people vote they seem to get some sort of pop culture amnesia and only be able to remember bands from the last 5-10 years. Either that or you get a bunch of lame youngsters who have only been musically concious for the past 5-10 years. Same things with actors and actresses. In my school paper during my high school days, Julia Roberts was voted more famous than Lucille Ball. *headdesk*