Lloyd Almighty
The Lloyds formed as Executive Fork in Helensburgh, Scotland, and performed a handful of gigs before they shifted to Manchester. There they became recognised as one of the most visual bands on the circuit, and honed their trade in grotty pubs and clubs like the Boatman’s Home, The Boardwalk, The Banshee, the Chorlton Irish Club, Shades, Jilly’s Rockworld, Lancaster Tavern and a ton of other smaller joints. Their following were incredibly loyal and filled each of the gigs to overflowing and got them a ton of radio play around the north west.
The Beatles
For a band and as individuals to come up with so many brilliant tunes over such a long period of time is nothing short of bloody immense. The Beatles were a band that never stood still and continued to grow and explore different spheres of sound with every passing year. It’s quite possible they inspired more people to pick up guitars than any other band on the planet, and as much as I truly dislike their early stuff, there’s no doubt that they were adored by millions who bought their records. Paul McCartney has probably sold more records than any other recording artist (let me know if you know the figures). Not only that, he still gives workshops in his native city to the lucky few who manage to get onto a course for the institution he founded in 1996, LIPA. John Lennon was his writing partner in the band, and he went on to have a distinguished solo career, as did George Harrison, whose All Things Must Pass is the most successful album of the band as solo performers. Ringo? He was that guy who hung around with the band, wasn’t he? ;).
The Rolling Stones
The Stones are still together after seven decades (barring drummer, Charlie Watts) and their tunes are still as good now as they ever were. OK, while it’s true they haven’t released anything of value since Miss You in 1978, they have toured and still gig now and then. Mick, Keef and their mates reseased 70 albums and 121 singles, which is incredible. They have also inspired a ton of bands to form and take up instruments to follow in their footsteps, and few bands have made such an imprint on music as they have.
Prince
This guy is my all time music hero. I quite literally cried for weeks when he skipped over to the other side, and I miss him and his output to this day. While it’s true his quality control was somewhat amiss throughout his latter years, there’s no doubt that this man was truly a musical genius. When I die, I want to be lowered into the ground to Let’s Go Crazy blasting away on a beat box. Take me away! 55 albums and 85 singles demonstrates how prolific the guy was, and OK, as I mentioned, his quality control wasn’t the most astute in the world, what did come through over the not so great tunes were strokes of genius. Added to this is the fact that he played most of the instruments himself, and it becomes evident just what a phenomenon he was.
Elvis
Oh, the King of Rock and Roll. While that title arguably belongs to Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis was the artist who brought black and white music together and had everyone dancing. His early stuff is, in my opinion the best, aa he wandered off the track at certain points, mainly due to his film career, which were more a bit of fun than Oscar material. Elvis could sing all manner of styles too, and he crossed from Blues to Gospel to Rock ‘n’ Roll to Country and the ballads, of course. He played guitar and the piano, though he was more of a rhythm guitarist than a shredder. Considering he was only 42 when he went to bed, he still stands as possibly the most recognisable artist the world has ever seen.
Elton John
My sister loved this guy, and when I listen to certain tracks, certainly from his Honky Chateau album, I can only ever think of her when she used to play it while she and I did our homework. It would blare from her bedroom while I was in mine and we were beavering away. That aside, the man has been producing wonderful music for decades, and you don’t get longevity by being crap. He’s sold more than 300 million records worldwide, and they continue to shift from the shelves or online platforms. Elton still tours too, he’s got a 2022 world tour kicking off in May.
Michael Jackson
What can you say about Michael Jackson that hasn’t already been said? He was an amazing performer, a great singer, and what a showman. It’s such a pity he had so much trouble surrounding him. Michael was something of an enigma, and as much as he had his troubles through allegations of wrongdoing, I’d come down on his side, because from the films we see, he’s an innocent little boy inside a man’s mind. With 400 million (and counting) record sales, sell out tours, and enough gossip to fill ten encyclopedias, we could talk about him all day long and never repeat. The music stands out for me though, and there are so many great tracks it would be foolish to try and come up with a favourite.
The Sex Pistols
As much as I loved Elvis, when the Pistols came along they produced the first sounds that truly made the hair on my neck stand up. They were rock ‘n’ roll, of course, and they weren’t doing much new as far as rebelling goes; kids have been doing that for eons, but they did it in a new way that struck a chord with me. I loved being a punk. I loved not being the same as everyone else. I loved the switch back from flares to drainpipes, the dyed hair, the holes in my jeans, the zips, the safety pins. I loved it all, and it was down to the Pistols that I got involved in music. I’ve got the saddest Pistols story ever too, but that’s for another time and place. The proof of a band’s importance is down to those they influence, and the Pistols influenced more bands than any other since the Beatles. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols is also one of the greatest albums ever created. Every intro is instantly recognisable, and every tune is a stand out. For me, while the Pistols aren’t the best band ever, they are certainly my favourite. I still believe they were the only true punk band, and when the Pistols split, punk died.
Chuck Berry
Chuck was an early influence on many, many bands and singers, and he was the first person who really told stories in his songs. As well as inventing a whole new guitar sound that has been copied and ripped off by so many since, Chuck penned some of the greatest pop tunes of the past 80 years. He was a bit of a stubborn performer by all accounts, and if you’ve seen the footage of him arguing with Keith Richards, you’ll get some of the picture. However, that doesn’t detract from the man’s songwriting genius, and it is down to this that he gets the place here rather than Little Richard, who actually had the better voice and full band sound.
ABBA
You’ll possibly have noticed there are no females in this top ten so far, so I’m going to remedy this with Abba, who are one of the best bands ever to grace the radio and record player airwaves. Pre 1976, everyone was allowed to like Abba, but when punk came out, I had to pretend I didn’t like them for fear of becoming an outcast in the world of my peers. Yep, I was a secret Abba admirer. Still am, in fact, and I am brave enough to admit it no and not care what others think, although most would agree with me, and those who don’t have no taste in music.
