U2 vs all other bands... where will they rank in the end?

[Maoilbheannacht]

by who? will there be a royal commission similiar to that conducted by the provisional russian government (minus the "royal" part) in 1917-18?

or did you mean the nme?

the same rag who puts out more best ever lists than aerosmith puts out 'greatest hits' collections?

or, maybe, you meant that you yourself think that YOU will find u2 to be your favourite band in 15 years time?

It is based on a general consensus based on all the factors discussed so far in this thread. I don't think the Beatles will ever be dethroned, but U2 is obviously in the top 10 or top 5.

 

[GibsonGirl]

How do you measure "general consensus"? I think it's a little brash to assume that everywhere over the world, the vast majority of the record-buying public agrees that The Beatles are the best band on earth. There's no way to tell that sort of thing. You can't take album sales into account. That means nothing.

 

[LMP]

How do you measure "general consensus"? I think it's a little brash to assume that everywhere over the world, the vast majority of the record-buying public agrees that The Beatles are the best band on earth. There's no way to tell that sort of thing. You can't take album sales into account. That means nothing.

exactly

I think U2 will suffer in their "band ranking" because of the other artists popular at their peak in the '80s. It was one popular rock band in a time with tons of Pop, people from the supergroups of the past decade going solo, and that odd mix of Heavy Metal and Alternative towards the end.

in the '60s/'70s you had The Who, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Stones, AC/DC and other huge rock bands still popular today.

U2 has who? Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Wham! Huey Lewis and the News, all of the heavymetal bands. N

I hope that their contemporaries won't determine their overall status of greatness.

*if any of what I had made sense*

 

[Nube Gris]

they wont...people have to admit that The Beatles have been dethroned, that there is a greater band, a best band, a bigger band, and a more beloved band

But step by step the fact that U2 is the greatest ever is getting more and more comments, more discussion.....we just need some music critic to come up with a poll with U2 above The Beatles and a lot of people would start to really think...
We need just fucking that, just fucking that

 

[xaviMF22]

beatles dethroned?

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

How do you measure "general consensus"? I think it's a little brash to assume that everywhere over the world, the vast majority of the record-buying public agrees that The Beatles are the best band on earth. There's no way to tell that sort of thing. You can't take album sales into account. That means nothing.

Album sales do mean something in regards to this question, because were talking about what the majority of the public think on this particular question. Naturally, many of the artist with larger album sales and other success in the business, exposure, concerts etc, are more likely to place higher on any such list, whether its a critics list, or a scientific global poll of 1 million music buyers. I think you would combine all these things along with a large poll of critics, musicians and the general public, and some how arrive at an average rating for each artist in which case you could rank them.

 

[Zoomerang96]

they wont...people have to admit that The Beatles have been dethroned, that there is a greater band, a best band, a bigger band, and a more beloved band

But step by step the fact that U2 is the greatest ever is getting more and more comments, more discussion.....we just need some music critic to come up with a poll with U2 above The Beatles and a lot of people would start to really think...
We need just fucking that, just fucking that

um no.

a music critic decides that? that critic could 7ust as easily be a knob who think bon 7ovi are the greatest. then what?

 

[U2girl]

Shouldn't we be asking this once their career is over? Also, what criteria to use? Influence, popularity, classic albums, longevity, live shows? How will you prevent bias (obviously a U2 fan forum wil have a U2 bias)?

For me, Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin/The Who, Pink Floyd and The Clash would belong in top 5.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Album sales do mean something in regards to this question, because were talking about what the majority of the public think on this particular question. Naturally, many of the artist with larger album sales and other success in the business, exposure, concerts etc, are more likely to place higher on any such list, whether its a critics list, or a scientific global poll of 1 million music buyers. I think you would combine all these things along with a large poll of critics, musicians and the general public, and some how arrive at an average rating for each artist in which case you could rank them.

Again, I don't really think you can say that with conviction. People could buy an album and absolutely hate it. Doesn't change the fact that they still bought the album. People could buy concert tickets on the recommendation of a friend and completely hate the show. Doesn't change the fact that they bought a ticket. All of that adds up and skews the perception of "World's Greatest Band" if you're taking sales into account. And when you're talking about bands with as much exposure as The Beatles and U2, there's an even higher chance of that happening, I think.

There's just too much subjectivity when it comes to music. I truly believe it's impossible to pin down which band or artist is the greatest on earth.

 

[UberBeaver]

I don't know that U2 has influenced music in a way sufficient to being called the greatest ever. I think they're a great band, with their own sound, but they don't leave a wake of influence like the Beatles or Zeppelin or Floyd or Sabbath or the Stones or the Velvet Underground or the Ramones. Each of those bands virtually developed a new strain of rock; without them, there would be far less rock variety. I don't think U2 ever did anything like that.

 

[J_NP]

1.Beatles
2.U2/Stones
3.Queen
4.Led Zeppelin
5.Pink Floyd , The Band , The Who .......

 

[jimmmm]

Queen are the most creative band of all time.

Love them or hate them, it's not debatable.

They invented their own sound.

I'll not dispute they may have invented their own sound, but most creative band of all time, you have got to be F*&%£G joking, they never waivered from that "sound" throughout their career, throughout the 70's & 80's if there was anything to make me turn off a radio or tv it was when a song from them or those other "rock" dinosaurs Dirge Straits, or Genesis came on, still each to their own

 

[jimmmm]

Originally posted by LemonMacPhisto [/

in the '60s/'70s you had The Who, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Zeppelin, The Stones, AC/DC and other huge rock bands still popular today.

U2 has who? Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Wham! Huey Lewis and the News, all of the heavymetal bands. N

I hope that their contemporaries won't determine their overall status of greatness.

[/B]

in the '80's & '90's you had The Smiths/Morrissey, The Cure, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Radiohead, maybe America never really bothered looking beyond Huey Lewis, & the like, but U2 have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest music makers of all time and can certainly hold their heads up high and look on their back catalogue which contains some of the greatest albums of all time, & unlike many of the bands you mentioned from the 60's& 70's, U2's music is still on a par with anything being released by the big groups of today, such as Coldplay, and The Kaiserchiefs etc,

 

[LMP]

in the '80's & '90's you had The Smiths/Morrissey, The Cure, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Radiohead, maybe America never really bothered looking beyond Huey Lewis, & the like, but U2 have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest music makers of all time and can certainly hold their heads up high and look on their back catalogue which contains some of the greatest albums of all time, & unlike many of the bands you mentioned from the 60's& 70's, U2's music is still on a par with anything being released by the big groups of today, such as Coldplay, and The Kaiserchiefs etc,

I was talking in terms of mass popularity and not overall talent. If that weren't the case, I'd say the ones you listed are amazing.

except Coldplay and the Kaiser Chiefs.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Shouldn't we be asking this once their career is over? Also, what criteria to use? Influence, popularity, classic albums, longevity, live shows? How will you prevent bias (obviously a U2 fan forum wil have a U2 bias)?

For me, Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin/The Who, Pink Floyd and The Clash would belong in top 5.

You use everything that could be used to determine that question as well as polls of musicians, critics, and the general public from around the world.

By the way, you have 6 bands in your top 5.

 

[UberBeaver]

Well, she did divide Led Zeppelin by The Who, so....5.4 or so, and then round down....5. She's good.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

Again, I don't really think you can say that with conviction. People could buy an album and absolutely hate it. Doesn't change the fact that they still bought the album. People could buy concert tickets on the recommendation of a friend and completely hate the show. Doesn't change the fact that they bought a ticket. All of that adds up and skews the perception of "World's Greatest Band" if you're taking sales into account. And when you're talking about bands with as much exposure as The Beatles and U2, there's an even higher chance of that happening, I think.

There's just too much subjectivity when it comes to music. I truly believe it's impossible to pin down which band or artist is the greatest on earth.

You can't determine who is the greatest artist of all time, but you can determine who the majority of people THINK is the greatest artist of all time!

Its true that some people don't like an album they purchased or a concert they went to, but you can say that about any artist.

The fact that the Beatles have sold over 450 million albums compared to the Clash who have only sold 15 million albums is definitely a factor in determining who the majority of people consider to be the greatest band of all time. There were definitely people who bought Beatles albums who did not like them, but the same can be said of the Clash.

 

[Maoilbheannacht]

I don't know that U2 has influenced music in a way sufficient to being called the greatest ever. I think they're a great band, with their own sound, but they don't leave a wake of influence like the Beatles or Zeppelin or Floyd or Sabbath or the Stones or the Velvet Underground or the Ramones. Each of those bands virtually developed a new strain of rock; without them, there would be far less rock variety. I don't think U2 ever did anything like that.

Maybe not, but that is only one factor in all of this.

 

[U2girl]

You use everything that could be used to determine that question as well as polls of musicians, critics, and the general public from around the world.

By the way, you have 6 bands in your top 5.

I split The Who and Led Zeppelin because I can't pick between the two.

 

[jimmmm]

At the end of the day, where any band will rank will be down to individual taste, I've never been a massive fan of The Beatles, but I like a lot of their material, if thats not a contradiction in terms. But there achievements are probably never going to be equalled, the amount of records sold by them, for a band who were together for just 7 short years after their breakthrough is staggering, the amount of artists who cover their music, would also suggest they have a right to be named as the greatest, but, and I say this as aperson who has listened to all their studio albums, I personally don't think they're as good as U2, I personally don't think any of the Beatles lp's is as good as The Joshua Tree, or Achtung Baby, I personally don't think any of their lp's is as diverse as Zooropa, I personally don't think any single Beatles track is as good as WOWY, One, Pride, WTSHNN, Zoo Station, New Years Day, Bad, The Fly, 2 Shots of Happy.., Vertigo, etc., etc., So in that sense as much as I admire the Beatles for their achievements, I personally think U2, are a greater band, certainly as a live act.