Who is the BEST "Big" band right now?

[pepokiss]

ok


there's only TWO options that should've be there...



U2 and The Rolling Stones



any other band is nowhere near close to those 2

there's no other BIG band


hell, only in 2004-05 I could've said Green Day... but just for that brief period of time...

Pearl Jam, REM, RHCP, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Radiohead, Green Day, Coldplay... that's the 2nd line... but none of those bands will achieve more that they already have (ok, maybe coldplay)



MUSE I find it somewhat the next big thing...
The Killers too...

Muse, the killers, white stripes... that's the 3rd line


all the others are nowhere near big... they're still cult bands... specially Arcade Fire... i mean.. they play in churches, c'mon (and i have Neon bible and a live concert of them)



U2 and the Rolling Stones
those should be the ONLY options
and even there I can't decide

if we're talking "bands"... if you say "artists", you just have to add Madonna.

 

[Screwtape2]

U2 and the Rolling Stones
those should be the ONLY options
and even there I can't decide

if we're talking "bands"... if you say "artists", you just have to add Madonna.

The Rolling Stones and Madonna!? They aren't current at all. People know who they are but the average music fan probably wouldn't know that they've released new material...hell most people probably think the Stones are dead. The Rolling Stones are not a "big" band and Madonna sure isn't a "big" artist. You might want to look at the music landscape again.

 

[Zoots]

Geez, people! THIS is the correct list of BIG bands as far as I'm concerned. STING2 can correct me if I'm wrong...

U2
RHCP
The Rolling Stones (Yes! They have a recent album and I did hear them being talked about on the radio as THE biggest band despite U2's looming presence)
Green Day (although they've been silent since about 2005)
The Killers
Coldplay

Maybe: Pearl Jam (but they only had one high profile album in the last 7 years)

That's pretty much it. The closest Radiohead got to that status was after OK Computer but they've managed to totally avoid the mainstream since then. I don't know how bands like Muse, Wilco and Arcade Fire can even be considered for this list! I don't think I would've known about those bands had it not been for the existence of this very forum. As a parting note, I get the feeling Arcade Fire will achieve "big" band status soon.

 

[intedomine]

When You Were Young couldn't possible be more formulaic if it tried.

Doesn't make it a bad song at all.

Most songs are formulaic anyway.

Muse are more over rated IMO.

 

[cobl04]

Why do people automatically assume formulaic means bad? If it sounds good, who cares? Not every song has to be inextricably complex to be a good song.

 

[intedomine]

Why do people automatically assume formulaic means bad? If it sounds good, who cares? Not every song has to be inextricably complex to be a good song.

Exactly right, if formulaic was :"evil" or "bad" or whatever, Wild Honey Pie and Rev 9 wouldn't have been voted off so early in Survivor: White Album.

 

[Aygo]

The Rolling Stones and Madonna!? They aren't current at all. People know who they are but the average music fan probably wouldn't know that they've released new material...hell most people probably think the Stones are dead. The Rolling Stones are not a "big" band and Madonna sure isn't a "big" artist. You might want to look at the music landscape again.

The Rolling Stones I agree with you. They still make huge full (and expensive) concerts but... does anybody listens to their recent work? And the new generation of listeners, do they really pay attention to them? I think not.
That's where U2 fits. U2's work is listened from 1980 to 2006 for all kinds of audiences and they're the most popular band yet,

If it was about artists... why not Madonna? She's probably (YET!) the most popular artist and the new pop-princesses are still unable to surpass the "Queen Bitch of Pop" in popularity, quality, originality and creation of art.

 

[MacPhistoPT]

Well, after reading this thread I see that most of you are american... because here in Europe no one would say that Muse isn't one of the big bands around... their popularity around here is gigantic by now... and I mean, they're able to almost sell-out two wembley stadiums...

On the other hand, bands like The Killers and Wilco have little popularity, at least here in Portugal... and bands like The Arcade Fire and Interpol have a considerable "cult fanbase" but far from "big".

 

[tomtom]

Formulaic is different from simple. The problem with formulaic is it gets old very fast. As does WYWY for me. To each his own though.

 

[Saracene]

I think a common perception is that no matter how huge you might be elsewhere you're not truly big and global unless you've made huge business in US. I very much doubt that U2 would have been considered "big" if they didn't sell truckloads of records there.

Anyway, I'm not even sure if it's possible for -any- band to be as truly big as U2 or Rolling Stones anymore nowadays. I mentioned Coldplay and RHCP in my previous post but really, these bands are satellites compared to the former.

 

[Aygo]

Well, after reading this thread I see that most of you are american... because here in Europe no one would say that Muse isn't one of the big bands around... their popularity around here is gigantic by now... and I mean, they're able to almost sell-out two wembley stadiums...

On the other hand, bands like The Killers and Wilco have little popularity, at least here in Portugal... and bands like The Arcade Fire and Interpol have a considerable "cult fanbase" but far from "big".

That's it brother!
Wilco is unknown here is Portugal for instance and and The Killers onle started to be known after the "When you were young" radio/TV boost.
The Arcade Fire and Interpol are still restricted to a group of listeners, although the first ones are improving that.

 

[toscano]

Foo Fighters

 

[Axver]

Is it cold and raining there today, perhaps?

That kind of weather actually puts me in a good mood. There's a reason I moved away from Queensland: too fucking hot and sunny. It was annoying.

Maybe I should have just said "Of the bands listed, which one does the most for you these days?"



Make more sense? Sheesh.

Alright, in that case ... I might as well just go through all the listed bands.

U2: HTDAAB was mediocre at best and ATYCLB makes me want to vomit.
Radiohead: A hideously over-rated band with a lead singer whose voice bears remarkable similarities to three cats being strangled.
Pearl Jam: I'd probably love these guys if I didn't find Eddie Vedder's voice so boring and lifeless.
REM: Some great output, but mainly in the eighties and the only album I ever listen to in full is Fables Of The Reconstruction.
Muse: Awesome band until their revelatory talent was sucked into a black hole.
RHCP: Never did anything for me.
The Flaming Lips: Heard a few songs, didn't interest me much, never pursued their material further.
Wilco: Heard a few songs, thought they were incredibly fucking boring, discarded the band.
The White Stripes: See Wilco but replace "boring" with "shit".
The Arcade Fire: Almost as hideously over-rated as Radiohead.
Coldplay: <insert picture of UF album> This is The Unforgettable Fire. <insert picture of Coldplay's albums> This is The Unforgettable Fire in a coma.
Interpol: Never heard anything by them.

So, uh, other? Porcupine Tree or Pure Reason Revolution or Agalloch or someone like that.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Somebody needs a hug.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Gee...

23 votes for U2 so far...

On a U2 forum...

Go figure...

I voted for U2...

 

[LemonMelon]

My question is...

6 votes for Arcade Fire?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

My question is...

6 votes for Arcade Fire?

I'm surprised it's not more considering the love they get in B&C...

 

[STING2]

The Rolling Stones and Madonna!? They aren't current at all. People know who they are but the average music fan probably wouldn't know that they've released new material...hell most people probably think the Stones are dead. The Rolling Stones are not a "big" band and Madonna sure isn't a "big" artist. You might want to look at the music landscape again.

Well, when it comes to concerts and live music, Madonna and the Rolling Stones are two of the biggest artist around. The Stones "A Bigger Bang Tour" is the highest grossing tour of all time with $440 million dollars and they have just added 27 more shows to that tour this summer in Europe which will eventually put the tour easily above the Half a Billion mark. These artist are stadium artist, far bigger than some artist that can't even sellout a small theater are plays small alternative venues.

 

[elevation2u]

I had the strange urge to vote for the Lips, so I did. Even though I think U2 or Radiohead are much more deserving of that title.

The Lips have been around for a while and they're now peaking plus they put on amazing live shows, they have charismatic Coyne and have a pop sensibility to even their more serious or darker songs.

Wilco are right up there, but I think that along with the Lips, they're much more of a personal preference. I'm not sure that they have a universal feel in their music to transcend barriers such as language and be heard throughout many other countries.

 

[LMP]

Exactly right, if formulaic was :"evil" or "bad" or whatever, Wild Honey Pie and Rev 9 wouldn't have been voted off so early in Survivor: White Album.

that doesn't make a difference, those songs suck.

Experimenting and farting into a microphone and calling it genius are two very different things.

 

[Screwtape2]

Well, when it comes to concerts and live music, Madonna and the Rolling Stones are two of the biggest artist around. The Stones "A Bigger Bang Tour" is the highest grossing tour of all time with $440 million dollars and they have just added 27 more shows to that tour this summer in Europe which will eventually put the tour easily above the Half a Billion mark. These artist are stadium artist, far bigger than some artist that can't even sellout a small theater are plays small alternative venues.

Tours are one thing but the fact that neither artist has released any albums that the average fan would know in the last 5-10 years makes it hard to say they are "big". I could be wrong but I think a lot of people who go to those shows probably don't have any of thier current work or go exclusively to hear thier past work.

 

[FitzChivalry]

Tours are one thing but the fact that neither artist has released any albums that the average fan would know in the last 5-10 years makes it hard to say they are "big". I could be wrong but I think a lot of people who go to those shows probably don't have any of thier current work or go exclusively to hear thier past work.

I would agree with you on The Rolling Stones, but not about Madonna. Yes, "American Life" was a total clunker and sucked!

But even all the non-gay people I know have "Confessions On A Dance Floor". That album was pretty damn huge . . . . at least here in California.

 

[Aygo]

I would agree with you on The Rolling Stones, but not about Madonna. Yes, "American Life" was a total clunker and sucked!

But even all the non-gay people I know have "Confessions On A Dance Floor". That album was pretty damn huge . . . . at least here in California.

"American Life" only sucked because the american critics wanted it and said it sucked. It was well received in Europe and anyone who knows well her discography says that this is among her best albums.

 

[corianderstem]

As soon as I read FitzChivalry's "American Life" comment, I knew I'd see you come in here for the rebuttal.

 

[Zoots]

Aygo is a crazy Madonna fan!

 

[corianderstem]

Gosh, I hope you mean Aygo is crazy about Madonna, not that she (I hope Aygo's a she, or else I'll feel pretty dumb here) is a crazy an.

 

[Aygo]

Gosh, I hope you mean Aygo is crazy about Madonna, not that she (I hope Aygo's a she, or else I'll feel pretty dumb here) is a crazy an.

I'm not a Madonna fan, I only know her discography very well and I like somee of her albums (I opened a thread bout it recently).
I was entered into it because a girlfriend of mine liked her and I started to listen to it a lot, that's how I was introduced a bit better.

Yes, I am a male. A male liking Madonna means anything is specific (I'm just guessing what you're wondering, boys LOL...).

I am only realistic about saying that "American Life" is one of the most underrated albums ever.

 

[corianderstem]

Whoops! Many apologies for assuming you were a she.

 

[FitzChivalry]

"American Life" only sucked because the american critics wanted it and said it sucked. It was well received in Europe and anyone who knows well her discography says that this is among her best albums.

Maybe I'll have to give it another whirl.

Anyway, my comment wasn't to diss Madonna, but to counter Screwtape's "she hasn't released anything relevant" argument.

I'd say Madonna's still huge in output, sales and tour attraction.

 

[pepokiss]

nobody reads this

still, the biggest acts in the world right now are:


The Rolling Stones
U2
Madonna



we have yet to see about The Police Reunion Tour, the Genesis Reunion Mini-Tour, the impact that Muse's Wembley openers have, the ongoing Pink Floyd Reunion rumors

still... Roger Waters rocks...

and i think the 5th biggest musician in the world right now, is Robbie Williams

sure, not so much in the US, but go ahead and try to sell 5 (FIVE!!!) Wembley stadiums in 90 minutes.


so:

U2/Rolling Stones
Madonna
Roger Waters
Robbie Williams

then the rest...

Tours are one thing but the fact that neither artist has released any albums that the average fan would know in the last 5-10 years makes it hard to say they are "big". I could be wrong but I think a lot of people who go to those shows probably don't have any of thier current work or go exclusively to hear thier past work.

so...

A Bigger Bang ?
Confessions from the Dance Floor?

does ANY ring a bell?


Streets of Love?
Hung Up?



where have you been living the past 10 years?