This list of My Ten American bands, like any other list confined to ten, is the list of bands that I enjoyed the most over the years. The list is definitely defined by musical style. I have previously written that I am a fan of melodies, harmonies and musicianship. I enjoy structure and good lyrics. Musicianship is what is lost in most of the modern rock, pop and R&B music of today. In the “old” days the band went into a studio and actually played their songs. Often times they played them live. As recording technology developed, artists were able to add instrumental and vocal parts by overdubbing on additional or condensed tracks. This technology grew as studio equipment grew from four to eight to twelve tracks. Still, musicians played instruments to provide additions and texture to songs.
With the development of computerized recording technology, it was not necessary for artists to play real instruments, negating the need for trained and skilled musicians. Programs like Pro Tools allowed artists to piece together sounds to create songs and tracks even in the own bedrooms. In the early 90’s Cher put out the song, Do You Believe, which was the first popular record to introduce autotune. This made it possible for artists who were not exactly talented singers to produce very popular tracks. You may be listening to songs by popular artists today that do not contain a real instrument played by an actual human. Fortunately, you can still find independent artist who actually play instruments sing well including Larkin Poe, Band of Heathens, and many more, less traditionally successful bands.
It may be important to also define the term band for the purposes of this list. I define a band as a group of musicians who play real instruments and sing with their actual voices who are capable of replicating that music live on stage without major assistance of technological enhancement. I am not considering individual performers like Elvis or Michael Jackson as a “band”. Nor am I including singing groups like the Supremes, Temptations or Back Street Boys as “bands”, even if the latter are referred to as boy bands.
Eagles
The Eagles were originally formed in 1971 by Don Henley and Glenn Frey after having been members of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band. They were among the many musicians that inhabited the Laurel Canyon area in LA during that time period along with Jackson Browne and JD Souther who were influences and collaborators on their early music. The other original members were Bernie Leadon on guitar and Randy Meisner on bass. After their initial success Leadon left the band to pursue a more country-rock sound as Frey and Henley wanted to pursue a heavier rock sound. Don Felder had joined the band in 1974 prior to Leadon’s departure and was followed by the addition of Joe Walsh in 1975. At this point the band was known for great melodies, soaring harmonies, and great guitar play between Walsh and Felder. The band had a great deal of success during this period especially with the release of the Hotel California album. Besides the title track, which is one of the most played songs in American rock, the album also included hits like New Kid in Town, Life in the Fast Lane, Wasted Time, and Victim of Love. The Eagles split up in 1980, and subsequently released their Greatest Hits album, which is the best-selling rock album of all time with 38 million sold. Both Henley and Frey had successful solo careers during this period. The band reunited for the very successful Hell Freezes Over tour in 1994 which spawned a successful live album as well. The last new music produced by the band was in 2007 with the release of Long Road Out of Eden. The band has had several tours since then. Glenn Frey died in 2016. Since then, his son Deacon and Vince Gill have both played with the band on the road. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Steely Dan
Steely Dan
The band was formed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker who were both students at Bard College in Annendale-on-Hudson the late 60’s, hence the reference to the town in the song My Old School. A little- known piece of trivia is that the drummer in their early band was Chevy Chase who would go on to fame at Saturday Night Live and movies. The pair formed Steely Dan in 1971. The original line-up included Fagen on keyboards and vocals, Becker on bass, Jim Hodder on drums, David Palmer on vocals and two of the most talented guitarists of the era in Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. The guitar leads on two of their first hits from the debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, are among the best known and replicated even today. Denny Dias’s lead on Do it Again and Baxter’s lead on Reelin’ in the Years stood out in 1971 and are loved by guitar players even now. Fagen and Becker were very interested in other types of music and began to infuse more jazz, R&B and Latin sounds into their music. They quickly moved away from steady band members and shifted to the use of various studio musicians in the making of their albums. They were infamous for being task masters in the studio asking studio musicians to perform multiple takes before they were satisfied that they had gotten the sound they wanted. They worked with some of the best musicians of the day during this period. This meticulous approach and inclusion of the best musicians was clearly evident in the recordings. This approach produced several great albums culminating with their ultimate achievement with the album Aja in 1977. The amount of great music that was produced by these two musicians, and the host of studio musicians that were employed over the years, is staggering. The pair did some solo work in the subsequent years and toured occasionally. Walter Becker passed away in 2017. Donald Fagen still tours occasionally. Steely Dan remains one of the most diverse and sophisticated American rock bands in history. Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers were formed in 1970 in San Jose, California. The original band was made up of Tom Johnston on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Simmons on vocals and guitar, Tiran Porter on bass, and dual drummers John Hartman and Michael Hassack. Keith Knudsen soon joined replacing one of the drummers. The band was one of the few bands with two drummers (the other notable one being the Allman Bros.), which gave the band an extra driving rhythm on songs such as China Grove and Long Train Runnin’. Over the years the band had sixteen Top 40 hits making them one of the most popular bands in the world. In 1975 Tom Johnston was battling health issues and began to step back. The band brought in Michael McDonald on keyboards and vocals. The addition of McDonald caused the band to expand its style to include more R&B and Soul sounds heard on its next album, Takin it to the Streets. Tom Johnston left the band altogether in 1977 to attend to his health. The band continued on with a string of hit songs and albums until they decided to disband in 1982. They reformed again in 1987 with Patrick Simmons being the only member to stay with the band though out its entire history. The band has toured recently with both Johnston and McDonald bridging the two eras. Remarkably, the Doobie Bros. were not inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame until 2020. Scanning the list of those acts that had been inducted before them, one has to wonder how those decisions are made.
The Allman Brothers Band
The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida by Duane Allman and his bother Gregg. Duane Allman had already made a name for himself as a studio guitarist playing on the records of such notable artists as Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. His solo on Pickett’s version of the Beatle’s Hey Jude caught the attention of Eric Clapton who called it the best solo he had ever heard. Duane later joined Clapton to produce the haunting dual slide guitars at the end of Clapton’s song Layla. Joining Duane and Gregg in the band were Butch Trucks and “Jamoe” Johanson on drums, Barry Oakley on Bass and Dickie Betts on guitar. The band’s first major splash was the album Live at the Fillmore East, which is regarded as possibly the best live rock album of all time. The unique blend of the two drummers, coupled with diverse styles including jazz influences as well as old-time blues, allowed the band members to demonstrate a musical virtuosity that defined rock music at the time. Duane Allman and Dickie Betts went back and forth playing leads that were ever-changing in style and tempo. The leads were so dramatic and sustained that one concertgoer famously yells out for all the world to hear, “Play all night!” Two of the best and most famous songs from that era were Whipping Post and Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Tragically, Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971 when he hit a truck carrying peaches. Strangely, as the band moved on, their next album would be entitled, Eat a Peach. The band added Chuck Levell as a second keyboardist who was arguably the best rock pianist in the world. Sadly, and ironically, Barry Oakley also died in a motor-cycle accident in 1972 very near where Duane had met his demise. In 1976 the band disbanded and both Gregg Allman and Dickie Betts had many solo projects. The band reunited on occasion over the years and were eventually joined by two key members, both on guitar, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, the nephew of drummer Butch Trucks. Gregg Allman died in 2017. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Chicago Transit Authority
The band was formed in 1967 under the name Chicago Transit Authority. The original members were Peter Cetera on bass and vocals, Terry Kath on guitar and vocals, Robert Lamm on keyboards and vocals, Lee Loughnane on Trumpet, James Pankow on Trombone, Walter Parazaider on Sax and Danny Seraphine on drums. The band simplified its name to Chicago, with its famous script logo, the next year. In 1969 the band released its first album which was oddly a double album. The album included a number of hits including, Does Anyboby Know What Time It Is?, Beginnings , Question 67 & 68, and I’m a Man. Right away fans could see the range of styles and influences that drove the band between the jazzy and R&B sounds of Does Anyboby know What Time It is? and Beginnings to the hard driving I’m a Man. The band followed with several hits over the next few years including Make Me Smile, Saturday in the Park and 25, 6 to 4. Jimi Hendrix once saw the band play and was purported to have said, “Your horn section is like one set of lungs and your guitar player is better than me.” Terry Kath was a great blues singer, and definitely one of the best guitarists in rock music. In 1978 he accidently shot himself and died while playing with his gun which he thought was unloaded. The band continued on despite the tragic loss producing a line of further hits including Just You and Me, Feelin’ Stronger Every Day, Call on Me and If You Leave Me Now. In the 80’s the band went into a lull. The famous producer David Foster took them on to revive the group. There was dissention in the group as the songs became softer ballads and there was less room for rocking songs. There was also resentment that Foster pushed Peter Cetera forward as the face of the group. During this period, they had hits like You’re the Inspiration and Hard Habit to Break. In 1985 Peter Cetera broke off from the group to embark on a successful solo career which included hits like Glory of Love and The Next Time I Fall. The band continued on but never really reached the hit record success of the past. They continue to tour to this day. Chicago was the epitome of a group of supremely talented musicians coming together to produce great songs that displayed their musicianship. Their songs had variety of style, skillful instrumentation, complex arrangements and great vocals. The band was pegged as number 13 on Billboard’s Top 100 bands, were elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Another example of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voters needing to reach into their own rectums to find their heads.
Santana
The rock world was introduced to a heavy dose of Latin and Jazz rhythms in 1969 by the band Santana and its founder Carlos Santana. The band was formed in 1966 in San Fransisco. Carlos Santana was a Mexican-born guitarist who was heavily influenced by his father and uncle’s involvement with mariachi street bands in Mexico. He brought that influence and sound to the United States and married it with rock music. The public was first introduced to the band with their album Abraxas. In 1969 they gave one of the most electrifying performances at Woodstock. Carlos, thinking that he had a great deal of time before the band was scheduled to perform, accepted a hit of acid, only to find out that they would be playing much earlier. He provided that historic performance while on the trip of his life. Santana burst into rock immortality with that one performance. When you listen to Santana with its layers of percussion and Carlos Santana’s perfect guitar solos you are listening with your whole body. It is a wall of sound that comes at you like a hurricane. The band has progressed through a series of line-ups throughout the years beginning with Greg Rolle on keyboards and vocals and Michael Carabello and Jose Areas on percussion. Santana produced such timeless hits as Evil Ways, Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, and my favorite, Samba Pa Ti. The band has spanned the decades with many different musicians. Ironically, his most successful album was likely, Supernatural, released in 1999. The album was a collection of collaborations with younger musicians like Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill and Dave Matthews. The album won nine Grammy awards including Best Album, and Record of the Year for Smooth with Rob Thomas. Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. This success so many years later is a testament to enduring musical talent. There are other examples of talented artist who found tremendous success many years after their initial success including Bonnie Raitt and Tina Turner who had Grammy success later in their careers. Bonnie Raitt won for Best Song, Just Like That, beating out Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
The E Street Band
This choice is a bit unusual as the band and Bruce Springsteen can be seen as separate entities. My argument for inclusion is that in my mind the two are inextricably connected. A major portion of Springsteen’s success are the live performances, and a major portion of that success is the E Street Band. The origin of the band began in 1972 with musicians that Springsteen had played with or heard while playing clubs on the Jersey shore. The name of the band referred to the location of the garage where the band was allowed to practice. The original band that actually worked on Springsteen’s first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, included “Little” Steven Van Zandt (guitar and vocals), Gary Tallent (bass), Vini Lopez (drums), David Sancious (piano), Danny Federici (organ), and Clarence “Big Man” Clemons (sax). By the second album, The Wild, the innocent, and the E Steet Shuffle, in 1974, the band had been somewhat reconstituted. Gone were Lopez and Sancious replaced by Max Weinberg on drums and Roy Brittan on piano. Steven Van Zandt left the band in 1984 to pursue his own music and was replaced by Nils Lofgren. He returned in 1995 and joined Lofgren as the two guitarists. After Springsteen married Patti Scialfa, she also joined the band. The E Street Band was, and is, the perfect backing band. The musicianship is unparalleled. Max Weinberg may not be the flashiest drummer in rock, but much like Ringo Starr, he does just what is needed to be the backbone of the band. Roy Brittan is one of the best pianists in rock music. One listen to Jungleland demonstrates his virtuosity. Oddly, even though considered a rock band, the E Street Band is not a guitar-driven band. The guitars in the band are asked to drive the rhythm and melody of the songs. There is not a great deal of lead guitar called for in the music; nevertheless, the guitar playing is solid and serves the songs perfectly. The one term that is used to describe good bands is the term, “tight”. There is no tighter rock band than The E Street Band. Their performances are demanding, with concerts often exceeding the three-hour mark. They still deliver at the highest level despite their advanced ages.
Heart
The band formed in Seattle in 1973 when sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Roger Fisher (guitar), Steve Fossen (bass), Howard Leese (keyboards), and Michael Derosier (drums). Ann Wilson had already joined the band when she followed her boyfriend Michael to Canada where he was avoiding the draft and later convinced her guitar-playing sister Nancy to join the band. The band was initially driven by great songwriting and the powerful voice of Ann Wilson. Their popularity was also bolstered by the novelty, at the time, of a woman as a key guitar player in the group. Nancy Wilson became sort of a folk-hero because the rock world had not yet seen a women play the guitar the way Nancy Wilson was playing it. Heart had a string of Top 10 hits in the 70’s including Magic Man, Crazy on You, and Barracuda. Even after some line-up changes, they continued to have success in the 80s with What About Love, These Dreams, and Alone. They continued to find success into the 90s and beyond. Besides Nancy Wilson’s guitar playing, and a very tight band throughout the years, a significant factor in their success was the powerful, but sweet voice of Ann Wilson. There have been many great female singers in rock music, but none have ever been better in terms of straight singing talent than Ann Wilson. She can blow away an audience when the song calls for it, and she bring it down to a sultry tone when needed. She also has tremendous range. Heart has endured for many decades with top 10 albums in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2010s. They were voted number 49 in the Top 100 Classic Rock Artists and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Talking Heads
The band was actually formed in the early 70s when members David Bryne (guitar and vocals), Chris Frantz (drums) and Tina Weymouth (bass) were freshmen at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI. The trio moved to New York City after school and joined forces with Jerry Harrison (guitar). The group was part of the emerging New Wave and Punk scene in New York and began to perform often at the famous CBGBs. They produced their first album in 1977 and were introduced to the world through the strange and innovative song, Psycho Killer. The Talking Heads had a unique style that incorporated several genres including punk, new wave, as well as African, South American and Asian influences. Several critically acclaimed albums followed along with a few hits such as a cover of the Al Green song, Take Me to the River and the popular Burning Down the House. Over the years the band included many guest players both in recording and performances. In 1984, the band produced a concert film, Stop Making Sense, directed by the famous film director, Jonathan Demme. It was a ground-breaking performance with several additional musicians joining the band. The film is often heralded as the greatest concert film ever made. Along the way Weymouth and Frantz, who were married, and Harrison broke off to do other projects and the group disbanded in 1991. David Bryne went on to produce a high successful Broadway show titled American Utopia. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Lynard Skynard
It can be argued that Lynard Skynard gave birth to the Southern Rock explosion in the 70s. Their popularity spawned bands like 38 Special, The Outlaws, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Charlie Daniels Band. The initial band was formed by singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Gary Rossington and guitarist Allen Collins in Jacksonville, Florida in the mid-60s. It was not until 1973 that the band would hit its stride and also include Leon Wilkerson (bass), Bob Burns (drums) and Ed King (guitar). Very shortly after, King left the band and they were joined by two guitarists, Artimis Pyle in 1974 and Steve Gaines in 1976. Early on the band discovered that one of their crew, Billy Powell, was a skilled piano player and he joined the band and became one of the best in rock music. The band produced many great songs that portrayed both Southern life and the life of a rock band including What’s Your Name, That Smell, Gimme Three Steps, Tuesday’s Gone, Simple Man, and Call Me the Breeze. Most importantly they were responsible for two Southern Rock anthems that are played heavily to this day. The first was Sweet Home Alabama, which was written partially as a musical middle-finger to Neil Young and his song, Southern Man. The other is one of the most requested and listened to live songs of all time, Free Bird. There are not many rock songs that can match the energy of Free Bird as it begins slowly and melodically and eventually ramps up in tempo building to a crescendo of three guitars alternating leads and coming together in an explosion of flying fingers at the end. Anyone who can listen to Free Bird and not have a sore neck afterward does not appreciate guitar playing.
Lynard Skynard
The band was clearly prolific in the early and mid- 70s. Tragically, the band was ripped apart by a plane crash in 1977 that killed lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and his wife, back-up singer, Cassie Gaines. Many of the band members were also seriously injured. The band was dormant for many years and reformed in 1987 with Ronnie Van Zant’s brother, Johnny, taking on the role of lead singer. They toured fairly extensively for some years but members began to pass away and they staged a farewell tour in 2018. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Earth, Wind and Fire
It makes no difference what kind of music you may have been into in the 70s, there was no one who did not like Earth, Wind and Fire. You may have been rocking out to Whipping Post or China Grove, but you could not dance with a girl to those songs. You needed Reasons to do that. Earth, Wind and Fire was formed by drummer and singer Maurice White in 1970. He was joined by several great musicians, chief among them, his brother Verdine White on bass, and singer Phillip Bailey. Earth, Wind and Fire were known for the varying rhythms of R&B, Soul, Pop, Latin influences and disco. They had one of the best horn sections in music and great vocals. When you heard Phillip Bailey’s high falsetto you knew who you were listening to right away. They had several hit songs that endure to this day including the aforementioned Reasons, as well as That’s the Way of the World, September, and Shining Star. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Maurice White died in 2016.
Honorable Mention
Beach Boys
Grateful Dead
Credence Clearwater Revival
Boston
Aerosmith
Categories: Memories, Our Culture, Uncategorized With the development of computerized recording technology, it was not necessary for artists to play real instruments, negating the need for trained and skilled musicians. Programs like Pro Tools allowed artists to piece together sounds to create songs and tracks even in the own bedrooms. In the early 90’s Cher put out the song, Do You Believe, which was the first popular record to introduce autotune. This made it possible for artists who were not exactly talented singers to produce very popular tracks. You may be listening to songs by popular artists today that do not contain a real instrument played by an actual human. Fortunately, you can still find independent artist who actually play instruments sing well including Larkin Poe, Band of Heathens, and many more, less traditionally successful bands.
It may be important to also define the term band for the purposes of this list. I define a band as a group of musicians who play real instruments and sing with their actual voices who are capable of replicating that music live on stage without major assistance of technological enhancement. I am not considering individual performers like Elvis or Michael Jackson as a “band”. Nor am I including singing groups like the Supremes, Temptations or Back Street Boys as “bands”, even if the latter are referred to as boy bands.
Eagles
The Eagles were originally formed in 1971 by Don Henley and Glenn Frey after having been members of Linda Ronstadt’s backing band. They were among the many musicians that inhabited the Laurel Canyon area in LA during that time period along with Jackson Browne and JD Souther who were influences and collaborators on their early music. The other original members were Bernie Leadon on guitar and Randy Meisner on bass. After their initial success Leadon left the band to pursue a more country-rock sound as Frey and Henley wanted to pursue a heavier rock sound. Don Felder had joined the band in 1974 prior to Leadon’s departure and was followed by the addition of Joe Walsh in 1975. At this point the band was known for great melodies, soaring harmonies, and great guitar play between Walsh and Felder. The band had a great deal of success during this period especially with the release of the Hotel California album. Besides the title track, which is one of the most played songs in American rock, the album also included hits like New Kid in Town, Life in the Fast Lane, Wasted Time, and Victim of Love. The Eagles split up in 1980, and subsequently released their Greatest Hits album, which is the best-selling rock album of all time with 38 million sold. Both Henley and Frey had successful solo careers during this period. The band reunited for the very successful Hell Freezes Over tour in 1994 which spawned a successful live album as well. The last new music produced by the band was in 2007 with the release of Long Road Out of Eden. The band has had several tours since then. Glenn Frey died in 2016. Since then, his son Deacon and Vince Gill have both played with the band on the road. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Steely Dan
Steely Dan
The band was formed by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker who were both students at Bard College in Annendale-on-Hudson the late 60’s, hence the reference to the town in the song My Old School. A little- known piece of trivia is that the drummer in their early band was Chevy Chase who would go on to fame at Saturday Night Live and movies. The pair formed Steely Dan in 1971. The original line-up included Fagen on keyboards and vocals, Becker on bass, Jim Hodder on drums, David Palmer on vocals and two of the most talented guitarists of the era in Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. The guitar leads on two of their first hits from the debut album, Can’t Buy a Thrill, are among the best known and replicated even today. Denny Dias’s lead on Do it Again and Baxter’s lead on Reelin’ in the Years stood out in 1971 and are loved by guitar players even now. Fagen and Becker were very interested in other types of music and began to infuse more jazz, R&B and Latin sounds into their music. They quickly moved away from steady band members and shifted to the use of various studio musicians in the making of their albums. They were infamous for being task masters in the studio asking studio musicians to perform multiple takes before they were satisfied that they had gotten the sound they wanted. They worked with some of the best musicians of the day during this period. This meticulous approach and inclusion of the best musicians was clearly evident in the recordings. This approach produced several great albums culminating with their ultimate achievement with the album Aja in 1977. The amount of great music that was produced by these two musicians, and the host of studio musicians that were employed over the years, is staggering. The pair did some solo work in the subsequent years and toured occasionally. Walter Becker passed away in 2017. Donald Fagen still tours occasionally. Steely Dan remains one of the most diverse and sophisticated American rock bands in history. Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers were formed in 1970 in San Jose, California. The original band was made up of Tom Johnston on lead vocals and guitar, Patrick Simmons on vocals and guitar, Tiran Porter on bass, and dual drummers John Hartman and Michael Hassack. Keith Knudsen soon joined replacing one of the drummers. The band was one of the few bands with two drummers (the other notable one being the Allman Bros.), which gave the band an extra driving rhythm on songs such as China Grove and Long Train Runnin’. Over the years the band had sixteen Top 40 hits making them one of the most popular bands in the world. In 1975 Tom Johnston was battling health issues and began to step back. The band brought in Michael McDonald on keyboards and vocals. The addition of McDonald caused the band to expand its style to include more R&B and Soul sounds heard on its next album, Takin it to the Streets. Tom Johnston left the band altogether in 1977 to attend to his health. The band continued on with a string of hit songs and albums until they decided to disband in 1982. They reformed again in 1987 with Patrick Simmons being the only member to stay with the band though out its entire history. The band has toured recently with both Johnston and McDonald bridging the two eras. Remarkably, the Doobie Bros. were not inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame until 2020. Scanning the list of those acts that had been inducted before them, one has to wonder how those decisions are made.
The Allman Brothers Band
The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida by Duane Allman and his bother Gregg. Duane Allman had already made a name for himself as a studio guitarist playing on the records of such notable artists as Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. His solo on Pickett’s version of the Beatle’s Hey Jude caught the attention of Eric Clapton who called it the best solo he had ever heard. Duane later joined Clapton to produce the haunting dual slide guitars at the end of Clapton’s song Layla. Joining Duane and Gregg in the band were Butch Trucks and “Jamoe” Johanson on drums, Barry Oakley on Bass and Dickie Betts on guitar. The band’s first major splash was the album Live at the Fillmore East, which is regarded as possibly the best live rock album of all time. The unique blend of the two drummers, coupled with diverse styles including jazz influences as well as old-time blues, allowed the band members to demonstrate a musical virtuosity that defined rock music at the time. Duane Allman and Dickie Betts went back and forth playing leads that were ever-changing in style and tempo. The leads were so dramatic and sustained that one concertgoer famously yells out for all the world to hear, “Play all night!” Two of the best and most famous songs from that era were Whipping Post and Memory of Elizabeth Reed. Tragically, Duane Allman died in a motorcycle accident in 1971 when he hit a truck carrying peaches. Strangely, as the band moved on, their next album would be entitled, Eat a Peach. The band added Chuck Levell as a second keyboardist who was arguably the best rock pianist in the world. Sadly, and ironically, Barry Oakley also died in a motor-cycle accident in 1972 very near where Duane had met his demise. In 1976 the band disbanded and both Gregg Allman and Dickie Betts had many solo projects. The band reunited on occasion over the years and were eventually joined by two key members, both on guitar, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, the nephew of drummer Butch Trucks. Gregg Allman died in 2017. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Chicago Transit Authority
The band was formed in 1967 under the name Chicago Transit Authority. The original members were Peter Cetera on bass and vocals, Terry Kath on guitar and vocals, Robert Lamm on keyboards and vocals, Lee Loughnane on Trumpet, James Pankow on Trombone, Walter Parazaider on Sax and Danny Seraphine on drums. The band simplified its name to Chicago, with its famous script logo, the next year. In 1969 the band released its first album which was oddly a double album. The album included a number of hits including, Does Anyboby Know What Time It Is?, Beginnings , Question 67 & 68, and I’m a Man. Right away fans could see the range of styles and influences that drove the band between the jazzy and R&B sounds of Does Anyboby know What Time It is? and Beginnings to the hard driving I’m a Man. The band followed with several hits over the next few years including Make Me Smile, Saturday in the Park and 25, 6 to 4. Jimi Hendrix once saw the band play and was purported to have said, “Your horn section is like one set of lungs and your guitar player is better than me.” Terry Kath was a great blues singer, and definitely one of the best guitarists in rock music. In 1978 he accidently shot himself and died while playing with his gun which he thought was unloaded. The band continued on despite the tragic loss producing a line of further hits including Just You and Me, Feelin’ Stronger Every Day, Call on Me and If You Leave Me Now. In the 80’s the band went into a lull. The famous producer David Foster took them on to revive the group. There was dissention in the group as the songs became softer ballads and there was less room for rocking songs. There was also resentment that Foster pushed Peter Cetera forward as the face of the group. During this period, they had hits like You’re the Inspiration and Hard Habit to Break. In 1985 Peter Cetera broke off from the group to embark on a successful solo career which included hits like Glory of Love and The Next Time I Fall. The band continued on but never really reached the hit record success of the past. They continue to tour to this day. Chicago was the epitome of a group of supremely talented musicians coming together to produce great songs that displayed their musicianship. Their songs had variety of style, skillful instrumentation, complex arrangements and great vocals. The band was pegged as number 13 on Billboard’s Top 100 bands, were elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Another example of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voters needing to reach into their own rectums to find their heads.
Santana
The rock world was introduced to a heavy dose of Latin and Jazz rhythms in 1969 by the band Santana and its founder Carlos Santana. The band was formed in 1966 in San Fransisco. Carlos Santana was a Mexican-born guitarist who was heavily influenced by his father and uncle’s involvement with mariachi street bands in Mexico. He brought that influence and sound to the United States and married it with rock music. The public was first introduced to the band with their album Abraxas. In 1969 they gave one of the most electrifying performances at Woodstock. Carlos, thinking that he had a great deal of time before the band was scheduled to perform, accepted a hit of acid, only to find out that they would be playing much earlier. He provided that historic performance while on the trip of his life. Santana burst into rock immortality with that one performance. When you listen to Santana with its layers of percussion and Carlos Santana’s perfect guitar solos you are listening with your whole body. It is a wall of sound that comes at you like a hurricane. The band has progressed through a series of line-ups throughout the years beginning with Greg Rolle on keyboards and vocals and Michael Carabello and Jose Areas on percussion. Santana produced such timeless hits as Evil Ways, Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, and my favorite, Samba Pa Ti. The band has spanned the decades with many different musicians. Ironically, his most successful album was likely, Supernatural, released in 1999. The album was a collection of collaborations with younger musicians like Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill and Dave Matthews. The album won nine Grammy awards including Best Album, and Record of the Year for Smooth with Rob Thomas. Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. This success so many years later is a testament to enduring musical talent. There are other examples of talented artist who found tremendous success many years after their initial success including Bonnie Raitt and Tina Turner who had Grammy success later in their careers. Bonnie Raitt won for Best Song, Just Like That, beating out Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
The E Street Band
This choice is a bit unusual as the band and Bruce Springsteen can be seen as separate entities. My argument for inclusion is that in my mind the two are inextricably connected. A major portion of Springsteen’s success are the live performances, and a major portion of that success is the E Street Band. The origin of the band began in 1972 with musicians that Springsteen had played with or heard while playing clubs on the Jersey shore. The name of the band referred to the location of the garage where the band was allowed to practice. The original band that actually worked on Springsteen’s first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, included “Little” Steven Van Zandt (guitar and vocals), Gary Tallent (bass), Vini Lopez (drums), David Sancious (piano), Danny Federici (organ), and Clarence “Big Man” Clemons (sax). By the second album, The Wild, the innocent, and the E Steet Shuffle, in 1974, the band had been somewhat reconstituted. Gone were Lopez and Sancious replaced by Max Weinberg on drums and Roy Brittan on piano. Steven Van Zandt left the band in 1984 to pursue his own music and was replaced by Nils Lofgren. He returned in 1995 and joined Lofgren as the two guitarists. After Springsteen married Patti Scialfa, she also joined the band. The E Street Band was, and is, the perfect backing band. The musicianship is unparalleled. Max Weinberg may not be the flashiest drummer in rock, but much like Ringo Starr, he does just what is needed to be the backbone of the band. Roy Brittan is one of the best pianists in rock music. One listen to Jungleland demonstrates his virtuosity. Oddly, even though considered a rock band, the E Street Band is not a guitar-driven band. The guitars in the band are asked to drive the rhythm and melody of the songs. There is not a great deal of lead guitar called for in the music; nevertheless, the guitar playing is solid and serves the songs perfectly. The one term that is used to describe good bands is the term, “tight”. There is no tighter rock band than The E Street Band. Their performances are demanding, with concerts often exceeding the three-hour mark. They still deliver at the highest level despite their advanced ages.
Heart
The band formed in Seattle in 1973 when sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Roger Fisher (guitar), Steve Fossen (bass), Howard Leese (keyboards), and Michael Derosier (drums). Ann Wilson had already joined the band when she followed her boyfriend Michael to Canada where he was avoiding the draft and later convinced her guitar-playing sister Nancy to join the band. The band was initially driven by great songwriting and the powerful voice of Ann Wilson. Their popularity was also bolstered by the novelty, at the time, of a woman as a key guitar player in the group. Nancy Wilson became sort of a folk-hero because the rock world had not yet seen a women play the guitar the way Nancy Wilson was playing it. Heart had a string of Top 10 hits in the 70’s including Magic Man, Crazy on You, and Barracuda. Even after some line-up changes, they continued to have success in the 80s with What About Love, These Dreams, and Alone. They continued to find success into the 90s and beyond. Besides Nancy Wilson’s guitar playing, and a very tight band throughout the years, a significant factor in their success was the powerful, but sweet voice of Ann Wilson. There have been many great female singers in rock music, but none have ever been better in terms of straight singing talent than Ann Wilson. She can blow away an audience when the song calls for it, and she bring it down to a sultry tone when needed. She also has tremendous range. Heart has endured for many decades with top 10 albums in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2010s. They were voted number 49 in the Top 100 Classic Rock Artists and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Talking Heads
The band was actually formed in the early 70s when members David Bryne (guitar and vocals), Chris Frantz (drums) and Tina Weymouth (bass) were freshmen at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI. The trio moved to New York City after school and joined forces with Jerry Harrison (guitar). The group was part of the emerging New Wave and Punk scene in New York and began to perform often at the famous CBGBs. They produced their first album in 1977 and were introduced to the world through the strange and innovative song, Psycho Killer. The Talking Heads had a unique style that incorporated several genres including punk, new wave, as well as African, South American and Asian influences. Several critically acclaimed albums followed along with a few hits such as a cover of the Al Green song, Take Me to the River and the popular Burning Down the House. Over the years the band included many guest players both in recording and performances. In 1984, the band produced a concert film, Stop Making Sense, directed by the famous film director, Jonathan Demme. It was a ground-breaking performance with several additional musicians joining the band. The film is often heralded as the greatest concert film ever made. Along the way Weymouth and Frantz, who were married, and Harrison broke off to do other projects and the group disbanded in 1991. David Bryne went on to produce a high successful Broadway show titled American Utopia. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Lynard Skynard
It can be argued that Lynard Skynard gave birth to the Southern Rock explosion in the 70s. Their popularity spawned bands like 38 Special, The Outlaws, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Charlie Daniels Band. The initial band was formed by singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Gary Rossington and guitarist Allen Collins in Jacksonville, Florida in the mid-60s. It was not until 1973 that the band would hit its stride and also include Leon Wilkerson (bass), Bob Burns (drums) and Ed King (guitar). Very shortly after, King left the band and they were joined by two guitarists, Artimis Pyle in 1974 and Steve Gaines in 1976. Early on the band discovered that one of their crew, Billy Powell, was a skilled piano player and he joined the band and became one of the best in rock music. The band produced many great songs that portrayed both Southern life and the life of a rock band including What’s Your Name, That Smell, Gimme Three Steps, Tuesday’s Gone, Simple Man, and Call Me the Breeze. Most importantly they were responsible for two Southern Rock anthems that are played heavily to this day. The first was Sweet Home Alabama, which was written partially as a musical middle-finger to Neil Young and his song, Southern Man. The other is one of the most requested and listened to live songs of all time, Free Bird. There are not many rock songs that can match the energy of Free Bird as it begins slowly and melodically and eventually ramps up in tempo building to a crescendo of three guitars alternating leads and coming together in an explosion of flying fingers at the end. Anyone who can listen to Free Bird and not have a sore neck afterward does not appreciate guitar playing.
Lynard Skynard
The band was clearly prolific in the early and mid- 70s. Tragically, the band was ripped apart by a plane crash in 1977 that killed lead singer and founder Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and his wife, back-up singer, Cassie Gaines. Many of the band members were also seriously injured. The band was dormant for many years and reformed in 1987 with Ronnie Van Zant’s brother, Johnny, taking on the role of lead singer. They toured fairly extensively for some years but members began to pass away and they staged a farewell tour in 2018. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Earth, Wind and Fire
It makes no difference what kind of music you may have been into in the 70s, there was no one who did not like Earth, Wind and Fire. You may have been rocking out to Whipping Post or China Grove, but you could not dance with a girl to those songs. You needed Reasons to do that. Earth, Wind and Fire was formed by drummer and singer Maurice White in 1970. He was joined by several great musicians, chief among them, his brother Verdine White on bass, and singer Phillip Bailey. Earth, Wind and Fire were known for the varying rhythms of R&B, Soul, Pop, Latin influences and disco. They had one of the best horn sections in music and great vocals. When you heard Phillip Bailey’s high falsetto you knew who you were listening to right away. They had several hit songs that endure to this day including the aforementioned Reasons, as well as That’s the Way of the World, September, and Shining Star. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Maurice White died in 2016.
Honorable Mention
Beach Boys
Grateful Dead
Credence Clearwater Revival
Boston
Aerosmith
The World as We Knew It 
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