Ok, I'm naturally biased and showing my prejudice here, being a Brit, but few can disagree with the fact that 'Rock Heaven' was created by British rock bands and very few bands can hold a candle to those I have listed below. Every top 10 list that has ever been created is always cram packed with British rock bands and the following will reveal why......
The best rock band ever.....Led Zepplin, have touched 'those about to rock' with their simply amazing sounds up to and including those of the latest generation. I only became aware of their magnificence during the last few years and if it hadn't been for the untimely death of John Bonham in 1980, who knows where they would be today. Everyone knows ' The Immigrant Song', 'Stairway to Heaven' and 'A Whole Lot of Love' but in my opinion their best song has to be the following..........
The Who, the kings of entertainers, have a well deserved place high up in the 'Rock Gods' top 10. Adopted by the flourishing Mod culture back in the 60s and 70s, they have become iconic world wide and for obvious reasons. Even today, Pete Townshend is considered to be one of the greatest music geniuses of all time.
The Rolling Stones are arguably one of the world's most famous and most popular rock bands who are still going strong today. I'm not so enamoured with their latest offerings but who can forget this superb track among all the others that they are so well know for............
The undisputed kings of prog rock, Pink Floyd are responsible for one of the best selling rock albums ever. Everyone is familiar with their album 'Dark Side of the Moon' which is still considered to be one of their best and gave them the breakthrough they were looking for. I saw them live at Earl's Court in 1994 and it wasn't just a concert, it was akin to an out of body experience. In my opinion, one of their best songs comes from the album 'Division Bell'. Dave Gilmour's guitar solo towards the end has to be 'THE' best ever performed and nothing less than a display of sheer talent and music excellence..........
The tragic demise of Freddy Mercury brought a great era to an end and effectively ended the career of one of the best rock bands ever to come out of the UK. Known for his flamboyant displays both on stage and in music videos, Freddy was a true gent who knew how to please those who wanted to be entertained. Famous for most of their 80s songs, my favourite has to be their timeless classic, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' which was incidentally paired with one of the world's first music videos.
Another great taken before his time was Marc Boland of T-Rex. Tragically killed in a car accident in 1977. His group led the way in the genre of Glam Rock during the early 1970s and have left many a great song for us to enjoy. Why don't they make music like this any more???
Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Jack Bruce made up Cream, another iconic band from the 60s and 70s which remains popular to this day. One of their best tracks is...........
They appeared from nowhere and then more or less disappeared into obscurity again, despite releasing what is still though to be one of the best rock albums of all time. I am of course talking about Def Leppard and their album 'Hysteria', one which every rock fan should own. Almost every track on this album is a classic which is unusual for any album released by even the most popular artists. Here is my favourite....
Despite starting out in the late 70s, Dire Straits didn't really make their breakthrough until the early 80s. With a milder more relaxed sound, they soon found a niche and have become a favourite of rock fans the word over. Mark Knopfler's guitar solos come close to Dave Gilmour's magic on the guitar strings. Private Investigations is one example of his prowess.
While there are probably another 20 or so British Rock Bands that I would like to mention, my final nod has to go to the rock band that is responsible for the world's best selling rock album, yes, Back in Black by the Australian masters of rock, ACDC. This is without a doubt my favourite track from that album.....
[Edited: 2012 Apr 18 17:20 - Cockle:46288 ]
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