One of my great passions in life, indeed, one of the main reasons I see for continuing to

live (just kidding but not really) is rock music. As an art form, rock music has utterly
shaped and transformed so many elements of society. Rock truly is the art form of the
masses, as it has proven itself, with the aid of so many of it’s pioneers and innovators, as
one of the most adaptable, powerful and socially challenging forms of expression. Now
some people may not view rock music as broadly as I do, but I see so many different
forms of music (blues, metal, jazz, punk, pop, Latin, rap, dance, ambient, world, avant
garde, classical, country, folk, theater, opera, Motown, etc) as all potential forms of the all
inclusive, magical, always shifting, always yearning, and always demanding genre that
we call rock. Now I ask forgiveness for anyone out there who feels that dragging your
favorite genre of music unwillingly into the often controversial and unruly definitions of
rock music is somehow degrading and limiting to the strengths of the genre. Each genre
of music should be able to stand and thrive on its own basis. But rock music has only
survived by expanding it’s definitions to include as much as possible, and thus has
become the most popular genre of music.

Perhaps I have this mindset based on my most beloved bands: The Beatles, Queen, the
Who, etc. All these bands had an extremely broad and diverse sound. There are other
bands and artists, though, which are sometimes accused of being irreversibly stuck, in
different ways, in one set style or sound, such as AC/DC, The Ramones, Bob Dylan,
Procol Harum, the Moody Blues, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc. And
yet these kinds of artists also add an incredible amount of power to the monster and
“majesty” of rock, whether it is by thundering instrumentation, breathtaking vocal
harmonies and melody, masterful poetry and imagery, a strong sense of relation and
community, or even the creation of a mind altering atmosphere that reaches deep within
your soul. Rock music is powerful because a) it resonates with power and force b) it
makes us move and shake and dance and shout c) it explores the depth of our feelings and
our mind d) it is just plain fun and of course, sometimes, e) all of the above.

Now in case you haven’t already noticed, the majority of the bands and artists that I like
are from quite a long time ago, with most of their best output, I think anyway, in the 60’s,
70’s, and even 80’s. That is not to say that I don’t like any bands nowadays. But the fact
is that most, if not all, of the bands that I really love were the groundbreakers, the
revolutionaries, and the first to tackle what became and what they made rock music, and
as much as it pains me to say today, and I would be glad to be proved wrong, there seems
to be very little revolution in rock music in this modern era. I believe that that 30-year
period I referenced encapsulates the best that rock has ever or will ever produce.

Who, then, do I enjoy today? Well, apart from my favorite artists who are still alive and
creating, the dinosaurs I suppose, I must admit quite a bit of ignorance in knowing and
listening to today’s music. Sure, I listen to the radio, and hear what is supposed to be
popular, and some of it is entertaining. But it doesn’t move me like the older stuff, or fill
me with a sense of awe and innovation quite the same way. Now here I want to address
two possible objections many people may have: 1) the idea that all music has to be
inspired, breath taking, artistic, and truly spectacular in every way. I don’t believe this.
Bands and artists that I, in my elitist perspective, would consider rather mediocre are still
capable of creating quite good songs. If we all defined good songs in the same way, then
we would all listen to the same music. God forbid that ever happens, or else rock music,
if it isn’t already, would then be truly dead. It may be a cliché, but diversity is the flavor
of life, and diversity includes the crap…or merely the ordinary or different. Which brings
me to the next objection, 2) that good music is only music that changes the world, or
brings innovation and revolution, the idea that simple, straightforward songs can’t be
good. Ridiculous. Just as an example, one of my favorite bands is AC/DC. Yeah. I can’t
think of a band with a more basic, straightforward sound, a sound that has virtually
remained stagnant for the past three decades. Nonetheless, because of their incredible
musicianship, persona, and songwriting abilities, they are one of the biggest, most
successful musical acts in history, and one of my most guilty pleasures.

Now it may seem like I was digressing quite a bit, but actually I was making these points
to address today’s music. Is most of the music produced today technically or emotionally
brilliant? No. Is most of it new and refreshing and original? I would say not. But is it
entertaining? Of course. Some of it. The day that people lose the willingness and
creativity and intelligence and spirit to create interesting music will be a sad one indeed
for humanity. Creating music (I’m saying music in general, but it all applies to rock as
well) is a fine line. On one hand, we must take advantage of and recognize what has
come before, and embrace it when it is appropriate, yet we must only do so as far as it
allows us to create something new, because we don’t want to steal other people’s work or
ideas; we want to be inspired by them.

And so, at last, I will reveal, in addition to what I have already revealed, all my favorite
bands and artists. There are a lot. Obviously, they all represent different degrees of
admiration, as well as exposure to their catalogue, but when I like a band a lot, I really
like them, and will attempt, most of the time, to get as much from them as possible. As
much as I do preach diversity in rock, I know what I like, and I have developed a certain
taste for art and progressive rock, despite the metal and AC/DC, so don’t be surprised to
see a lot of those kinds of bands, if you know who they are. I will attempt to work my
way down from my favorites, whose order I still dispute with myself sometimes because
I have no life.

The Top Three

• Queen
• The Beatles
• AC/DC

There may be some people surprised at these choices. Well, I’m sure no one is that
surprised at the second one, but some people may have expected bands like the Who, or
the Rolling Stones, or even Led Zeppelin. Well, to be honest, apart from the Who, whom
I would probably put at number four, I do kind of think these other two bands are, well,
immensely overrated, especially Led Zep. Not to say, of course, that there aren’t a whole
bunch of tunes by each that I flat out love, but I think, in terms of overall consistency,
emotion and entertainment, these three are the best.
The Rest But Certainly Not the Least

• The Who
• Jethro Tull
• Bob Dylan
• Genesis
• Yes
• Procol Harum
• Metallica
• Black Sabbath
• Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Elton John
• The Kinks
• The Rolling Stones
• Led Zeppelin
• Gentle Giant
• Green Day
• The Ramones
• Ween
• Stevie Wonder
• Styx
• The Beach Boys
• Pink Floyd
• Rush
• The Police
• King Crimson
• Emerson, Lake and Palmer