Best/most important American rock band

Yeah, but "Back In The USSR" was the Ali-Ernie Terrell moment of that rivalry.

"What's our name, motherfuckers?"

 

Bob Seger and the SBB certainly merit a mention, as do Buffalo Springfield and the Byrds, if only for the impressive number of good spinoff bands evolving from the original groups. Buffalo Springfield's progeny is impressive for sure.

 

I have said on numerous occasions that Bob Seger is utterly underrated. “Night Moves” is a top-10 song, and for me, “Main Street” isn’t far behind.

 

Spot on, this. Seger is one of the great American rock singers of any era. Night Moves, Stranger in Town, Against the Wind and The Distance are a killer stretch of albums. And Live Bullet is a great live album from an era full of them.

 

I really think that Seger's public perception was turned by the "Like a Rock" ads. He's a great songwriter and performer

 

"Still the Same" is one of my favorite songs, evah. Same, too, his version of Little Drummer Boy

He had some great freaking albums.

 

Guys, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band are a nice little group.

It's fine to like them. But, important? Please. Make that case.

Buddy Holly and the Crickets were important. Critically. Helped launch the whole genre. That they wrote, performed, and produced their own material was groundbreaking. Almost everything they did was new, including things like adding an orchestra to a song. The Beatles, down to the very name of the band, were heavily influenced by the Crickets.

Beyond them, maybe only the Beach Boys belong in this discussion. (If we're leaving out solo artists.)

When rock and roll was at its most vital, there were three groups competing for the crown, answering each album the other put out, and inspiring each other, and everyone else who has come along since, and they were the Beatles, the Stones, and the Beach Boys.

If you don't know this, or don't believe it, read a little.

Seriously, it's insane to be mentioning some of these bands.

 

Important, sure. But ya know who listens to Peggy Sue and the like these days? Nobody.

 

No, people actually listen to Beethoven, including me. No one listens to Buddy Holly anymore. He had his day, huge influence, but people will be listening to Ode to Joy till humankind shuffles from this earth. Not so with Peggy Sue.

 

I'd listen to Bob Seger is I was snowed-in at a Holiday Inn outside Detroit and he was playing in the lounge.

(OK, probably not.)

 

The Who was making far better rock and roll records than the Beatles in the late-60s that's for sure.