It Might Get Loud: The 10 Loudest Rock Bands of All Time

Volume can be a musician’s friend or foe.

Playing six-string in a straight-up rock or country band with a drummer who hits like a kicking mule, a bassist with severe hearing loss and a keyboard player or rhythm guitarist who turns up to 11 is like shouting in the midst of a tornado – pointless and painful. It’s even worse if you’re also the singer. On the other hand, if your band is called something like Nihilistic Death By 10,000 Taloned Demons, it’s likely a dream come true and you’re probably the loudest member.

This story is about groups for whom high-level volume was or is a badge of courage – a scientifically measurable gauge of power and intensity. Any volume measured at more than 85 decibels (dB) is considered dangerous and can potentially cause hearing loss or damage, like the permanent ringing known as tinnitus. For our list of the 10 loudest bands of all time, we’re only considering performers whose volume has checked in at an eardrum-rampaging 115 dB and above.

Our list of volume-drunk champions:

Motorhead

The exact dB levels of concerts by these punk-fueled granddaddies of speed and thrash metal – the sonic foundation of groups like Metallica and Napalm Death – is not published, but there are so many anecdotal tales of their outrageous displays of howling volume that they’ve earned their place on this list in spades and aces. Motorhead titled their third album Everything Louder Than Everyone Else… ’Nuff said.

The Who

These days The Who don’t seem terribly dangerous, with Pete Townshend wielding his Gibson SJ-200 as often as he hefts an electric axe. But in 1976 they earned a place in The Guinness Book of World Records for achieving a measured 126 dB roughly 100 feet from stage at the Valley, a London sports arena, touring behind The Who By Numbers.

MC5

According to their manger John Sinclair, Detroit’s MC5 were so loud they practiced with their Marshall 4x12 cabinets face-down flat on the ground, with the speakers firing straight into the floor. “Kick Out the Jams” wasn’t just a song to this influential pre-punk outfit; it was their manta. Part of that balls-out-all-the-time attitude was raw volume pushed to the maximum. Another part was sheer endurance. When they played at the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago to protest the war in Vietnam, their set lasted eight hours.

AC/DC

In the early 1980s these Aussie maniacs were hell bent on becoming the world’s loudest band, fueled in large part by Angus Young’s Gibson SG-powered wall of amps. During the Back in Black tour, the group turned in a series of concerts at a whopping 130 dB. Complaints from promoters, however, moved the group to drop things down a few notches to the mere bone-crunching volume they play at today.

My Bloody Valentine

These modernist art rockers from Dublin use volume as a tool for creating fireworks and swirls within their textural guitar sound. Live, their feedback spikes and eddies of pitch-bent notes create an intoxicating and occasionally disorienting effect which is even more mesmerizing than it is painful to the naked ear. Expect no kindness from a group named after a 1981 Canadian slasher flick that was compelled to cut nine minutes of gore by the Motion Picture Association of America before it could be released the theaters.

Deep Purple

This might sound like urban legend, but The Guinness Book of World Records crowned Deep Purple the world’s loudest band after a 1972 concert at London’s 3,000-seat Rainbow Theater that rendered three fans unconscious with the intense pressure created by 117 dB of sound in an enclosed space. As Robert Ripley said, “Believe it or not!”

Led Zeppelin

Writer David Krebs made the case in Rolling Stone that Led Zeppelin’s live performances of “Whole Lotta Love” were the loudest on stage in 1970. But the year before that, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has already proven Zep’s big sound credibility by measuring a performance of “Heartbreaker” at 130 dB.

Manowar

These metal mongers from New York State are literally the band that broke the record on volume. After they scored Guinness’ recognition for the loudest musical performance at 129.5 db in 1984, they claim to have reached or exceeded that level again in 1994, but this time the famed book of records refused to acknowledge that accomplishment. Guinness had stopped including a category for world’s loudest band, supposedly because of the dangers of hearing damage caused by record seekers.

Leftfield

How loud must a group be to bring the roof down? For British electronica excessives Leftfield, the answer was an excruciating 137 dB in June 1996 at South London’s Brixton Academy, where chunks of plaster and dust began raining on their dance-crazed audience.

KISS

Thirty-six-years into their career KISS were still making headlines and defying gravitas. During a 2009 concert in Ottawa the group was reportedly clocked at 136 dB and were forced to turn down after police responded to complaints from neighbors in the area around the sports arena.

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10 Backing Bands Who Propelled Their Leaders to Fame and Glory

Waylon Jennings once said, emphatically, that nothing is more important for a solo artist than having his or her own band. Oftentimes such bands fly beneath the radar, but occasionally a backing group attains near-legendary status. Below are 10 groups whose contributions were indispensable in boosting the careers of the artists they backed.

The Spiders from Mars (David Bowie)
David Bowie has employed extraordinary bands through the years, but none has matched the explosive chemistry of The Spiders from Mars. Led by the immensely talented Mick Ronson, the Spiders provided the rocket fuel that propelled Bowie to the pinnacle of early ’70s glam rock. From 1970’s The Man Who Sold the World through 1973’s Pinups, the group’s contributions were indispensable.

The Band (Bob Dylan)
It’s hard to believe that some fans jeered when Bob Dylan, backed by a group dubbed, simply, The Band, made a transition to a more electric sound in 1965-66. As demonstrated by the brilliant body of work they crafted following their tenure with Dylan, The Band was as talented an ensemble as Dylan could have hoped for. “Songwriting-wise, when you get right down to it, Bob pretty much showed us how it’s done,” Levon Helm later said. “When the crowds were booing him, and people were telling him, ‘You don’t need these guys,’ it would have been real easy for him to say, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ But he never got shaky or unsteady. He was fantastic.”

The Heartbreakers (Tom Petty)
Tom Petty has released the occasional solo album, but over the course of 30-plus years he’s never strayed from The Heartbreakers for very long. Mike Campbell, whose lead guitar work dovetails perfectly with Petty’s jangly style, summed up the band’s relationship with Petty perfectly in a 2009 interview with Music Radar. “Keeping a band together is more work than anybody will ever tell you," Campbell said. “But if you have something special, a bunch of guys who play well together, and a brilliant singer and writer who's truly unique, you owe it to yourself and your fans to keep going.”

The Revolution (Prince)
The Revolution forever will be known as the band that helped shape Prince’s 1984 tour de force, Purple Rain. A multi-racial, multi-gender ensemble patterned after Sly and the Family Stone, The Revolution brought a more rock-centric, psychedelic component to Prince’s trademark funk and R&B. Although The Revolution were credited on just three Prince albums, it was their contributions that pushed their legendary frontman to superstar heights.

Booker T. & The M.G.’s (Various)
No band played a bigger role in shaping the sound of Southern soul music than Booker T. & The M.G.’s did. As the house band for Stax Records, the group – which included Steve Cropper on guitar – served as the instrumental force on recordings by Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and countless other R&B greats. Not insignificantly, Booker T. & The M.G.’s were also one of R&B’s first multi-racial groups. Fittingly, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

The Experience (Jimi Hendrix)
Bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell often get short shrift when it comes to considerations of the role they played in shaping Jimi Hendrix’s music. As the backbone of one of rock’s earliest power trios, Redding and Mitchell put down the rhythmic foundation upon which Hendrix could soar. Engineer Eddie Kramer once told Rolling Stone that Hendrix would “yell and scream” at Redding and Mitchell if they didn’t get things just right. Fortunately, the two got things “just right” nearly all the time.

The Attractions (Elvis Costello)
Teaming with Elvis Costello beginning with his second album, This Year’s Model, The Attractions put manic fervor into Costello’s brilliantly crafted songs. Often centered on surf-rock blasts of Hammond organ that teetered on the edge of mayhem, The Attractions’ music evoked thoughts of Booker T. & The M.G.’s on steroids. Members of The Attractions continue to play with Costello as part of his current touring band, The Imposters.

The Wailers (Bob Marley)
The original Wailers consisted, of course, of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. However, it’s the band Marley put together in the wake of the original Wailers’ demise that became reggae’s tightest and most exciting ensemble. The band’s legendary prowess was in part attributable to Marley’s skills as a bandleader. “Bob was very strict, and very disciplined,” Rita Marley once said, in an interview with Gibson.com. “He would make sure every note, and every sound, was as perfect as it could be. It was like, ‘Let’s do the absolutely best we can, and after that we can laugh, and have a smoke.’”

The E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen)
Few bands have sported more talent than the illustrious team that’s backed Bruce Springsteen – for the most part – since 1972. Unfortunately, the group has suffered tragic losses in recent years, with the deaths of both organist Danny Federici and saxophonist Clarence Clemmons. In live shows, quite rightly, Springsteen is known to praise the group with lavish, often funny introductions of each band member.

Crazy Horse (Neil Young)
Neil Young has always charted his own course, making albums that often flagrantly confounded expectations. Whenever he’s wanted to make aggressive, no-holds-barred rock and roll, however, he’s nearly always turned to Crazy Horse. “My work with Crazy Horse stands alone,” Young once said, in an interview with Performing Songwriter. “I’ve made rock and roll records with other people – I did ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ without them – but that’s a different kind of thing. Working with Crazy Horse opens the door to something cosmic, something I can’t do with anybody else.”

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10 Great Garage Rock Bands

There’s irony in the fact that garage rock is generally regarded as rock and roll in its most primitive form. Fact is, some of rock’s greatest bands – from The Ramones to Sonic Youth to R.E.M. to Green Day – can trace their styles to this mostly singles-oriented genre of music. Garage rock still is flourishing today, of course, but its true flowering occurred in the ’60s. Below are 10 bands who were pioneers during that glorious garage rock heyday.

The Count Five

With their 1966 hit, “Psychotic Reaction,” The Count Five assured themselves a prime spot in garage rock history. Hailing from San Jose, California, and still in their teens when “Psychotic Reaction” assailed the charts, the band essentially sabotaged their burgeoning career when they opted to seek college degrees instead of further pursuing music. Legendary critic Lester Bangs immortalized the group in a famously glowing profile.

Flamin’ Groovies

Forerunners of both punk and power pop, Flamin’ Groovies crafted their garage rock aesthetic by fitting ’50s-style rock and roll with Brit-style melodies. In contrast to their San Francisco-based peers, the Groovies didn’t shy away from greasy blues, powered mostly by the dual whammy of guitarist Cyril Jordan and flamboyant singer Roy A. Loney. The band’s 1971 album, Teenage Head, continues to be hailed as a cult classic.

13th Floor Elevators

Hailing from Austin, Texas, and centered largely on guitarist-singer Roky Erickson, the 13th Floor Elevators fused garage rock and psychedelia to form something new under the sun. Founded in 1965, and predating the San Francisco flower-power explosion, the Elevators were later acknowledged by fellow Texan Billy Gibbons as one of his prime inspirations. Unfortunately, physical and emotional problems brought on by substance abuse derailed the band’s grand ambitions, but not before they released a smattering of brilliant and influential albums.

The Seeds

Combining the trashy swagger of the early Rolling Stones with a penchant for psychedelia, The Seeds scored two hits in the mid-’60s with “Pushin’ Too Hard” and “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine.” The band’s unadorned, slop rock niche yielded two classic albums – The Seeds and A Web of Sound – but with their third disc, 1967’s Future, the group embarked on an ill-fated attempt to make a concept album along the lines of Sgt. Pepper. Following the death of original Seeds singer Sky Saxon in 2009, members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Love and The Electric Prunes staged a tribute concert in his honor.

The Troggs

Iggy Pop, The Ramones and R.E.M. are among the many artists who’ve cited The Troggs as a primary influence. One could argue that the British band’s proto-punk cover of Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing” is the crown jewel of garage rock, and in fact The Troggs scored two additional hits with the flower-power ballad, “Love is All Around,” and the riff-driven “With a Girl Like You.” Jimi Hendrix, of course, loved the band.

MC5

In the late ’60s, along with fellow Detroit natives The Stooges, MC5 forged a garage rock template upon which future punk rockers and thrash rockers would build. Thanks largely to the one-two punch of guitarist Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, the band backed up their rebellious stance with music that seared with energy and volume. Kramer and Smith’s interlocking guitars influenced nearly every dual-lead guitar band that came in MC5’s wake.

The Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes’ 1966 single, “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” established a permanent place for the band as garage rock pioneers. Working at Leon Russell’s studio in Los Angeles, under the tutelage of Rolling Stones engineer Dave Hassinger, the band went on to release a flurry of near-misses, including a splendid song titled “Kyrie Eleison” that was featured on the soundtrack for Easy Rider. After a 30-year absence, a re-tooled version of the band emerged in 1999.

The Kingsmen

If “Wild Thing” is garage rock’s crown jewel, then The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie” rates only a slight notch below. Released in late 1963, the song was, at that time, an oasis of slop rock authenticity on singles charts that were laden with the likes of Bobby Vinton and The Singing Nun. The song has since been covered by hundreds of artists, most notably by The Stooges, whose second album, Fun House, was produced by original Kingsmen keyboardist Don Galluci.

The Stooges

Released in 1969 and 1970, respectively, and powered by the swaggering charisma of Iggy Pop and the six-string ferocity of guitarist Ron Asheton, The Stooges’ first two albums are exemplars of anyone-can-do-it, garage rock abandon. Adding guitarist James Williamson to the mix (Asheton switched to bass), the band then produced a punk-metal masterpiece with 1973’s Raw Power, all the while continuing to adhere to their deliberately primitive spirit. In a word, The Stooges brought a sense of danger to garage rock.

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground may have been the first band to frame serious literary sensibilities in garage rock settings. Bringing to life the seedier side of his beloved New York, and singing about the city’s colorful misfit characters, Lou Reed brought a novelist’s eye to his songwriting craft. Of course, none of that would have mattered if the Velvets’ music – by turns willfully discordant and nakedly beautiful – had not been imbued with brilliance on par with Reed’s lyrical talents.

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Improv: 10 Great Jam Bands

If there’s one segment of contemporary music that inspires exceptionally devoted followers, it’s jam bands. Structuring their craft around live performances and, often, ceaseless touring, such bands embrace improvisation in ways associated with the work of vintage jazz artists. From Frank Zappa and The Mothers to The Derek Trucks Band, such groups also bring exceptional musical skills to what they do. Below are 10 jam bands, past and present, who’ve set a standard for their peers to follow.

Dave Matthews Band

Formed in the early ’90s, the Dave Matthews Band brought a world music vibe to the jam band phenomenon. Emphasizing college campuses as their tour stomping grounds, the group built a word-of-mouth buzz that blossomed into the sort of mainstream popularity few of their peers have enjoyed. The Virginia-based group continues to win followers with their annual summer tours, lengthy improvisations and the distinctively rhythmic approach that underpins their sound.

Blues Traveler

Blues rock, psychedelia, folk, R&B and, of course, straight-up rock and roll comprise the simmering musical stew that drives Blues Traveler’s eclectic style. Fans have long been drawn to the improvisational nature of the group’s live shows, which are often punctuated by startling segues. Tragedy struck in 1999 with the sudden death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan, and frontman John Popper has struggled with health issues. Still, the group – who encourage live tapings – remain a favorite on the jam band festival circuit.

Umphrey’s McGee

Superb musicianship, marathon concerts and a predilection for wacky covers has made Umphrey’s McGee a favorite among jam band aficionados. Hailing from the Midwest, the group emphasized live-show releases over studio recordings as they built a massive fan base. Known for their spectacular light shows, as well as their stellar musicianship, the group has made every concert they’ve performed since 2006 available to the public.

The String Cheese Incident

Although they’re often pegged as bluegrass-based, The String Cheese Incident actually incorporate a multitude of styles into their richly eclectic sound. Fiercely independent, and committed road warriors, the Colorado-based group also has been hailed for their charitable endeavors, their community involvement and the integrity they’ve demonstrated in the face of corporate pressures. As regards their music, the band rightly describes their approach as a “sacrilegious mix of bluegrass, calypso, salsa, Afro-pop, funk, rock and jazz.”

Moe.

Founded in 1990, Moe. has taken a do-it-yourself approach in building one of the jam-band world’s most devoted fan bases. Dubbing themselves “moe.rons” (which they decidedly are not), Moe.’s followers have seen their beloved group emerge as favorites on the festival circuit, and indeed the group has made multiple appearances at Bonnaroo. Asked to describe their music, Moe. guitarist Al Schnier once said, “It’s an amalgamation of a wide variety of the history of rock, regurgitated … with a sense of adventure, a sense of humor and a constant desire to push the envelope.”

Widespread Panic

While R.E.M. was staking out a prime place in the world of alternative music, their Athens-based rocker peers, Widespread Panic, were doing the same in the jam band arena. Widespread Panic’s studio albums have put equal emphasis on songwriting and improvisation, but the band’s live shows have become striking communal events, wherein fans are treated to marathon performances filled with dazzling ensemble interplay. “We’ve always considered the camaraderie of the band to be as important as anything else,” drummer Todd Nance once said. “[We’re] like a family and I think that comes through in the music.”

Gov’t Mule

A shared affection for power trios led Warren Haynes and Allen Woody to form Gov’t Mule as an offshoot of the Allman Brothers Band in the early ’90s. Spearheaded by Haynes’ searing blues guitar, the trio (which includes Matt Abts on drums) brought a Cream-like psychedelic component to their core Southern-rock sound. Woody’s tragic death in 2000 dealt a terrible blow to Gov’t Mule, but the group continues to dazzle fans with marathon shows that mix funk, blues and incendiary rock and roll into astral improvisations.

Phish

If any single band can claim to have snagged the jam-band spotlight from The Grateful Dead, it’s Phish. Like the Dead, Phish often apply a free-form strategy to their genre-bending approach. Guitarist Trey Anastasio is capable of evoking the likes of Frank Zappa, Yes’s Steve Howe and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour in the space of a few bars. The band’s epic compositions sometimes approach the ambitious scale of classical music, albeit in a rock setting.

The Grateful Dead

A strong argument can be made that The Grateful Dead represent ground zero for the emergence of the entire jam band phenomenon. Starting out in the ’60s with a “street party” form of psychedelic music, the Dead went on to establish themselves as gifted assimilators of folk, bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, country and all points in-between. Writing about the Dead’s Jerry Garcia in Rolling Stone, Warren Haynes said: “[He’s] one of the few guitarists where, as soon as you hear him, you know instantly who it is. There was a humanity in Jerry’s guitar work, as well as his singing, that drew you in. He was a very personal guitarist; he played with more heart and soul than technique.”

The Allman Brothers Band

It’s no exaggeration to say the Allman Brothers Band set the standard for on-stage jamming. At their best, the pioneering Southern rockers can still stretch a song for 30 or 40 minutes, filling the performance with celestial solos and ensemble interplay that sound conjured from magic potions. While the Brothers’ guitarists have been uniformly brilliant, Duane Allman warrants special mention for inventing the template for improvisational guitar playing, especially in the southern rock genre. Cohort Dickey Betts played a formidable role in that endeavor as well.

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Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil Calls ’90s Bands Depressing

Motley Crue are celebrating their 30th anniversary this summer with a North American tour alongside Poison and New York Dolls, and one thing is evident when it comes to this combination: Boring, it is not. After all, these guys are long known for their larger-than-life, amped-up live shows. It’s wild and free hair metal with a bad-boy, rabble-rousing reputation.

Singer Vince Neil couldn’t agree more that the Crue are all about a killer stage production.

“Most bands forget that this is entertainment, and you’ve got to put a show on,” he told Ultimate Classic Rock. “Most of these bands are content to wear jeans and a t-shirt, and just stand there and play their music. Which is kind of missing the point.”

He added that shows are supposed to be fun: “That’s why all those ’90s bands disappeared – they were … depressing people.”

Neil also went onto reveal that Motley Crue plan to release a new record in the “next year or so.” Moreover, after taking this summer off, Neil promises Crue Fest 3 will be back next summer.

“I like putting out new music. I don’t think we’d ever not put out new music,” he said. “Right now, we’re just focused on touring. Once this tour starts slowing down, then we’ll start putting some stuff together and put a record out...”

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Poptopia! The 10 Greatest-Ever Power Pop Bands

Infectious melodies, airtight arrangements, soaring vocal harmonies and—perhaps most importantly—unforgettable guitar riffs: these are the essential ingredients of great power pop. Coined by Pete Townshend in a 1967 interview, the phrase captures perfectly a style of music that blends early Beatles-like fare with an amped-up, six-string wallop that smacks like a sonic boom. Power pop has had its ups and downs through the years, but invariably, whenever it hits a lull, a great band comes along to pick up the torch. Below are 10 of the genre’s greatest-ever practitioners.

10. The Sweet

Few bands navigated the line between Archies-style bubblegum pop and Who-like rock bluster as effectively as The Sweet. Grabbing a teen niche just this side of Queen, T.Rex and Slade, the band struck pay dirt with near-novelty tunes such as “Little Willy” and “Ballroom Blitz,” but beneath the surface lay a serious riff-rock foundation. Virtually every pop metal band of the ‘80s owes a stylistic debt to The Sweet.

9. Badfinger

If ever a band was destined to carry The Beatles’ torch, it was Badfinger. Signed to Apple Records in 1968, the group kickstarted their career with the Paul McCartney-penned hit, “Come and Get It,” and then set about crafting memorable riffs and sparkling melodies of their own. Using SG Standards, guitarists/vocalists Pete Ham and Tom Evans put six-string muscle into such radio-ready material as “No Matter What,” “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue.”

8. The Posies

By combining the enchanting vocal harmonies of The Hollies with the sophisticated pop style of Big Star, The Posies helped keep power pop alive in the ‘90s. Often sporting ES-335s, main Posies Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow brought a grunge-y component to the genre, which earned them favor with the Nirvana/Pearl Jam crowd. Fittingly, beginning in 1993, the two pop maestros teamed occasionally with the late Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens in a re-tooled incarnation of Big Star.

7. Fountains of Wayne

Wry humor has been a mainstay of a certain segment of power pop, and no one incorporates that component better than Fountains of Wayne. On the classic “Stacy’s Mom,” the songwriting duo of Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger forged a style that brought to mind the smartly-rendered songs of The Cars and early 10cc. Collingwood favors an ES-335 to achieve a clarion pop radiance, while lead guitarist Jody Porter punctuates Fountain of Wayne's choruses with wall-of-sound chords played on a Les Paul Custom.

6. Slade

As evidenced on such classics as “Cum on Feel the Noize” and “Gudbuy T’ Jane,” Slade had few equals when it came to fusing glam rock and power pop. The band failed to gain a foothold in America, but their influence was immense. Kiss, Cheap Trick and Quiet Riot are among the many bands who’ve cited Slade’s impact. In his book, Kiss and Make-Up, Gene Simmons wrote: “We liked the way [Slade] connected with the crowd, and the way they wrote anthems. We wanted that same energy, that same irresistible simplicity, but we wanted it American-style."

5. The Raspberries

Sporting unfashionably short hair and matching suits, The Raspberries were dismissed by many as a teen-pop gimmick when they burst on the scene in 1972. Today, however, the Cleveland-based band is rightly regarded as one of power pop’s all-time great ensembles. Centered on the twin-guitar tangle of main songwriter Eric Carmen and lead guitarist Wally Bryson—who often played his hook-laden riffs on a Flying V or an SG Standard—Raspberries’ songs like “Go All the Way,” “Let’s Pretend” and “Overnight Sensation” are rightly regarded as classics.

4. Teenage Fanclub

Few bands have assimilated their influences as cleverly as Teenage Fanclub. Formed in 1989, the Scottish group released a masterpiece in 1991 with Bandwagonesque, an album that couched broken-glass lyrics in pristinely crafted songs that evoked the likes of Big Star and The Hollies. The group’s subsequent albums have been similarly dazzling.  Alternating between a Les Paul Custom and an Epiphone Casino, guitarist-singer Norman Blake often applies molten distortion to sunshine-y riffs, giving a sonic modernity to the band's throwback harmonies and hooks.

3. Big Star

No group had a bigger impact on the best of the ’80s post-punk bands than Big Star. Alternating between an ES-335 and a Les Paul Goldtop, main songwriters Alex Chilton and Chris Bell flavored British Invasion-style pop fare with wildly infectious guitar riffs that foreshadowed the likes of The Replacements and R.E.M. Big Star’s pristine arrangements—as showcased on songs like “September Gurls,” “In The Street” and “Back of a Car”—were out of step with the early ‘70s post-hippie times, but today, the group’s influence is legendary.

2. The Who

The Who didn’t just invent power pop; during the ‘60s, they were the genre’s greatest practitioners. With his ever-present SG slung low, Pete Townshend unleashed power chords the likes of which rock fans had never before seen. The band’s early singles—“My Generation,” “I Can’t Explain” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” to name three—encased soaring melodies and an explosive surge in tidy three-minute packages. “I Can See for Miles,” from The Who Sell Out, may well be power pop’s greatest-ever anthem.

1. Cheap Trick

It’s hardly surprising that the Japanese press often refers to Cheap Trick as the “American Beatles.” Centered on Rick Nielsen’s soaring riffs, the band’s best songs – “Surrender,” “Dream Police” and “I Want You to Want Me,” to name three – combine sharp melodies with a hard-edged sonic sound inspired by The Who, ’70s punk rock and even (occasionally) heavy metal. The Los Angeles Times rightly noted that Cheap Trick carved out their unique style “by twisting the Beatles-esque into something shinier, harder and more American.”

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Live and Dangerous: The Top 10 Live Bands

From the pompadour-stoked ecstasy of Little Richard, to the swivel-hipped swagger of Elvis Presley, to the sheer euphoria triggered by The Beatles, rock and roll has always been most exciting when it’s experienced live. Some artists deliver that experience by way of impeccable musicianship, while others emphasize stage props and spectacular showmanship. The best bands, however, combine great music and great theatrics, delivering a one-two punch that bedazzles. Below are 10 of the very best.

10. Queen

Blessed with one of rock’s most charismatic singers, as well as a sensational guitarist in Brian May, Queen were destined from the start to be a spectacular live act. By the late ’70s, the group had amassed a cache of rock anthems – “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions,” to name just two – that were seemingly ready-made for stadium shows. The group’s 1985 appearance at Live Aid, where 75,000-plus fans joined in on “Radio Ga Ga,” was a high point of that seminal event.

9. Pink Floyd

No band pioneered the idea of the rock show as a mind-altering theatrical experience quite like Pink Floyd did. Dating back to their Syd Barrett-led days, ambitious light shows, dazzling screen projections and lasers developed from nuclear research bolstered the group’s performances. Their legendary use of “inflatables” reached a zenith with The Wall shows, during which several characters from the album were brought to life in the form of massive string puppets.

8. Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden have sometimes been called heavy metal’s answer to The Who. That assessment stems mainly from the band’s intricate song-themes, but it could also apply to their live shows. The group’s 1985 two-album opus, Live After Death, set a benchmark for every band seeking to create the heavy metal equivalent of Live at Leeds or At Fillmore East. Iron Maiden remain metal’s greatest road warriors, having amassed well over 2,000 live shows during their career.

7. The Stooges

The Velvet Underground and The Stooges may have co-fathered punk rock, but it was The Stooges, alone, who acted out that music’s primal energy on stage. Like a spring-loaded, triple-jointed dynamo, Iggy Pop leaped, crawled and flung himself across (and often off) the stage in ways that seemed perilous and ecstatic at the same time. Video footage from 1970 that shows a shirtless (as always) Iggy, smearing himself with peanut butter while hoisted on the hands of an adoring crowd, has become iconic.

6. AC/DC

In recent years, AC/DC shows have featured a giant train crashing through the rear of the stage, a 60-foot-tall blow-up “Rosie” doll and canons exploding with sonic-boom ferocity. To this day, however, when it comes to entertainment value, no prop surpasses the sheer manic spirit of Angus Young. Decked out in his famous school uniform, locked seemingly in perpetual adolescence, Young duck-walks furiously from one side of the stage to the other, stopping occasionally to deliver a solo while lying on his back. Well into their fourth decade, AC/DC still thrills.

5. The Flaming Lips

The glory years of indie rock were rife with bands who believe that live shows involved little more than cranking up the guitars. Not The Flaming Lips. Puppets, intricate light shows, man-sized plastic bubbles and raining balloons are among the many props they’ve used to enhance their psychedelic space-rock on-stage. The Flaming Lips also pioneered the “Headphone Concert,” wherein they used a low-powered FM transmitter to further enhance the listening experience for audiences.

4. The Allman Brothers Band

Other bands have had greater visual appeal, but no group has ever topped The Allman Brothers Band when it comes to live musical artistry. Blessed with some of the greatest guitarists in rock history, the veteran Southern rockers were the first group to incorporate the improvisational ethos of jazz into rock instrumentals. It’s hardly surprising that their masterpiece, At Fillmore East, is a live recording. The band’s late manager, Phil Walden, rightly proclaimed the two-album set “one of the foundations of modern music.”

3. The Rolling Stones

It’s largely based on their live performances that The Rolling Stones earned their reputation as “the world’s greatest rock and roll band.” Even as a bare-bones five-piece (or six, counting Ian Stewart), they were sensational. Buoyed by rock’s tightest rhythm section, Keith Richards and his six-string mate (first Brian Jones, then Mick Taylor and finally Ron Wood) embodied the essence of dual-rock-guitar. It helps, of course, that the band is fronted by one of the world’s most charismatic singers.

2. Led Zeppelin

To experience a Led Zeppelin concert was to hear blues-rock performed in ways more powerful than it had ever been delivered. Frontman Robert Plant epitomized rock swagger, while the rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham barreled forth like a locomotive filled with granite. Best of all, however, were the gargantuan riffs that exploded from the guitar of Jimmy Page. All this, plus the band delivered some of the greatest acoustic sets ever delivered on stage.

1. The Who

No band captured the essence of rock and roll better than The Who did during their glory years. Pete Townshend’s gymnastic pogo leaps and windmilled guitar, Roger Daltrey’s lasso-style microphone flourishes, Keith Moon’s frenetic drum work and John Entwistle’s flying fingers nearly made you forget just how powerful the music was – but not quite. Power chords have never been delivered with such glorious abandon. Small wonder Townshend viewed smashing the equipment as the only fitting finale to such a wondrous spectacle.

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Thunder from Down Under: The Top 10 Aussie Bands Who Rocked the World

Aussie bands have been cranking out hits both at home and abroad almost since the dawn of rock. For every Elvis Presley there was a Johnny O’Keefe. For each Bad Company there was an Angels. For every Wilco there was a Powderfinger. Not every Aussie band that made it big back home managed to replicate their success in the rest of the world (and Aussies don’t drink Foster’s very often either), but here are 10 who did.

10. The Living End

Australia’s answer to The Stray Cats and The Clash all rolled up into one, The Living End make regular trips to the U.S. and Europe, and are one of the few bands who have been able to open up for AC/DC and not be pelted with beer cups by the eager audience. Chris Chaney is a bona-fide guitar hero, combining the power of pub rock with the sophistication and technique of rockabilly. The Living End’s next album, produced by Nick DiDia (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Rage Against the Machine) is due out this year.

9. Jet

Jet were partially responsible for the rock revolution of the early noughties. Breaking out of the legendary Espy, the cornerstone of Melbourne’s thriving live rock scene, Jet combined a little of the ’60s and a lot of the ’70s to create their classic rock-influenced sound, and they damn near took over the world in the process. They also packed a collection of fine Gibson and Epiphone instruments, including the Jack Casady Bass.

8. Rose Tattoo

The Tatts – led by Angry Anderson – were a huge influence on some of the biggest hard rock bands of the ’80s. Guns N’ Roses even covered “Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock and Roll),” and Slash invited Anderson to perform the song with him in Melbourne for the worldwide-broadcast MTV Classic launch in 2010. Late, great Tatts guitarist Pete Wells was one of the finest blues-based slide players Australia ever produced, and the Tatts beat Motley Crue to the combination of punk and metal by a good half-decade (and didn’t need spandex and hairspray to do it).

7. Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus were always kind of like Australia’s version of Cheap Trick: enough brains for the cerebral crowd, enough edge for the rock crowd, enough groove to dance to and enough cool guitar work to riff along with. The band broke up in 1997 but reunited in 2003. In the interim, they renamed themselves The Persian Rugs, took on a new bass player and explored a more psychedelia-driven, London-meets-Detroit sound. Their latest album is 2010’s ripping Purity of Essence.

6. The Church

The Church have always had a melancholy edge to their sound, even in their earlier psychedelic days. Their combination of ’60s-style jangle and ’70s progressive moodiness coalesced in stunning form on “Under the Milky Way” in 1988, breaking the band internationally and scoring them a #2 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart (it only went Top 30 back home).

5. The Easybeats

Led by vocalist Stevie Wright and backed up by the songwriting talents of Harry Vanda and George Young, The Easybeats were Australia’s answer to The Beatles. Like many great Australian bands of the era and reflecting the multiculturalism that occurred after World War II, the band was made entirely of immigrants from Europe, and they were signed to one of Australia’s first independent production companies, Albert Productions. Their biggest hit was “Friday on My Mind,” produced by Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks). The track was also notably covered by David Bowie on Pinups and by punk band London.

4. Silverchair

Silverchair seemed to go from fresh-faced grunge-lite youngsters to symphonic-rock iconoclasts so suddenly that nobody saw it happen. The leap from their catchy-but-derivative alterna-anthem “Tomorrow” to tracks like “Emotion Sickness,” “Straight Lines” and “The Greatest View” was drastic and entirely welcome. Somewhere along the line, bandleader Daniel Johns must have visited a crossroads and sold his soul for a cache of unusual new chords and scales and a surprisingly adept falsetto.

3. Midnight Oil

Midnight Oil stood out like a sore thumb in the glitzy world of ’80s rock: their singer was a six-foot-plus, bald dynamo, and their lyrical bent had more in common with the political edge of U2 and Billy Bragg than the party-hardy attitude of much of the music topping the charts at the time. The group disbanded in 2002 but have performed occasional reunion shows since then for charity, although it’s a little hard to block out some time in singer Peter Garrett’s heavy schedule, as he is currently Australia’s Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth.

2. INXS

Although INXS’s only “full-time” guitarist is Tim Farriss, both Andrew Farriss (keys) and Kirk Pengilly (sax) also hoist the six-string from time to time, and the band’s triple-guitar attack set a new benchmark for intricate axework in the ’80s, taking as much inspiration from new wave, ska and pop as from rock. Charismatic frontman Michael Hutchence met his end via misadventure in 1997 but the band continued on, first with singer Jon Stevens of Noiseworks then with Canadian JD Fortune, who they found via the TV show Rock Star: INXS. Fortune still tours with the band, although their latest album Original Sin features a variety of guest singers reinterpreting the band’s hits, including Rob Thomas, Ben Harper, Dan Sultan and Tricky.

1. AC/DC
C’mon, could anyone else have possibly topped this list? Aside from virtually claiming the Gibson SG as his own, Angus Young and Co. perfected the kind of hard-driving blues-rock that would be imitated by literally thousands of bands since. Even the tragic loss of vocalist Bon Scott couldn’t slow Acca Dacca down, and all Australian guitarists are required by law to learn the riff to “Back in Black” and the intro to “Thunderstruck” before they’re allowed to perform in public.

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Next Big Thing: The Top 10 Modern Rock Bands of the 2000s

Entering the 2000s, a flush of bands surfaced with a clear gratitude to post-punk and alt-pop, contrasting dramatically from the flannel-wearing grunge-rock that ruled the ’90s. While the post-grunge movement proved a shrine to Nirvana and sounds of the past, a new crop of bands rebelled with unabashedly pop-y, hyper-melodic sounds, paying homage to their diverse roots without simply reiterating past styles and designs.

In this Top 10 list, Gibson.com breaks down our Top 10 Modern Rock Bands that debuted in the 2000s, many of whom are already shaping the 2010s. Who are your faves?

10. Paramore

When 2005’s All We Know Is Failing debuted on Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz’s label, Fueled by Ramen, it was obvious the punk-pop scene was in for an upheaval. The Franklin, TN-based group were spearheaded by a fireball singer, Haley Williams, a girl with a huge set of pipes and a heart full of failed loves. Paramore’s next album, Riot!, delivered emo-kid anthems “Misery Business” and “Crushcrushcrush” with zippy songwriting and catchy hooks. The songs shot to the top of the alternative chart and eventually crossed over to pop, scoring Paramore a headlining slot at Bamboozle 2010 and three Grammy nominations by decade’s end.

9. Gorillaz

It’s a safe bet that when Blur frontman Damon Albarn had the idea for the first-ever “virtual hip-hop group”, complete with cartoon visuals from Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl), he didn’t think it would turn into a platinum-selling musical project. But that it did, beginning with 2000’s EP, Tomorrow Comes Today, followed by their 2001 self-titled, full-length debut. The latter toted a #1 rock hit in “Clint Eastwood” that’s been remixed and revamped countless times on its way to pushing over seven million copies worldwide. Next up, 2005’s Demon Days went double-platinum and picked up a host of Grammy nominations. Now that Albarn is back with Blur, it’s hard to say when or if Gorillaz will be back at it. Until then, they’ve left us with a collection of cinematic songs – an artifact of 2000s pop culture.

8. Franz Ferdinand

Glasgow rock quartet Franz Ferdinand’s Darts of Pleasure EP got the attention of the music industry with smart lyrics and dramatic beats, but it wasn’t until their 2004 self-titled debut that Franz Ferdinand’s talent and flair really got noticed. Lead single “Take Me Out” took off like a rocket, starting with an ominous, acoustic preface before bursting into that vibrant, party-happy verse and unforgettable chorus. The quirky band’s blend of campy humor, hyper-activity and scruffy style made them one of the most loveable alternative bands of the 2000s and a welcome addition to the garage-rock, post punk reawakening.

7. TV on the Radio

Sure, it’s a catchy band name. But Brooklyn-based TV on the Radio offers much more than that – try a mix of post-punk, electronic, jazz and indie, melded in such an inspired way that it’s impossible not to listen. The band came out in the early 2000s – a time when post-grunge was everywhere and almost nothing sounded original. Enter 2004’s Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, and its elements of soul, spiritual, jazz, doo wop and experimental rock, and there’s no wonder TV on the Radio is hailed as one of the most wonderful musical surprises of the 2000s.

6. Disturbed

When it comes to hard rock and alt-metal, the guys of Disturbed ruled it in the 2000s. Joining up in Chicago’s South Side, frontman David Draiman and company released Sickness in 2000. While the album carried a mix of raucous metal and pummeling hard rock assault, Draiman’s full, strong vocals brought a vulnerable, melodic quality that was missing from Disturbed’s contemporaries, even on heavy hits “Down with the Sickness” and “Stupify.” The guys went on to enjoy three consecutive #1 debuts in the 2000s, and with their latest album, 2010’s Asylum, also debuting at #1, it seems Disturbed is “Sick” no longer.

5. The Black Keys

If the White Stripes introduced minimal, two-man blues-rock to the mainstream, the Black Keys took it into the new millennium. With 2002’s The Big Come Up, the Keys introduced a thicker sounding garage-blues sound with an ample mix of soul, funk and hard rock. Dan Auerbach brought powerful blues-based vocal lines and coarse, reverbed riffs, while Patrick Carney's drums complimented the organic, lo-fi atmospheres with earthy-sounding beats. The Black Keys released six albums throughout the 2000s, played club show after club show, picked up five Grammy nominations (and three wins) and, ultimately, succeeded in making raw, electric blues incredibly cool.

4. The Killers

As the 2000s took off, Las Vegas’ The Killers leapt quickly from alternative rock darlings to mainstream pop heartthrobs in a matter of years. With a winning combination of dance-rock groove and ’80s synth pop, the group’s new-wave-flanked debut, Hot Fuss, became one of 2004's most successful releases, producing pop radio hits “Somebody Told Me,” “Mr. Brightside,” “All These Things that I’ve Done” and “Smile Like You Mean It.” They wooed MTV audiences and modern rock snobs alike, forever joining chunky riffs with romantic landscapes in one very danceable combo.

3. Arcade Fire

Years before their Album of the Year sleeper win for The Suburbs at the 2011 Grammys, Canada’s Arcade Fire was already going strong with a uniquely intense combination of indie rock power and dramatic, lush song fare. Few bands of the 2000s captured such an eclectic mix of genres, from bossa nova to punk to neo-classical pop. With husband and wife team Win Butler and Regine Chassagne at the helm, Arcade Fire proved brilliantly experimental bands in the tradition of Radiohead still spring up every decade or so.

2. Kings of Leon

We all know the paradox of the American rock star who is royalty overseas but can strut the streets of his hometown as anonymous as the next guy. Such was the story of Kings of Leon’s early days. In the U.K., the Nashville-based Southern rock ‘n’ rollers were inescapable. They sold out their first European tour. They headlined the main stage at Glastonbury. Still, the mainstream U.S. contingent didn’t catch on until 2008’s Only by the Night and the album’s course singles, “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire.” What set the Grammy-winning guys apart was how they relied less on perfect-sounding, digital mastery and more on bare bones, Zeppelin-style, stick-in-your-head rock tunes.

1. The Strokes

Arriving with a vast amount of hype from the U.K. press, The Strokes proved to be one of a handful of groups worthy of their effervescent reviews. Wearing their influences proud – The Stooges, Buddy Holly, Lou Reed and the Velvets, John Lennon – The Strokes didn’t just reiterate the sounds of past decades but reshaped them in a way that brought together years of diverse musical sounds and spat them out in a new, contemporary masterpiece. On the New York City group’s full-length debut, Is This It, The Strokes offered a pop-friendly, new millennium take on ’70s and ’80s-brand New York punk, packed with smart, smirky vocals, brisk guitars and an insanely catchy swagger. New wave, post-punk, garage-pop – whatever you want to call it, The Strokes did something few bands could in the 2000s: create a sound all their own.

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5 Must-See Bands at Coachella 2011

Coachella 2011 is just a few days away, and while the lineup is spectacular (PJ Harvey, The National, The Black Keys, Interpol, Duran Duran, Mumford & Sons, Interpol), let’s face it – not everybody can jet to Indio, California, to enjoy the action.

Thankfully, Coachella will be streaming the three-day show via the web. You can see all the action via the fest’s YouTube channel.

Check out Gibson.com’s 5 must-see artists at Coachella.

Who are your must-sees? Let us know in the comments, below!

1) The Black Keys: Is it really just two guys making all that ruckus? Sure is, and with it comes bluesy, raw-and-ragged rock, with plenty of groove and blues-rock swagger.

2) Kings of Leon: The guys hit it huge with their fourth release, 2008’s Only By the Night, and from there, they brought big, bad, rock to the masses, and have enough classic rock in their DNA to garner fans of all ages.

3) Arcade Fire: The newly crowned Grammy-winner for “Album of the Year” delivers larger-than-life live shows, always theatrical, packed with indie-jangle grit and sharp, smart alternative rock.

4) Jimmy Eat World: There’s no denying the guys of Jimmy Eat World are one of the few alternative rock acts that get better with age. Starting out with songs about teenage-dom and school-day crushes, the band has truly matured and now puts out well-crafted, catchy rock that’s poppy and powerful.

5) Mumford & Sons: This London-based band makes rootsy music, with a healthy diet of country, rock, bluegrass and blues. Somehow, it all comes together in an edgy enough package to top the alternative rock charts.

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