Top 5 American Rock and Roll Bands

After getting cut at the bar the other night, I sat down next to my friend Dom Aiello and enjoyed a cold beer. We got to talking about many things and as conversations go amongst musicians, we started talking about music. We were out back at the Hole and as many of you may know, the juke box out there is nothing if not eclectic. I believe a Creedence Clearwater Revival song came on and I declared that they are the best American Rock and Roll band. Of course, this isn't necessarily true, but it set the tone for the next 45 minutes.

I soon posed the Top 5 List subject: "Top 5 American Rock and Roll Bands."

We soon established that while many acts from the fifties who were responsible for Rock and Roll should maybe be on the list, their importance came more into play with how they affected young pale men in England. Dom sees a lot of that stuff as rockabilly anyway and I see it as lightweight. That "Bands" is in the title is important as well. This excludes the Bill Haleys, the Jerry Lee Lewises, the Elvises, and the Buddy Hollies. We're talking bands here. And we talked bands. I suprised myself by considering some bands who I would otherwise blow off, only because of their undeniable Rock and Roll aesthetic. And no, Cheap Trick wasn't even brought up.

We saw eye to eye on most every band that we discussed and found it really difficult to choose 5. While each of our Top 5's would have been different, we could at least agree on 14 to choose from. I don't remember who he chose aside from ZZ Top, which I agree with. Maybe we agreed on X too. Anyways, now that I've had a few days I'll try and pick.

ZZ Top

The Allman Brothers

X

Creedence

The Doors

See, it's hard. Whatever. Of course it doesn't matter. It's fun is all. Here's the master, in my own hand.