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Greatest Band of All Time

steve@... 10th May 2009

I would agree that The Rolling Stones is probably the greatest Rock and Roll band, however, they do not have the influence The Beatles have had, but, there are other, much less mentioned bands and artists that have probably exceeded The Beatles in influence.

Take, for example, The Velvet Underground. Never a popular band in its time, but it greatly influenced a goodly number of musicians over time.

Another very influential person, especially with British musicians, has been John Mayall and the various incarnations of his bands. Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, John McVie, Jack Bruse and many others have been under his tuteledge.

Speaking of Clapton, he and Jack Bruse left the Bluesbreakers to form their own band with Ginger Baker (like Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, a jazz drummer) known as Cream, the first power trio in the rock pantheon, proving that less can be more.

There are many others not known to the general populace who have been extraordinarily influential in the rock arena. It is just thta the Beatles have had a better PR machine than others, and thus, in the public mind, seem to dominate as influencers.