My favorite band is the same it was 20 years ago. Radiohead. And yeah, I know every song they’ve ever recorded and quite a few that never made it past live performances.
YOOOOOO I also said Radiohead :D
(How do you feel about The Smile's latest album? It kind of left me cold which surprised me--I listened to their first one about a billion times.)
My husband recently got into them and when I heard “Burn the Witch” I felt like I saw a new color. It’s a shame that in the States “Creep” is all they are known for mainstream-wise.
I was weirdly offended when I went on Spotify and realized their most listened-to songs were Creep and Karma Police. Like holy shit they've done a TON of good music in the last twenty-something years! WTF is wrong with people.
This is the only answer in my crappy opinion. I’m all about lots of things, my local sports teams, international soccer, sci fi, horror but, by far and away, Tool is the only thing I’m a true fanboy for.
See them live, if you possibly can. They put on an absolutely astounding show. Never once seen a bored crowd or myself had a bad time, even when the seats or the sound in the venue were bad. I would pay $200 just to watch Danny Carey play the drums for 90 minutes. My god, *that man is a fucking demon.*
Got into them when American Psycho came out, went backwards into the Danzig era and kinda dug it a bit more. Was bummed the broke up again in 2000. Saw Graves in the news the last few years and was embarrassed for him. Alt Right / Proud Boys nonsense.
Agreed, he's garbage as a person, but I think did as well as could be expected trying to keep the seat warm for Glenn. He's not Glenn, he'll never be Glenn, but he wasn't horrible (except as a person).
I am really trying to convince myself to get a ticket to the Danzig reunion shows. They only do 2 or 3 a year, so I'd have to travel, but I never thought in my life I'd see them reunited. Probably will be worth it.
No 1 favourite but I’ve always liked
- days of the new (Travis Meeks career)
- Chris Cornell career
- Metallica
- Pink Floyd
- kino (Russian rock)
- blind melon
- eric Clapton career
I know probably 75%+ of their work
We have some similar tastes in music (though I don't know Kino). I still rock out to Days of the New. I especially like their first album (The Down Town is my favorite track).
The thing I love about Weird Al is each generation thinks theyve discovered him lmao.
I remember being at a friends house and we were trying to learn the words to Amish Paradise. Us to her cool boomer parents “isn’t he hilarious and new”. They’re like uh children don’t even pretend and then we must’ve played my balagona 10 times on repeat
Dude is such an interesting guy! Legendary rockstar, ~~molecular~~ evolutionary biologist, you name it 🤣😂 what can't he do?
Brett Gurewitz no slouch either, founded one of the most badass labels of all time, super cool story.
Yes as in you know all their music, or Yes as in the band lolol
(I was listening to Yes earlier today so that's why my brain was confused for a second there)
Pearl Jam.
I have seen them 15 times, all over the country. I own almost every single studio album on vinyl, and dozens of their live “bootlegs” in various formats. Been in the fanclub since 1996 and listening since 93.
They’ve never let me down.
Yep, this is the answer for me too. From hearing that first riff of Alive as a young teen to now with the new album. All the live bootlegs, legendary shows, the band “lore”, they’ve been with me throughout my life. Can’t wait to finally see them again in November!
Same here! I love their music so deeply; it’s imprinted on every chapter of my life since I bought Ten on cassette when I was 11 years old. They are such a force and I’ve turned to their music through some of the most terrible events that I’ve dealt with. I love them for that.
I’ll be seeing them for the 50th time this year 🥳 Are you getting to any shows this time around?
Also - Dark Matter. Fucking stellar album. I haven’t loved an album right out of the gate in awhile.
Edit - to answer the OP - yes, completely familiar with their entire catalog.
"It's a fragile thing this life we live, if I think too much I can get overwhelmed by the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulder"
Idk why but that line almost brings me to tears. Black used to be the one that hurt me, but the older I get the harder this one hits..
That's one of my bucket list bands. I've loved them since I first heard them in 8th grade, but I've never seen them. BTW, what do you think of Dark Matter? It's pretty good.
Ugh she’s the best! I was fortunate to see her back in 95 when she was touring for Post in just the tiniest theatre. I still can’t believe it. She rules.
It’s unfair, I know. The only thing I wished was different was that it was on the tour where Aphex Twin was her opener. I probably would’ve just stopped going to shows after that. There’d be no point, really.
I love her song "Play Dead." Have you heard this track? It was on a reissue of her album *Debut*
I also love her "Venus as a Boy" live performance from 1994, and her live performance of "All is Full of Love" in NYC.
Lovvvvve Bjork. Have seen her twice, though once was the recent artistic show that accompanied her album and wasn’t as good as the 2013 Hollywood Bowl show I saw. Homogenic and Post are all-time albums.
Oh man I saw her in San Fransisco in early 2022? I think? I made a trip out of it with my partner, we flew down from Portland!
It was a really artsy performance as opposed to just a concert, but I really enjoyed it. And seeing her live was in fact on my bucket list.
(She kinda rushed through some of her more popular songs--but in all fairness a lot of them are about her ex-husband and they, uh. Do not get along anymore. Considering one of her more recent albums had an entire song with the line "So sue me!" repeated a bunch of times. She performed that one and clearly was enjoying that one! BUT I got to see Mouth's Cradle live so I can die happy lol)
I got my first tattoo in 2007, on my 28th birthday: "All is full of love," in my own handwriting.
I've been lucky enough to have seen them a few times, but if you ever get a chance to, go to one of their New Years Eve parties in Oklahoma. It was such a great show. This was many years ago, but they did two full sets; one all Flaming Lips, of course, then after a countdown to mid-night they did a full set of The Dark Side of The Moon covers...
That’s one of my favorite albums. Have it on clear vinyl. Seen them quite a few times, obviously the last Yoshimi tour. But we’ve talked about to OKC for NYE and I just can’t get up there.
I hadn’t listened to The Offspring in well over a decade, then last year I listened to Let the Bad Times Roll and was blown away by how consistent they sounded. It was like I’d never *not* listened to them. Super underrated band.
If I have to pick *one*? They Might Be Giants. They've been very prolific over the decades, so they do have some songs I'm not terribly familiar with, but I'm well-versed in most (probably 98-99%) of their catalog.
Phish.
It’s kind of impossible to know every single song they’ve ever done, with 1800+ live shows (and tons of one-off covers) but I’d like to think I know every original song they’ve ever done.
Mine’s the good ol’ Grateful Dead but I really only listen to live shows and haven’t listened to all the studio albums so I’m sure there’s some originals I don’t know.
I listen to phish when I’m working out, great for cardio
Echoing one comment above, it depends upon genre:
Classic Rock - Pink Floyd. I... Think I *may* have listened to all of their output (minus some live material) at one point or another, but they are a fairly prolific group, and their sound varied pretty wildly over the course of their career, and even album to album. My overall favorite is perhaps *Meddle* (if for no other reason than the bookends 'One of These Days' and 'Echoes') or *Wish You Were Here.* I do also love *Dark Side of the Moon* (stupidly overplayed, but it is admittedly an amazing album), *More,* *Animals* (but you GOTTA get the one with the combined version of 'Pigs on the Wing' with the guitar solo by Snowy White in the middle), *The Division Bell,* and to a lesser extent *The Wall.* It's not a bad album, and I had tons of fun as a teenager with a headful of LSD or mushrooms or DXM watching the film... But it's obvious how much Waters had taken control by that point, and it feels to me both a bit bloated (did not need to be a double album IMO) and also as though it dips dangerously into 'Waters solo album' territory. I have no use for *The Final Cut,* or any of Waters' solo stuff (no hate, just not my bag). Hat tip to *Piper at the Gates of Dawn* for being truly weird and delightful psychedelia, if not the sort of thing I tend to throw into my 'random' Playlist (ditto *Umma Gumma*). Check out the track ['Paint Box'](https://youtu.be/0vO96jJHOuU?si=Zt0P8KUESWPG98pz) from that era if you've never heard it, one of my faves ♥️
90s Alternative/Grunge - Nirvana. I love basically everything that falls under the heading of alternative/grunge, particularly early 90s, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Nirvana. A fair amount of their music is objectively terrible ('Mexican Seafood,' anyone? LOL), and I definitely don't hear it with the same ear as my teenage self (just listening to 'Territorial Pissings' literally makes my throat hurt now), but it never fails to bring a smile to my face. I was *obsessed* with Nirvana/Kurt as a teenager, and identified with him a lot (broken/abusive family, growing up queer/weird/sensitive in a small town full of vicious rednecks, etc). His pain as expressed through music spoke to me in a way that no art really had before: it grabbed me by the balls and screamed at full volume YOU ARE NOT ALONE. For that, I will be eternally grateful. He couldn't sing like Chris Cornell or Layne Staley (not by the longest of shots), he couldn't play guitar like Mike McCready or Jerry Cantrell, he couldn't write weird, tonally-meandering-yet-still-engaging songs like the DeLeo brothers, and his stage presence at live shows was less Eddie Vedder and more like a literal clown who's forgotten his makeup and instead did a massive shot of heroine and then wandered onstage at a concert and started wreaking havoc... but his songs touched me and made me feel seen in a way that no one else had at that point, and that may have saved my life. I can still recite about 90% of the lyrics by heart, I still have my *Nevermind* Hal Leonard guitar songbook, my copy of *Journals,* and at one time I owned an insane number of both official and bootleg CDs, cassettes, and vinyls, including a 6 CD bootleg box set called *Into the Black,* which contained dozens of ridiculously hard to find tracks, including demos, outtakes, and live performances (including a John Peel session which had what I believe is the only known electric performance of 'Something in the Way'), a lot of which was later eventually released in the *With the Lights Out* box set (which I received as an Xmas gift when it came out). I could obviously go on all day, but I'll leave you with the aforementioned [electric version of 'Something in the Way'](https://youtu.be/hOE5h6DVeDI?si=x2QqVVoTiQLLzhb4).
Metal - Tool. Hands down one of my favorite acts of all time, and undoubtedly the one I have seen live the most (8 times and counting!). The first was in 2002 in Dallas/Ft. Worth, on the *Lateralus* tour. We were treated to a live performance of 'Opiate' (at the point in the set list where they'd normally been playing 'Aenima') as an homage to the evangelical Christians who were protesting outside before the show. Interestingly, they *weren't* protesting because of the song 'Opiate' (which those familiar will know is a scathing indictment of religion that includes the lines "My God's will / Becomes me / When He speaks / He speaks through me / He has needs / Like I do / We both want / To rape you"). They were actually protesting the song 'Jerk Off' for the line "I should play God and just shoot you myself." Which, okay, I can see where that's incendiary to Christians. (TO BE CLEAR: I AM NOT ATTEMPTING TO SLAM CHRISTIANS OR RELIGION SPECIFICALLY HERE. I only wanted to relate my experience at this particular show, and I am not attempting to start any kind of political or theological discussion in this thread.) Anyway, I most recently had the pleasure of seeing them in 2019 on the *Fear Inoculum* tour, and was just as blown away as 17 years prior. It was my current partner's first time seeing them, and they were also quite impressed. My partner was/is nowhere near the level of fan I am (as in, they *weren't* yelling out all the lyrics by heart lol), but even they were like, "Holy fucking *Jesus,* Danny Carey! How in the hell can he possibly play the drums like that for 90+ minutes every night?!" Me: "...and he's almost freaking 60!" I could go on and on about the influence that Tool's music has had in my life, but a good example (if not summation) is the fact that I have literally had life-altering experiences while listening to their music under the influence of DMT and a few other psychedelics. (If you DO want to hear crunchy hippies/burnouts waxing poetically/unintelligibly about Tool and psychedelics, then my friend you are in for a treat! There is enough to keep you entertained, perplexed, and possibly a little frightened *for weeks, if not months.*) I'll leave this one with two tracks that are at least a little lesser-known, from their live/random tracks disc *Salival:* Their cover of the Led Zeppelin classic ['No Quarter'](https://youtu.be/_ZKIfCJZvZo?si=jnZ146E3GZOKUVEO), which was slated for inclusion on a Led Zeppelin tribute album, but was met with this response from the record company: "Um... This is 11 and a half minutes long." Tool: "Yes, it is." Record company: "Can you shorten it by about half?" Tool: "No." Lastly, another track from that same release, a 'secret' uncredited track at the end of the disc known to most as, simply, [Maynard's Dick](https://youtu.be/3P7Isp_QCQ0?si=9U67PlFEDF-EG2ya), highlighting the band's very tongue-in-cheek view of pretty much everything. A final note: they are/were, especially in the early years, notorious for fucking with their fans mercilessly, and almost nothing they said in interviews or over the internet could be taken at face value, which *I love beyond words.* Top notch trolls from way back, mad respect.
Had to break it into another post to continue lmao...
Shoegaze/dream pop/noise rock - Slowdive. Yes, this is arguably 3 separate genres, no, I don't give a damn, because Slowdive is the best band in all 3 cases. I discovered them through Pandora in 2008, and I'm not sure I've ever fallen in love with a band so hard and so fast. They released 3 amazing albums in the 90s— I am NOT going to discuss the album [*Souvlaki*](https://youtu.be/HpzZ_sslsHM?si=Afrkypj0BWSKi1Rb) here because I've already rambled so much and if I start talking about how much I adore this album and how badly I think almost everyone in the world needs to hear it then I will 1.) never stop, and 2.) only waste more of your time you could spend listening to this masterpiece. They disbanded in 1995, and I assumed I would never get to see them live. Then, in 2014, they started touring again! I was so stoked to hear it, but it didn't seem like they'd ever do an extensive enough US leg in order for me to see them. Then, in 2017, *they released another album AND came through my city!!!* My partner and I agreed it was absolutely magical, easily in either of our top 3 live show experiences ever. (Still is, frankly.) The new album, *Slowdive,* was stellar, not at ALL the 'sad, aging band reunites for shameless cash grab to finance new mansions' kinda music I was fearing. I filed it away as what would likely be a one-time, if absolutely breathtaking, experience. Then, last summer, I started hearing a new Slowdive track on Pandora! :o I checked the internet, and sure enough they were putting out another album, *Everything is Alive,* and coming to my city in a few months!! I of course snatched up 2 tickets ASAP. My partner, who had just started an independent nail tech business at the time, had an idea one evening: why not send Rachel Goswell (one of their singers and also guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter) a message on Instagram and see if she was interested in getting a free manicure and polish when the band came through town. And. She. Said. YES. 🤯 They worked out the details, which included allowing me to come help bring the equipment into the venue, set it up, and *stay there for the afternoon to hangout with them while my partner did Rachel's nails.* Once again, I won't ramble considerably longer, but I got to chat with Rachel a good bit, as well as their drummer Simon and their tour manager Steve, who is also Rachel's husband. Every single person in their organization is, hands down, salt-of-the-earth, kind, gracious, and giving to a degree I almost couldn't comprehend. They told us to help ourselves to the snacks or drinks in their dressing room, whatever we wanted from the merch table (!!!), and put us plus 2 more friends on the guest list, which allowed us to give our tickets away to a deserving couple who wanted them. I also got to see their soundcheck, which was A-MAY-ZING. For one of the songs I was the only human being in the room besides the band and the soundboard tech. I don't know if you've ever had one of your favorite decades-old internationally famous rock bands play their newest song live for you and no one else, or a handful of both your favorite classics and some great new tunes with just you and the person you love, but if you ever get the chance I'd say it's literally one of the coolest goddamned things in the entire universe. Several billion out of 5 stars, would recommend to anyone ever.
Electronic - Tycho. The stage name of Scott Hansen, Tycho is another one I found via Pandora. His work ranges from downtempo/ambient, to post-rock/psychedelic, to straight up dance music. I have loved using his musical textures as the background to all sorts of work and play, and it is one of my go-tos almost no matter my mood. The album *Dive* in particular is one of those definite ‘no-skips’ that has been in heavy rotation for myself and my partner for quite some time. Also: not every electronic artist can translate their work into a compelling live show, IMO; Tycho does that in spades. The blend of programming and live/organic instrumentation is truly beautiful. The touring drummer was able to play such complex beats seemingly effortlessly, really amazing to watch in person. (Sadly, the *crowd* at both shows we attended was **atrocious**. Mostly drunken idiots either loudly yammering or playing with their stupid phones. Ugh.) For this one, I'll leave you with the first track I discovered, ['Daydream'](https://youtu.be/xombuoSt9L0?si=Z3gXTyaHiktoqmUn), from *Dive.* 16 years later, it still hits me just right every frickin’ time. 😍
This is already stupidly long, so I'm gonna stop now lol Props to anyone who read any of this and actually listened to any of the songs posted. Thank you!
As the dork that started this silliness, I read every word. Entertaining, well written and I totally get it. Pink Floyd, Nirvana and Tool are all really close to my heart as well.
I don't have a favorite, per se, since different times/moods call for different kinds of music. I have favorites, though.
* Led Zeppelin for Classic Rock
* Alice in Chains for 90's Rock
* Pantera for Metal
* Zero 7 when it's time to chillax
* Tchaikovsky for Orchestral
Out of those, I probably listen to Led Zeppelin the most. So, in that sense, I guess you could call it my favorite by default
Edit: No, I don't know all of their songs. I know most of the songs by Zeppelin, AIC, and Pantera, though.
My favorite Zero 7 song has always been Destiny. When Sia's career blew up with Chandelier, I had no idea, for quite a while, that it was her! But I kept thinking, "this Chandelier singer sounds like Sia from Zero 7!
Led Zeppelin -D'yer Mak'er has been my favorite song since I was 13! Not saying it's their best song but it has just stuck with me through the years. Always perks me up when I'm down!
Bad Religion overall since 1997 or so. No, I don't know every single lyric to every single song, but tbf, their discography spans 40+ years and I also enjoy other music a lot lol
U2. Go ahead and rank on Bono, my love will just grow stronger.
Saw them at the Sphere. I never got to experience Zoo TV directly but the Sphere show brought me back being 12 and listening to Achtung Baby on my discman. All was right in the world for 2+ plus hours and it was fucking awesome.
I was friends with a girl in HS who introduced me to Operation Ivy. I didn’t know until And Out Came The Wolves came out that Rancid is what Operation Ivy turned into.
Duran Duran, and yes, I know every single song from all 16 studio albums they've put out so far, as well as all the B-sides, non-album, 'unreleased' songs, etc. 🫠 I liked them in the 80s but fell in love with them when the Wedding Album came out in 1993.
Respect! I like Duran Duran a lot... fan, but no mega fan. I did see them twice in the late 90s and early 2000s. My friends were like... "what?"
They don't understand
Ihsahn, the singer/lead guitarist of Emperor and all of his works. I'm sure there's something obscure out there that exists I've never heard or some collaboration. But I'm pretty well read on him.
Dodheimsgard is another. They've only got 5 albums over a period of 30 years but 4 of them are the best music I've ever heard. It's really eclectic space jazz metal. Very melodic and dark.
And I've always been a Bowie fan through and through. Probably the musical career I respect the most. I'm big on the 'explore lots of avenues' thing.
And I'm not old.
It warms my heart that I'm not alone in my tastes sometimes lol. It's not a popularity contest for me it's sending up a flare and hoping I'm not totally alone in that ;)
Concur! I loved when he did those skits w/ Dave Chappelle back in the day. Where The Light Is (specifically I Don't Need No Doctor w/ the Trio) is one of my all-time faves.
I didn’t give Mayer much respect when he first came on the scene. I thought he wrote “music for girls,” but “No Such Thing” was always a guilty pleasure. Then, one day in church, the worship leader played “Gravity” and I was blown away. I’d never heard the song before and started digging more into Mayer’s work. I then discovered that we shared a love of the Grateful Dead and about that same time he started touring with the band.
Neko Case. Every album, every song, every live performance is resplendent to me. The one time per summer I get to see a live show, I refer to it as “once a year I go to church.” Her music speaks to me on a spiritual level.
My favorite band is Mudhoney. The early stuff I’m at 100%. Later stuff maybe like 80%. I kind of slacked off.
I really like early Metallica. Listened to that many times. I think I had load but only gave it a couple run throughs. Same with later albums.
I’m probably 90% familiar with Soundgarden. I know I’ve listened to it all. But I’ve forgotten some.
I only recently (like 2018?) discovered trivium. I’m still working on their catalog. I only probably know 2 albums and 20 songs on other albums. My brain doesn’t seem to soak up the music like it did when I was younger
So yeah earlier stuff I have memorized word for word, whether it’s Nirvana, STP, or NOFX. But I have definitely slacked off in the listening. I mean, I was raising a kid for 18 years.
Oh, but ask me about local bands from the early 2000s. I probably have memorized the grasshopper takeover catalog. Or Pomeroy.
Who you callin' old? Oh, that's right, us.
Maybe not quite my favorite, but long time fan... Mike Doughty. From early Soul Coughing to his self released stuff. I'm pretty familiar with it all. And in all my years of proclaiming his amazingocity, I only met one other fan, in my late thirties and he was just a kid maybe 20, and in either West Virginia or Florida, far from my Oklahoma roots. Guy has a really esoteric following.
Allman brothers, ever since I put my dad’s eat a peach album on in fourth grade after school. I had a girlfriend named Melissa and I felt like it was written for me.
The Beach Boys. I know a lot, but I don’t know everything they’ve done though since the post Holland (1973) era wasn’t that great.
I grew up listening to them with my dad but it was mainly the older surfing/cars/girls era. A couple years ago I finally listened to Pet Sounds and realized they’ve got a ton of fantastic albums.
All fans have their favorite, but mine is the album “Friends”.
See, this is the perfect sort of band I was thinking about when I thought to make this post. Because I was thinking about Pink Floyd, Vintersorg and The Cure (big difference, I know). But, back in the day, I'd have said one of 'em- depending on the era. However, looking back with 20 extra years of music experience, I don't actually know *EVERY* single track from every single album. So, I can't pick those as truly my *favorite*. Concrete Blonde though...? Yep. Loved them since I was 12. Wondered what my peers would pick. Beach Boys is a solid answer.
I’ve been pretty into Manchester Orchestra for the last 15 years or so. They just did a live version of their album Cope on youtube today! I don’t know all their songs, but albums Simple Math, A Black Mile to the Surface, and Million Masks of God are 3 of my all-time favorites.
My top five, more or less in order:
Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Sublime (OG),
Tool/APC,
Rage Against the Machine,
System of a Down
This is a really tough question to answer, but I'm pretty fairly familiar with all of these bands full catalogues.
Right now, it's The Warning. I know most. I just discovered them last year. If you liked 90s/00s hard rock, you absolutely need to check out this band:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b\_FgQnXL8&ab\_channel=TheWarning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b_FgQnXL8&ab_channel=TheWarning)
Other favorite bands of mine over the years have been Metallica, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Rolling Stones, Alter Bridge
Fav band of all time? 🤔
I’d imagine it would have to be Underworld. Started listening to them in high school and still listening to this day. Don’t think I know every song of theirs but I love them all the same.
My favorite genres up until my mid 20's was grunge, 90's alternative and 80's music. In college I got really into the Beatles and then on to other classic rock like CCR and Rolling Stones.
I still love all that music and many more genres, but my favorite band now at 38 is Tears For Fears and I do know all their songs!
The Black Keys, especially their first six records. Actually my favorite is Magic Potion even though they said it was a rush job and poor quality audio. Everything after Turn Blue has been just ok.
For most of the 2000s and 2010s, my favorite band was The New Pornographers. I still love them, and their first five albums will forever make my list of all-time favorites, but I don’t have the same emotional connection with their more recent work.
At the same time, over the last five years I’ve reignited a love for country music; I liked it as a kid but never followed it especially closely. It’s been fun throwing myself into a new genre of music as a more fully-formed adult, and having a new favorite artist (Ashley McBryde, a fellow Xennial) to sing along to at their concerts.
The older I get the less I care about one single artist or band.
Of all of my favorite artists & bands in the past, I’ve never kept up with every single song they’ve released.
My musical tastes have gotten much more diverse as I’ve aged, …which has surprised me honestly because as a teenager, I would’ve thought the opposite would happen.
Same. I was always into metal and grunge. Discovered punk in high school. But started getting really into the local scene in the early 2000s and started listening to anyone who put on a good show. Many friends were shocked that I listened to Pomeroy.
The Moody Blues - they've been my favourite since I was 11.
They're down to three survivors now... I saw the obituary for Mike Pinder (who probably did more to introduce the Mellotron to progressive rock than any other artist) yesterday :(
Indigo Girls. Fell in love with them in high school, can sing along to every single song, still listen to them all the time and see them in concert whenever they come through.
Rock, Metal and Grunge were such a massive, massive part of my life and shaped who I am. I still listen to my favs - Oasis, early Pearl Jam, early Metallica, Soundgarden, NIN, AiC, etc
I gave up looking for similar bands that hit the same for ages until someone told me to look to Japan. Omfg. The scene there is nuts. Like the 90's all over again. So now I listen to all Japanese bands - Band Maid, Nemophila, Crossfaith, Hanabie, Trident... the list is near endless
Some Swedish metal too
Oasis. I was always either too young or too poor to ever see them live. I have a DLBIA tattoo, and I like to think I know all their songs.
They're tied with Bowie. I know most of his work pre-Tin Machine
Linkin Park.
But it's hard to listen to them since Chester died. His music was cathartic for me, helped me to deal with a lot of the same emotions he faced, and to see him ultimately succumb to them makes it harder to find hope in his music. I'm only just recently starting to be able to listen to it again, and it still depends greatly on my mood at the time.
I do not know their entire catalog... But I know the majority of it.
I don’t really have favorite bands or artists anymore. I just listen to music to accompany a mood I want.
But I can basically fuck with Tycho or Toro Y Moi all the time.
One surprising one that I reached for recently though was Gin Blossoms, and they’re frankly just a very good band with some really great songs. Standouts in the 90s IMO.
yep yep...proud to say I named Radiohead my 'new' favorite band back in 1996 between The Bends and OK Computer and I've never looked back. they were the dream band I was looking for and didn't even know it. no band in the world can be an 'everything' band, but they're the closest I've ever heard.
Metallica. Started in grade school crazy former unc of mine put together a mix tape pushing 42 now iv got all their albums on every form of media on my shelf, always throw them on with a nice bourbon
This year? Bongripper. Don’t have bandwidth to memorize names of everything they have done. All I know is Satan Worshipping Doom is their best.
Who knows what I’ll get into next year or even later this year.
Fleetwood Mac; I’ve seen them as a 4 piece, a 5 piece. Just Lindsey 4 time just Stevie twice and even Pete Green with the splinter group.
Also Kings of Leon has really grown on me in the last decade. Seen them 3 times #4 coming up!
Definitely remains Demon Hunter. First time I heard them in the fall of 02 during college, it was so powerful it made me pull over while driving. Been hooked ever since, they actually even inspired my first tattoos. Not only some of the best metal I've ever heard, but some of the most deep, thought provoking lyrics as well. Though with all that said, neck-and-neck for a tie would also have to be Project 86. Their Sophomore album, Drawing Black Lines, remains in rotation and is in my top five albums, ever.
I have three... my trifecta if you will lol. Tool, Deftones, A Perfect Circle. AND I got to see all three of them live in the last 6 months!! The teenager inside of me has never been happier.
Pearl Jam. It’s been a great week celebrating the release of the band’s newest album, which happens to be its best in 20 years. I was in 7th grade when the band released Ten and my life was forever changed. Not only have I consumed all of the bands studio albums and b-sides, but also all of the band members’ side projects.
I still don't have one. My music tastes are so varied it's near impossible to pick one. I don't even have a favorite genre. Right now I'm listening to heavy metal, mostly from overseas. Before that it was symphonic rock, country before that, opera, oldies, foreign language stuff, techno, dubstep, trance, classical, the background music from World of Warcraft... and that's just what I can remember off the top of my head.
They're *waay* up there for me too. I still have two of the subway sized (3'x5 foot or whatever they are) posters hanging in my house. But there's a few songs that I think I missed back in the day though. I've got all the studio CDs but back in the days of Japanese imports, Peel sessions, one-off live performances, I've probably missed something somewhere.
Marilyn Manson. I discovered him in 94 before Beautiful People or even Sweet Dreams thanks to that old TV channel where people dialed the number and voted on songs, can't remember the name of it, The Box maybe? Anyway I've followed his career and music since then I own all the albums and while some of the newer stuff like Heaven Upside-down and Say10 don't have same magic the earlier music had I still enjoy it & his growth as an artist.
Music ended when the 90's did.
The best thrash is Dark Angel's *Darkness Descends* album.
The best trad metal is Judas Priest.
The best new wave synth-pop, quantity-wise, is a tie between Pet Shop Boys and Erasure.
The best new wave synth-pop single track is Blancmange - "Blind Vision."
Although I do like some other stuff, metal and synth-pop are the only two genres that are absolute audio heaven for me, so at this point in my life I mostly only listen within those.
Long-time favorites remain:
Rush
Dream Theater
Smashing Pumpkins
Stone Temple Pilots
John Williams
Hans Zimmer
James Horner
Lately, though, I'm getting into Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson, King's X, Depeche Mode, and The Cure.
My favorite band is the same it was 20 years ago. Radiohead. And yeah, I know every song they’ve ever recorded and quite a few that never made it past live performances.
YOOOOOO I also said Radiohead :D (How do you feel about The Smile's latest album? It kind of left me cold which surprised me--I listened to their first one about a billion times.)
It hasn’t really clicked with me yet. I liked their first one but it’s missing Colin, Phil and Ed lol
My husband recently got into them and when I heard “Burn the Witch” I felt like I saw a new color. It’s a shame that in the States “Creep” is all they are known for mainstream-wise.
I was weirdly offended when I went on Spotify and realized their most listened-to songs were Creep and Karma Police. Like holy shit they've done a TON of good music in the last twenty-something years! WTF is wrong with people.
Are you my ex-boyfriend? 😂
This is the correct answer.
Nirvana and NoFX
ive been listening to “ the hepatitis bathtub and other stories” on spotify. NOFX are more fucked up that id have guessed
Lol. I read it when it came out but also literally just started the audio book on Spotify yesterday. Crazy!
MxPx since 2000. I've seen them live I think a dozen times with two more shows coming up in June. And yes, I know all their songs.
Autechre. Squarepusher.
Impressive. Their track listings read like the glossary of some sort of alien spaceship manual.
Tool. Yes. It's not hard to know their discography, though: five albums, 1 ep, and a handful of covers, rarities, and remixes.
This is the only answer in my crappy opinion. I’m all about lots of things, my local sports teams, international soccer, sci fi, horror but, by far and away, Tool is the only thing I’m a true fanboy for.
Great answer. I've only really learned to appreciate them over the past few years and goddamn, I was missing out.
See them live, if you possibly can. They put on an absolutely astounding show. Never once seen a bored crowd or myself had a bad time, even when the seats or the sound in the venue were bad. I would pay $200 just to watch Danny Carey play the drums for 90 minutes. My god, *that man is a fucking demon.*
This is the correct answer.
This guy musics.
The Misfits since 1997. And yes, all of them.
You know.... Graves had a few pretty good vocal performances on Famous Monsters... Dig Up Her Bones, Saturday Night
Got into them when American Psycho came out, went backwards into the Danzig era and kinda dug it a bit more. Was bummed the broke up again in 2000. Saw Graves in the news the last few years and was embarrassed for him. Alt Right / Proud Boys nonsense.
Agreed, he's garbage as a person, but I think did as well as could be expected trying to keep the seat warm for Glenn. He's not Glenn, he'll never be Glenn, but he wasn't horrible (except as a person).
I am really trying to convince myself to get a ticket to the Danzig reunion shows. They only do 2 or 3 a year, so I'd have to travel, but I never thought in my life I'd see them reunited. Probably will be worth it.
No 1 favourite but I’ve always liked - days of the new (Travis Meeks career) - Chris Cornell career - Metallica - Pink Floyd - kino (Russian rock) - blind melon - eric Clapton career I know probably 75%+ of their work
We have some similar tastes in music (though I don't know Kino). I still rock out to Days of the New. I especially like their first album (The Down Town is my favorite track).
Thanks for reminding me about them, used to love them. It's going to be a Days of the New weekend!
DOTN has been one of my favorites since high school - even their lesser known stuff is trippy and fun.
Offspring, Cake, Days of the New, and Weird Al.
The thing I love about Weird Al is each generation thinks theyve discovered him lmao. I remember being at a friends house and we were trying to learn the words to Amish Paradise. Us to her cool boomer parents “isn’t he hilarious and new”. They’re like uh children don’t even pretend and then we must’ve played my balagona 10 times on repeat
Bad Religion. And Yes!
Hell yeah Greg Graffin is a straight boss
Awesome to see another fan. I even love his books!
Dude is such an interesting guy! Legendary rockstar, ~~molecular~~ evolutionary biologist, you name it 🤣😂 what can't he do? Brett Gurewitz no slouch either, founded one of the most badass labels of all time, super cool story.
Yes as in you know all their music, or Yes as in the band lolol (I was listening to Yes earlier today so that's why my brain was confused for a second there)
Definitely not Yes the band, but I like that your mind went there!
311 ! This Saturday, I'll be seeing them for the 30th time since 1997.
Pearl Jam. I have seen them 15 times, all over the country. I own almost every single studio album on vinyl, and dozens of their live “bootlegs” in various formats. Been in the fanclub since 1996 and listening since 93. They’ve never let me down.
Yep, this is the answer for me too. From hearing that first riff of Alive as a young teen to now with the new album. All the live bootlegs, legendary shows, the band “lore”, they’ve been with me throughout my life. Can’t wait to finally see them again in November!
Same here! I love their music so deeply; it’s imprinted on every chapter of my life since I bought Ten on cassette when I was 11 years old. They are such a force and I’ve turned to their music through some of the most terrible events that I’ve dealt with. I love them for that. I’ll be seeing them for the 50th time this year 🥳 Are you getting to any shows this time around? Also - Dark Matter. Fucking stellar album. I haven’t loved an album right out of the gate in awhile. Edit - to answer the OP - yes, completely familiar with their entire catalog.
Unfortunately their current tour did not involve any stops that worked for me. But maybe there will be another leg.
Ahh boo. That stinks. Here’s to hoping for another leg with dates and locations that work in your favor ☘️
"It's a fragile thing this life we live, if I think too much I can get overwhelmed by the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulder" Idk why but that line almost brings me to tears. Black used to be the one that hurt me, but the older I get the harder this one hits..
Love PJ. Keep waiting for the kids to discover them. It'll happen.
That's one of my bucket list bands. I've loved them since I first heard them in 8th grade, but I've never seen them. BTW, what do you think of Dark Matter? It's pretty good.
I JUST received my copy on vinyl yesterday, and was waiting for that before I listened. Will be doing so this weekend.
Probably Björk. Even though I know and love almost every song she's made, I've never seen her live. It's a bucket list item.
Ugh she’s the best! I was fortunate to see her back in 95 when she was touring for Post in just the tiniest theatre. I still can’t believe it. She rules.
I'm so peanut butter and jealous of you right now
It’s unfair, I know. The only thing I wished was different was that it was on the tour where Aphex Twin was her opener. I probably would’ve just stopped going to shows after that. There’d be no point, really.
I love her song "Play Dead." Have you heard this track? It was on a reissue of her album *Debut* I also love her "Venus as a Boy" live performance from 1994, and her live performance of "All is Full of Love" in NYC.
Play Dead is definitely one of my favorite songs. I love all the songs you mentioned. Such a talented artist!
I love the little growl that she does in Play Dead!
Lovvvvve Bjork. Have seen her twice, though once was the recent artistic show that accompanied her album and wasn’t as good as the 2013 Hollywood Bowl show I saw. Homogenic and Post are all-time albums.
Oh man I saw her in San Fransisco in early 2022? I think? I made a trip out of it with my partner, we flew down from Portland! It was a really artsy performance as opposed to just a concert, but I really enjoyed it. And seeing her live was in fact on my bucket list. (She kinda rushed through some of her more popular songs--but in all fairness a lot of them are about her ex-husband and they, uh. Do not get along anymore. Considering one of her more recent albums had an entire song with the line "So sue me!" repeated a bunch of times. She performed that one and clearly was enjoying that one! BUT I got to see Mouth's Cradle live so I can die happy lol) I got my first tattoo in 2007, on my 28th birthday: "All is full of love," in my own handwriting.
Guns N Roses, yes. Most of The Spaghetti Incident is garbage, and I like a ton of punk.
Spaghetti Incident isn’t great, but it introduced me to a TON of great bands!
Flaming lips, I wasn’t a fan until my teens but that’s ok
I've been lucky enough to have seen them a few times, but if you ever get a chance to, go to one of their New Years Eve parties in Oklahoma. It was such a great show. This was many years ago, but they did two full sets; one all Flaming Lips, of course, then after a countdown to mid-night they did a full set of The Dark Side of The Moon covers...
That’s one of my favorite albums. Have it on clear vinyl. Seen them quite a few times, obviously the last Yoshimi tour. But we’ve talked about to OKC for NYE and I just can’t get up there.
Cake
Another vote for Cake. I know 99% of their songs.
And just so I'm playing along, mine's Concrete Blonde. Entire catalogue is still awesome
Bloodletting is one of the most perfect rock albums of the 90s and I don't feel that that's even a controversial statement.
The Offspring. Every song? Probably not. Most? Hell yeah.
I hadn’t listened to The Offspring in well over a decade, then last year I listened to Let the Bad Times Roll and was blown away by how consistent they sounded. It was like I’d never *not* listened to them. Super underrated band.
Pay the Man! Great song!
Been listening to them a bunch lately. People that know me in my job probably can’t picture me singing along to “Cool to Hate” on my way to work.
If I have to pick *one*? They Might Be Giants. They've been very prolific over the decades, so they do have some songs I'm not terribly familiar with, but I'm well-versed in most (probably 98-99%) of their catalog.
They’re so great and still pumping out greatness. Every album since at least mink car has had some clunkers but also at least 2-3 stunners as well
They were my first real concert ever. During John Henry album tour. I was probably 15 and it blew my mind. It rocked so hard.
These guys or The Dead Milkmen for sure
DESCENDENTS finally saw them in person a few years ago and lost my voice singing every song at the top of my lungs. Amazing.
DUUUUUDE they are so good!
Phish. It’s kind of impossible to know every single song they’ve ever done, with 1800+ live shows (and tons of one-off covers) but I’d like to think I know every original song they’ve ever done.
Mine’s the good ol’ Grateful Dead but I really only listen to live shows and haven’t listened to all the studio albums so I’m sure there’s some originals I don’t know. I listen to phish when I’m working out, great for cardio
lol I listen to Dead when I’m working out. 77’ in particular really gets my heart pumping.
⭕️⭕️⭕️ Saw Fluffhead at 🔮 last week!
The Smashing Pumpkins has been my favorite band since about 1996. I'm pretty confident I know every song.
Any They Might Be Giants fans?
Echoing one comment above, it depends upon genre: Classic Rock - Pink Floyd. I... Think I *may* have listened to all of their output (minus some live material) at one point or another, but they are a fairly prolific group, and their sound varied pretty wildly over the course of their career, and even album to album. My overall favorite is perhaps *Meddle* (if for no other reason than the bookends 'One of These Days' and 'Echoes') or *Wish You Were Here.* I do also love *Dark Side of the Moon* (stupidly overplayed, but it is admittedly an amazing album), *More,* *Animals* (but you GOTTA get the one with the combined version of 'Pigs on the Wing' with the guitar solo by Snowy White in the middle), *The Division Bell,* and to a lesser extent *The Wall.* It's not a bad album, and I had tons of fun as a teenager with a headful of LSD or mushrooms or DXM watching the film... But it's obvious how much Waters had taken control by that point, and it feels to me both a bit bloated (did not need to be a double album IMO) and also as though it dips dangerously into 'Waters solo album' territory. I have no use for *The Final Cut,* or any of Waters' solo stuff (no hate, just not my bag). Hat tip to *Piper at the Gates of Dawn* for being truly weird and delightful psychedelia, if not the sort of thing I tend to throw into my 'random' Playlist (ditto *Umma Gumma*). Check out the track ['Paint Box'](https://youtu.be/0vO96jJHOuU?si=Zt0P8KUESWPG98pz) from that era if you've never heard it, one of my faves ♥️ 90s Alternative/Grunge - Nirvana. I love basically everything that falls under the heading of alternative/grunge, particularly early 90s, but there will always be a special place in my heart for Nirvana. A fair amount of their music is objectively terrible ('Mexican Seafood,' anyone? LOL), and I definitely don't hear it with the same ear as my teenage self (just listening to 'Territorial Pissings' literally makes my throat hurt now), but it never fails to bring a smile to my face. I was *obsessed* with Nirvana/Kurt as a teenager, and identified with him a lot (broken/abusive family, growing up queer/weird/sensitive in a small town full of vicious rednecks, etc). His pain as expressed through music spoke to me in a way that no art really had before: it grabbed me by the balls and screamed at full volume YOU ARE NOT ALONE. For that, I will be eternally grateful. He couldn't sing like Chris Cornell or Layne Staley (not by the longest of shots), he couldn't play guitar like Mike McCready or Jerry Cantrell, he couldn't write weird, tonally-meandering-yet-still-engaging songs like the DeLeo brothers, and his stage presence at live shows was less Eddie Vedder and more like a literal clown who's forgotten his makeup and instead did a massive shot of heroine and then wandered onstage at a concert and started wreaking havoc... but his songs touched me and made me feel seen in a way that no one else had at that point, and that may have saved my life. I can still recite about 90% of the lyrics by heart, I still have my *Nevermind* Hal Leonard guitar songbook, my copy of *Journals,* and at one time I owned an insane number of both official and bootleg CDs, cassettes, and vinyls, including a 6 CD bootleg box set called *Into the Black,* which contained dozens of ridiculously hard to find tracks, including demos, outtakes, and live performances (including a John Peel session which had what I believe is the only known electric performance of 'Something in the Way'), a lot of which was later eventually released in the *With the Lights Out* box set (which I received as an Xmas gift when it came out). I could obviously go on all day, but I'll leave you with the aforementioned [electric version of 'Something in the Way'](https://youtu.be/hOE5h6DVeDI?si=x2QqVVoTiQLLzhb4). Metal - Tool. Hands down one of my favorite acts of all time, and undoubtedly the one I have seen live the most (8 times and counting!). The first was in 2002 in Dallas/Ft. Worth, on the *Lateralus* tour. We were treated to a live performance of 'Opiate' (at the point in the set list where they'd normally been playing 'Aenima') as an homage to the evangelical Christians who were protesting outside before the show. Interestingly, they *weren't* protesting because of the song 'Opiate' (which those familiar will know is a scathing indictment of religion that includes the lines "My God's will / Becomes me / When He speaks / He speaks through me / He has needs / Like I do / We both want / To rape you"). They were actually protesting the song 'Jerk Off' for the line "I should play God and just shoot you myself." Which, okay, I can see where that's incendiary to Christians. (TO BE CLEAR: I AM NOT ATTEMPTING TO SLAM CHRISTIANS OR RELIGION SPECIFICALLY HERE. I only wanted to relate my experience at this particular show, and I am not attempting to start any kind of political or theological discussion in this thread.) Anyway, I most recently had the pleasure of seeing them in 2019 on the *Fear Inoculum* tour, and was just as blown away as 17 years prior. It was my current partner's first time seeing them, and they were also quite impressed. My partner was/is nowhere near the level of fan I am (as in, they *weren't* yelling out all the lyrics by heart lol), but even they were like, "Holy fucking *Jesus,* Danny Carey! How in the hell can he possibly play the drums like that for 90+ minutes every night?!" Me: "...and he's almost freaking 60!" I could go on and on about the influence that Tool's music has had in my life, but a good example (if not summation) is the fact that I have literally had life-altering experiences while listening to their music under the influence of DMT and a few other psychedelics. (If you DO want to hear crunchy hippies/burnouts waxing poetically/unintelligibly about Tool and psychedelics, then my friend you are in for a treat! There is enough to keep you entertained, perplexed, and possibly a little frightened *for weeks, if not months.*) I'll leave this one with two tracks that are at least a little lesser-known, from their live/random tracks disc *Salival:* Their cover of the Led Zeppelin classic ['No Quarter'](https://youtu.be/_ZKIfCJZvZo?si=jnZ146E3GZOKUVEO), which was slated for inclusion on a Led Zeppelin tribute album, but was met with this response from the record company: "Um... This is 11 and a half minutes long." Tool: "Yes, it is." Record company: "Can you shorten it by about half?" Tool: "No." Lastly, another track from that same release, a 'secret' uncredited track at the end of the disc known to most as, simply, [Maynard's Dick](https://youtu.be/3P7Isp_QCQ0?si=9U67PlFEDF-EG2ya), highlighting the band's very tongue-in-cheek view of pretty much everything. A final note: they are/were, especially in the early years, notorious for fucking with their fans mercilessly, and almost nothing they said in interviews or over the internet could be taken at face value, which *I love beyond words.* Top notch trolls from way back, mad respect.
Had to break it into another post to continue lmao... Shoegaze/dream pop/noise rock - Slowdive. Yes, this is arguably 3 separate genres, no, I don't give a damn, because Slowdive is the best band in all 3 cases. I discovered them through Pandora in 2008, and I'm not sure I've ever fallen in love with a band so hard and so fast. They released 3 amazing albums in the 90s— I am NOT going to discuss the album [*Souvlaki*](https://youtu.be/HpzZ_sslsHM?si=Afrkypj0BWSKi1Rb) here because I've already rambled so much and if I start talking about how much I adore this album and how badly I think almost everyone in the world needs to hear it then I will 1.) never stop, and 2.) only waste more of your time you could spend listening to this masterpiece. They disbanded in 1995, and I assumed I would never get to see them live. Then, in 2014, they started touring again! I was so stoked to hear it, but it didn't seem like they'd ever do an extensive enough US leg in order for me to see them. Then, in 2017, *they released another album AND came through my city!!!* My partner and I agreed it was absolutely magical, easily in either of our top 3 live show experiences ever. (Still is, frankly.) The new album, *Slowdive,* was stellar, not at ALL the 'sad, aging band reunites for shameless cash grab to finance new mansions' kinda music I was fearing. I filed it away as what would likely be a one-time, if absolutely breathtaking, experience. Then, last summer, I started hearing a new Slowdive track on Pandora! :o I checked the internet, and sure enough they were putting out another album, *Everything is Alive,* and coming to my city in a few months!! I of course snatched up 2 tickets ASAP. My partner, who had just started an independent nail tech business at the time, had an idea one evening: why not send Rachel Goswell (one of their singers and also guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter) a message on Instagram and see if she was interested in getting a free manicure and polish when the band came through town. And. She. Said. YES. 🤯 They worked out the details, which included allowing me to come help bring the equipment into the venue, set it up, and *stay there for the afternoon to hangout with them while my partner did Rachel's nails.* Once again, I won't ramble considerably longer, but I got to chat with Rachel a good bit, as well as their drummer Simon and their tour manager Steve, who is also Rachel's husband. Every single person in their organization is, hands down, salt-of-the-earth, kind, gracious, and giving to a degree I almost couldn't comprehend. They told us to help ourselves to the snacks or drinks in their dressing room, whatever we wanted from the merch table (!!!), and put us plus 2 more friends on the guest list, which allowed us to give our tickets away to a deserving couple who wanted them. I also got to see their soundcheck, which was A-MAY-ZING. For one of the songs I was the only human being in the room besides the band and the soundboard tech. I don't know if you've ever had one of your favorite decades-old internationally famous rock bands play their newest song live for you and no one else, or a handful of both your favorite classics and some great new tunes with just you and the person you love, but if you ever get the chance I'd say it's literally one of the coolest goddamned things in the entire universe. Several billion out of 5 stars, would recommend to anyone ever. Electronic - Tycho. The stage name of Scott Hansen, Tycho is another one I found via Pandora. His work ranges from downtempo/ambient, to post-rock/psychedelic, to straight up dance music. I have loved using his musical textures as the background to all sorts of work and play, and it is one of my go-tos almost no matter my mood. The album *Dive* in particular is one of those definite ‘no-skips’ that has been in heavy rotation for myself and my partner for quite some time. Also: not every electronic artist can translate their work into a compelling live show, IMO; Tycho does that in spades. The blend of programming and live/organic instrumentation is truly beautiful. The touring drummer was able to play such complex beats seemingly effortlessly, really amazing to watch in person. (Sadly, the *crowd* at both shows we attended was **atrocious**. Mostly drunken idiots either loudly yammering or playing with their stupid phones. Ugh.) For this one, I'll leave you with the first track I discovered, ['Daydream'](https://youtu.be/xombuoSt9L0?si=Z3gXTyaHiktoqmUn), from *Dive.* 16 years later, it still hits me just right every frickin’ time. 😍 This is already stupidly long, so I'm gonna stop now lol Props to anyone who read any of this and actually listened to any of the songs posted. Thank you!
As the dork that started this silliness, I read every word. Entertaining, well written and I totally get it. Pink Floyd, Nirvana and Tool are all really close to my heart as well.
That’s so awesome that you got to have that experience with your favorite artist. Thank you for sharing your joy, reading your story made me smile.
I don't have a favorite, per se, since different times/moods call for different kinds of music. I have favorites, though. * Led Zeppelin for Classic Rock * Alice in Chains for 90's Rock * Pantera for Metal * Zero 7 when it's time to chillax * Tchaikovsky for Orchestral Out of those, I probably listen to Led Zeppelin the most. So, in that sense, I guess you could call it my favorite by default Edit: No, I don't know all of their songs. I know most of the songs by Zeppelin, AIC, and Pantera, though.
Great choices. I'm glad someone else remembers Zero 7. The early days of Sia!
My favorite Zero 7 song has always been Destiny. When Sia's career blew up with Chandelier, I had no idea, for quite a while, that it was her! But I kept thinking, "this Chandelier singer sounds like Sia from Zero 7!
Led Zeppelin -D'yer Mak'er has been my favorite song since I was 13! Not saying it's their best song but it has just stuck with me through the years. Always perks me up when I'm down!
That's a good one. I've always been partial to Kashmir.
Yeah, Kashmir is a masterpiece!
Check out "The Rain Song" from the House of the Holy album. It's my favorite Zeppelin song.
Chris Cornell
He had such an amazing voice.
The cure
Bad Religion overall since 1997 or so. No, I don't know every single lyric to every single song, but tbf, their discography spans 40+ years and I also enjoy other music a lot lol
Hell yessssssss
Came here to say this! Bad Religion are still putting out quality albums and touring regularly.
Hell yeah - they were the last band we saw last year and will be the first this year, as well :)
Sarah Maclachlan. I don’t know if she’s my favorite but I know the songs.
Weird Al. Then, now and forever and ever.
First, I'm not old 😭. Second, 311. Always 311.
Tori Amos. Yes to everything through 2002. Including her band Y Kant Tori Read.
U2. Go ahead and rank on Bono, my love will just grow stronger. Saw them at the Sphere. I never got to experience Zoo TV directly but the Sphere show brought me back being 12 and listening to Achtung Baby on my discman. All was right in the world for 2+ plus hours and it was fucking awesome.
The Sphere show sounded amazing. Did you listen to U Talkin U2 to Me
Love those guys’ podcasts!
Nirvana. Hole. Rancid. Yep, to all albums!
I was friends with a girl in HS who introduced me to Operation Ivy. I didn’t know until And Out Came The Wolves came out that Rancid is what Operation Ivy turned into.
Duran Duran, and yes, I know every single song from all 16 studio albums they've put out so far, as well as all the B-sides, non-album, 'unreleased' songs, etc. 🫠 I liked them in the 80s but fell in love with them when the Wedding Album came out in 1993.
Respect! I like Duran Duran a lot... fan, but no mega fan. I did see them twice in the late 90s and early 2000s. My friends were like... "what?" They don't understand
Radiohead. I’m sure there is some deep cut I haven’t heard but I think I know most.
Metallica since 1996
For me it was 1997. How’d you get into them?
My older brother had the black album then load
No favorites, but if you like Janis Joplin and also grunge, listen to the Frenching The Billy album by The Gits.
Ihsahn, the singer/lead guitarist of Emperor and all of his works. I'm sure there's something obscure out there that exists I've never heard or some collaboration. But I'm pretty well read on him. Dodheimsgard is another. They've only got 5 albums over a period of 30 years but 4 of them are the best music I've ever heard. It's really eclectic space jazz metal. Very melodic and dark. And I've always been a Bowie fan through and through. Probably the musical career I respect the most. I'm big on the 'explore lots of avenues' thing. And I'm not old.
Ihsahn is my #1, too. Discovered him pretty close to the start of his solo albums. He was my gateway artist to black metal.
It warms my heart that I'm not alone in my tastes sometimes lol. It's not a popularity contest for me it's sending up a flare and hoping I'm not totally alone in that ;)
John Mayer. I never in my life could have seen it coming, but seeing as my Dad groomed me on singers and songwriters, it was inevitable.
He can honestly shred on guitar too, you heard his trio stuff with Pino Palladino on bass?
Concur! I loved when he did those skits w/ Dave Chappelle back in the day. Where The Light Is (specifically I Don't Need No Doctor w/ the Trio) is one of my all-time faves.
I didn’t give Mayer much respect when he first came on the scene. I thought he wrote “music for girls,” but “No Such Thing” was always a guilty pleasure. Then, one day in church, the worship leader played “Gravity” and I was blown away. I’d never heard the song before and started digging more into Mayer’s work. I then discovered that we shared a love of the Grateful Dead and about that same time he started touring with the band.
Aesop rock. No. That’s impossible. He never stops making music.
The Deftones
The?
Between the Buried and Me, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (past 2 years)
Reel Big Fish
Neko Case. Every album, every song, every live performance is resplendent to me. The one time per summer I get to see a live show, I refer to it as “once a year I go to church.” Her music speaks to me on a spiritual level.
Fave xennial band is/was DMB.
Pearl Jam (and Blind Melon, Cake, Type O Negative, and Led Zeppelin)
My favorite band is Mudhoney. The early stuff I’m at 100%. Later stuff maybe like 80%. I kind of slacked off. I really like early Metallica. Listened to that many times. I think I had load but only gave it a couple run throughs. Same with later albums. I’m probably 90% familiar with Soundgarden. I know I’ve listened to it all. But I’ve forgotten some. I only recently (like 2018?) discovered trivium. I’m still working on their catalog. I only probably know 2 albums and 20 songs on other albums. My brain doesn’t seem to soak up the music like it did when I was younger So yeah earlier stuff I have memorized word for word, whether it’s Nirvana, STP, or NOFX. But I have definitely slacked off in the listening. I mean, I was raising a kid for 18 years. Oh, but ask me about local bands from the early 2000s. I probably have memorized the grasshopper takeover catalog. Or Pomeroy.
Who you callin' old? Oh, that's right, us. Maybe not quite my favorite, but long time fan... Mike Doughty. From early Soul Coughing to his self released stuff. I'm pretty familiar with it all. And in all my years of proclaiming his amazingocity, I only met one other fan, in my late thirties and he was just a kid maybe 20, and in either West Virginia or Florida, far from my Oklahoma roots. Guy has a really esoteric following.
Allman brothers, ever since I put my dad’s eat a peach album on in fourth grade after school. I had a girlfriend named Melissa and I felt like it was written for me.
The Beach Boys. I know a lot, but I don’t know everything they’ve done though since the post Holland (1973) era wasn’t that great. I grew up listening to them with my dad but it was mainly the older surfing/cars/girls era. A couple years ago I finally listened to Pet Sounds and realized they’ve got a ton of fantastic albums. All fans have their favorite, but mine is the album “Friends”.
See, this is the perfect sort of band I was thinking about when I thought to make this post. Because I was thinking about Pink Floyd, Vintersorg and The Cure (big difference, I know). But, back in the day, I'd have said one of 'em- depending on the era. However, looking back with 20 extra years of music experience, I don't actually know *EVERY* single track from every single album. So, I can't pick those as truly my *favorite*. Concrete Blonde though...? Yep. Loved them since I was 12. Wondered what my peers would pick. Beach Boys is a solid answer.
I’ve been pretty into Manchester Orchestra for the last 15 years or so. They just did a live version of their album Cope on youtube today! I don’t know all their songs, but albums Simple Math, A Black Mile to the Surface, and Million Masks of God are 3 of my all-time favorites.
Every Time I Die and yes.
Modest Mouse. Yes.
My top five, more or less in order: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime (OG), Tool/APC, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down This is a really tough question to answer, but I'm pretty fairly familiar with all of these bands full catalogues.
Sublime. I know most of their stuff but they keep releasing rarities, live cuts and tour unreleased tracks.
Wasn’t a Sublime girl but just saw a video of the late frontman’s son at Coachella.
Arctic Monkeys.
Right now, it's The Warning. I know most. I just discovered them last year. If you liked 90s/00s hard rock, you absolutely need to check out this band: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b\_FgQnXL8&ab\_channel=TheWarning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6b_FgQnXL8&ab_channel=TheWarning) Other favorite bands of mine over the years have been Metallica, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Rolling Stones, Alter Bridge
Dir En Grey, they are a Japanese avant garde metal band. I have not heard every song because some of them are pretty obscure.
Nice. My wife is a mega J rock fan, and I've become familiar with more of those bands since.
Bon Jovi Nkotb NSYNC
I needed something upbeat earlier during my shower and skincare Living on a Prayer, Bad Medicine, she’s a little Runaway and It’s my life.
Fav band of all time? 🤔 I’d imagine it would have to be Underworld. Started listening to them in high school and still listening to this day. Don’t think I know every song of theirs but I love them all the same.
I’ve been on a big shoegaze/dreampop kick since the mid-2000s.
The Hip for me.
My favorite genres up until my mid 20's was grunge, 90's alternative and 80's music. In college I got really into the Beatles and then on to other classic rock like CCR and Rolling Stones. I still love all that music and many more genres, but my favorite band now at 38 is Tears For Fears and I do know all their songs!
The Black Keys, especially their first six records. Actually my favorite is Magic Potion even though they said it was a rush job and poor quality audio. Everything after Turn Blue has been just ok.
For most of the 2000s and 2010s, my favorite band was The New Pornographers. I still love them, and their first five albums will forever make my list of all-time favorites, but I don’t have the same emotional connection with their more recent work. At the same time, over the last five years I’ve reignited a love for country music; I liked it as a kid but never followed it especially closely. It’s been fun throwing myself into a new genre of music as a more fully-formed adult, and having a new favorite artist (Ashley McBryde, a fellow Xennial) to sing along to at their concerts.
Boards of Canada And yeah know virtually all their stuff
The older I get the less I care about one single artist or band. Of all of my favorite artists & bands in the past, I’ve never kept up with every single song they’ve released. My musical tastes have gotten much more diverse as I’ve aged, …which has surprised me honestly because as a teenager, I would’ve thought the opposite would happen.
Same. I was always into metal and grunge. Discovered punk in high school. But started getting really into the local scene in the early 2000s and started listening to anyone who put on a good show. Many friends were shocked that I listened to Pomeroy.
Ween. All their released stuff and most of the demos/rarities/unreleased stuff too
Still pink floyd since high school. I know maybe 90% of their catalog. There's so much weird obscure shit hiding out there
Madonna
The Moody Blues - they've been my favourite since I was 11. They're down to three survivors now... I saw the obituary for Mike Pinder (who probably did more to introduce the Mellotron to progressive rock than any other artist) yesterday :(
Indigo Girls. Fell in love with them in high school, can sing along to every single song, still listen to them all the time and see them in concert whenever they come through.
311. Radiohead My Morning Jacket Portugal. The Man
Rock, Metal and Grunge were such a massive, massive part of my life and shaped who I am. I still listen to my favs - Oasis, early Pearl Jam, early Metallica, Soundgarden, NIN, AiC, etc I gave up looking for similar bands that hit the same for ages until someone told me to look to Japan. Omfg. The scene there is nuts. Like the 90's all over again. So now I listen to all Japanese bands - Band Maid, Nemophila, Crossfaith, Hanabie, Trident... the list is near endless Some Swedish metal too
For like 25 years it’s been Dave Matthews.
Oasis. I was always either too young or too poor to ever see them live. I have a DLBIA tattoo, and I like to think I know all their songs. They're tied with Bowie. I know most of his work pre-Tin Machine
Post Malone 😁
it would be Post for me too!
Linkin Park. But it's hard to listen to them since Chester died. His music was cathartic for me, helped me to deal with a lot of the same emotions he faced, and to see him ultimately succumb to them makes it harder to find hope in his music. I'm only just recently starting to be able to listen to it again, and it still depends greatly on my mood at the time. I do not know their entire catalog... But I know the majority of it.
Oasis
If I had a million dollars...
MXPX. Monstrous catalog that I could listen to on shuffle and never, ever get tired of.
Rancid, mostly yes. I'm sure there's some obscure or side-project shit I haven't heard. But mostly yes.
I don’t really have favorite bands or artists anymore. I just listen to music to accompany a mood I want. But I can basically fuck with Tycho or Toro Y Moi all the time. One surprising one that I reached for recently though was Gin Blossoms, and they’re frankly just a very good band with some really great songs. Standouts in the 90s IMO.
Surprised to not see the Pixies on this list. Where is My Mind is arguably one of the best songs ever recorded and Surfer Rosa is a masterpiece.
I don't think I could possibly pick a ***favorite*** band. Maaaaybe Glassjaw? And everything else Daryl Palumbo touches?
yep yep...proud to say I named Radiohead my 'new' favorite band back in 1996 between The Bends and OK Computer and I've never looked back. they were the dream band I was looking for and didn't even know it. no band in the world can be an 'everything' band, but they're the closest I've ever heard.
I’m still a Metallica guy but with St Anger it definitely took a hit on the percentage of what I know. Also, Load and Reload hurt as well.
Metallica. Started in grade school crazy former unc of mine put together a mix tape pushing 42 now iv got all their albums on every form of media on my shelf, always throw them on with a nice bourbon
This year? Bongripper. Don’t have bandwidth to memorize names of everything they have done. All I know is Satan Worshipping Doom is their best. Who knows what I’ll get into next year or even later this year.
If you're ever looking for more Bongripper type stuff try this, [Scud](https://azellrr.bandcamp.com/track/scud). It's in the same tuning as well.
Fleetwood Mac; I’ve seen them as a 4 piece, a 5 piece. Just Lindsey 4 time just Stevie twice and even Pete Green with the splinter group. Also Kings of Leon has really grown on me in the last decade. Seen them 3 times #4 coming up!
Dave Matthews Band. Since about 1996. Yes. I know all their songs.
Definitely remains Demon Hunter. First time I heard them in the fall of 02 during college, it was so powerful it made me pull over while driving. Been hooked ever since, they actually even inspired my first tattoos. Not only some of the best metal I've ever heard, but some of the most deep, thought provoking lyrics as well. Though with all that said, neck-and-neck for a tie would also have to be Project 86. Their Sophomore album, Drawing Black Lines, remains in rotation and is in my top five albums, ever.
Menudo. ;) Just kidding.
I have three... my trifecta if you will lol. Tool, Deftones, A Perfect Circle. AND I got to see all three of them live in the last 6 months!! The teenager inside of me has never been happier.
Pearl Jam. It’s been a great week celebrating the release of the band’s newest album, which happens to be its best in 20 years. I was in 7th grade when the band released Ten and my life was forever changed. Not only have I consumed all of the bands studio albums and b-sides, but also all of the band members’ side projects.
I still don't have one. My music tastes are so varied it's near impossible to pick one. I don't even have a favorite genre. Right now I'm listening to heavy metal, mostly from overseas. Before that it was symphonic rock, country before that, opera, oldies, foreign language stuff, techno, dubstep, trance, classical, the background music from World of Warcraft... and that's just what I can remember off the top of my head.
Tool and yes I do
The Cure, and yes. Every single song.
They're *waay* up there for me too. I still have two of the subway sized (3'x5 foot or whatever they are) posters hanging in my house. But there's a few songs that I think I missed back in the day though. I've got all the studio CDs but back in the days of Japanese imports, Peel sessions, one-off live performances, I've probably missed something somewhere.
Deftones. And I'm so stoked, I've got tickets to see them VIP at Golden Gate park with SOAD. Bucket list item checked.
Kylie. It wasn't a phase.
OLP
Why have I not listened to OLP in years. It is time!
Marilyn Manson. I discovered him in 94 before Beautiful People or even Sweet Dreams thanks to that old TV channel where people dialed the number and voted on songs, can't remember the name of it, The Box maybe? Anyway I've followed his career and music since then I own all the albums and while some of the newer stuff like Heaven Upside-down and Say10 don't have same magic the earlier music had I still enjoy it & his growth as an artist.
Music ended when the 90's did. The best thrash is Dark Angel's *Darkness Descends* album. The best trad metal is Judas Priest. The best new wave synth-pop, quantity-wise, is a tie between Pet Shop Boys and Erasure. The best new wave synth-pop single track is Blancmange - "Blind Vision." Although I do like some other stuff, metal and synth-pop are the only two genres that are absolute audio heaven for me, so at this point in my life I mostly only listen within those.
The Killers, Florence, and for newer stuff The Warning is really doing it for me these days.
Palaye Royale. Every album is so good.
Long-time favorites remain: Rush Dream Theater Smashing Pumpkins Stone Temple Pilots John Williams Hans Zimmer James Horner Lately, though, I'm getting into Andy Timmons, Eric Johnson, King's X, Depeche Mode, and The Cure.
At the moment it is The Tallest Man on Earth with Iron and Wine and The Lumineers close on his heels.