Hey ho, kids- Friday is finally here. No fooling.
So, I was watching "Join or Die with Craig Ferguson" this afternoon, and this week's topic was "History's Most Influential Band." Of course the consensus was the Beatles. I mean, how could it not be?
But dig this- the other bands considered? The Rolling Stones, Run D.M.C., The Ramones, and Nirvana.
But... No Clash? No Beach Boys? No Talking Heads? No Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five? No Queen? No Earth, Wind & Fire? No Fleetwood Mac? No Parliament?
None of them even got a mention. Un-freaking-believable.
The Beatles are, pretty much, an undeniable choice. They changed music. They changed fashion. They changed celebrity. They changed technology. They changed business.
But there are so many great choices that were incredible influences.
The Clash took punk rock and proved it could be melodious and rebellious- actually playing music instead of torturing their instruments. I mean, I love the Sex Pistols, but talented musicians they were not.
The Beach Boys basically created a genre. And Pet Sounds remains one of the greatest sets ever recorded.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious brought rap off the streets and put it on the radio. And 1982's "The Message" remains a monumental testament.
Grandeur. Showmanship. Musical virtuosity. Queen had all of that in spades. Oh, and Freddie Mercury, too.
Speaking of grooves- Parliament. Take a listen to pretty much any rap song and there's a damned good chance there's a Parliament sample in it.
Fleetwood Mac started their career as a blues band. Santana recorded one of their songs and had a top ten hit. The band has always boasted musical bad-asses. And their songs are just as good now as they were the first time I heard them.
Birthdays today include: Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum; Mark White of ABC; Jimmy Cliff; John Barbata of Jefferson Starship; Rudoph Isley of Isley Brothers. #MusicalBirthdays
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