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“There are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and finish together. The public doesn’t give a damn what goes on in between.”
Thomas Beecham
Suggested listening:
New York Dolls
“Personality Crisis”
Joy Division
“Transmission”
The Voidoids
“Blank Generation”
The P.ink Fairies
“Teenage Rebel”
Originally published on Instagram
August 9, 2023
Many more music links appear at bottom of this post in the order mentioned.
One for the road
A few weeks ago, a friend and I were driving through the countryside and talking about games people play to pass the time on road trips: I spy; twenty questions; six degrees of separation; counting stuff along the way. That kind of thing.
This caused me to remember a couple of highway amusements I knew in a past life as a member of a troupe of travelling musicians.
1.
The Birthday Band Game involves assembling musical groups with players who share your date of birth.
Me, I could put together a killer jazz outfit with Washboard Sam, Philly Joe Jones, Joe Harriott and Sadik Hakim. Or a sweet country combo featuring Lloyd "Cowboy" Copas and Linda Ronstadt. Or a mean outré hard rock group comprised of Roky Erikson (13th Floor Elevators), Peter Lewis (Moby Grape), and Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin reprised). Or a gang of old punks, like the ones in this photo.
That’s Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, Heartbreakers) on mandolin; Ian Curtis (Joy Division) on harp guitar; Marc Bell (aka Marky Ramone of the Ramones, Voidoids and the OG Backstreet Boys – Wayne/Jayne County’s, not the other one) on traps. The young man on contrabass is some unknown teenage rebel, w.ink, w.ink.
2.
The Band Name Game requires players to think of musical acts whose names share a common last and first word, initial or syllable and then merge them together. Like this:
Nat King Cole Porter
(Nat King Cole + Cole Porter)
Or…
Nine Nine Nine Inch Nails
(Nine Nine Nine + Nine Inch Nails)
Or…
Carly Simon and Garfunkel
(Carly Simon + Simon and Garfunkel)
Or…
Fleetwood Mac DeMarco
(Fleetwood Mac + Mac DeMarco)
Or…
The Sun Ra Arkestravinsky
(The Sun Ra Arkestra + Stravinsky)
*
[See “How to Play the Band Name Game” below for more details]
*
Wanna play?
I can’t wait to see your birthday bands and/or name combos in the comments.
Happy trails…
Please drive safe!
How to Play the Band Name Game
1.
Players create brand new ensembles by linking the names of musical acts that contain shared last and first words, initials or phonetically identical syllables. New names are said aloud without repeating the shared element.
For example, the group R.E.M. and the rapper M.I.A. can be joined by way of the common letter ‘M’ to produce R.E.M.I.A. (not R.E.M.M.I.A.).
2.
Since the game is based on phonetic similarity, sound trumps spelling.
M.C. Solaar can reasonably be played with Larkin Poe to create M.C. Solaarkin Poe.
New Model Army First and the Gimme Gimmes is a fair phonetic pairing of New Model Army and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.
3.
Please try to refrain from judging fellow-players for the music they mention. Actually liking the acts in the game is not a prerequisite to playing. A name like Big Starship may pair one critically acclaimed group (Big Star) with one (Starship) that is universally panned, but there’s no accounting for taste
And with that out of the way, read on for more examples to get you into the groove.
Jan and Dean Martin
(Jan and Dean + Dean Martin)
Iggy Pop Will Eat Itself
(Iggy Pop + Pop Will Eat Itself)
Mary Saxton and the Lords of the New Church
(Mary Saxton and the Lords + Lords of the New Church)
Simply Red House Painters
(Simply Red + Red House Painters)
Shooting Guns n’ Roses
(Shooting Guns + Guns n’ Roses)
Sly and the Family Stone Roses
(Sly and the Family Stone + Stone Roses)
Jackson 5 Blind Boys of Alabama
(Jackson 5 + Five Blind Boys of Alabama)
Twisted Sister Double Happiness
(Twisted Sister + Sister Double Happiness)
Andrew W.K.C. and the Sunshine Band
(Andrew W.K. + K.C. and the Sunshine Band)
Of course, oftentimes more than one choice will apply:
Big Black, for example, can be combined with Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Black Crowes, Black Keys, Black Uhuru, Black Eyed Peas, Black Oak Arkansas, Black Lips, Black Francis, etc.
I’m pretty sure the boys in the Grateful Dead would rather join forces with Dead Can Dance than the Dead Kennedys, but anything goes!
Other times, multiple names might lend themselves to longer chains like these:
Boney Eminem.C.C.C.R.E.O. Speedwagon
(Boney M. + Eminem + M.C.C. + C.C.R. + R.E.O. Speedwagon)
T.R.B.T.O.M.D.M.Z.Z.TOP
(T.R.B. + B.T.O. + O.M.D. + D.M.Z. + Z.Z. Top)
Anyway, I could go on all day…
Radioheadgirl
(Radiohead + Headgirl)
Spacemen 3 Dog Night
(Spacemen 3 + Three Dog Night)
Jimmy Cliff Richard and the Drifters
(Jimmy Cliff + Cliff Richard and the Drifters)
U2 Live Crew-Cuts
(U2 + 2 Live Crew + Crew-Cuts)
L.C.D. Sound System of a Down by Law
(L.C.D. Sound System + System of a Down + Down by Law)
Easy-E.L.Odetta
(Easy-E + E.L.O. + Odetta)
Vanilla Ice T. Rex
(Vanilla Ice + Ice T. + T. Rex)
Waterboys II Men
(Waterboys + Boyz II Men)
Kurt Weilltones
(Kurt Weill + Viletones)
Sugarhill Gang War on Drugs
(Sugarhill Gang + Gang War + War on Drugs)
Rick James Gang of Four Tops
(Rick James + James Gang + Gang of Four + Four Tops)
Scratch Acid Mothers Temple of the Dog
(Scratch Acid + Acid Mothers Temple + Temple of the Dog)
Gipsy Kings of Leon Redbone
(Gipsy Kings + Kings of Leon + Leon Redbone)
Method Manfred Mann’s Earth Band of Gypsies
(Method Man + Manfred Mann’s Earth Band + Band of Gypsies)
Carole King Krule
(Carole King + King Rule)
Bing Crosby, Stills and Nash the Slash
(Bing Crosby + Crosby, Stills and Nash + Nash the Slash)
D.O.Amy Winehouse
(D.O.A. + Amy Winehouse)
Black Angels of Light
(Black Angels + Angels of Light)
Naked City Boys Band of Ghana
(Naked City + Boys Band of Ghana)
Danny Elfmano Negra
(Danny Elfman + Mano Negra)
M.C. 900 Ft. Jesus and Mary Chain
(M.C. 900 Ft. Jesus + Jesus and Mary Chain)
Little Richard Thompson Twins
(Little Richard + Richard Thompson + Thompson Twins)
Simon Le Bon Iver
(Simon Le Bon + Bon Iver)
Rising Sons of the Pioneers
(Rising Sons + Sons of the Pioneers)
Bauhaus of Pain
(Bauhaus + House of Pain)
Son Housemartins
(Son House + Housemartins)
Generation X.T.C.
(Generation X* + X.T.C.)
*Honourable mention to Billy Idol and Tony James of Generation X and Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols for their new supergroup Generation Sex, which almost, sorta, kinda works with the game:.
Psychic T.V. on the Radio Birdman
(Psychic T.V. + T.V. on the Radio + Radio Birdman)
Oasister Sledge
(Oasis + Sister Sledge)
Whiskeytown and Country
(Whiskeytown + Town and Country)
Bikini Killdozer
(Bikini Kill + Killdozer)
Righteous Brothers Four
(Righteous Brothers + Brothers Four)
Minutemen Without Hats
(Minutemen + Men Without Hats)
Marc Ribot Diddley
(Marc Ribot + Bo Diddley)
Uncle Tupelo Chain Sex
(Uncle Tupelo + Tupelo Chain Sex)
P.I.L.7
(P.I.L. + L7)
Tangerine Dream Syndicate
(Tangerine Dream + Dream Syndicate)
Earth, Wind and Firehose
(Earth, Wind and Fire + Firehose)
Mescaleros Mutantes
(Mescaleros + Os Mutantes)
Dinosaur Junior Kimbrough
(Dinosaur Jr. + Junior Kimbrough)
Argh. I can’t stop. It’s a sickness.
If you find yourself similarly afflicted, please share any names you come up with. I’d love to see them!
Before signing off, I should mention that it’s worth establishing some sub-rules to avoid arguments during play. Go ahead and make up your own if you wish, but I’ll tell you the ones I recall using:
A). Solo artists’ names are permitted, but the names of group members who don’t produce solo work are not. By this rule, Tiny Tim Buckley is golden whereas Duane Eddy Van Halen is not (since Eddie Van Halen didn’t have a solo career). Duane Eddie Cochran works, though — as do Duanes Eddie Floyd, Eddy Grant, Eddie Arnold, Eddie Money, Eddie Vedder, et. al.
B). Messing with plurals is frowned upon. The Rolling Stone(s) Poneys is a clunky combo. Same for the Mamas and the Papa(s) John Creach or Love and Rocket(s) from the Tombs.
C). Do not double up cardinal and ordinal numbers. The Count Five does not work with the 5th Dimension.
D). ‘The’ is optional in band names that begin with that word. Usually. There are exceptions. The The is one. So is The Band. And The Ex, whose name is only audibly distinguishable from X’s by use of the article.
E). Incorporating the names of music-biz luminaries who are not actual players is permitted on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the mood of the moment and the deftness of the match. Personally, I’d allow Murray the K.R.S.-One or Wolfman Jack Dupree, but I’d argue against Ed SulliVan Morrison due to the different pronunciation and stress required to make ‘van’ work with both the television host and the Irish crooner.
That’s all I can remember. But I’m a stickler for the Golden Rule, so do as you please.
Oh, and if you get into it, you might also think about trying these variations:
Songs (e.g., “Get Back” + “Back to Black” + “Black Angel’s Death Song” + “Song Sung Blue” + “Blue Velvet.”)
Literature (e.g., Nobody’s Fool + Fool for Love + Love in the Time of Cholera or “The Wasteland” + “Land of Cokaygne.”)
Movies (which could involve crossover with literature; e.g., Richard the Third + Third Man + Man with the Golden Arm or Gone with the Wind + Wind in the Willows.)
Have fun!
Notes on links to music below
As Mark Twain once said, “Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.”
I enjoy some of the following music a great deal, some of it a little and some of it not at all. I imagine anyone with the patience to poke around will feel the same way — if perhaps the same differently.
A few of the links lead to musical variations that may surprise listeners and betray some of my tastes. I hope these entertain and/or amuse. Apologies, though, if you click on a link hoping to find a certain act that I’ve replaced with a proxy that I preferred. By the same token, links that are exactly what they say are not necessarily endorsements. There’s plenty of stuff for everyone, I reckon — but probably plenty for almost no one too! If you’ve gotten this far and plan to read on, I encourage you to be adventurous, but also to click at your own risk.
Dates of musical activity are approximate and do not necessarily reflect group reunions, reformations, careers rekindled after long hiatuses, etc.
If a band acronym is not explained, it means the band has never referred to itself as anything other than the acronym alone.
If the name of an act appears more than once, the attached links lead to different music. There are no repeats with the four links at the top of this post either.
Enjoy!
New York Dolls (c. 1970s) ragged rock ‘n’ roll from New York, New York; progenitors of glam and punk; Joy Division (c. 1970s) influential post-punk group from Manchester, England; Voidoids (c. 1970s-1980s) first-wave art rock and punk from New York, New York; vocalist Richard Hell is credited with inventing the punk ‘look,’ which was exported to the U.K. by one-time New York Dolls manager and soon-to-be Sex Pistols impresario, Malcolm MClaren; Pink Fairies (c. 1960s-1970s) psychedelic underground rock and proto-punk from London, England; Washboard Sam (c. 1920s-1960s) rag and barrelhouse blues singer and washboard percussionist from Walnut Ridge, Arkansas; Philly Joe Jones (c. 1940s-1980s) leading bebop jazz drummer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Joe Harriott (c. 1940s-1970s) bebop and free-jazz saxophonist and composer from Kingston, Jamaica; Sadik Hakim (c. 1940s-1970s) bebop jazz pianist and composer from Duluth, Minnesota; Lloyd "Cowboy" Copas (c. 1920s-1960s) country music singer and Grand Ole Opry star from Blue Creek, Ohio; died in the same plane crash in 1963 that killed Patsy Cline; Linda Ronstadt (c. 1960s-2010s) rock, pop and country music singer from Tucson, Arizona; 13th Floor Elevators (c. 1960s) psychedelic garage rock from Austin, Texas; Moby Grape (c. 1960s-1970s) acid rock from San Francisco, California started by troubled genius and ex-Jefferson Airplane member Skip Spence before he lost his mind and made one of the weirdest and most wonderful albums of the era; Led Zeppelin reunion (c. 2000s) 1970s arena-rock behemoth from London, England reunited for limited performances in the 2000s with deceased member John Bonham’s son filling in on drums; New York Dolls (see above); Heartbreakers (c. 1970s) early American punk band from New York, New York; Joy Division (see above); Ramones (c. 1970s-1990s) credited as the first true punk group; New York, New York; Voidoids (see above); Wayne County and the Backstreet Boys (c. 1970s) old-school high-camp punk from New York, New York before Wayne became Jayne; Nat King Cole (c. 1930s-1960s) jazz and pop singer from Montgomery, Alabama; Cole Porter (c. 1920s-1950s) prolific Broadway and Hollywood composer from Peru, Indiana; Nine Nine Nine (c. 1970s-1980s) early punk band from London, England; Nine Inch Nails (c. 1980s-present) industrial, experimental and atmospheric rock from Cleveland, Ohio; Carly Simon (c. 1960s-present) easy listening from New York, New York and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts; Simon and Garfunkel (c. 1960s-1970s) folk and soft-rock duo from New York, New York; Fleetwood Mac (c. 1960s-present) Southern California soft rock by way of hard 1960s British blues; London, England and Los Angeles, California; Mac DeMarco (c. 2000s-present) indie rock from points in Canada and the U.S. far and wide; Sun Ra Arkestra (c. 1950s-present) freak jazz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Igor Stravinsky (c. 1900s-1960s) modernist composer from Saint Petersburg, Russia; R.E.M. (c. 1980s-2010s) jangle pop emerging from the punk scene of Athens, Georgia; M.I.A. (Missing In Action and/or Missing In Acton) (c. 2000s-present) innovative and politically charged hip hop, electronic and world music from London, England; M.C. Solaar (c. 1980s-present) pioneering Senegalese-French rapper from the banlieue ghettos of Paris, France; Larkin Poe (c. 2010s-present) new roots-rock duo from Nashville, Tennessee; New Model Army (c. 1980s-present) post-punk from Bradford, England; Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (c. 1990s-present) punk-rock supergroup and covers band from San Francisco, California; Big Star (c. 1970s) proto- indie rock and jangle pop from 1960s wunderkind Alex Chilton of the Boxtops; Memphis Tennessee; Starship (c. 1980s-1990s) yuppie iteration of 1960s psychedelic rockers, the Jefferson Airplane; San Francisco, California; the 1985 smash hit “We Built this City” — which was co-written by Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin — has been variously dubbed the “worst song of the 1980s” [Rolling Stone Readers’ Poll] and the “most detested song in human history” [GQ]…shudder…I need a dose of the aforementioned and antithetical Skip Spence just thinking about it; Jan and Dean (c. 1950s-1970s) pioneers of surf rock and the so-called “California sound” of the early-1960s; Los Angeles, California; Dean Martin (c. 1930s-1990s) gin-soaked Rat Packer nicknamed the “King of Cool” in the 1950s; New York, New York; Iggy Pop (c. 1960s-present) raw-power acrobat and godfather of punk from Detroit, Michigan; Pop Will Eat Itself (c. 1980s-1990s) industrial rock from Stourbridge, England; Mary Saxton and the Lords (c. 1960s) true northern soul from Edmonton, Canada; Lords of the New Church (c. 1980s) American-British glam-y, garage-y goth-rock supergroup comprised of members of first-wave punk bands the Dead Boys, the Damned, Sham 69 and the Barracudas; London, England; Simply Red (c. 1980s-2010s) blue-eyed soul from Manchester, England; Red House Painters (c. 1980s-2000s) pioneers of American slowcore from Atlanta, Georgia and San Francisco, California; Shooting Guns (c. 2010s-present) prairie psych-rock from Saskatoon, Canada; Guns n’ Roses (c. 1980s-present) Hollywood hard rock comprised of a motley crew of metalheads and punks; Los Angeles, California; Sly and the Family Stone (c. 1960s-1970s) funk and psychedelic soul from San Francisco, California; Stone Roses (c. 1980s-1990s) alt-rock pioneers from Manchester, England; key players in the Madchester Movement and a big influence on 1990s Britpop; Jackson 5 (c. 1960s-1980s) Motown pop, soul and funk from Gary, Indiana; Five Blind Boys of Alabama (c. 1930s-present) gospel vocal quintet from Talladega, Alabama; Twisted Sister (c. 1970s-1980s) American glam, metal and shock-rock pioneers from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey; Sister Double Happiness (c. 1980s-1990s) alt-rock group from San Francisco, California associated with legendary Texas/California punk band and queercore progenitors the Dicks; [WARNING: disturbing album artwork featured in the next link →] Andrew W.K. (c. 1990s-present) hard party rock from Ann Arbor, Michigan; K.C. and the Sunshine Band (c. 1970s-1980s) AM-radio funk, soul and disco from the Sunshine State; Miami, Florida; Big Black (c. 1980s) highly influential post-punk and noise from the American heartland; founded by audio engineer and music producer extraordinaire Steve Albini; Chicago, Illinois; Black Flag (c. 1970s-1980s) hardcore punk originators from Hermosa Beach, California; Black Sabbath (c. 1960s-2000s) hard-rock pioneers of heavy metal from Birmingham, England; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (c. 1990s-present) American hard rock, psychedelic rock, space rock and noise pop from San Francisco, California; named after Marlon Brando’s outlaw motorcycle gang in The Wild One; Black Crowes (c. 1980s-2000s) Southern roots rock from Atlanta, Georgia; Black Keys (c. 2000s-present) garage and punk blues from Akron, Ohio; Black Uhuru (c. 1970s-present) old-school reggae and dub from Kingston, Jamaica; Black Eyed Peas (c. 1990s-2010s) hip-hop, R&B and pop-rap from Los Angeles, California; Black Oak Arkansas (c. 1960s-present) Southern rock from — where else? — Black Oak, Arkansas; Black Lips (c. 1990s-present) contemporary garage punk from Atlanta, Georgia; Black Francis (c. 1980s-present) Pixies frontman from Boston, Massachusetts; Grateful Dead (c. 1960s-1990s) improvisational psychedelic rock, roots and world music from the 1960s Haight-Ashbury scene of San Francisco, California; Dead Can Dance (c. 1980s-present) ambient art rock from Melbourne, Australia; Dead Kennedys (c. 1970s-1980s) controversial and politically outspoken punk group from San Francisco, California; Boney M. (c. 1970s-1980s) German-Caribbean funk and disco vocal group based in Berlin, Germany; Eminem (c. 1980s-present) preeminent bad-boy rapper-poet from Detroit, Michigan; M.C.C. (Magna Carta Cartel) (c. 2000s-present) big, slick, atmospheric doom pop from Linköping, Sweden; C.C.R. (Creedence Clearwater Revival) (c. 1960s-1970s) faux Southern rock, swamp rock and radio-friendly bubble-gum country rock from El Cerrito, California; R.E.O. Speedwagon (c. 1960s-present) big-production American arena schmalz in the vein of Boston, Journey, Kansas, Styx, et. al.; Champaign, Illinois; T.R.B. (Tom Robinson Band) (c. 1970s-1980s) activist pub and punk rock from London, England; B.T.O. (Bachman Turner Overdrive) (c. 1970s) blue-collar boogie-woogie from the Canadian prairies and the ashes of the Guess Who; Winnipeg, Canada; O.M.D. (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) (c. 1970s-1990s) pioneering electronica and synth-pop from Merseyside, England; D.M.Z. (c. 1970s) sludgy garage punk from Boston, Massachusetts; Z.Z. Top (c. 1970s-present) Southern boogie and blues rock from Houston, Texas; Radiohead (c. 1980s-present) influential experimental art rock from Oxfordshire, England; Headgirl (c. 1970s-1980s) hard-rock supergroup from London, England comprised of members of Motörhead and Girlschool; Spacemen 3 (c. 1980s-1990s) neo-psychedelia and space rock from Warwickshire, England; Three Dog Night (c. 1960s-1970s) rock and soul from Los Angeles, California; Jimmy Cliff (c. 1960s-present) ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul from Kingston, Jamaica; a major influence on U.K. punk and post-punk in the 1970s; Cliff Richard and the Drifters (c. 1950s-1960s) rockabilly from London, England and Great Britain’s answer to Elvis Presley; U2 (c. 1970s-present) shimmering post-punk arena pop from Dublin, Ireland; 2 Live Crew (c. 1980s-1990s) infamously dirty rap from Miami, Florida; Crew-Cuts (c. 1950s-1960s) doo-wop vocal quartet from Toronto, Canada; L.C.D. Sound System (c. 2000s-present) dance punk, electronica and art rock from New York, New York; System of a Down (c. 1990s-present) nü-metal from Glendale, California; Down by Law (note two links) (c. 1980s-present) paint-by-numbers punk rock from Los Angeles, California; somewhat annoyingly named after my favourite movie of all time; Eazy-E (c. 1980s-1990s) street rapper from Compton, California; often called the “godfather of gangster rap”; E.L.O. (Electric Light Orchestra) (c. 1970s-1980s) experimental rock, prog and orchestral pop from Birmingham, England; founding member Jeff Lynne is a noted Beatles freak and was a longtime friend of George Harrison’s (the two met in the 1960s and would eventually go on to play together in the Traveling Wilburys, a 1980s supergroup that also included Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison; note that Orbison passed away between recording the music and the video in the link, which is why you see his spirit but not his body in the rocking chair); Odetta (c. 1940s-2000s) folk, blues and spirituals singer from Birmingham, Alabama; often referred to as “the voice of the civil rights movement” — Martin Luther King, Jr. called her “the queen of American folk music”; Vanilla Ice (c. 1980s-present) crossover rap-rock and nü-metal from Dallas, Texas; Ice T. (c. 1980s-present) hip hop and thrash metal from Los Angeles, California; T. Rex (1960s-1970s) influential psychedelic folk rock, hard rock and early glam from London, England; Waterboys (c. 1980s-present) folk and Celtic rock fronted by an Edinburgh-born punk based in London, England; Boyz II Men (c. 1980s-present) R&B, soul, pop and new jack swing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Kurt Weill (c. 1910s-1940s) hugely influential composer from Dessau, Germany; his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht have been covered by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Sonny Rollins and Bobby Darin (“Mack the Knife”); Dave Van Ronk, the Doors and David Bowie (“Alabama Song”); Nina Hagen (“Surabaya Johnny”); Marianne Faithfull (“Pirate Jenny”); Tom Waits (“What Keeps Mankind Alive”); and countless others; Viletones (c. 1970s-1980s) old-school punk band from Toronto, Canada; Sugarhill Gang (c. 1970s-1980s) hip hop from Englewood, New Jersey; their 1979 song "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100; Gang War (c. 1970s-1980s) ill-fated punk-rock supergroup formed in Detroit, Michigan by Johnny Thunders of the New York Dolls and Wayne Kramer of 1960s proto-punks and John Sinclair (note two links) acolytes, the MC5; the only extant recordings are from live performances; War on Drugs (c. 2000s-present) indie rock and Americana from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; I wonder if co-founder Kurt Vile, who is no longer with the group, might like to sit in with Kurt Weill and the Viletones; Rick James (c. 1960s-2000s) R&B, soul, funk and disco super freak from Buffalo, New York; his first professional work was in Toronto, Canada with the Mynah Birds, which featured soon-to-be SoCal superstars Neil Young and Bruce Palmer and future-members of Steppenwolf; James Gang (c. 1960s-1970s) hard rock from Cleveland Ohio whose lead vocalist and guitarist was future-Eagle Joe Walsh (note three links); Gang of Four (c. 1970s-present) early post-punk from Leeds, England; Four Tops (c. 1950s-present) 1960s vocal quartet and Motown originators from Detroit, Michigan; Scratch Acid (c. 1980s) noise-rock pioneers from Austin, Texas; Acid Mothers Temple (c. 1990s-present) psychedelia and space rock from Osaka, Japan; Temple of the Dog (c. 1990s) grunge supergroup from Seattle, Washington; Gipsy Kings (c. 1970s-present) Catalan rumba, flamenco, pop, rock and salsa from Arles and Montpellier, France; Kings of Leon (c. 1990s-present) indie rock from Nashville, Tennessee; Leon Redbone (c. 1960s-2010s) Cypriot-Armenian jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley revivalist from Toronto, Canada; signed to a record contract in the 1970s after Bob Dylan sang his praises in the music press; Method Man (c. 1990s-present) rapper and member of influential N.Y.C. hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan; New York, New York; Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (c. 1970s-1980s) prog and jazz rock from London, England; this group is distinct and different from 1960s pop stars Manfred Mann, despite both recording Dylan’s “The Mighty Quinn”; Band of Gypsys (c. 1969-1970) short-lived rock, funk and psychedelic back-up group for Jimi Hendrix; New York, New York; Carole King (c. 1950s-present) Brill Building hit-machinist and soft-rocker from New York, New York; King Krule (c. 2010s-present) jazzy, ambient avant-indie music from London, England; Bing Crosby (c. 19202-1970s) old-time pop, jazz and easy listening from New York, New York by way of Tacoma, Washington; Crosby, Stills and Nash (c. 1960s-1970s) folk-rock supergroup from Laurel Canyon, California; comprised of members of the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Hollies; Neil Young, who played with the trio on and off, did not appear on the original recording of the song in the link (despite what the video says); Nash the Slash (c. 1970s-2010s) eclectic electronic performance art from Toronto, Canada; D.O.A. (not to be confused with Dead on Arrival from Arkansas or Dead on Arrival from New York) (c. 1970s-present) esteemed workhorse anarcho-punks from Vancouver, Canada; credited with originating the term ‘hardcore’ punk; Amy Winehouse (c. 2000s-2010s) neo-jazz, soul and R&B phenom from London, England; Black Angels (c. 2000s-present) modern psychedelic rock from Austin, Texas; Angels of Light (c. 1990s-2000s) avant-folk from the softer side of Michael Gira, mastermind of seminal no-wave band Swans; New York, New York; Naked City (c. 1980s-1990s) thrash jazz from celebrated multi-instrumentalist and avant-garde composer John Zorn; New York, New York; City Boys Band of Ghana (c. 1960s-1980s) influential highlife and palm-wine music from Accra, Ghana; Danny Elfman (c. 1970s-present) film composer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles, California; Mano Negra (c. 1980s-1990s) Basque pioneers of punk-infused world-fusion music from Paris, France; M.C. 900 Ft. Jesus (c. 1970s-present) hip hop, jazz and experimental music from Dallas, Texas; Jesus and Mary Chain (c. 1980s-present) formative shoegaze and noise pop from East Kilbride, Scotland; Little Richard (c. 1940s-2010s) rock ‘n’ roll originator from Macon Georgia; sometimes credited with being the very first rock ‘n’ roll performer; Richard Thompson (c. 1960s-present) folk-rock pioneer from London, England; Thompson Twins (c. 1970s-1990s) new wave and synth-pop from Sheffield, England; Simon Le Bon (c. 1970s-present) lead vocalist for new-wave giants Duran Duran; Birmingham, England; Bon Iver (c. 2000s-present) indie folk from Eau Claire, Wisconsin); Rising Sons (c. 1960s) blues, rock and folk group from Los Angles, California that launched the careers of Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, both of whom went on to play with Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band before going solo; Sons of the Pioneers (c. 1930s-present) cowboy singing group from Los Angeles, California that originally featured a young Roy Rogers; Bauhaus (c. 1970s-1980s) goth granddaddies from Northampton, England; House of Pain (c. 1990s) streetwise Celtic hip hop from Los Angeles, California; Son House (c. 1930s-1970s) Delta blues from Lyon, Mississippi; a major influence on Robert Johnson, who in turn has had a major influence on contemporary music, with scores of old blues and folk singers, British Invaders, punk rockers and roots revivalists covering his songs; Housemartins (c. 1980s) Christian-Marxist jangle pop and northern soul from Hull, England; Generation X (c. 1970s-1980s) first-wave punk-pop from London, England; the band that launched Billy Idol; X.T.C. (c. 1970s-2000s) art punk and pop from Swindon, England; Sex Pistols (c. 1970s) the first U.K. punk band; their only proper LP, Never Mind the Bollocks, is one of the most enduring and influential rock ‘n’ roll albums of all time; Generation Sex (c. 2020s) Los Angeles and London punk supergroup featuring members of Generation X and the Sex Pistols; Psychic T.V. (c. 1980s-2020s) experimental and industrial post-punk from London, England; T.V. on the Radio (c. 2000s-present) kaleidoscopic indie rock from New York, New York; Radio Birdman (c. 1970s) proto-punk from Sydney, Australia; Oasis (c. 1990s-2000s) Britpop superstars from Manchester, England; Sister Sledge (c. 1970s-present) R&B, soul and disco vocal quartet from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Whiskeytown (c. 1990s-2000s) alt-country from Raleigh, North Carolina; Town and Country (c. 1990s-2000s) experimental minimalist quartet from Chicago, Illinois; Bikini Kill (c. 1980s) riot-grrrl punk rock from Olympia, Washington; Killdozer (c. 1980s-1990s) cult post-punk noise rock from Madison, Wisconsin; Righteous Brothers (c. 1960s-1970s) old-school blue-eyed soul from Los Angeles, California; Brothers Four (c. 1950s-1960s) heart-on-sleeve folk ensemble from Seattle, Washington; Minutemen (c. 1980s) influential art punk from San Pedro, California; Men Without Hats (c. 1970s-1990s) big-hit new wave from Montreal, Canada; Marc Ribot (c. 1970s-present) revered avant-garde guitarist and composer from New York, New York; one-time Lounge Lizard and a sought-after sideman to luminaries like Tom Waits, Buddy Miller, Elvis Costello, Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg and many more; Bo Diddley (c. 1940s-2000s) rock ‘n’ roll originator from McComb, Mississippi; Uncle Tupelo (c. 1980s-1990s) alt-country from Belleville, Illinois; the band eventually split into Son Volt and Wilco; Tupelo Chain Sex (c. 1980s) psycho jazz-punk from Los Angeles, California ; P.I.L. (Public Image Ltd.) (c. 1980s-present) post-Rotten “anti-rock” from London, England; I guess this one’s a bit of a cheat since P.I.L. is typically pronounced “pill” (although I have heard band mastermind John Lydon say it “pea-eye-elle” in old film footage, so that’s good enough for me); L7 (c. 1980s-2000s) hard rock, punk and grunge from Los Angeles, California; Tangerine Dream (c. 1960s-present) krautrock and electronica from Berlin, Germany; Dream Syndicate (c. 1980s) psychedelic dream-pop pioneers of the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene, which has been described as “a marriage of classic rock and punk”; Earth, Wind and Fire (c. 1960s-present) funk, R&B and disco ensemble from Chicago, Illinois; Firehose (c. 1980s-1990s) art punk from San Pedro, California; founded by former Minuteman and future-Stooge Mike Watt; Mescaleros (c. 1990s-2000s) Joe Strummer’s post-Clash backing band from Sheffield, England; Os Mutantes (c. 1960s-1970s) gloriously eccentric 1960s Brazilian rock associated with the experimental and rebellious Tropicália movement; São Paulo, Brazil; Dinosaur Jr. (1980s-present) heavy indie rock from Amherst, Massachusetts; Junior Kimbrough (c. 1950s-2000s) electric country blues from Hudsonville, Mississippi; Tiny Tim (c. 1960s-1990s) eccentric American popular music from New York, New York; Tim Buckley (c. 1960s-1970s) avant folk, jazz and rock from Washington, D.C.; Duane Eddy (c. 1950s-present) formative instrumental guitar rock from Corning, New York; Eddie Van Halen (c. 1970s-2020s) guitarist for Pasadena, California hard-rock and hair-metal band Van Halen; Eddie Cochran (c. 1950s) original rock ‘n’ roller from Los Angeles, California; Eddie Floyd (c. 1950s-present) R&B and soul singer from Montgomery, Alabama; Eddy Grant (c. 1960s-present) British-Guyanese roots rock and world music from London, England; formerly of the Equals; Eddie Arnold (c. 1930s-2000s) country-music singer and innovator of the “Nashville sound”; Henderson Tennessee; Eddie Money (c. 1970s-2010s) Top-40 rock from New York, New York; Eddie Vedder (c. 1980s-present) vocalist for Seattle, Washington grunge band Pearl Jam; Rolling Stones (c. 1960s-present) as the old meme goes, “Who the fuck is Keith Richards?”; Stone Poneys (c. 1960s) folk rock from Los Angeles, California where Linda Ronstadt got her start; Mamas and the Papas (c. 1960s) easy-listening peace-and-love pop from Los Angeles, California; Papa John Creach (c. 1930s-1990s) jazz, blues and psychedelic violin music from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; Love and Rockets (c. 1980s-1990s) post-Bauhaus post-punk from Northampton, England; Rocket from the Tombs (c. 1970s) proto-punk from Cleveland, Ohio that spawned snotty punk stalwarts the Dead Boys, experimental post-punks Pere Ubu and punk-poet singer-songwriter Peter Laughner; Count Five (c. 1960s) quintessential 1960s garage punk from San Jose, California; 5th Dimension (c. 1960s-1970s) sunshine pop, funk and psychedelic soul from Los Angeles, California; The The (c. 1970s-present) post-punk from London, England; The Band (c. 1960s-1970s) four Canadian multi-instrumentalists and one American hillbilly who were the backup band for 1950s rocker Ronnie Hawkins (check out that moonwalk!) before making the switch to playing behind Bob Dylan on his notorious 1966 electric tour and then retreating to the backwoods of Upstate New York where they invented a new genre of roots music that contributed to the breakups of the Beatles and Cream; The Ex (c. 1970s-present) anarcho-punk and world music from Amsterdam, Holland; associated with American avant-garde cellist Tom Cora; X (c. 1970s-present) first-wave Los Angeles punk and roots rock fronted by poets John Doe and Exene Cervenka; guitarist Billy Zoom was a one-time sideman for rockabilly originator Gene Vincent; first LPs were produced by Ray Manzarek of the Doors and have been hailed by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork for being among the best rock albums ever; Murray the K (c. 1950s-1980s) rock ‘n’ roll impresario and disc jockey of the 1950s, '60s and '70s; New York, New York; K.R.S.-One (c. 1980s-present) highly influential rapper from New York, New York; Wolfman Jack (c. 1960s-1990s) American rock ‘n’ roll disc jockey from New York, New York); Jack Dupree (c. 1930s-1990s) blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana); Ed Sullivan (c. 1930s-1970s) American television impresario who broke the Beatles in the U.S.; New York, New York; Van Morrison (c. 1960s-present) rock, blues and soul singer from Belfast, Northern Ireland who went solo after fronting Them in the mid-1960s.
“Get Back” (Beatles); “Back to Black” (Amy Winehouse); “Black Angel’s Death Song” (Velvet Underground); “Song Sung Blue” (Neil Diamond); “Blue Velvet” (choose your decade: 1950s - Tony Bennett; 1960s - Bobby Vinton; 1970s - Natural Four; 1980s - Isabella Rossellini; 1990s - Ronnie McDowell; 2000s - Houston Person; 2010s - Lana Del Rey; 2020s - Joachim Kühn).
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