Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

I made a list with (in my opinion) the 8 most important British Invasion bands (that is, groups from UK that had international success from 1964-1965). I know this is all subjective and I didn't want to do a list of favorites, so I tried to be as objective as I could and rate the bands being based on three parameters: popularity in UK and/or US (P), songwriting (S), and technical ability (TA).

So, this is my list:

1. The Beatles P: 10 - S: 10 - TA: 9 - Average: 9.67
2. The Rolling Stones P: 9 - S: 9 - TA: 9 - Average: 9.00
2. The Who P: 8 - S: 9 - TA: 10 - Average: 9.00
4. The Kinks P: 7 - S: 9 - TA: 8 - Average: 8.00
5. The Zombies P: 7 - S: 8 - TA: 8 - Average: 7.67
6. The Yardbirds P: 7 - S: 6 - TA: 9 - Average: 7.33
6. The Hollies P: 8 - S: 7 - TA: 7 - Average: 7.33
8. The Animals P: 7 - S: 6 - TA: 7 - Average: 6.67

You can make your own list too.

[Hello Goodbye]

That's a pretty good list and I think you rated them fairly in all three parameters.

There were a few bands like The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, Freddie and the Dreamers, Peter and Gordon and Chad and Jeremy who were quite popular but would not rate on the two other parameters.  The late invasion included the Bee Gees and the late-60s Moody Blues who followed two entirely different paths as they developed.  Two of my favorite groups were The Tremeloes and The Searchers.  I liked their tight harmonies.

[Mr Mustard]

Intriguing stuff there Hombre. It might not be fashionable to admit, but two of the biggest groups (in terms of impact and popularity) in the US as part of the British Invasion were Herman's Hermits and The Dave Clark Five.

As for those you mention (purely just my opinion, you understand)...

The Yardbirds were technically brilliant but had almost zero charisma.
The Zombies were a one (maybe two) hit wonder (I love "She's Not There"... don't rate anything else of theirs I'm afraid)
Stones, Who and Animals I always felt were overrated (prefer The Who more as I've got older to be honest... Stones' popularity will baffle me until my dying breath I'm afraid, but I realise I'm in a minority!)
Kinks and Hollies I love.

But my guilty pleasure?

... Manfred Mann. Brilliant!!!

[Hello Goodbye]

^

I actualy preferred The Animals and The Rolling Stones over The Beatles during the early invasion.  They were grittier and I really liked that.

Of course that all changed with Rubber Soul. 

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Thanks Hello Goodbye and Mr Mustard for your opinions.

That's a pretty good list and I think you rated them fairly in all three parameters.

There were a few bands like The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, Freddie and the Dreamers, Peter and Gordon and Chad and Jeremy who were quite popular but would not rate on the two other parameters.  The late invasion included the Bee Gees and the late-60s Moody Blues who followed two entirely different paths as they developed.  Two of my favorite groups were The Tremeloes and The Searchers.  I liked their tight harmonies.

Yes, some bands like the Dave Clark Five and Herman's Hermits, and in a minor extent Manfred Mann and Peter & Gordon, were highly successful, but I don't give them much credit for songwriting and technical ability, so I didn't include them in the list. On the other side is the Pretty Things, which I consider as a decent band but with lack of success. I could have also included Donovan, but I just wanted to make a list with bands.

About the late invasion, there's also Cream, which would rate quite high in every parameter; also the Small Faces. But I've just stayed with the early British Invasion.

Intriguing stuff there Hombre. It might not be fashionable to admit, but two of the biggest groups (in terms of impact and popularity) in the US as part of the British Invasion were Herman's Hermits and The Dave Clark Five.

Yes, as I said, I admit the popularity of those two bands, but I think they didn't age as well as the other bands I mentioned.

As for those you mention (purely just my opinion, you understand)...

The Yardbirds were technically brilliant but had almost zero charisma.

I agree. However, they managed to have 6 Top 40 hits in US.

The Zombies were a one (maybe two) hit wonder (I love "She's Not There"... don't rate anything else of theirs I'm afraid)

The Zombies actually had 3 Top 10 hits in US: "She's Not There" (#2), "Tell Her No" (#6) and "Time Of The Season" (#3) - however they didn't have such success in UK, their only hit there was the first song (#12). Apart from the Beatles and the Stones, almost no other British band charted that high 3 times in US. So they didn't have many hits, but their hits really charted high, that's why I gave them a 7 in popularity.

Stones, Who and Animals I always felt were overrated (prefer The Who more as I've got older to be honest... Stones' popularity will baffle me until my dying breath I'm afraid, but I realise I'm in a minority!)

The Who is my second favourite British Invasion group. And I always felt that the Stones were overrated, but lately I started to dig more their material and respect them more, especially for what they did from 1965 to 1972. As for the Animals, they had a string of solid hits in the mid-60's, but they're easily in the last spot of my list.

Kinks and Hollies I love.

Same here, especially the Kinks. The Hollies I think they had the success (especially in UK) that the Zombies deserved.

But my guilty pleasure?

... Manfred Mann. Brilliant!!!

I'm not a fan, but their cover of Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn" is really brillant.

[Mr Mustard]

^

I actualy preferred...The Rolling Stones over The Beatles during the early invasion.  They were grittier and I really liked that.

I've never bought into that myth.

The Stones were certainly uglier and grumpier than The Beatles (who were blessed with far more wit, charm and charisma than most of their contemporaries).

But "grittier"?

No Rolling Stone could have belted out "Twist & Shout" as convincingly as the fabs. The Stones were lisping Southern college boys, I honestly believe the Cavern/Hamburg era Beatles would have blown them off the stage.

But I must say I always felt Jagger & Richards were criminally underrated as songwriters.

[tkitna]

The Zombies were a one (maybe two) hit wonder (I love "She's Not There"... don't rate anything else of theirs I'm afraid)

Ohh, we're going to have to agree to disagree again. I think 'Odessey and Oracle' is one of the greatest albums ever. Have you ever given it a spin Mr. M?

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Ohh, we're going to have to agree to disagree again. I think 'Odessey and Oracle' is one of the greatest albums ever. Have you ever given it a spin Mr. M?

Truth. I didn't mention that album, probably my favourite album ever after Rubber Soul and Revolver.

[Hello Goodbye]

^

I actualy preferred...The Rolling Stones over The Beatles during the early invasion.  They were grittier and I really liked that.

I've never bought into that myth.

The Stones were certainly uglier and grumpier than The Beatles (who were blessed with far more wit, charm and charisma than most of their contemporaries).

But "grittier"?

No Rolling Stone could have belted out "Twist & Shout" as convincingly as the fabs. The Stones were lisping Southern college boys, I honestly believe the Cavern/Hamburg era Beatles would have blown them off the stage.

But I must say I always felt Jagger & Richards were criminally underrated as songwriters.

You edited my post and it lost its intended meaning.

[Hello Goodbye]

I'm not a fan, but their cover of Dylan's "The Mighty Quinn" is really brillant.

I liked Do Wah Diddy Diddy and Sha La La too.  

It was a simpler time.  

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

I liked Do Wah Diddy Diddy and Sha La La too.  

It was a simpler time.  

"Pretty Flamingo" is nice too.

[Hello Goodbye]

I would have rated The Animals a bit higher.  It was amazing how a diminutive Eric Burdon could produce that singing voice.  Alan Price played that VOX Continental superbly and I liked Chas Chandler's bass style.

[Hello Goodbye]

"Pretty Flamingo" is nice too.

Yes it is, Nowhere Man.

[Hello Goodbye]

I think The Animals performed brilliantly at NME 1965...

The Animals (NME-1965) - Part 1

[Hello Goodbye]

They had great videos too...

The Animals - It' s My Life (HD)

Eric Burdon - The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964) High Definition [HD]

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

Yes it is, Nowhere Man.

You know my name, Hello Goodbye.

[Hombre_de_ningun_lugar]

They had great videos too...

The Animals - It' s My Life (HD)

Eric Burdon - The Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (1964) High Definition [HD]

I love those simple but very present bass intros by Chas Chandler, later the discoverer of Jimi Hendrix.

[Hello Goodbye]

You know my name, Hello Goodbye.

It was easier to type in English than in Spanish.  

[Hello Goodbye]

I love those simple but very present bass intros by Chas Chandler

Well put.

[Hello Goodbye]

It might not be fashionable to admit, but two of the biggest groups (in terms of impact and popularity) in the US as part of the British Invasion were Herman's Hermits and The Dave Clark Five.

In the summer of 1964, WMCA-AM radio ran a daily phone-in popularity poll.  The groups were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Dave Clark Five.  Those were the big three in the New York City area that summer.

There were days that, somehow, The Dave Clark Five won!