You cannot put any band that put out "St. Anger" over Radiohead. I saw Metallica live last month, it was amazing, but there are certain things that puts you out of contention for a "best ever" or anything recent.

So, after much thought about this issue of the last few days, I'm willing to go ahead and give this one to Radiohead. If we are talking length of career, mainstream acceptance, influence on music, AND quality of their music, I can't come up with something better. Of course there are bands who I like more and subjectively think are better, but Radiohead has a ****ton of incredible quality music and I'm down with calling them best of our time.

I think it's kinda tough to disagree. Even though I don't really listen to Radiohead at all I certainly get the appeal and they are obv an amazing band. One band though that pops into my head is The Mountain Goats, which I think is the #1 best band today.

They are definitely up there in the top few as far as quality goes.

Don't think they've had Radiohead level of commercial success though. I'm going to see them on Wed in a medium sized venue which I imagine Radiohead almost never plays in.

There is a lot of dumbassery in this thread, from the completely subjective OP which lacks any real focus, to all the people chimming in with bizarre opinions on some mediocre bands.


Is Radiohead one of the best bands ever? Yeah easily. I have no idea what time frame the OP is talking about, but its clear these guys deserve to be in any discussion involving all time great bands.

Whats interesting to me is how polarizing the group is with some people. A lot of people absolutely love them and hate them. I am kind of in the middle, however even though I don't really get into their sound that much I can admit they make some amazing songs and they put a lot of thought into them, especially just about anything off of The Bends and OK Computer.

Yes

Def MTV material. That Thom is handsome.

Sick post imo

I am going to disagree with you completely since I think in 20 years people will finally start to appreciate what they did. Go back and listen to some of their older CD's, they seriously sound like they were made last year.

I think that has to do with their accessibility. Radiohead have done extraordinarily well in accessibility/commercial success though, but The Mountain Goats discography is just really overwhelming. ~17 albums in 15 years but almost all of them great.

See if I just read that statement you made, I would agree Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band is the best.

Seriously, no concert could ever compare to a Bruce concert. How the guy has so much energy for 2+ hours going nonstop full out is awesome. Plus, he's great. Much better then Radiohead

Well, if this thread was instead "Top 5-10 greatest/most important bands of the last 15-20 years" Radiohead would be one of only 3-5 bands to be consistently nominated.

I'm baffled at the Muse suggestions though, they're good, but they're a tier below every other band mentioned in this thread. Cue the 15 or so Muse fanboy rants, although there's really no room for an argument here. BUT OMG WE SOLD OUT WEEEEEEEEEEMBLEEEEEEEEEEY

Oh, and the above poster is 99% from NJ.

Lol Muse nominations. I mean theyre good n all, but how are you gonna nominate a band whose entire style is an inferior copycat version of the main band being discussed ITT.

I don't think it's that crazy that some people have never heard a Radiohead song. If you don't seek it out and download their music, you aren't really going to hear them. They aren't on TV and aside from Creep and occasionally My Iron Lung, I've never heard them on the radio. You guys need to realize that the Internet doens't reflect real life all the time. There is no way this band is as big as some of you guys are making them out to be. Calling them The Beatles of our time is just laughably ******ed. There isn't a non-Radiohead fan on the planet that could name all of the members. The one thing they have going for them is that their following is extremely dedicated, but so is Phish and DMB's following, but I'm not willing to call them all-time great bands.

i am a pretty big radiohead fan as evidenced by my poker screen name.

my take is that radiohead is one of the best bands of the past 20 years but i don't think there is a clear cut "best band of our time." the music industry has changed A LOT during this time period and i think it's really unlikely there will ever be a band again that could be "the best band of its time."

OP, i don't think you did the band a ton of justice with the songs you listed.

i suggest listening to this song btw, Let Down. It is a beautiful song and I'd kill to hear it live, which won't ever happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW6WqgvYHgc

after thinking about it...i'm not even sure that's a good song to list. it's probably too emo for most.

you might listen to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Zd8xPUQs8 (idioteque)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O10HGNOkyIk (fake plastic trees)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nTFjVm9sTQ (house of cards)

i dunno, there's really a lot of good songs out there. to each his own.

For being an extremely overrated band, they're not bad.

Creep was a massive song, as was about 2-3 songs of The Bends and OK Computer. Paranoid Android and Karma Police were two of the biggest songs from the 90's, getting a ton of radio play and tv play. They have sort of changed their style somewhat and aren't a mainstream sounding band, but during the mid to late 90's they were MASSIVE.

Actually, the following songs were all pretty big.

Creep
High and Dry
Fake Plastic Trees
Paranoid Android
Karma Police


Personally I think Paranoid Android is one of the best rock songs ever made.

They are not nearly the pop cultural phenomenon that the Beatles were. However, if you were looking to make a comparision to the Beatles among existing bands, Radiohead is one of the better choices you could make in terms of combining critical reception, public success (obviously on a much smaller scale than the Beatles) and influence. Discussion about who the "best band of our time" is will be assumed by many to presuppose that those are the dimensions at which one should look.

The short answer to that is that there is no Beatles of our time.

Your analysis here has been both trenchant and a wonder to behold.

Sorry I should have been more specific... or rather the thread should have been titled "my time" (born in 1988).
All of the people that seem vv angry at my OP, care to offer an alternative?
5!


The first time I saw them was lollapalooza two summers ago and we were discussing what we thought might be on their setlist and at one point my friend pretty much summed up my opinion on the group

"how can you decide what songs to play when you have some many good ones"

You seem very critical of the band, I'm guessing you are deep into heavy metal?

Just because it isn't your thing or you don't particularly like the cut of their jib, doesn't mean they are bad or you have to be hostile towards the idea that they are good, which they are, very very good at what they do.

totr is sick but best? =/

muse is an honorable mention, very good, talented but imo radiohead is just the next level.

Not sure how much of a debate this is? mostly just jokes or people like jokes opinions of how to classify what is best.

It has nothing to do with records sold, money made, airtime, music videos, etc. It is purely based on the body of work and the quality of songs.

if one day I'm as rich as you lets get a private show??? it will be half the cost!!!

Radiohead is a great band. Mr. Bungle was better, musically and lyrically. Three albums, all of them different and wildly eclectic, and all of them 10/10s in their own way. My personal favorite is Disco Volante, but I admit that that's not one most people would get into on the first listen. Radiohead, especially post-OK Computer, can get to sound a bit "samey" after a while. One thing that no one ever accused Bungle of was sounding the same from SONG TO SONG, much less album to album. Also, for my money, the best musicianship of any band of my time. (I was born in 1972.) The only things that I think Radiohead has an advantage on them in are popularity and longevity. As far as artistry and quality of the music goes, Bungle is the best band of my time IMO.

--Scott