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Top 1000 Artists/Bands and Artist/Band of the week
I am working on a personal music project where I am coming up with my favorite 1000 artists/bands. Along with that list, each week I am featuring an artist/band of the week. Each week I listen to the entire discography of the artist/band at least twice.
I am inviting forum members to join me in this project. Please feel free to listen to the discographies every week, then post your favorite five songs. I will create a playlist for each band under my Spotify account. Of course, Spotify is free, but will play a 30 second commercial every 5 songs. To find me, search spotify:user:joenorwood77 Even if you miss the timeline for a specific artist/band, you can post your top five whenever. Here is my top 1000 artists/bands. I will continue to edit this list as I add/remove artists/bands. Spoiler for Top 1000 Artists/Bands:
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Week 1 Artist/Band of the week was Guns N Roses.
Highlights from that thread are listed below... My top five favorites are: It's So Easy November Rain Rocket Queen Sweet Child O' Mine Welcome To The Jungle Janszoon Off the top of my head, my five favorite GnR songs: Think About You Rocket Queen Don't Cry Civil War 14 Years CoNtrivedNiHilism Off the top of my head: Paradise City Mr. Brownstone Estranged The Garden November Rain LedMirto Hey you've got a great idea!! Well, G'n'R was one of my favourite bands when I was teen. I don't follow them since they released Use Your Illusion. My top five fav songs are: Mr. Brownstone Think About You Rocket Queen You're Crazy (GnR Lies Acoustic Version) You Ain't The First Talking about their strengths/weaknesses I can tell you that (IMO of course!) Steven was really better than Matt as drummer, Axl's voice went slowly downhill from the middle of 90's, Slash still kicks ass and Duff too. And what about Izzy? |
Week 2 artist/band of the week is Cage the Elephant.
My top five favorites are: Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked Back Against The Wall Cigarette Daydreams Shake Me Down Telescope |
Glad to see that a) you stuck around and b) you took our idea of starting a journal. I'll drop in my suggestions when you come to any bands I know or like, so far that hasn't happened but wait till you get to a-ha, Seger or Tom Waits.... :)
Good luck with the project! TH |
My top 5:
Shake Me Down Cigarette Daydreams Telescope Come a Little Closer Aberdeen |
Things will go a lot more smoothly now that you've condensed everything into this one thread. And I'll +1 being glad you stuck around, you'll like it here more than you think once you get acclimated.
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Thank you everyone for the posts.
The playlist for my artist of the week, Cage the Elephant, is only 2 hours and 17 minutes. Even if you do not come up with your top five favorite songs by them, they are definitely worth checking out. Go ahead and give them a listen. Post here if you like them, hate them, or indifferent. Most people probably are familiar with their top 3 singles, but as with many bands, some of their better songs are not their overplayed tracks. |
Week 3 - Third Eye Blind
God Of Wine How’s It Going To Be Jumper Motorcycle Drive By Slow Motion (Uncensored) |
I am surprised not one comment regarding Third Eye Blind. While they are not the best band in the world, they definitely have some great songs. I appreciate the emotion I feel and hear while listening to their music; especially the five songs I listed.
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Week 4 - Meiko
Boys With Girlfriends Hiding Leave The Lights On Stuck On You Under My Bed |
Week 5 - The Ting Tings
Be The One Guggenheim Shut Up And Let Me Go Soul Killing That’s Not My Name |
Week 6 - Avenged Sevenfold
Afterlife Almost Easy Bat Country Nightmare Seize The Day |
Regarding Avenged Sevenfold, I so wanted to include "Lost" within my top 5, but just couldn't bump any of the other songs to make room. Bat Country almost did not make the list.
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Even if no one is posting comments or participating in the artist of the week project, I hope some of you are reading my weekly posts and finding some entertainment value with my lists.
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Week 7 - Audioslave
Be Yourself Doesn’t Remind Me I Am The Highway Like A Stone Shadow Of The Sun |
If you'll accept a little constructive criticism: you need to widen the remit or do something like maybe review or link to the songs you're posting. I can only speak for myself of course, but given your own disappointed comments it would seem to be the general way this is perceived. For me, I have little interest in reading a list of anyone's favourite songs. Sure it's a thing, but then you have to do something with it. Even if you were saying WHY you like the songs --- I love the guitar work in this, the lyric is particularly poignant in that, I can headbang to the other --- it would be something. But frankly, and I'm sorry if this sounds cruel, this is dull.
Look at the journals of other people here. They work to make them as interesting and inclusive as possible. You need to open this up if you want people to get involved. It's possible members are reading your lists, but then it's a case of, read that, so what, move on. And they'll read someone's account of a gig they went to or a review of an album or which comic book is best, or maybe a favourite film ... there's so much you can do with a journal and it seems to me you're just wasting it here, tipping around the edges. I mean, look at it this way: you say (and I'll believe you) that you're listening to an entire discography every week, not just picking these tracks randomly. But what proof have we? And why should we care? If you spoke about the discog, your feelings listening to it, which albums you forgot were great and haven't listened to in ages, the ones that suck and you wish you had forgotten them, then people might be more interested and drawn in, and who knows, they might even start participating. Take as a hypothetical example this: "Man I was listening to INXS discog and I forgot what a great song "Never tear us apart is". Those cellos! The stop in the middle. Hutchenses' voice. Then I started listening to Kick and I couldn't stop. Every track was gold." And so on. You might then have someone say "Yeah I haven't listened to that album in years but now I feel like putting it on" or whatever. Basically, my feeling would be that people are not interested because it's not interesting. Every week we have five lines and a paragraph from you. There's so much more for people to read here in the Journals Section, you really have to kind of fight for the attention. Think of it like TV ratings. Would you rather watch say a Formula 1 race or two kids on bikes? Or a historical documentary versus a party political broadcast? People have a choice, here as anywhere, and if you don't give them a reason to stick around, well, they won't. Just my two cents worth. |
Your feedback is more than fair. I just do not know how much time I will have to enhance my posts. Between work, real life, listening to each discography twice, and other stuff I am doing in life. I mean, I can. While a large part of doing this project is for myself, I do admit it would be nice if even a few people also participated. I was more envisioning a few people posting their top 5 and it would be interesting seeing which songs overlap the most, and of course interesting when someone posts an underrated or odd-ball song. I do agree that after listening to an entire discography, there is much more a person is thinking of than just the top five personal favorite songs. Perhaps sometime over the next or so I will add a little blurb for my first seven artists of the week and see what happens. Of course comments on discographies are best written when the music is fresh in my mind when I can feel the specific emotions; excitement, boredom, anger, disappointment, sadness or whatever.
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Taking suggestions from Trollheart, here is my attempt at enhancing my artist of the week posts.
Week 1 - Guns N Roses I still consider Guns N Roses one of my favorite bands of all time. When I was a child, Sweet Child O' Mine was the first rock & roll song that I discovered and loved. Appetite for Destruction is still my #1 album ever. Use Your Illusions 1 and 2 are still both amazing, with only a few disappointing songs on each. GNR Lies,The Spaghetti Incident, and Chinese Democracy are nothing to write home about, but each have some gems. Perhaps those three albums are solid, but are just lacking in comparison to such masterpieces as Appetite and Illusions 1 and 2. Estranged and Coma are two songs that barely missed my top 5. The mix of punk and blues with rock and roll make Guns N Roses a solid "go-to" band. My World is a trippy song, unlike anything else within the GNR catalog. Ain't It Fun was the single pleasant surprise from The Spaghetti Incident I forgot about. My top 5: It's So Easy November Rain Rocket Queen Sweet Child O' Mine Welcome To The Jungle |
Week 2 - Cage The Elephant
Cage The Elephant is such an underrated alternative rock band. Telescope was the song I was most excited about because I never really paid attention to that track before and it is amazing! Telescope is such a beautiful yet simple song. Some of the big hits like Ain't No Rest for the Wicked and Shake me Down are great. I have been a huge fan of Cigarette Daydreams before it ever became a single. The lyrics and flow are a big part of what makes Cage the Elephant so appealing. 2024, Spiderhead, and Aberdeen just missed my top 5. My top 5: Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked Back Against The Wall Cigarette Daydreams Shake Me Down Telescope |
Week 3 - Third Eye Blind
I don't care what anyone says, but Third Eye Blind is one of the best bands out there. Their most recent stuff has been a little bit of a let down, but their first three albums were solid. I feel so much emotion while listening through this discography. Songs like Motorcycle Drive By pump me full of energy while listening to his story, while God of Wine and Slow Motion take me to dark places in the most beautiful way. Losing A Whole Year, Never Let You Go, and Deep Inside Of You barely missed my top 5 cut. Out Of The Vein is a hugely underrated album from start to finish. My top 5: God Of Wine How’s It Going To Be Jumper Motorcycle Drive By Slow Motion (Uncensored) |
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:) "November rain" is a beautiful song, and just shows how you can write a ballad without making it slow, acoustic and piano-driven. One of my favourites from them also. I don't think I'd be able to compile a top five, but certainly those two would be in it. Maybe, I don't know, bit obvious but Sweet child o' mine November rain You could be mine Don't cry Paradise City with honourable mentions for the two covers Knockin' on Heaven's door and Live and let die Also, the video for "November rain" is great |
Week 4 - Meiko
Meiko is not an artist I listen to often, but she is great for what she is. First off, she is a very sweet, attractive, and funny person. As far as her music goes, most of her stuff is pretty mellow, yet catchy. For anyone who is familiar with her, they most likely discovered her through the many songs of hers that are featured in TV shows. Also, she did gain some attention with her single Leave The Lights On, which is how I found her. Meiko has such a comforting sound to her voice that makes it hard to not feel happy and smile. Heard It All Before and Thinking Too Much came up shy for my top 5. My top 5: Boys With Girlfriends Hiding Leave The Lights On Stuck On You Under My Bed |
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Top 5 (random) "Coma" "There Was A Time" "Welcome To The Jungle" My first ever rock song. I flipped my **** first time I heard it. "Get In The Ring" "Sweet Child O' Mine" |
Week 5 - The Ting Tings
The first time listening through the Ting Tings discography, I was actually quite disappointed. However, while going through it a second time, I started to find quite a few catchy tunes. Of course That's Not My Name is a fun song. The rhythm and lyrics both work well for many of their songs, as well as their blend of rock and pop. Guggenheim and Soul Killing were two songs that were pleasant surprises. However, I am not a fan of their newest album Super Critical. Impacilla Carpisung, Day To Day, and Great DJ almost made my top 5. My top 5: Be The One Guggenheim Shut Up And Let Me Go Soul Killing That’s Not My Name |
Week 6 - Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an interesting band to me because some of their material is outstanding, while some of their other stuff (first two albums and most recent album) are average at best, or just too raw for me. The Rev was such an underrated drummer. The vocals of M. Shadows make Avenged Sevenfold stand out in comparison to other rock bands. He is an excellent screamer, but can also sing powerful ballads with such heart-felt emotion. Barely missing my top 5 include Warmness On The Soul, a beautiful and powerful song, Lost was a song I did not recall before my project and is a solid addition to my library and A Little Piece Of Heaven is one of the most trippy music videos I have ever seen, and I love the dark humor. My top 5: Afterlife Almost Easy Bat Country Nightmare Seize The Day |
Week 7 - Audioslave
As one of the better super groups to have formed, it is unfortunate that Audioslave is no longer. However, they did give us three albums before disbanding. When you add the powerful vocals of Chris Cornell along with the unique guitar of Tom Morello, you have a winner. I nearly forgot how great their self titled album was, Out Of Exile was OK, and Revelations was disappointing. During my project, I re-discovered Shadow Of The Sun, and I never realized how amazing of a song it is until now. Cochise and Show Me How To Live are two solid songs that missed my top 5. My top 5: Be Yourself Doesn’t Remind Me I Am The Highway Like A Stone Shadow Of The Sun |
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Beast and the Harlot Gunslinger Bat Country A Little Piece of Heaven Afterlife |
See? You make a little effort, make it a bit interesting and people are beginning to comment and participate. :)
I'm afraid I don't know those last bands but when you get to one I do know I'll be sure to be letting you know what I think. |
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Regarding November Rain, not sure how many here have heard this, but there is an acoustic guitar demo version from back around the Appetite for Destruction days that I found. It is interesting. |
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By no means am I suggesting to listen to the entire discographies of the bands because I know you already have massive projects you are working on, but I do encourage you to check out my top 5 songs for each of those bands and maybe you will find something you will like, or at least then you will know those bands enough to know that you do not like them. |
Faith No More
Faith No More rarely receives the recognition they should. Unfortunately, some people only credit them for their single Epic, and for being one of the first bands to merge metal and rap. However, they are so much more than that. Most people will likely not appreciate the first two albums with Chuck Mosley as the lead singer. As a FNM fan, Chuck kind of grows on you after a while though. Of course, The Real Thing is where everything becomes more polished and more mainstream, and the arrival of Mike Patton does add a whole new dimension of charisma and talent, as Patton can sing pretty much anything regardless of range or style. The live album is great as it brings back memories of the energy and fun Patton and company had on stage, and especially their covers they add into their mix (New Kids on the Block, Technotronic). Introduce Yourself and The Real Thing are my favorite FNM albums. The Crab Song is one of Faith No More's most underrated songs. The story behind Be Aggressive is great how the gay keyboardist, Roddy Bottum, wrote sexual lyrics for Patton to sing in attempt to embarrass him. At times, Faith No More is a little too experimental for me, but obviously not as excessive as Mr. Bungle. Several solid songs are not on my top 5 including: Anne’s Song, From Out Of Nowhere, Epic, Take This Bottle, Mother****er, Falling To Pieces, Stripsearch, Last Cup Of Sorrow, Zombie Eaters and others. My top 5: Be Aggressive Chinese Arithmetic The Crab Song Midlife Crisis We Care A Lot (Introduce Yourself Version) |
Counting Crows
Of course, August And Everything After contains their best tracks. However, the majority of the Counting Crows discography up through Hard Candy is quite impressive and underrated. The vocals are pleasant on the ears, the lyrics are intelligent, and there are some catchy beats throughout. The live versions of their songs are often unique, full of passion and sometimes even better than the original versions (all live versions of Angels of Silences are superior to the studio version). While I also appreciate that some of the live versions are both electric and acoustic, the amount of live tracks among this discography is overkill, and makes this library longer than needed. Unfortunately, the more recent albums were kind of a chore to get through, especially the songs that went into more of a country direction. There are several songs I wanted to include within my top 5, but did not have enough room for them all: Omaha, Rain King, Children In Bloom, I’m Not Sleeping, Goodnight Elizabeth, I Wish I Was A Girl, American Girls, A Long December, and Mr. Jones. Colorblind is a powerful and emotional song that impressed me so much it bumped A Murder Of One off of my top 5. Also an honorable mention to Kid Things, which is unlike anything else within the Counting Crows Library and is somewhat amusing. My top 5: Anna Begins Colorblind Holiday In Spain Round Here Sullivan Street |
Love Counting Crows. My top five:
Big Yellow Taxi Mr. Jones Hard Candy Palisades Park Omaha |
I don't know how you decide which discog to listen to, whether it's random or what, but as I say, so far none of these bands have appealed to me. In case you're picking deliberately, just to let you know I would be more than happy to discuss at length any of these on your list: I wouldn't even have to listen to the albums as I know them all backwards. Just a thought.
Asia a-ha Bruce Springsteen Bob Seger Bon Jovi Eagles Dire Straits ELO Genesis Iron Maiden |
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Bush
Of course Sixteen Stone is a solid album from start to finish, but I had forgotten how great Razorblade Suitcase is. Deconstructed, on the other hand, was a complete waste of time and should have never been created. Do not get me wrong, as there are some dance mixes I do like, but not really anything from this album. While listening through this discography, I was surprised how similar Bush is to my favorite band of all time, Local H. Songs that missed my top 5 cut include The Sound Of Winter, Greedy Fly, Alien, Little Things, Everything Zen. My most pleasant surprise in this discography was Headful of Ghosts, which would have been #6 on my list. My top 5 in alphabetical order: The Chemicals Between Us Comedown Glycerine Machinehead Swallowed |
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