The following are our as-of-today agreed-upon list of Elements –
Elements of What Makes a Rock Band “GREAT.”
Beside each Element are their respective ratings/point values.
Further below, you’ll find an in-depth description of every Element.
Think we’re missing one? SPEAK UP.
_______________________________________________________
THE ELEMENTS
Albums: Sales – 1-10 points
Albums: Critical Appreciation – 1-10 points
Albums: The Overall Catalogue – Edge, 5 points to the winner
.
Singles: The Charts – 1-10 points
Singles: Social Imprint – 1-8 points
Greatest Hits Collection – Edge, 5 points to the winner
.
Live Performance – 1-10 points
Musicianship: Virtuosity – 1-8 points
Musicianship: Alchemy – 1-8 points
Musicianship: Versatility – 1-8 points
.
Innovation – 1-10 points
Individuality – 1-10 points
Influence – 1-10 points
.
Icon Status: Symbols and Players – 1-10 points
Icon Status: The Frontmen – 1-10 points
.
Quality Per Release – 1-8 points
Quality Over Time — 1-8 points
Lineup Consistency – 1-8 points
Longevity – 1-8 points
.
Replayability – 1-8 points
Cross-Gender Love – 1-8 points
The Gift Factor – 1-8 points
The Bar Test – 1-5 points
The Road Trip – 1-5 points
.
Impact Outside of Music – 1-10 points
Essence of Rock ‘N Roll — 1-8 points
The Resonant Story — 1-8 points
.
Your Personal Opinion: Who Is “Greater”? – Edge, 10 points for winner
_______________________________________________________
DESCRIPTION OF EACH ELEMENT
Note: when I give a band a “score”, it’s meant to underline the general idea — please don’t take it literally or personally.
.
Albums: Sales – 1-10 points
Self described: this category reflects the sales of a band’s albums. Look at overall sales, as well as specific album sales, and rate the bands against each other, on a scale of 1 – 10.
Like every category here, this isn’t perfect: RIAA is the standard-bearer for album statistics (they determine “gold” and “platinum” winners), but they only track the United States, and their system counts what ships, not what sells. Nielsen SoundScan has more reliable sales stats, but again, they track US and Canada, and only since the early 90s. World Traffic is a website that attempts to put it all together into a “global” system, but it’s run by two odd German guys. [Check them all out in the LINKS lists to your right.]
Point being: even with statistics, we are facing an inexact science, but there’s a lot of info to go on nonetheless.
Album sales reveal what bands, and what albums, have most contagiously captured the attention of the world. No small feat, and we honor it here.
Example: The Beatles, by all accounts, have sold an ungodly number of albums, and would score a 10 in this category. Jethro Tull, not so much – in a battle vs. the Fabs, they’d likely score a 3. (Their web-site claims 60 million albums sold, though that’s more than a bit dubious.)
.
Albums: Critical Appreciation – 1-10 points
Giving equal numerical weight to Sales, this category considers all the reviews, “best albums” lists, and general critical estimation of a band’s albums. While popularity should count, so too should the voice of the punditry.
Look at the ratings on Allmusic.com, or the “Best 500 Albums” list at Rolling Stone, or the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, or whatever and so on. Nobody’s in perfect agreement, but you begin to see consensus on an awful lot.
Example: Roxy Music isn’t a very well known band, but they rear up on every “crit” list, both for their individual albums and overall influence on the 70s scene. Scorpions, on the other hand, don’t get much love. Bless their hearts. Maybe score them an 8, and a 4.
.
Albums: The Overall Catalogue – 1-10 points
This category allows us to look at the entire canon, a band’s full body of work, and weigh in on the Whole. It’s an “Edge” category, one band vs. another.
It says: if each album represents a boulder of a particular size, and I throw them all in a pond … which band’s output lifts the water higher?
Please note: this is not Which Band Do You Like Better. This is looking at every album, first to last, and asking: which band’s albums made more of an overall impact on the musical landscape?
Example: Led Zeppelin would score higher in Sales than The Rolling Stones, and the two, overall, would be neck and neck in Critical Appreciation. I believe the sheer girth of the Stones’ output, and the albums’ overall quality, gives them the nod in this category. The Stones would earn the “Edge” by that logic, and take 5 points.
.
Singles: The Charts – 1-10 points
Another dicey statistical measurement — but you get the idea.
Take a look at the band’s “singles” accomplishments – how high did they reach on national and worldwide charts? How many of their songs charted?
Example: The Beach Boys had four singles go to #1, 36 went Top 40, and 56 entered the Top 100. I mean … thirty-six top 40 cuts? Hay-zeus. That’s no lower than a 9 by any estimation (Beatles, with 27 #1 hits, are the easy 10). By comparison, The Velvet Underground’s highest ranking single was “All Tomorrow’s Parties”, which soared all the way to #103 on the Cash Box Chart. Yikes. You’d be generous to give them a 2 out of 10 here.
.
Singles: Social Imprint – 1-8 points
Velvet Underground fans, take solace! For we know your pain, and that’s why “Social Imprint” is an important part of the Singles stew.
“Social Imprint” will address the many great songs that perhaps never hit a chart, but have had a lasting presence on radio, TV, in movies, in bars … in our general shared consciousness – “songs we all know backwards anyway.” Like “Stairway to Heaven.” Not a single. But a classic song.
Example: Velvet does better here, with a number of instantly recognizable songs – whereas Humble Pie has maybe, what … one? Two? Comparatively, VU might score a 6 out of 8, and Humble Pie a 2 out of 8.
.
Greatest Hits Collection – Edge, 5 points to the winner
This is the Singles version of “Albums: Overall Catalogue” – if you could own a “hits” collection of 15-25 songs from either band, which would you choose?
Bear in mind, it’s not your personal favorite songs, but the ones that charted, or are popularly known … i.e.: whatever would be on a “Definitive” retrospective.
Example: Would you rather own an 18-track hits collection by Aerosmith, or by Rush? The world says Aerosmith, and so does this guy. 5 points for Aerosmith.
.
Live Performance – 1-10 points
A band’s ability to perform live is a significant part of their ‘Greatness.’ Some bands you have to see live when you get the chance… others, well… not really.
Sniff around, every band has a live “rep” – take a look at footage and videos of live shows – if you’ve seen a group perform, that’s a delish bonus.
Example: The Who kicked ass live, and everybody knows it. The Smashing Pumpkins, with Corgan’s suspect vocals, are better off in a studio. The Who scores a 9, maybe, and SP gets a 3 or 4.
.
Musicianship: Virtuosity – 1-8 points
This refers to a band’s level of virtuosity with their instruments – their technical ability, their prowess, their “chops.” Some players make your jaw drop… others, not so much. (Don’t forget the vocalist here.)
You get the picture.
Example: All three members of Cream could tear some shit apart. Sex Pistols could also tear shit apart, but more likely it was your ears, or the furniture. Cream likely a 10, Pistols a 2.
.
Musicianship: Alchemy – 1-8 points
Alchemy gives credence to a band’s indescribable knack for playing as a unit – their chemistry, their cohesion, their ability to transcend the sum of their parts.
A lot of bands score here that wouldn’t maybe score as well in “Virtuosity” — from The Beatles to The Band to Creedence to U2 to R.E.M. to Dave Matthews Band.
Example: Not many bands went further on sheer Alchemy than The Grateful Dead – they made magic with each other, and with legions of traveling fans. The Yardbirds were loaded with talent, but they were utterly mental and seemed to rotate fellas in and out of the lineup annually. Didn’t really matter who was in the band. The Dead gets a 10, the Yardies a 4.
.
Musicianship: Versatility – 1-8 points
‘Versatility’ refers to the musical range of a band – some bands do the same things again and again… some can play a variety of musical styles with success. If a band can take you ten different directions with authority, well, that’s pretty Great.
Note – this isn’t so much about “feeling” different emotions. It’s about styles, genres, forms of rock and its subdivisions – does the band play a lot of different KINDS of rock, play it well, and have some success to show for it?
Example: Pearl Jam has shown versatility over the course of their career, while AC/DC sticks to their bread and butter. In this category, PJ might get an 8, and AC/DC a 2.
.
Innovation – 1-10 points
When a band brings something new to the table, it’s awfully nice. We all like a good groundbreaker – whether it’s studio innovation, or overall sound, or ways of presenting live music – innovation turns our heads and turns us on.
Example: The Byrds popularized the folk-rock synthesis in 1965, and featured a new ‘jangling’ guitar sound with Roger McGuinn’s 12-string Rickenbacker. The Counting Crows, on the other hand, haven’t broken much ground. Byrds get an 8, Crows get a 1.
.
Individuality – 1-10 points
‘Individuality’ acknowledges a band’s ability to sound like no other band, do things nobody else can really do. In a world full of copycats, this deserves reward.
Instant recognizability. If you’re in the mood, you can’t go anywhere else. That kind of thing.
Example: Pink Floyd has a particular sound and makes music other bands simply can’t replicate – as opposed to, say, Stone Temple Pilots. Floyd would get a 10, STP maybe a 2 or 3.
.
Influence – 1-10 points
The influence a band has on the next generation of music-makers is major part of what makes them Great.
Some “lists” and critical evaluations place enormous value on this element of rock-greatness. We think it’s important, but not quite so much as the pundits.
Example: Black Sabbath had an immeasurable impact on the future of heavy metal, and goth. Styx was a fun-ass band, but not many people walk around saying, “Styx was the godfather of robot-worshipping rock stars all around the world.” Sabbath gets a 10, Styx gets a 3.
.
Icon Status: Symbols and Players – 1-10 points
Part of Greatness is being an Icon – even if it happens accidentally. Some rock bands, some rock stars just make the hairs on your neck go up. Geeks write books about icons, icons get T-shirts, icons are recognizable the world around – icons hit you at the level of Symbology.
This half of Icons accounts for the impact Symbols of rock - Floyd’s prism, the KISS look, the Stones tongue-out-of-lips, etc.
And its Players: Jeff Beck, Keith Moon, Flea, Slash, Clarence, Brian Eno, etc. — the legendary fellas that fill the sound.
Example: The Van Halen logo, and Eddie himself, speak louder than words – they represent more than the songs themselves. Twisted Sister doesn’t call up many images in my mind. Van Halen gets maybe a 7 or 8, Sister gets a 2 or 3.
.
Icon Status: Frontmen – 1-10 points
The other half of the icon platter: the guys who are the face of the band, who so often represent the ‘values’ of the group, its spirit, its force. They almost always sing, maybe they carry an axe… either way, the spotlight is on them and they’ve got to translate the music directly to the fans.
Lennon and McCartney, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltrey, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne, Steven Tyler, David Lee Roth, Bono, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Thom Yorke, Jack White …
We know ‘em. We love ‘em. Some bands don’t even have one. It matters.
Example: Freddie Mercury was the difference between Queen being a talented band, and being … well … Queen. He was one of the greatest of all time, and we’ll never see his likes again. A 10 if there ever was one. Quick: who was the front man for Steely Dan? That’s what I thought. (There was two, actually. And who cares.) Steely gets a 3.
.
Quality Per Release — 1-8 points
This Element is meant to measure how good the band was per song, basically. Some bands are wildly inconsistent, others keep the bar very high.
Example: The Jimi Hendrix Experience pretty much kick the ass out of every song they put out, and would get an 8 out of 8. Deep Purple put out some amazing material, but if you can get through their entire song-set without sinking into an irreversible depression, you’re a better man than I. They’d get a 2, perhaps.
.
Quality Over Time — 1-8 points
This Element measures a band’s ability to continue putting out quality material over a long period of time.
Maybe not every song or album is a hit, but this category rewards bands who put out quality, impact stuff over the course of decades rather than years.
Example: Eagles showed with last year’s “Long Road Out of Eden” that they could still throw down a critical and commercial hit album. That alone might get them a 6 out of 8. Bachman-Turner Overdrive released hits in the early 70s as well. After that, it was poop and reunions and more poop. They’d get a 2, maybe.
.
Lineup Consistency — 1-8 points
This Element rewards a band for sticking together and staying recognizable. It’s not a lot of fun to be a fan of a rotating carousel.
Example: U2 has been the same foursome for 30 years, and it has reaped the dividends of staying united through it all. An easy 10. Guns ‘N Roses never had the same lineup two albums in a row, and are now officially Axl and whoever has the patience to deal with his relentless lunacy. A 1 or a 2 for GNR.
.
Longevity — 1-8 points
A band that makes rock and roll for 25 years is doing something right, and deserves its reward – certainly a part of Greatness.
Here’s where you can throw out quality, throw out consistency, and just celebrate that the bastards are still playing music – even if it is at the Ohio State Fair.
Example: The Allman Brothers Band, despite losing their legendary heart-and-soul guitarist, Duane Allman, in a motorcycle crash in 1971 — along with plenty of other losses, break-ups, and the like — continue to record albums and play venues to the present day. Bless them! Give them a 7 out of 8. Cream, fantastic as they were, couldn’t get along well enough to last 5 years – they’ve barely managed to work through the odd ‘reunion’ show without killing each other. They finished fast, and aren’t coming back. A one for Cream.
.
Replayability — 1-8 points
As our reader pal Hugh Hlysnan suggested, this element of Greatness accounts for how some bands, some albums, you just have to jump off your ass and play the record straight through a second time. In the long run, ‘replayability’ means: over the course of your life, you wear the records out, you snap the tape, you shred the CD… anything you use and abuse without an end in sight.
Example: Creedence Clearwater Revival is as much good listenin’ today as it was yesterday as it will be tomorrow. They stay fresh and satisfying: an 8 out of 8, most likely. Whereas Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention is hard enough to get through the first time. Maybe they get a 2.
.
Cross-Gender Love — 1-8 points
Cross-Gender Love means: the music is as good for chicks as it is for dicks. Some bands are girl-friendly but dudes can’t jam – some are boys-in-the-basement only. Let’s give co-ed appeal its due.
Those of us who are married know why this shit matters.
Example: Boys and girls alike generally dig on Red Hot Chili Peppers, and they’d likely earn a 6 or 7 out of 8. But 10,000 Maniacs? Or Slayer? Those stay in separate rooms, and good luck getting ‘em to dance. Both earn ones here.
.
The Gift Factor — 1-8 points
Whether it’s a mix, a recommendation, or handing your brother an album he’s gotta hear, The Gift Factor is a measure of how easy it is to share certain bands and certain music … how necessary it feels to pass certain sounds along … and how successful that sharing typically goes.
Example: The Rolling Stones are one of the easiest bands to recommend in history, and they’d get an 8 here. Sepultura caters to a more particular taste, and you probably wouldn’t run to give them to a new best friend. A one, prolly.
The Bar Test — 1-5 points.
You’ve got a crowded bar, or party, or any social event. You turn on some tunes and crank the volume – does the temperature rise? Or have you just thrown a blanket on the fire? And no, your personal feelings don’t count.
Some bands simply pass The Bar Test. Others don’t. If the Rock N Roll is “Great”, usually the Bar Test comes through somehow.
Example: When Bon Jovi comes on in a bar, arms go up and people sing along. There’s no stopping it, and it happens twice a night in every drink-hole across the country. They get a 5 out of 5. Can you say the same for Pavement? Not really. Give them a 1.
.
The Road Trip — 1-5 points
A sister to the Bar Test.
This accounts for music that is must-play shit for the cross-country drive you take with your buddies, your brother, your sister, your lady or your man. Know what I mean?
Nothing’s better than rock ‘n roll and an open road. Let’s give some due.
Example: The Black Crowes can keep a car humping and thumping, with likable vintage rock that keeps the pace and you want to sing along. In most cars, they’d pull a 4 if not a 5. Hole, on the other hand… only for a happy few. Give em a 1 or 2.
.
Impact Outside of Music — 1-10 points
Impact Outside of Music refers to how much a band ‘makes a difference’ in terms of: politics/world issues (think Bono in Africa), or socio/cultural events (think the Stones at Altamont), or the music industry itself (speaking of Radiohead – credit their recent online-access efforts).
Example: Sly & the Family Stone made a large cultural splash with their inter-racial band and songs of brotherhood in a tumultuous time. Maybe they pull an 8. Canned Heat was an awesome blues-rock band, but didn’t set off a lot of ripples outside of the songs. They’d do a 2 or 3.
.
Essence of Rock ‘N Roll — 1-8 points
“Essence of Rock ‘N Roll” gives a nod to the basic SPIRIT of the genre – what all the hullabaloo was about in the first place – vintage rock’s original intentions: to make you boogie, make you feel good, make you get up and dance, make you turn up the volume and let your wiggler fly.
Rock ‘n roll is about getting off your ass. Not navel-gazing.
The bands who do it best deserve a cherry.
Example: AC/DC want nothing more than to serve the gods of Rock. With every song, every album, they are in pursuit of the original intent. They get an 8. Sonic Youth is a major band, deeply influential – but good luck finding a pure rock song. Give ‘em a 2.
.
The Resonant Story — 1-8 points
Some bands just tell a powerful story. You love them more because of the unique, affecting narrative of their career.
Whether it’s the Beatles’ coming-of-age against the backdrop of the 60s, or Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crash, or the whole lineup of U2 getting together in a high school in Dublin, or Pink Floyd’s redirection after Syd Barrett’s mental breakdowns, or the Nirvana phenomenon cut short by Cobain’s self-loathing - some bands just have that extra bit of romance, that extra dollop of mythology, that extra punch of emotional resonance.
Example: Buddy Holly & the Crickets were a ground-breaking force, by the songs alone. But Buddy’s personal story and his tragic early passing add a halo of holiness around the man and his accomplishments. The Moody Blues don’t really hit you at a narrative level. Holly gets an 8, Moodies get a 2.
.
& finally …
Your Personal Opinion: Who is Greater? — 10 points to winner.
This is your chance to weigh in, but do try to give an educated vote.
You’ve heard all the music, you’ve gone through the Elements, you’ve thought about every little detail… so who do you think ultimately deserves it?
This is the most important Element, because no scoring system is perfect.
Example: You’re judging The Doors against The Cure, and it’s neck and neck – maybe The Cure has a small advantage by your scoring. Do you believe they are the “Greater” Rock Band, when it’s all said and done? If so, give them 10. If your heart of hearts says The Doors … then it’s ten to the Doorskies!
______________________________________________________
.
GET IT LOVELIES?
It’s a lot to wrap your brain around, and we’re still working out the kinks.
Take two bands you know by heart, and give it a swing!
Let us know how it turns out, what you discover, and what you think.
.
Eddie Varese here, as always — telling you to turn it on and turn it up!
