# Bands whose music stands the test of time



## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

My wife and I were listening and talking about songs being played on the radio now that have aged well...to say - have withstood the test of time. The one band we can agree on is April Wine. To quote my wife...these April Wine songs still sound fresh today. And we all know...wives are always right.
Any other bands with that timeless sound?


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Interesting topic.

I do agree with your choice, maybe because I've always been a huge fan.
One of the few bands that I actually like when they pull off a slow song.

Zepplin seems to have a timeless quality.

Pearl Jam or U2 might be some others.


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## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

Their ability to capture an incredible sound in the studio, let alone their great songs. I'll put Pink Floyd in there.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

If interest from subsequent generations is any indication, and using my students as a gauge, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, The Beatles, Deep Purple, and U2 all pretty much hit the mark, though I'm not so much in agreement with AC/DC. 

Some other specific songs, like Don't Fear The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult), and Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix) get a nod too, though the young ones aren't as enthused about their other songs.

Some surf style stuff is popular once it's introduced, like Pipeline, Walk Don't Run, and others.

For me, it would be Bach, and Django style swing...

Peace, Mooh.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

what does that actually mean, anyhow? old songs that still sound great? how about moonlight serenade? it's pretty old, and still sounds great. is that what timeless is? i can't listen to it in my head without hearing the clicks and pops of old vinyl. pearl jam? they and soundgarden defined the 90's. pink floyd? well, they're pink floyd, they can do pretty much whatever they want.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> pearl jam? they and soundgarden defined the 90's.


That would depend on where you lived in the 90's. I lived in England in the mid 90's and the bands that defined the decade were Blur and Oasis. 

I am a bit confused by the original post. Are we speaking of records that have an impact on subsequent generations or ones that don't sound dated?


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Oh boy wish i could post vids from the phone. i would say the bands that made it are the ones not found in the deletion bin. I used to buy a lot of records from the towers store deletion bin when i was 14 or so.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

For me, April Wine would not be on my list of "timeless" songs, but they do evoke some fond memories. To me its the "production" of the recording that makes a tune sound dated, whereas a well crafted song can be produced any number of ways and still sound great. A while back I heard an interview with John Mellencamp where he talked about how his early tunes have suffered from being produced with that "80's sound" which causes some people to tune them out even though they are great tunes.




keeperofthegood said:


> Oh boy wish i could post vids from the phone. i would say the bands that made it are the ones not found in the deletion bin. I used to buy a lot of records from the towers store deletion bin when i was 14 or so.


As for the deletion bin, two of my favourite guitarists of all time, Joe Walsh and David Lindley, were discovered via the deletion bin.


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## urko99 (Mar 30, 2009)

John Fogerty/CCR have been around since the late 60's and still selling out shows. I believe from mid 1968 until early 1970 the released 5 of thier biggest albums in an 18 month span! I've got to admire John Fogerty standing tough through that legal battle over the rights to his music which lasted decades! Comming Back in the mid to late 90's stronger than ever. I just purchased "The Long Road Home" DVD concert(2005) and It's an Outstanding Energetic Performance! I'm also picked up 'Premonition" (1998) from Amazon and still waiting for it to come in. Another great sountrack. Not bad for a guy in his mid 60's!

His music is still very well recognized in Bars and Night clubs and any Band that plays his music will vouch on how well it goes over.

You Got to hand it to John Fogerty..........still going strong after all these years!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Latiator said:


> Their ability to capture an incredible sound in the studio, let alone their great songs. I'll put Pink Floyd in there.


If DSOTM hasn't stood the text of time, what has?

I think Rush and Deep Purple also sound as good to me today as they did in the 70s.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I think Tom Petty and his entire body of work stands the test of time. He never really followed any of the trends that have come and gone during his career. Even the recordings of his early songs don't sound particularly dated to me and the songs themselves are forever classics that you can listen to and relate to in any era of music. Simple, unpretentious, honest song writing and recording seems to have worked well for him - and for me when I crank him up on the various music machines that have come and gone over the years.


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## Latiator (Jul 18, 2007)

urko99 said:


> John Fogerty/CCR...His music is still very well recognized in Bars and Night clubs and any Band that plays his music will vouch on how well it goes over...still going strong after all these years!





Milkman said:


> If DSOTM hasn't stood the text of time, what has?
> 
> I think Rush and Deep Purple also sound as good to me today as they did in the 70s.


Yep, agreed! The latter two being ahead of their time, I'll throw Boston's debut album, Supertramp's Crime of the Century and Fleetwood's Rumours in the mix as well. I just want to clarify that these are not my favourite albums, but timeless.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

bw66 said:


> ...
> *As for the deletion bin, two of my favourite guitarists of all time, Joe Walsh and David Lindley, were discovered via the deletion bin.*


 
I found Joe that way too. Though I knew of Stevie Ray Vaughan it was a deletion bin album I bought first. I also found Todd Rundgren in a deletion bin. Same for YES and the Bee Gee's and The Damned. I know I know I know, but I liked the 3 or 6 albums (forget now) of Yoko Ono I bought that way too.

Some music will fade away. Yellow Roses for My Sweat-hearts Love for instance. Totally forgotten by everyone five minutes before it stopped being played. _Für Elise_ is the first song my son learned to play on piano and that by ear. I have ALWAYS loved Greene Sleeves, that was penned around 1580 or so. I couldn't name you a SPICE GIRLS song right this moment if you paid me to but there are many many dozens of other musicians that I cannot even recall the names of that have come and gone and just don't make the rotation on anyones playlist anywhere. Sometimes an old tune needs simply to be "rediscovered" which is in part why I liked Dead Can Dance.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

I'd like to add Who's Next, Mick Taylor-era Stones & most of Springsteen's catalogue to the list.


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

*Rush* - Not only have they withstood the test of time - there getting more popular as the years go by.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Duke Ellington, Glenn Millar, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Downchild, BTO, Doug and the Slugs.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

bw66 said:


> For me, April Wine would not be on my list of "timeless" songs, but they do evoke some fond memories. To me its the "production" of the recording that makes a tune sound dated, whereas a well crafted song can be produced any number of ways and still sound great. A while back I heard an interview with John Mellencamp where he talked about how his early tunes have suffered from being produced with that "80's sound" which causes some people to tune them out even though they are great tunes. As for the deletion bin, two of my favourite guitarists of all time, Joe Walsh and David Lindley, were discovered via the deletion bin.


I agree, for this reason- production, I would not have Led zeppelin on my list.I like a more polished sound, so I would have Styx, Saga, eagles, most of The Who, U2 , Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, old Van Halen, Guns n Roses....but I think we're all going to be biased by the era of our nostalgia.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

urko99 said:


> I've got to admire John Fogerty standing tough through that legal battle over the rights to his music which lasted decades! Comming Back in the mid to late 90's stronger than ever.



the thing about john fogerty that most impressed me was something he said in an interview back in the 80's regarding his time after ccr, and his difficulties without them. he said "i thought *i* was was ccr, i was wrong"
not everyone who makes a mistake can admit it to the world like that. he did, and i respect that.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Diablo said:


> I agree, for this reason- production, I would not have Led zeppelin on my list.I like a more polished sound, so I would have Styx, Saga, eagles, most of The Who, U2 , Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, old Van Halen, Guns n Roses....but I think we're all going to be biased by the era of our nostalgia.


I would agree with all the bands you have listed here and throw in my fav, Boston


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Another thing to keep in mind with all the bands being thrown about here. WE ARE STILL ALIVE! And while there is breath in our bodies by our actions we keep that which we like also alive. To really know if the music we think is great and timeless really IS great and timeless we need to know if the great grand kids can name the same songs/bands being named here. Only, by that time we all will be dead


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2012)

nkjanssen said:


> Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"
> 
> Possibly the most perfect album of all time.


When we were apt living, a young couple moved in next door.
She would play that album over and over ..and over and over .. and over ..
Kinda ruined it for me.

Hendrix, Beatles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Yes, Nugent/Amboy dukes, Zappa.
Could go on for hours.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

nkjanssen said:


> Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"
> 
> Possibly the most perfect album of all time.


the irony makes me chuckle. just about every _fleetwood mac_ fan i ever knew, thought everything before rumors was great, and hated that album and nearly everything after it. every fan i ever knew of that _album_, was the polar opposite.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

nkjanssen said:


> It's obviously pretty subjective. Lots of stuff listed here as "timeless" or "aging well" sounds dated as hell to me. May as well throw in my subjective opinion, though...The only album I can think of that I loved as a little kid in the 70's when all I listened to was my parents music, still loved as a teenager in the 80's even after I became a metalhead, loved all the way through my post-high school years in the 90's when I was into blues, jazz, country and funk, and still love today now that a lot of people (wrongfully) consider me an indie snob...Fleetwood Mac - "Rumours"Possibly the most perfect album of all time.


That's pretty strong, but I can't deny it's an album that stands up very well even now.

Great writing, playing, singing and chemistry.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

cheezyridr said:


> the irony makes me chuckle. just about every _fleetwood mac_ fan i ever knew, thought everything before rumors was great, and hated that album and nearly everything after it. every fan i ever knew of that _album_, was the polar opposite.


Probably some truth to that. rumors is their only album I'd ever listen to. I'd never even heard of Peter green until a couple yrs ago on this forum.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I would agree with all the bands you have listed here and throw in my fav, Boston


I'd agree with Boston as well. Really surprising that only one has mentioned The Beatles?


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

Diablo said:


> I'd agree with Boston as well. Really surprising that only one has mentioned The Beatles?



maybe because they've been crammed down everyone's throats for the last 40+ yrs.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I think there are several Beatles albums that stand the test of time for me personally.

Sgt Peppers

let it Be

The White Album

Magical Mystery Tour

To name a few.

We may tend to take the Beatles for granted in this thread.


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