Best pop/rock band

[nath]

[ QUOTE ]
nath,

Don't take the college/indie scene thing too literally/seriously. Jimmy Eat World, for example, were indie stars, and they are as pop-rock as you get.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right, and I remember when they were. That's why a band like the Exploding Hearts immediately comes to mind. All the indie kids loved them, but all the same, Guitar Romantic is one of the best pop-rock albums of the decade, and I think very close to the original definition of what you were looking for. I also feel similarly about Ted Leo and the Pharmacists-- again, another act that's college/indie but which is driven by great songwriting that also rocks, which is something everybody can appreciate.

[Big Poppa Smurf]

el d,

steely dan has way too many jazzy numbers to be included in this thread.

anyways some suggestions i don't think have been mentioned yet:
cream

mountain (maybe some of their stuff is a little too creative for this, but with songs like "missippi queen" "theme from an imaginary western" etc they definitely deserve consideration)

kiss obviously

steve miller band for a little bit more poppy sound

also early van morrison, like "brown eyed girl" era is just tons of great pop songs with sweet guitar riffs

edit: if you're looking for more pop-rock answers, definitely steve miller and early van

[VincentVega]

dont know if they qualify, but sublime should be on the list regardless of their early exit, and im not quite sure why Incubus hasnt been listed

[Big Poppa Smurf]

nath,

ted leo is the shiznite and i almost put him on my list, but decided not to for some reason i can't even recall 5 minutes later

i think i let the indie label blind me to the pop-rockness of the music

[nath]

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a reason I haven't seen much or any Journey nominations?

[/ QUOTE ]

Journey is awesome.

I tried not to nominate older bands who were already mentioned.

So let me go ahead and say I love Squeeze and the Replacements as well but can't see how the 'Mats could ever be considered "pop". MY favorite band is Big Star, and they're just about the perfect combination of pop-rock, but nobody knows who they are anymore except a)older music writers who were there, man, or b)younger music writers who like to name-drop

[Grifter]

Another one I don't think has been listed is Matthew Sweet. "Girlfriend" is just one power pop tune after another, and there is just enough guitar solo to qualify as rocking.

[suzzer99]

[ QUOTE ]

samj: I was just about to suggest BadCo. Shooting Star has been in my head all morning. Foreigner another good one.


[/ QUOTE ]

Are you seriously putting either of these bands ahead of Fleetwood Mac? Dude. A) They have about a billion times more talent, and B) this category as you define it seems like a perfect fit. I WANT SOME MAC-LOVE.

grumble grumble

[The Yugoslavian]

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blink-182.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah except after listening to an album all the way through the first thought that comes to mind is "that was gay" not "that rocked! full of GREAT songs! wow it rocked!"

Yugoslav

[mrkilla]

Fleetwood Mac sucks so so so so so so hard ....

[ZeTurd]

The Guess Who
The Black Crowes
The Band
The Yardbirds
Herb Alpert
Free

..

What do I win?