[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]1. So I named over 5 bands and/or artists that have as much or in some cases more talent than Fleetwood Mac, You never said that the bands had to be mainstream.[/QUOTE]
I figured this was an obvious condition. Otherwise, the janitor at the local grade school could be put on the list.
[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]Frankly I’ve never really cared much for most of the Beatles or the Stones. If I wanted to hear a British band rip off American blues I’d rather hear Led Zeppelin, or real American blues artists for that matter like Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Fleetwood Mac was talented but I’d say they are more of a period band. Take 100 colllege students and let them listen to Fleetwood Mac and I"m betting the vast majority will cringe and reach for their iPod earbuds.[/QUOTE]
I personally know a lot of young people and they nearly all listen to classic rock though not exclusively.
[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]It’s also ironic that you place those bands on a pedestal, and yet fail to mention other great bands/musicians that started out in the 1970’s like the Pretenders, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, and even Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Not to mention The Allman Brothers, etc etc.[/QUOTE]
I don’t see why this is a major issue for you. I never stated that I listed ALL bands I thought were very talented while being mainstream. Frankly, I don’t want to waste my time listing all those bands/artists.
[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]As well you failed to mention bands that reached their peak or a peak in the 70’s like Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Iggy Pop.[/QUOTE]
I don’t think it is right to expect a band to keep producing at a high level for decades. The half-life of very talented and creative musicians is short on the average. The great bands of the past 40-50 years have had incredible staying power and have remained popular across multiple generations. Heck, nearly every area in the USA has radio stations devoted to mostly playing their music.
[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]2. Out of those bands I mentioned
Cowboy Junkies
Robery Cray
The Black Keys
Peter Gabriel(You might remember him as the first lead singer of Genesis)
Blur
Ryan Adams
have all had albums in the Top 100 and I believe at least the Top 40. In addition Cowboy Junkies, Explosions in the Sky and The Black Keys have had their music used in movie soundtracks and on TV shows in the opening sequence. And I"m probably not remembering enough. The point being is that they are known, just not by people who don’t bother to venture outside the oldies channel.[/QUOTE]
IMO, breaking into the top 100 doesn’t make a band domineering or mainstream. These are more niche bands than mainstream.
[QUOTE=yojimbo197;2686487]3. Out of those “mainstream bands/artist you identified as being “iconic”” several were examples of the gratuitous form of 1970’s stadium rock/corporate rock. Boston, SuperTramp, and Yes were probably some of the worst offenders with all of those extended and gratuitous solo and jamming.[/QUOTE]
They filled large stadiums, sold millions of records and are still played on radio stations across the country 30-40 years later. I don’t think even you would say The Black Keys are being played as often as Boston is today. Heck, I would bet that in 40 years Boston, or any band of their stature, will be played more than any current band/artist you listed.