Top American Rock and Roll Band of all time?

The Velvet Underground

Sales wise they are not on the map but as Brian Eno once said "although the Velvet Underground didn’t sell many albums, everyone who bought one went on to form a band." They brought avante-garde music and expiramentation out into the forefront and showed people how they could explore music. This really set them apart from other bands. Also, many genres of music would not be around without attributing their success to The Velvet Underground(punk,grunge,etc). Not only that but look at who was in the band. They had John Cale who is a wizard of many instruments and one of the most influential and poetic writers of all time in Lou Reed. This band never missed. Love Em or hate Em you have to respect what they did for rock music and the influence they played on generations to come.

Velvet's a great band, but I'm not so they're anymore important than the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Love or any number of bands that synthesized heavier psychadelic music with folk.

For me it boils down to three groups:The Beach Boys, The Jimi Hendrix Experience or The Byrds

The Beach Boys because they raised the bar and influence more genres than I think they're given credit for (punk music being the most startling apparent). The Jimi Hendrix Experience because, let's face it, without Jimi, there'd be no 70s rock. And the Byrds because they pretty much invented or helped invent 3 or 4 genres of rock music despite constant lineup changes.

But since we're talking rock, I'm going with Jimi Hendrix. For me, he's pretty much the drawbridge between the Beatles and the 70s, pushing rock music in a simultaneously harder and more glam oriented direction.

grateful dead. no question about it for me. no one even comes close.
jimi hendrix is second though.

I gotta go with Dead kennedys! I know that's not going to be a popular choice but hear me out. They were the first (talented) band to let kids know that they could be angry and hostile but, that our anger and hostility could be made actively productive, informative and not just idealistic. They were the first punk band to take the scene beyond the whole "f*ck you for f*ck you's sake" thing, while also ignoring the obscenely redundant nonsense of other American punk "pioneers" like the Misfits (catchy as hell, but come on) and The Ramones (pure sh*t). They tried and succeeded to rationaly inform an entirely new segment of disenfranchised youth about the social and political attrocities that had become common-place in our culture. I know that they have gotten a bad reputation due to the thousands of brain-dead d*ckheads who just really dug their name and logo but, they were truly a classic American counter-culture band, voicing intelligent disdain and contempt at everything including themselves. They were the first band to ever attack skinheads or scenesters, saying f*ck you to a big chunk of their initial following. In countless attempts to establish their credibilty, they bit the hands that fed them and spat it back in our faces....and no one has had the balls to do that before or sense! They were the last REAL American punk band. The first song on their last album (1986) was a cover of Johnny Paycheck's "Take this job and shove it!", flat-out telling their fans that they, their closed-minded clique and the current approach to the anti-establishment movement had become futile and not worth fighting for. Jello went-on to sing the line "Punk's not dead, It just deserves to die, when it becomes another stale cartoon..." in, what ammounted to the band's resignation from the joke that punk had enevidibly had become.
This is just my opinion and know that people won't agree with me but, I would take it as a personal favor if you would listen to their first and last records before deciding how you feel.
"Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables" 1979
"Bedtime For Democracy" 1986
(you won't be sorry)

*Send me your address and I would be more than happy to burn these legendary LPs for you, free of charge.*

The MC5

I would also give them the credit as the first punk or even hard rock band. Nobody was playing like they were when they were, it was like a freakshow. A couple of weeks ago I was at a bar and they came on. My friend didnt know who it was and I asked him what year he thought it came out. He said the late 90's if not more recent. He was shocked to find out it was from 1964!

w/out thinking more than a minute on this id have to agree and say the Velvets...maybe i'll post later with a change of heart after some thought.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND

they embody american rock n' roll

It's between the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, and The Band for me.

Jimi Hendrix experience, R.E.M., Allman Brothers, and Nirvana would make the list as well.

CANADIANS

all except Levon.

^dylan hands down if we're talking singer songwritters

Elvis anyone? but seriously I would definitly have to go the route of Grateful Dead, not only did they put out great music but , in turn, their music changed the lifestyles of many people. But if I didnt have to go with them I may say Pearl Jam even though they decided to go over sea's this summer. They are the closest thing to a religous experience I will ever have. I'm not really old enough to qualify for this question i dont think

The Beatles! Wait, crap. The Who! Wait, crap. Radiohead! Wait, crap. I give up. New Kids on the Block.

I mean, are we talking influence or just flat out excellence here? Or both?

I'm to the point of either the allmans or the dead. I think there is a very strong argument for either group.