Music. If you don’t know this about me already, I love it.
How much of a dork does it make me to say I’ve got the complete discographies of Supertramp, Led Zeppelin, Chevelle, the White Stripes, Jamiroquai and the Eels?
It doesn’t matter.
My taste, like many, has evolved. I never got into listening to tunes until grade 8. Then after purchasing my first two CDs — Supertramp’s Breakfast in America and Kansas’ The Best of — my need to listen to classic rock had me playing my dad’s records. I did go through a brief rap phase (Digital Underground, Fab 5 Freddy, Eric B & Rakim) but admittedly that was just to piss him off. And it was a very brief segment of grade 8.
I was focused through high school, avoiding the popular music and getting deeper into the sub-sections of the ’70s. I added ZZ Top, the Guess Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Styx, Foreigner and the Eagles to my list of my favourites. The only ’90s rhythms I picked up on were Sheryl Crow, Collective Soul and the Counting Crows.
It wasn’t until university that the depth of my music knowledge erupted, scattering like a frag grenade into other genres like electronic, country, R&B as well as big band, jazz and industrial. I was into the swing revival of the early Aughts. I even wore a fedora while attending UofT.
So in honour of my fandemonium of music, here are my Top 25 Bands (not artists). Included are my preferred lineups and my Top 10 songs, and if there’s an asterisk beside the name, I’ve seen them in concert.
P.S. Do you know how hard it is to find a band shot for Jamiroquai online?
| 25. |  |
Band: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club* Lineup: Peter Hayes, Robert Levon Been and Nick Jago. Album: Howl, August 2005 Songs: “Shuffle Your Feet”, “Ain’t No Easy Way”, “Still Suspicion Holds You Tight”, “Berlin”, “Howl”, “Took Out A Loan”, “Cold Wind”, “Beat The Devil’s Tattoo”, “Mama Taught Me Better” and “Conscience Killer”. |
|---|---|---|
| 24. |  |
Band: Van Halen* Lineup: David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen. Album: 1984, January 1984 Songs: “Panama”, “Hot For Teacher”, “Jump”, “Runnin’ With The Devil”, “Jamie’s Crying”, “Dance The Night Away”, “And The Cradle Will Rock …”, “Unchained”, “Poundcake” and “Right Now”. |
| 23. |  |
Band: Aerosmith Lineup: Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. Album: Toys in the Attic, April 1975 Songs: “Rag Doll”, “Living On The Edge,” “Sweet Emotion”, “Walk This Way”, “Dream On”, “Cryin'”, “Draw The Line”, “Just Push Play”, “Back In The Saddle” and “Janie’s Got A Gun”. |
| 22. |  |
Band: Fleetwood Mac Lineup: Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie and Christine McVie. Album: Rumours, February 1977 Songs: “Go Your Own Way”, “Don’t Stop”, “The Chain”, “Dreams”, “Rhiannon”, “Landslide”, “Big Love”, “Say You Love Me”, “Little Lies” and “Gypsy”. |
| 21. |  |
Band: the Police* Lineup: Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland and Sting. Album: Synchronicity, June 1983 Songs: “Synchronicity II”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, “Message In A Bottle”, “Don’t Stand So Close To Me”, “De Do Do Do De Da Da Da”, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, “King of Pain”, “Spirits In The Material World” and “Roxanne”. |
| 20. |  |
Band: the Hives Lineup: Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist, Nicholaus Arson, Vigilante Carlstroem, Dr. Matt Destruction, Chris Dangerous. Album: Tyrannosaurus Hives, July 2004 Songs: “Walk Idiot Walk”, “Go Right Ahead”, “Tick Tick Boom”, “Hate To Say I Told You So”, “Main Offender”, “Two Timing Touch and Broken Bones”, “Diabolic Scheme”, “Giddy Up!”, “T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.” and “Dead Quote Olympics”. |
| 19. |  |
Band: the Black Keys Lineup: Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Album: Brothers, May 2010 Songs: “Lonely Boy”, “Tighten Up”, “Howlin’ For You”, “Next Girl”, “I Got Mine”, “Same Old Thing”, “Strange Times”, “Just Go To Be”, “Gold On The Ceiling” and “Till I Get My Way”. |
| 18. |  |
Band: Finger Eleven Lineup: Scott Anderson, James Black, Rick Jackett, Sean Anderson and Rich Beddoe. Album: Them vs. You vs. Me, March 2007 Songs: “Above”, “First Time”, “Good Times”, “Paralyzer”, “I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague”, “Lost My Way”, “Whatever Doesn’t Kill Me”, “Talking To The Walls”, “Living In A Dream” and “One Thing”. |
| 17. |  |
Band: Collective Soul Lineup: Shane Evans, Ross Childress, Dean Roland, Ed Roland, Will Turpin. Album: Disciplined Breakdown, March 1997 Songs: “The World I Know”, “December”, “Gel”, “Precious Declaration”, “Forgiveness”, “Heavy”, “Shine”, “Listen”, “Why Pt. 2” and “Next Homecoming”. |
| 16. |  |
Band: Sloan* Lineup: Patrick Pentland, Chris Murphy, Andrew Scott and Jay Ferguson. Album: Action Pact, August 2003 Songs: “Underwhelmed”, “Rest Of My Life”, “The Other Man”, “If It Feels Good Do It”, “Coax Me”, “Losing California”, “Money City Maniacs”, “The Good In Everyone”, “False Alarm” and “Who Taught You To Live Like That?”. |
| 15. |  |
Band: the Donnas* Lineup: Brett Anderson, Allison Robertson, Maya Ford and Torry Castellano. Album: Gold Medal, October 2004 Songs: “Fall Behind Me”, “It’s So Hard”, “The Gold Medal”, “Take It Off”, “All Messed Up”, “Who Invited You”, “Skintight”, “Too Bad About Your Girl”, “Don’t Break Me Down” and “Girl Talk”. |
| 14. |  |
Band: the Cars Lineup: Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, David Robinson and Benjamin Orr. Album: The Cars, June 1978 Songs: “Bye Bye Love”, “Shake It Up”, “Drive”, “Best My Friend’s Girl”, “Good Times Roll”, “Moving In Stereo”, “Let’s Go”, “Magic”, “You Might Think” and “Just What I Needed”. |
| 13. |  |
Band: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers* Lineup: Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Ron Blair, Scott Thurston and Stan Lynch. Album: Damn the Torpedoes, October 1979 Songs: “Refugee”, “Don’t Do Me Like That”, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”, “Free Falling”, “Don’t Come Around Here No More”, “Only The Losers”, “Breakdown”, “Learning To Fly”, “The Waiting” and “American Girl”. |
| 12. |  |
Band: ZZ Top* Lineup: Frank Beard, Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. Album: Eliminator, March 1983 Songs: “Legs”, “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Sharp Dressed Man”, “La Grange”, “Tube Snake Boogie”, “Got Me Under Pressure”, “Tush”, “Doubleback” and “Cheap Sunglasses”. |
| 11. |  |
Band: Boston* Lineup: Barry Goudreau, Tom Scholz, Sib Hashian, Brad Delp and Fran Sheehan. Album: Boston, July 1976 Songs: “Foreplay/Long Time”, “More Than A Feeling”, “Smokin'”, “Rock and Roll Band”, “Don’t Look Back”, “Peace of Mind”, “Amanda”, “Cool The Engines”, “Feelin’ Satisfied” and “Party”. |
| 10. |  |
Band: the Eels* Lineup: E, Butch and Tommy Walter. Album: Daisies of the Galaxy, February 2000 Songs: “Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues”, “I Like Birds”, “Novocaine For The Soul”, “My Beloved Monster”, “Susan’s House”, “Tiger In My Tank”, “Cancer For The Cure”, “Hey Man (Now You’re Really Living)”, “Theme for a Pretty Girl That Makes You Believe God Exists” and “Fresh Blood”. |
| 9. |  |
Band: the White Stripes* Lineup: Jack White and Meg White. Album: Get Behind Me Satan, June 2005 Songs: “Take Take Take”, “Blue Orchid”, “Fell In Love With A Girl”, “Icky Thump”, “Seven Nation Army”, “Hotel Yorba”, “I Think I Smell A Rat”, “There’s No Home For You Here”, “The Denial Twist” and “Conquest”. |
| 8. |  |
Band: the Tragically Hip Lineup: Gordon Downie, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and Paul Langlois. Album: Fully Completely, October 1992 Songs: “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)”, “Looking for a Place to Happen”, “At the Hundredth Meridian”, “Locked in the Trunk of a Car”, “Fifty-Mission Cap”, “Music At Work”, “Poets”, “Blow At High Dough”, “No Threat” and “Ahead By A Century”. |
| 7. |  |
Band: Jamiroquai Lineup: Jay Kay, Toby Smith, Stuart Zender, Derrick McKenzie and Wallis Buchanan. Album: Dynamite, September 2005 Songs: “Cosmic Girl”, “Canned Heat”, “Supersonic”, “Virtual Insanity”, “Seven Days In Sunny June”, “Use The Force”, “Love Foolosophy”, “Little L”, “Feels Just Like It Should” and “Light Years”. |
| 6. |  |
Band: Supertramp* Lineup: Roger Hodgson, Rick Davies, John A. Helliwell, Dougie Thomson, Bob Siebenberg. Album: Breakfast in America, March 1979 Songs: “Goodbye Stranger”, “Dreamer”, “Fool’s Overture”, “The Logical Song”, “Take The Long Way Home”, “Lady”, “A Soapbox Opera”, “Bloody Well Right”, “It’s Raining Again” and “You Win, I Lose”. |
| 5. |  |
Band: Lynyrd Skynyrd Lineup: Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns and Leon Wilkeson. Album: (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), August 1973 Songs: “Saturday Night Special”, “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Gimme Three Steps”, “Free Bird”, “That Smell”, “Don’t Ask Me No Questions”, “Call Me The Breeze”, “Simple Man”, “Tuesday’s Gone” and “What’s Your Name”. |
| 4. |  |
Band: AC/DC Lineup: Brian Johnson, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd. Album: Back In Black, July 1980 Songs: “Shoot To Thrill”, “Thunderstruck”, “Safe In New York City”, “Razor’s Edge”, “Back In Black”, “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”, “Highway To Hell”, “TNT”, “Stiff Upper Lip” and “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”. |
| 3. |  |
Band: Audioslave Lineup: Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk. Album: Out of Exile, May 2005 Songs: “Like A Stone”, “Be Yourself”, “Doesn’t Remind Me”, “Drown Me Slowly”, “Cochise”, “Show Me How To Live”, “Set It Off”, “Revelations”, “One And The Same” and “Original Fire”. |
| 2. |  |
Band: Chevelle Lineup: Pete, Joe and Sam Loeffler. Album: This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), September 2004 Songs: “The Red”, “The Clincher”, “Get Some”, “Still Running”, “I Get It”, “The Fad”, “Comfortable Liar”, “Forfeit”, “Jars” and “Pinata”. |
| 1. |  |
Band: Led Zeppelin Lineup: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, John Paul Jones. Album: Untitled (IV), November 1971 Songs: “Fool In The Rain”, “The Ocean”, “Misty Mountain Hop”, “Over The Hills And Far Away”, “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll”, “Immigrant Song”, “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman)”, “South Bound Suarez” and “Gallow’s Pole”. |