When I start talking about influential rock bands from back in the day, I always find myself mentioning a tonne of British bands. There was definitely something in the water back then, and it tasted good. So I thought I’d throw together a bunch of influential British rock bands (and artists), that REALLY stood out and paved the way for others. These are in no order of preference either, just bands that come to mind, we could be here a while if I dig too deep.
Black Sabbath
The godfathers of heavy metal, although they’ll just tell you that they were playing rock n roll. However, before they came along, no one was doing it like them. No one evoked that evil dissident mood like Sabbath did. Wicked vocals, incredible riffs, Sabbath influenced millions the world over to make it heavy. Go and listen to Iron Man, then consider it was 1970, in overcast working class Birmingham England. This is incredible.
Queen
Well, Queen was always going to make it onto this list weren’t they. Soaring vocals and multi-layered harmonies within arena-sized rock anthems. Queen was a band that demanded you sit up and take notice, thanks largely to the greatest front man of all time, Freddie Mercury. But never forget that Queen were a band that could change genres in a heartbeat, such was the musicianship within. Speed metal ("Stone Cold Crazy"), 50’s pop ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love"), Prog art rock ("Bohemian Rhapsody") funk ("Fun It") blues ("My Melancholy Blues"). Yeah, there’s plenty. A testament to their prominence is the fact that two of the four are still touring as Queen, 40 something years after their inception.
Check out "My Melancholy Blues" from their album News Of The World if you’re not familiar with it, and lose yourself in the magic of Freddie's voice.
The Beatles
This is a given. The biggest band of all time who were only active for 10 years. They INVENTED modern pop music. In fact, The Beatles created a new world of music. Without them, would another band have taken the mantle? Probably not. They explored different styles along the way, including pop, hard rock, psychedelic rock and even threw in Indian vibes. Think about this, In 1963 and 1964 they released ELEVEN albums. 11! The Beatles, 4 blokes who just got it and meshed so perfectly for that period of time it changed music forever. I shouldn’t need to convince you, but their first #1 hit was this one. A seemingly simple song that turned the musical world on its head.
The Rolling Stones
The fact that this band is still touring live, and that they are alive, should be testament enough to their importance and influence.
Whilst The Beatles were the nice boys, The Rolling Stones were seen, in the early days, as the scruffy bad boys. The musical world needed that ying-yang relationship, and not only did the whole influence a movement but the individual players, fronted by the hypnotising Mick Jagger, made sure people continued the craft by leading from the front. I was a late adopter of the Stones, always taking The Beatles side, but in my later years, I fully appreciate what they did, and continue to do. So I must apologize for not seeing the light earlier, even though I would sing along to a tonne of their songs. Provocative lyrics, a killer riff, and attitude, The Rolling Stones kill it.
The Sex Pistols
How could a band that were only together for 2 years and who only released one album be on this list? Ok, as you know, this is no ordinary band we’re talking about here. It’s the Sex Pistols. Punk was already happening when they showed up, but rather than knock politely on the door and ask to be let in, they smashed the whole joint down with a wrecking ball and demanded to be kings. They came, they saw, they destroyed, they left. They weren’t the best, but that’s what made them so important, they inspired millions to pick up an instrument and play, no matter the skills. Don’t listen to one song of theirs, oh no, listen to the whole damn album.
Led Zeppelin
When you have a band of 4 exquisite musicians, you’re always going to end up on a list like this. John Bonham is, to this day, cited as one of the best and most influential drummers of all time. Same can be said for Jimmy Page and his guitar skills. John Paul Jones is a stellar bassist and multi-instrumentalist who has a god-like status among his peers, and Robert Plant has been emulated by nearly every rock singer who’s worth a damn. Influential? Holy hell yes. Blues, hard rock, prog, pub rock, psychedelic, these lads influenced it all.
I wanna leave this one with you, because it’s so great on so many levels, but most of all, I love how you can hear Bonzos squeaky pedal at the start. This is a raw, beautiful, powerful song.
David Bowie
I remember as a kid, picking up his Aladdin Sane album from the ‘toaster rack’ in our lounge room where the vinyl was kept. It was my brothers album, in fact, most of them were his, and it’s where I got a big education in music and inherited a lot of my taste from. Of course, I had to know more about who this weirdo was on the cover, and so the diving into the depths began. I tell that story because I imagine it’s not much different to others. With just a simple album cover, I needed to know more, and once you’re in the Bowie space, it’s a brilliant ride. Especially when I found the previous album, The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars. Here was a man that transforms himself into anything, any style, and influence not only musicians to take chances, but influence fashion. When Bowie started acting, it didn’t hinder his music either, it was just another arm of his art. Let all the children boogie.
Deep Purple
Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Deep Purple are included in the unholy trinity of hard rock and heavy metal. Every kid who picks a guitar, be it electric or acoustic, will crank out some "Smoke on the Water" (most likely incorrectly) and instantly feel like ‘hey, I can do this’. Their take on what was happening in music at the time was heavier than some, but by adding Jon Lord and his Hammond organ made it a touch more accessible, yet gave it a more sinister sound at times. Despite line-up changes, hiatus’, and deaths, Deep Purple continue to inspire bands around the globe and continue to tour. You want sinister, you only have to look to the organ solo in "Highway Star". It’s magic and I will never get tired of hearing it.
Pink Floyd
While everyone else was making sweet 3-minute pop songs, Pink Floyd came along and flipped the script. They used previously unheard production techniques to experiment with sounds, patterns and it was almost as though their songs became colours. I guess they kind of did with their massive stage productions and light shows later on. Pink Floyd were truly a band that earned and curated anticipation. You never knew what the next album would sound like, or the next song on any album for that matter. They also are one of the bands that are instantly recognisable, I would say largely in thanks to David Gilmour’s playing, his voice, and the overall ethereal sounds that only their songs produce. Yes, they were weird, but they were also rock, funk, psychedelic, and grandiose. As far as concept albums or story albums go, they are without peer. A magical band that continues to inspire. Listen to Dark Side Of The Moon from start to finish for a magic trip.
I’m gonna leave it there. That’s nine indisputable influential British bands/artists to get you started. From this nine, you can then head off in any number of directions. Elvis Costello, The Clash, Dire Straits, Iron Maiden, Duran Duran, yes the list certainly goes on and on such was the influence of British musos on the rest of the world. As always I’d love to hear your suggestions and tell us WHY they deserve to be on the list. In the meantime, enjoy the tunes, and check out our Influential Brits playlist on Spotify:
Listen to Influential Brits on Apple Music:
