U2 vs the Rolling Stones

adorshki

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Wonder how many of us thought U2'd ever reach 40 years old, let alone be the first band to ever achieve number 1 Billboard albums of completely new material in 4 successive decades?
https://www.billboard.com/articles/...50/u2-songs-of-experience-billboard-200-chart
Off the top of my head I'm having a hard time remembering any other bands besides them and the Stones that are 40 years old and still officially intact... **
Crazy Horse? Does 2 original members count, or just the name of the band?
oh yeah, Aerosmith....
** Edit: What I should have said was "continuously and still officially intact"
 
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dreadnut

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Eagles, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Doobie Bros...
 

adorshki

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Eagles, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Doobie Bros...

Out of that list only ZZ Top has been a continuously intact band, but thanks for the reminder.
I edited my original post because I see I failed to make that clear.
Eagles, Doobies and Seger have all officially disbanded at least once; and Nugent has replaced his backing band at least twice.
And I was trying to keep it restricted to bands since it's a lot harder for a band to survive intact than for a "front man" to survive by replacing their backing band(s) as needed.
 

Westerly Wood

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well, Pete and Roger are still trying...alas, not full band since 1979...
 

walrus

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I would only define "intact" as all original members. So that leaves U2 alone on the top. ZZ Top and Aerosmith can share second place - although Aerosmith gets an asterisk for the short time Perry was not in the band.

U2 is not my favorite band, but IMHO, this is significantly more impressive than the "merry go round" of members those other bands have had. And your point about original material is also a good one - I may personally think they sound very much the same, but they have definitely written original songs for decades.

walrus
 

adorshki

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I would only define "intact" as all original members. So that leaves U2 alone on the top. ZZ Top and Aerosmith can share second place - although Aerosmith gets an asterisk for the short time Perry was not in the band.
Personally I allowed for replaced members since many things besides mere creative differences or personality conflicts (like death) can affect a band's roster.
But officially disbanding and then reuniting for a tour are a different animal.
I'd give Pete and Roger credit for 40 years if they hadn't officially retired at least once, but I actually have to credit their integrity for their position that it wasn't really the Who without Moon and Entwistle.
U2 is not my favorite band, but IMHO, this is significantly more impressive than the "merry go round" of members those other bands have had. And your point about original material is also a good one - I may personally think they sound very much the same, but they have definitely written original songs for decades.
walrus
Yeah, my first thought at seeing the accomplishment was "Who'da thunk?" and "Who else has even been around for 40 years?" and the Stones were first to come to mind.
ZZ Tops' actually been continuously active almost 10 years longer than U2 but U2's the first to score the "#1 in four consecutive decades".
Beatles came close but one of 'em was "1" which wasn't original material, thus my restriction on that point, for the purposes of this thread..
 

txbumper57

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If I have to pick between U2 featuring Bonehead or The Tumbling Pebbles (Rolling Stones) for anything I would choose INXS or Kenny Rogers, LOL! On a serious note, hasn't AC/DC been together that long? I know it's country but George Strait and his "Ace In The Hole Band" have been together longer than 40 years and have several number one hits in 4 decades.

By the way, ZZ Top has been together longer than mentioned as the three original members were previously known as "The Moving Sidewalks" before changing their name to ZZ Top.

Kinda like Jefferson Airplane turned into Jefferson Starship and then just Starship and then they crashed, LOL. They built this city ya know.

TX
 
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Rayk

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Wonder how many of us thought U2'd ever reach 40 years old, let alone be the first band to ever achieve number 1 Billboard albums of completely new material in 4 successive decades?
https://www.billboard.com/articles/...50/u2-songs-of-experience-billboard-200-chart
Off the top of my head I'm having a hard time remembering any other bands besides them and the Stones that are 40 years old and still officially intact... **
Crazy Horse? Does 2 original members count, or just the name of the band?
oh yeah, Aerosmith....
** Edit: What I should have said was "continuously and still officially intact"

Rush , but not what there doing now Neil said touring is out as he can play for long periods arthritis or something . They are still working hard at selling their CD’s and wears though .
 

adorshki

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If I have to pick between U2 featuring Bonehead or The Tumbling Pebbles (Rolling Stones) for anything I would choose INXS or Kenny Rogers, LOL! On a serious note, hasn't AC/DC been together that long?
Good call, I thought they'd formally disbanded at least once, and I don't hold replaced members against 'em.
They just couldn't clear that #1 album in each of 4 consecutive decades hurdle.

I know it's country but George Strait and his "Ace In The Hole Band" have been together longer than 40 years and have several number one hits in 4 decades.
No restrictions on style, I'm kinda interested in bands that simply can maintain a long performing life at this point.

By the way, ZZ Top has been together longer than mentioned as the three original members were previously known as "The Moving Sidewalks" before changing their name to ZZ Top.
Even their first album as ZZ in '71 puts 'em second only to the Stones so far, for longevity.
Almost equal to Crazy Horse if one wants to count their time together before backing Young on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Kinda like Jefferson Airplane turned into Jefferson Starship and then just Starship and then they crashed, LOL. They built this city ya know.
TX
Starship. Ugh.
Let's just say they're already DQ'd due to multiple disbandments and even lawsuits over ownership of the band name.
 
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adorshki

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Ah, Rush is a good one!

walrus

Yeah, they don't have to be touring, just officially producing continuously.
Whoopsie, I see there was a break for a few years when Pert took time off to deal with personal issues.
And while I was thinking it's too bad Jeff Beck wouldn't qualify under my rules due to so many different bands, I remembered another dude who was my favorite for quite a while and whose band has been continuously producing in spite of membership turnover:
Santana.

Why am I allowing membership changes?
After reading Mick Fleetwood's autobiography I gained a lot of sympathy for how he and McVie kept Fleetwood Mac alive through so much personnel turmoil.
 

Rayk

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Yeah, they don't have to be touring, just officially producing continuously.
Whoopsie, I see there was a break for a few years when Pert took time off to deal with personal issues.
And while I was thinking it's too bad Jeff Beck wouldn't qualify under my rules due to so many different bands, I remembered another dude who was my favorite for quite a while and whose band has been continuously producing in spite of membership turnover:
Santana.

Why am I allowing membership changes?
After reading Mick Fleetwood's autobiography I gained a lot of sympathy for how he and McVie kept Fleetwood Mac alive through so much personnel turmoil.

Are you saying it don’t count because of a break ?
Anyway Neil has had it rough lost his wife then he lost his daughter soon after . Really messed his head up and No there was no drugs involved .
Rush probably was one the cleanest bands out there and Pot don’t count ! Lol
 
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walrus

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When Peart left, Rush never "disbanded" or "retired" they just waited for him to get it together, never knowing if he even would or not. They played their last tour to celebrate 40 years together.

I'm sticking with my own very short list. No way I'd include a band that became so different musically as Fleetwood Mac - only the name was the same, the music sure wasn't. And the Stones have been a karaoke band for years, never mind changing members.

But - you made the rules!

walrus
 

adorshki

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Are you saying it don’t count because of a break ?
Way back in post #3.
Anyway Neil has had it rough list his wife then he lost his daughter soon after . Really messed his head up and No there was no drugs involved .
Rush problem was one the cleanest bands out there and Pot don’t count ! Lol

I know it wasn't "his fault", but a break's a break.
From the usual source:
"In the book, he writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired".
And they didn't replace him.
That's the point, how difficult it really is for a band to simply survive , even when allowing for personnel changes.
And again, that's just the rules I'm setting up for this list of candidates, and I have the same sympathy and respect for them that I have for Pete and Roger.
 

Rayk

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Way back in post #3.


I know it wasn't "his fault", but a break's a break.
From the usual source:
"In the book, he writes of how he had told his bandmates at Selena's funeral, "consider me retired".
And they didn't replace him.
That's the point, how difficult it really is for a band to simply survive , even when allowing for personnel changes.
And again, that's just the rules I'm setting up for this list of candidates, and I have the same sympathy and respect for them that I have for Pete and Roger.
Aliens 👽!
 
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Threads of this nature usually call for an emoticon eating a bag of popcorn. I did not see one available.
 

adorshki

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When Peart left, Rush never "disbanded" or "retired" they just waited for him to get it together, never knowing if he even would or not. They played their last tour to celebrate 40 years together. I'm sticking with my own very short list.
I'm sympathetic but it's either a very short list as you say or a very long list including bands that just re-united every few years to milk the reunion tour gig.
Let's give both Rush and Fleetwood Mac recognition for never giving up for as long as they could which is one of the elements of longevity I'm trying to applaud anyway.
No way I'd include a band that became so different musically as Fleetwood Mac - only the name was the same, the music sure wasn't. And the Stones have been a karaoke band for years, never mind changing members.
Every band mentioned so far has undergone evolution in style, with the possible exception of AC/DC.
Mac's was just a little more extreme than most.
And while I still definitely prefer the "original", Fleetwood made me respect his passion for trying to keep a band alive even when it was only the nucleus of himself and McVie trying to rebuild a complete band.

But - you made the rules!
Yeah so according to them, what've we got so far, 7 bands? (Mac isn't actually on the list, they actually did have a continuity break)
U2
Stones
ZZ Top
Aerosmith
Santana
AC/DC
Crazy Horse
Edit: oops, it's 8, forgot to include George Strait
And actually if we want to use first record release date U2 is actually only at 37 years.
 
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