Your personal British Invasion top-ten countdown

[Charlie Bernstein]

In the sixties and seventies, English rockers, bluesers, and folkies took the US by storm. Of those mostly bygone acts, which are your top ten today?

Mine:

10. Beatles
9. Pentangle
8. Traffic
7. Who
6. Mad Dogs and Englishmen
5. Stones
4. Fairport Convention
3. Long John Baldry
2. Cream
1. Kinks

Your turn. Remember: England only, sixties and seventies only. Some overlap is fine, like listing both Bluesbreakers and Led Zep. Hard to avoid.

PS: Ten is hard. There are a lot I would love to include who didn't make the cut. That's show biz. You'll name 'em for me, I'm sure.

 

[davismanLV]

Fairport Convention was DOPE!! And then she self destructed.... damn.

Cream.... amazing!!

Gerry and the Pacemakers!!

Marianne Faithfull!!

 

[davismanLV]

This song was different and melodic and wonderful. I found it really amazing....

 

[Rocky]

I don't have a problem with anybody on that list, but I might swap out Cream for John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. And I might put The Groundhogs as # 11.

Or Tyrannasaurus Rex (over T. Rex) or David Bowie, or Elton John.

 

[LeFinPepere]

I'm biased on El Becko, so I add the Yardbirds , which I'd probably not listen to for hours . Mixed feelings as far as hairstyle is concerned, just one inch before long,....a nice near-miss band...They never really invaded nothing...Love the Beckettes (or whatever...) dancing....I generally love 1960es B&W vids where girls in Courrèges mini-skirts haphazardly wiggle their arms above their heads whilst standing on wooden cubes, (Is she gonna fall?) and the cameraman shoots the maracas player -who is possessed with some stiff-upper-lip British-ale voodoo!!) in lieu of the interesting guitar-player. Those were the days!!Nobody really knew what they were doing, but it was new and exciting!
I wonder if the JHE would fit in your list, not 100% British, huh? If it did, N° 1 would be ok. But, Hendrix sort of killed it, didn't he?

 

[LeFinPepere]

Sorry folks, I had not seen GGJaguar's post on .....Tadaaa....the Yardbirds!!

 

[Mikep]

No.1 Fleetwood mac with Peter green

 

[GGJaguar]

I'll throw The Hollies into the mix.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I've always differentiated the (1st) British Invasion (Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, etc) w/ the (2nd) British (Blues) Invasion. (Cream, Zep, etc) I don't even associate the latter when someone mentions the British Invasion. To me, that's purely early-mid 60's and more R&B/skiffle based w/ a lot more Brit vocal accents involved. The 2nd is very late 60's-early 70's American blues based and mostly void of any accents. IMO, two different eras from within a relatively short amount of time.

 

[fronobulax]

There are some definitions to be worked out because I also two recall two distinct times, one of which was called the British Invasion but one of which was something else. Regardless, if the measure of interest is purchasing more than one LP (if the group made more) from the group when the music was "new" I think there are only two groups mentioned so far that qualify. I listened to most of them but it was usually on FM radio or a friend's copy of the LP.

 

[walrus]

I've always differentiated the (1st) British Invasion (Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, etc) w/ the (2nd) British (Blues) Invasion. (Cream, Zep, etc) I don't even associate the latter when someone mentions the British Invasion. To me, that's purely early-mid 60's and more R&B/skiffle based w/ a lot more Brit vocal accents involved. The 2nd is very late 60's-early 70's American blues based and mostly void of any accents. IMO, two different eras from within a relatively short amount of time.

There are some definitions to be worked out because I also two recall two distinct times, one of which was called the British Invasion but one of which was something else. Regardless, if the measure of interest is purchasing more than one LP (if the group made more) from the group when the music was "new" I think there are only two groups mentioned so far that qualify. I listened to most of them but it was usually on FM radio or a friend's copy of the LP.

Agreed. The official "British invasion" is only the '60's to me, too.

Also, I like the idea of "did I spent my hard earned money on this bands music?"

My answer is The Beatles for the "British Invasion", and Led Zeppelin for "The Second British Invasion". All the other bands have a few good songs, but no albums worth buying. My opinion only, of course!

walrus

 

[davidbeinct]

10. The Sex Pistols
9. The Clash
8. David Bowie
7. Roxie Music
6. Elvis Costello
5. Black Sabbath
4. Led Zeppelin
3. The Rolling Stones
2. The Beatles
1. The Jimi Hendrix Experience

 

[Canard]

Easy

10. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
9. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
8. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
7. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
6. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
5. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
4. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
3. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
2. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).
1. Spenser Davis Group (with Steve Winwood).

 

[Canard]

Some runners up

 

[Rocky]

So which invasion was the Moody Blues part of?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Fairport Convention was DOPE!! And then she self destructed.... damn.

Poor Sandy. No one's ever topped her.

Cream.... amazing!!

=O]

Gerry and the Pacemakers!!

"Ferry": sweet tune! Guess I'll have to check out some of their other songs.

Marianne Faithfull!!

Yep! Wish I'd had room for her in my ten.

 

[Brad Little]

I was a big blues fan when the Beatles hit, so was a lot more interested in Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf than the Brits. The only exception were the Stones, mostly because of their blues content and the Blues Breakers, for obvious reasons.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't have a problem with anybody on that list, but I might swap out Cream for John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. And I might put The Groundhogs as # 11.

Or Tyrannasaurus Rex (over T. Rex) or David Bowie, or Elton John.

Yeah, I was trying figure out how to fit Mayal in, but no matter what I tried, he got edged out. What a great musician.

Don't know the Groundhogs. I'll check 'em out. Thanks!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'm biased on El Becko, so I add the Yardbirds , which I'd probably not listen to for hours . Mixed feelings as far as hairstyle is concerned, just one inch before long,....a nice near-miss band...They never really invaded nothing...Love the Beckettes (or whatever...) dancing....I generally love 1960es B&W vids where girls in Courrèges mini-skirts haphazardly wiggle their arms above their heads whilst standing on wooden cubes, (Is she gonna fall?) . . .

Yup, glad the Yardbirds and Jeff Beck got mentioned. Thanks!

As for the Hendrix Experience, if it's your list, it's your call. Not a bad call, in my humble.

Speaking of go-go girls, check out the Bobby Fuller "I Fought the Law" video, where they were dressed like cowpokes and waved little six-guns around.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

No.1 Fleetwood mac with Peter green

Oh, man, those were the days!