Aidan Iverson wants to know

Hi, It is Aidan. I like almost all classic rock bands. What are some good classic rock bands? What are 20 of your favorite bands(classic rock)?

johnnyk's response: Let's see, I cringe at the term "classic rock" with its greatest hits connotation, and I am going to include individuals as well as bands, but here goes (in no particular order and subject to change as I remember more bands):

Creedence Clearwater Revival- Cosmo's Factory is a truly great album and John Fogerty has one of rock's most distinctive voices. Allman Brothers Band- best of the southern rockers; forget Lynyrd Skynyrd, these guys played great blues with rock melodies (until they started abusing themselves and marrying Cher). Little Feat- the early stuff with Lowell George i.e. Dixie Chicken and Feat Don't Fail Me Now The Who- sometimes played 'third fiddle' to the Beatles and Stones, but they were brash and creative. Steeley Dan- I liked the first three albums best, before they became strictly a studio project (but even those albums were good); clever lyrics and catchy hooks. Crosby, Stills, Nash & (sometimes) Young- Velvet Underground- I may be straying from 'classic' since they were not very popular, but a very influential band. Try their first- The Velvet Underground and Nico. Bruce Springsteen- early Bruce was priceless; Greetings From Asbury Park, The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run were fresh and edgy, not the plodding, serious stuff he does now. The Clash- (ask your father) Meatloaf- I KNOW, he's become a joke, but I swear Bat Out of Hell is one of my absolute favorite albums of all time! Every song is a gem (and Phil Rizzuto won a Grammy for his narrative on Dashboard Light even though he didn't know the subject matter of the song). Sly & the Family Stone- strange, funky and oh so catchy music; dance to the funky music! The Young Rascals- Long Island boys stealing soul songs and making them their own. Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels- nothing fancy (and that's good!) with energy to burn; Good Golly, Miss Molly/Devil With a Blue Dress On Stevie Wonder- The Band- started as The Hawks and backed up Dylan, but put out very interesting music on their own; Music From Big Pink, Rock of Ages and the concert movie The Last Waltz Bob Dylan- I wasn't going to mention him because he's a given like Elvis, Beatles and Stones, but I think he's overlooked as a rocker. Highway 61 Revisited, Blond on Blond The Animals- most blues-influenced of the British Invasion bands; lead singer Eric Burdon is still hanging around the circuit; his stuff with War was very good also. Roy Orbison- how can such a geeky-looking guy sing like that! Great voice and great songs, but I couldn't tell you a particular album; try his greatest hits. Fats Domino- maybe he pre-dates 'classic', but you should check him out. Bonnie Raitt- I've seen her a dozen times in concert. She made some really great music from 1971 to mid-80's that were never hits, but finally became pop enough to be a big star. I don't blame her, even if her songs get a little boring sometimes now. Comments?