Bowie is the obvious alternative answer if we are including solo artists as well as bands.
Ed Sheeran
PIL too, their first album basically created that whole early Joy Division/U2 sound
So… Gang of Four?
Sabbath is a fair shout
Throbbing gristle Roxy music
Wire?
The Kinks?
Probably not as influential as others mentioned but both bands where maybe different songs were really influential in different directions?
No one’s mentioned the Rolling Stones yet? It’s interesting that in the US in 1964, seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show caused a million teenage boys to rush out and buy a guitar. But once they’d mastered their instrument well enough, it was the Rolling Stones whose sound they mostly tried to imitate.
Are you saying…The Beatles never existed??
I would say The Clash. Some bands they influenced being good, some not so good.
I think people are missing the point of the nature of ‘influence’ - does anyone think that there are thousands of bands in basements and garages all round the world today trying to sound like The Clash or The Rolling Stones? There definitely are with Sabbath (if they’re not trying to sound like Sabbath themselves then they are trying to sound like other bands who were directly and demonstratively influenced by them).
The Radioheads perhaps?
Definitely a recent contender - their influence (not always benign) is all over masses of contemporary music (all those sensitive male singers quavering away just outside their natural range). Probably a bit early to judge their long-term influence though.
The Cure are up there too imo
Based on buskers, local bands & chart music in Italy it’s Muse, Ed Sheeran, Oasis, (U2).
Towers of London
Black Sabbath is a good shout as they precipitated an unholy couple of decades worth of shite hair metal. Also, like a lot ‘rawk’ bands, they were more brand than group.
Thing I like about wire is you can hear so much future music in those first two albums, the obvious Brit Pop connection, bit of the post punk/goth, a lot of the ‘our band can be your life’ type of 80s American punk bands
Agreed. Even Sabbath ripped off Led Zep.
Oasis. Not for the good of music though. The social influence alone is pretty huge. Didn’t hurt Man City’s fan base either in pre glory hunt days.
Pet Shop Boys and My Bloody Valentine.
