Originally Posted by
Hawgdriver
It galls me that Nirvana is in this conversation. It really does. I never loved them anywhere near as much as PJ, Soundgarden, and AIC. I grew up where they grew up at around the same time. To me, they are the one catchy grunge song that stole the spotlight.
But...24 million monthly listeners. To be relevant now is a data point that must be given attention. For comparison:
RHCP - 26m
Metallica - 22m
Aerosmith - 18m
Eagles - 17m
Earth, Wind & Fire - 14m
Bruce - 13m
SOAD - 13m
MGMT - 12m
Beach Boys - 10m
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - 6m (14m when combined with solo act, which includes Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers)
Steely Dan - 5m
Styx (who I'm listening to rn, and damn they are tight af and such songcraft!) - 4m
It's just a data point. A measurement like this, above, highlights one-hit wonders. But...hits are super, super important.
Until we actually have a hard and fast definition of 'best band', which is impossible really, we just have to use common sense. If a band still has contemporary relevance in this somewhat anti-rock era, that points toward having long-lasting relevance.
Long-lasting relevance might be a reasonable factor when you call something a 'best band'.
PS -- Too Much Time on My Hands is a great song!