This is from the other current music thread
My #1 is the beatles
My number two band (not on the list ) is the Grateful Dead. They didnt have much global impact, but they were true American icons. They sang songs about places and people from all over the country, and playesd some fantastic covers. (Lots of Stones and Beatles) and a variety of styles(mowtown, jazz, country, bluegrass, traditional, psychedelic, blues.) There improvozation could actually take you places, and there was simply nothing, I mean NOTHING, like live GRATEFUL DEAD show.