Seem to remeber my sister had a picture of [iWoody[/i and a yellow tartan scarf on her bedroom wall that I constantly managed to rip down.

the biggest bands in the world were once a fringe band that noone had ever heard of!! Looking left of centre and finding people creating beautiful music is very worthwhile. It's a little like buying a sofa.. you can go to DFS or Argos and you will probably get a nice sofa, albeit a generic, production line one or you can find someone who makes furniture by hand and takes great personal pleasure in every detail, creating something unique, not off the peg. Not the greatest analogy I guess but just because an industry that is becoming increasingly cynical and resistant to change and constantly refusing stray from the "safe bet" is ignoring certain artists certainly doesnt mean they are somehow not as worthwhile and only being listened to for novelty value or kudos is a bit wrong imo. There are some amazing, talented, commited people working not only as artists but people pushing independent music and our support of their amazing work, if you take the time to find it is invaluable.

Take Two!!

Sparklehorse
The Mountain Goats
Elliott Smith
David Ford
Max Richter
Haushka
Ryan Adams
Wilco

Nothing to do with oneupmanship from me, I just get bored very quickly and a band needs to be reinventing itself regularly - having got itself on my radar in the first place - to keep my attention. That's not an issue with new bands as they are new and untested. That and what Bones said, I came fully into music as a part of the 2-Tone generation, but never followed the charts after that. I prefered to find new bands that were following in The Specials footsteps, which after 30 years has led to a very wide range of modern bands from the very punk Eat/Defeat through to the pure reggae of The Skints and taking in everything offbeat in the middle.
Rock doesn't interest me, there has always seemed to be too much on volume over talent (some are good, but a lot seem not to be - I'm not going to argue the toss, you'll think my tastes are awful too!), pop is too 'targeted' etc etc.

I know what I like at the end of the day, but I don't see the need to listen to the same bands endlessly.

The Strokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Queens of the stone age
RATM
The Thrills
Biffy Clyro (first 3 albums)
The Coral
Guns n roses
Muse (first 2 albums)
Phoenix
REM
The Virgins
Wolfmother

Are they from New York by any chance?

Genesis
The Police
The Blue Nile
Status Quo
Queen
Black Sabbath (Ozzy era)
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones (all eras....I don't subscribe to the non-argument of "not done anything decent since 'insert your year,here'" )
Peter Gabriel
Bacharach/David
Led Zep
The Who
Phil Collins' first 3 albums

AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Led Zep, Springsteen, The kinks, Guns n Roses (upto Use Your Illusion I and II), Thunder, Skin, Little Angels.

More recent bands, Alter Bridge, Airbourne, Theory of a Deadman, Black Stone Cherry,

Yes they are from New York, they are signed to Julian casablancas record label

Ah cool I think I saw them support the long blondes a few years ago at the bowery ballroom. I will have to give them another listen

When AC/DC retire Airbourne will take over.

How did I forget these? Superb band.

Spiritualized
Belle and Sebastian
Grizzly Bear
Nirvana
Soundgarden
The Boss
Pixies
REM
Bob Dylan
Buthole Surfers
Bon Iver
Beastie Boys
Otis Reading
Dean Martin
Andrea Boccelli
Neil Young
Super Furry Animals
Pulp
Blur
QOTSA
Led Zep
Howling Wolf
Ledbelly
Smashing Pumpkins
The Smiths
The strokes
Jesus and Mary Chain
The Arcade Fire
The Beta Band
Stereolab
The Stills
White Antelope
Radiohead
Queen
Pj Harvey
Nick Cave
Mecury Rev
Sonic Youth
The Low Anthem
The Lemonheads
The Flaming lips
Doves
Elbow
Drugstore
The Doors
Jimi Hendrix
White Stripes
UNKLE
Tindersticks
Temple of the Dog
Mudhoney
Green River
Alice in Chains
Stooges
The Screaming Trees
The stones
Roni Size
Paul Simon (and garfunkel on occasion)
Neil Diamond

Last but not least

The Flight of the Concords (never, ever fail to make me smile)

If you like these you should check out ming city rockers, gigged with them a couple of times and they're great!

Iron Maiden
Bon Jovi
Queen
Ozzy Osbourne


Guilty pleasure - The Darkness.

These are the only bands who I genuinely love everything they've wrote!

Jimi Hendrix
Smashing Pumpkins
Fleetwood Mac
Black Sabbath
Led Zepplin
UFO
Muse
Metallica
Santana

Magnum
Journey
REO Speedwagon
Bruce Springsteen
Whitesnake
Bon Jovi
The Pogues
Fleetwood Mac

are the main bands i listen to.

Dirtbox Disco
[spunge
Bowling For Soup
Kajagoogoo
The Men They Couldn't Hang
King Kurt
Manic Street Preachers
Rouen

Biffy Clyro
Foo Fighters
Blue Aeroplanes
Pixies
Slade
Rush
Beatles
My Chemical Romance
Triumph
AC/DC
Scorpions (pre 'Wind Of Change')

james. seen them a few times and going to leeds in 10 days. love them to bits

The E Street Band
Good Charlotte
Green Day
Linkin Park
The Killers
Westlife (guilt pleasure!)

Feist

Honest?

Out of all those bands I'm mostly passionate about the E Street Band. This is because I'm a massive fan of Bruce Springsteen and I've listened his music for years now. I'm finally going to see them in July and I've read two books about this special group of people who are a massive inspiration to me.

Regarding Good Charlotte, Green Day, Linkin Park and The Killers I've listened to these a lot in my life in the past. Not so much these days but I could still defend their music with passion.

Also I can quite happily listen to pop music and Westlife just happen to be on most than most of the other mainstream pop artist I play on YouTube. However you certainly won't see me going to a pop concert.

Wow, that's a blast from the past.

I still have Young for a day on 7" vinyl and Young for a day album on CD.