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Nanker Phlegm


But The Ramones made it, surely ?

Joey Ramone was famous for complaining about how they should be bigger than they were. I saw them a lot in the early 80s to mid-80s, when they were still "hot" and they just played small venues. They've developed huge presence since their demise, however. Ramones shirts everywhere I turn these days. Joey would be pleased.

wow no one mentioned the stooges yet

The Pretty Things


"They have a proven history of violence, drug abuse and public mayhem.
They've been the role-models for the generations of weak, paleimitations,
the on-the-road excesses of the 70's tame rock gods, the formless pantomime
of the Sex Pistols punk, and the pathetic foot-stomping of Oasis and
Brit-Pop pansies. They invented everything.....
and were credited with nothing" - Arthur Brown "The God Of Hellfire"

I think XTC influenced many groups, but they never made it beyond a rather small but loyal fan base. A truly great band.

Wire
Gang Of Four

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Svartmer
I think XTC influenced many groups, but they never made it beyond a rather small but loyal fan base. A truly great band.

The dukes of Swindon is/was truly a great band.

Other influential bands: What about The Zombies, Love, King Crimson, MC5...

The Flamin' Groovies. Best Stones sounding band bar none. And that's just for their Slow Death single let alone all the other great, great songs they wrote.

Swell Maps/Nikki Sudden

New York Dolls and Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers.

2 1 2 0

Family
Stackridge
The db's

...great Bands, all of them.

The Go Betweens
King Crimson
Phish - I know the tours always sold, but never had the 'big hit'.

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The GR
Swell Maps/Nikki Sudden

Unforgotten by me!

I'd add The Faces - prove is that Rod abandoned them.

if you're counting 'solo' artists, pretty much every blues artist that ever lived

Velvet Underground

Elvis, Scotty & Bill - only big locally, but Elvis' Sun period has proved to be amongst his most celebrated and influential work.

Many infuential Blues musicians, for example this guy that(in some tale) had to paint the ceiling. Many of Motown and Stax artists had big hits but were ripped off money-wise, too. The Pretty Things. The Flamin' Groovies (dropped by Sire Records in the middle of their UK tour in '78).
The Sonics. The Stooges (only Iggy made it with the help of David).
One of my favorites, The Fleshtones, still around and recording after 35 years, playing small clubs in abscence of any mayor publicity, always were and still are one of the icons and big influence on the garage scene worldwide. The Ramones were successful in Europe and south america at least. In the US they played small venues till the end.

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers...John is still playing for beer, and who wouldn't admit they're inspired Stones...

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Also Rory Gallagher.

X (the band)

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Come On
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers...John is still playing for beer, and who wouldn't admit they're inspired Stones...

Mayall ...'still playing for beer'? ..? a shame.

I think we're getting loose on both "influential" and "Unsuccessful" both subjective and relative terms but some of these bands I dont think match both criteria and some neither.

Rory Gallagher was as successful as he was influential IMHO. A massive concert draw throughout Europe in his peak days and sold a fair few records as well, always popular with the press, winning polls (remember them) regularly. As for influence, he sure turned young guns on to the blues, but more than that ?

BTW I love Rory, my first ever gig was Rory At City Hall Cork, his adopted hometown. When he broke into "going to my hometown" the avalanche of dandruff that fell on denim clad shoulders was a site to see

i agree nanker - thread is losing its utility - and joining the long party of others that have bravely gone before it....

Charles Manson

Big Star
Roky Erickson

Great, great songs!!!

Some of my faves in this category:

XTC, The Smiths, Husker Du, Spock's Beard, Mansun, to name a few...

The Smithereens. Great power pop band from the '80s, sounded like a combination of the Beatles and AC/DC. Still around and touring to this day. Kurt Cobain said they were a big influence on Nirvana; Nirvana used to play one of their cassettes constantly in their tour van in the band's early days.

Mott The Hoople
Steve Earle and the Dukes

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duke richardson

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Come On
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers...John is still playing for beer, and who wouldn't admit they're inspired Stones...

Mayall ...'still playing for beer'? ..? a shame.

Hardly.

He's playing where I live in two months time. Tickets are £25. Thats a pretty expensive beer.

he's also playing arena sized venues with BB King later this month.

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StonesFanatic
Some of my faves in this category:

XTC, The Smiths, Husker Du, Spock's Beard, Mansun, to name a few...

The Smiths didnt make it big? Maybe not in the US, but they've always been pretty massive in their own country.

The Smiths, another example of what I was saying

Steve Earle, as successful as he was influential in my opinion

Mott The Hoople, a string of hits, sell out tours and not sure how big their influence was, if anything a band whose legacy is underestimated.

Going to see Steve Earle just down the road in St. Albans. front row center.

also seeing Mott at the Hammy 4th row.

Does Todd Rundgren count ? he was massively successful as a producer, and had some success as a performer, not sure about if was that influential.

XTC had a fair bit of success as well.


some of the bands mentioned like Husker Du, Big Star, The Velvets fit the bill as the had a massive influnce on future artists but could hardly sell a record in their own time.

The Smiths ? never heard of 'em

can't sell with a name like the smiths or the joneses...really stupid idea and they got what they deserved

Tin Machine.


...only joking, tho' personally I didn't think they were that bad.