Who is the greatest American band?
There have been so many iconic British bands – the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Pink Floyd, Queen, the Clash, etc. – but in the United States, bands have mostly been eclipsed by solo artists.
So Rockin’ the Suburbs is staging a tournament-style competition — American Band Madness.
The competition will be held via social media vote – on Rockin’ the Suburbs Facebook page (facebook.com/suburbspod) and the Rockin’ the Suburbs Twitter account (@suburbspod). There will be one matchup per day for 63 days. Winning bands will advance through the bracket, from the round of 64 to the round of 32 to the Sweet 16 to the Elite 8 to the Final Four and the championship game.
New matchups should post around 8 a.m. each day — starting Monday, Jan. 30 — with voting on each matchup for 24 hours. Votes will be combined from the FB and Twitter polls to determine each winner. You can always check the full, updated bracket here on suburbspod.com.
The tournament criteria on what constitutes an American band:
- All band members must be American-born or moved to the U.S. as children.
- In general, “and” bands are considered solo acts. (An exception was made for Sly and the Family Stone, which was a real band.)
- Vocal groups with at least three members are considered a band. (A vocal group with two members is a duo, not a band.)
- Legacy matters. Bands must have released their first recording at least 25 years ago.
How you determine relative greatness in your voting is up to you. Some considerations used to select the 64-band field:
- Popularity
- Critical acclaim
- Artistry/creativity
- Influence/impact
And be sure to listen to the Rockin’ the Suburbs podcast for periodic updates and analysis.