MC5
With another roll of the dice, Detroit’s MC5 might have been one of the biggest rock bands ever. Their high-energy, heavily politicized live shows saw them develop a huge following in the late 60s, yet they never managed record sales to match. Still, MC5’s live album Kick Out the Jams and two studio albums Back in the USA and High Time are considered landmark records.
Big Star
Memphis quartet Big Star’s emotive, 60s-esque power pop seemed anachronistic when they formed in 1971. After recording only three albums, the group split in 1975, frustrated by their lack of success. However, renewed interest in their music saw the band return with a new lineup in the 90s. Drummer Jody Stephens is their last surviving original member, and still performs Big Star’s music live.
Hüsker Dü
The 80s saw Minneapolis punks Hüsker Dü develop the indie rock style that personified the 90s, though few seemed to notice at the time. Dave Grohl is a notable fan: the Foo Fighters song Times Like These includes a lyrical nod to the band’s album New Day Rising, and Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould provides guest vocals and guitar on later Foos track Dear Rosemary.
The Boo Radleys
Perhaps the most overlooked UK band of the Britpop era, The Boo Radleys are often written off as one-hit wonders thanks to their popular 1995 song Wake Up Boo! Beyond this, though, the Merseyside group released a series of albums that rank among the most ambitious and inventive of the era. They split by the decade’s end, but recently reformed without songwriter/guitarist Martin Carr.
Fanny
The Runaways, The Go-Gos and The Bangles are sometimes thought to be the original all-female rock bands, but we shouldn’t forget about Fanny. Formed in 1969 by Filipina-American sisters Jean and June Millington, they were arguably the first group that proved women could hold their own in the male-dominated rock arena, and recorded five great albums to prove it before splitting in 1975.
Mudhoney
Before grunge, there was Mudhoney. Formed in Seattle in 1988, the four-piece specializes in disheveled, Stooges-esque rock that’s actually quite tuneful if you can hear beyond the heavy distortion. Though a formative influence on the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, they never came close to that level of commercial success. Still together today, Mudhoney released 12th album Plastic Eternity in 2023.
Love
Fronted by African-American Arthur Lee, Love were among the first racially diverse bands of the 60s music scene. They broke new ground musically too, blending diverse elements of folk, world music and garage rock to form a tantalising psychedelic stew. Their 1967 album Forever Changes is considered a masterpiece, and the band still exists today, although guitarist Johnny Echols is the only surviving original member.
Teenage Fanclub
Together since 1989 (although founder bassist, singer and songwriter Gerard Love has since left), Teenage Fanclub have long been a firm favorite of many alternative music lovers, yet they’ve never had a bona fide hit record. Music luminaries ranging from Kurt Cobain to Liam Gallagher have hailed the Scottish power-pop pioneers as one of the best bands in the world.
The Faces
Singer Rod Stewart enjoyed lasting success as a solo artist, and guitarist Ronnie Wood has been a Rolling Stone since the late 70s, but this has tended to overshadow their breakthrough band The Faces. Formed from the ashes of 60s band The Small Faces, the London-based quintet played bluesy, good time rock’n’roll arguably better than anyone else, and recorded four classic albums that demonstrate this.
Death
Ignored in their own time, Detroit trio Death were re-discovered in the 2000s and hailed as the first true punk band. Siblings David, Bobby and Dannis Hackney subverted the early 70s norm (particularly for an African-American band) by playing hard, fast, loud rock with angry, political lyrics. This is displayed to great effect on Death’s one completed album, 1975’s …For the Whole World to See.
