The Big Four Of Classic Rock

mix4fix · « **on:** 29 Sep 2025, 04:39 pm »

We have a Big Four Of Heavy Metal. Who do you believe are the Big Four Of Classic Rock?

To me, it has to be 70's guitar driven music. So Boston is number one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edwk-8KJ1Js

Jeff_From_Michigan · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 05:03 pm »

Van Halen
Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd
The Who

Mag · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 05:31 pm »

For me I have to link it to one of their albums:

Deep Purple- Made in Japan
Rush- All the World's Stage
Grand Funk- Caught in the Act
Led Zeppelin- Song Remains the Same

and because 4 is not enough.

Judas Priest- Unleashed in the East

JCarney · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 06:42 pm »

I'm not sure you can pick just four, but here goes.

The Who-Any album
The Rolling Stones-Flowers
The Eagles-Hotel California
Fleetwood Mac-Rumors
Honorable Mention:
Deep Purple-Machine Head
CCR-Bayou Country
Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon

JCarney

whell · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 08:15 pm »

Here's 4, including the albums that, to me, prove they belong on the list:

The Who - Who's Next
The Allman Brothers - Phillmore East (but you could pick just about any of their early Greg and Duane albums).
Pink Floyd - DSOTM (though, to me, Wish You Were Here is the better album).
Tie: Van Morrison - Moondance and Led Zepp - IV

decal · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 08:48 pm »

In no particular order...
Rolling Stones
Beatles
Allman Brothers Band
The Band

listenermark · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Sep 2025, 11:44 pm »

The Kinks
Neil Young
Lou Reed
David Bowie

SteveFord · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 Sep 2025, 07:42 am »

Beatles
Stones
Who
Pink Floyd

Honorable mentions:
Kinks
Jethro Tull

Zuman · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 Sep 2025, 01:25 pm »

The Big Four:
Beatles
Stones
The Who
Led Zeppelin

Hon. Mention:
Pink Floyd
Clapton/Cream/DATD
Hendrix
Queen

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 12:23 pm »

The Beatles - Younger people don't realize the incredible impact they had, music was never the same.
The Rolling Stones - The greatest rock and roll band ever.
The Who - The foundation of performance Rock.
Led Zeppelin - Edges out Floyd because they're rock, not prog rock. Their best music was the second side of III.

Mentions:
Yes and Pink Floyd were every bit as impactful on modern music as the above, but they're Prog Rock,a different category.
The Eagles, Grateful Dead, Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac all great but fall because the of the category.

whell · « **Reply #10 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 02:03 pm »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 1 Oct 2025, 12:23 pm

Yes and Pink Floyd were every bit as impactful on modern music as the above, but they're Prog Rock,a different category.
The Eagles, Grateful Dead, Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac all great but fall because the of the category.

It's still rock and roll to me.

Jeff_From_Michigan · « **Reply #11 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 02:32 pm »

So far, a couple that others have listed but I missed: Allman Brothers, although you could rightly categorize them as southern rock. Beatles - they were so much more than classic rock. Would one consider "Love Me Do" or "L.S.D." to be strictly classic rock? Maybe yes, maybe no. This is where trying to pigeon-hole any band's entire body of work into one specific genre can be tricky.

As rightly pointed out, the exact same thing can be said for one of the bands that I mentioned - Pink Floyd. They could certainly be considered in the same vein with Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and Eno as giants of modern electronic music.

One that I haven't seen mentioned: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.

Great thread!

Jeff_From_Michigan · « **Reply #12 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 02:33 pm »

C.S.N.Y.

mix4fix · « **Reply #13 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 06:55 pm »

One thing to point out, is that I used the term big four to relate it to the big four of heavy metal. So, it has to be four prominent 70s era bands to play stadiums.

Boston
Eagles (includes solo hits)
Fleetwood Mac (includes solo hits)
Led Zeppelin

S Clark · « **Reply #14 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 09:22 pm »

Quote from: mix4fix on 1 Oct 2025, 06:55 pm

So, it has to be four prominent 70s era bands to play stadiums.

No it doesn't.

Beatles, Who, Zeppelin, Stones

mix4fix · « **Reply #15 on:** 1 Oct 2025, 10:12 pm »

Quote from: S Clark on 1 Oct 2025, 09:22 pm

No it doesn't.

Beatles, Who, Zeppelin, Stones

The Big Four is a heavy metal concert tour of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. This thread is to have an equivalent tour of classic rock artists.

So, this made up tour will play stadiums with who we believe are worthy of it.

brooklyn · « **Reply #16 on:** **Yesterday** at 12:49 am »

Great Rock Bands Were a Dime a Dozen Back Then.. It's really hard to just pick four..

Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
Elton John
Santana

Freo-1 · « **Reply #17 on:** **Yesterday** at 12:57 am »

Led Zepplin
Cream
The Yardbirds
Fleetwod Mac (From Peter Green forward).

timind · « **Reply #18 on:** **Yesterday** at 01:16 am »

Beatles
Stones
Doors
Led Zep

ArthurDent · « **Reply #19 on:** **Yesterday** at 05:21 am »

The Beatles
The Animals/Eric Burdon
The Who
Cream

tough to pick just 4, alternates -
Led Zepplin
The Band
The Doors