My 100 All-Time Favorite Artists of Popular Music - 2015 Edition

A meaningless exercise, perhaps even for me.

For not only could the order of my favorite rock artists--as well as a few from blues, country and R&B genres, with eligibility including rap, pop, folk and funk, though not Broadway, classical or jazz--vary on a different day, let alone month or year, but at any point in time I might rather hear, or even see in concert, an artist nearer (or even beyond) the end of the list than ones closer to the top.

But having compiled such lists around this time in 2005 and 2010, even if largely just for my own point of reference I thought I'd put together a new ranking of my favorite artists.

To be clear, this list is based on my tastes, preferences and listening habits--undoubtedly influenced in part by acts I've seen live, perhaps repeatedly--and is not intended as a critical assessment of importance, impact, influence, originality or other barometers of artistic merit.

For example, I would stipulate the Beatles are the greatest and most important, popular music artist in history, but in terms of fervent, active fandom, I like, listen to and see Bruce Springsteen more. (Of course, The Beatles broke up before I was 2, so I couldn't see them live, though I have seen Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr several times.)

Unlike the 2005 & 2010 editions, I've decided to include bands and any solo acts or other bands that derived from them as a single entry. This gets a bit awkward in the case of, say, Peter Gabriel + Genesis but not Genesis led by or looping in Phil Collins, or in not including Led Zeppelin as a subset of The Yardbirds.

Like everything, it's imperfect, but who cares?

Again, this is a list of my 100 favorites, with another 25 cited, and is in no way exhaustive of every artist I like and/or admire, nor meant to disrespect anyone I didn't include.

While hoping some may enjoy reading though my selections, I firmly believe that the only such list that should really matter to you is your own.

So if you would have undeniably esteemed acts like The Stooges (+ Iggy Pop), Leonard Cohen, Otis Redding, The White Stripes, the Supremes, James Brown, Janis Joplin, Frank Zappa, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Grateful Dead, Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, the Eagles, the Smiths, etc., etc., etc., in your top 100--or even top 10--by all means, make your own list and share it with me. (Of minor note, in 2012 I made a 100 Best Alternative Bands of the Last 25 Years list that was intended in a more universal critical vein, though was obviously based on my opinion and tastes as well.)

But with a few substantive changes since 2005 and 2010--the top 10 is shuffled, Arcade Fire came from nowhere to #34, System of a Down is newly ranked at #61, lesser-known personal favorites like the Stereophonics and the Wildhearts sank quite a bit, Liz Phair and the Flaming Lips dropped precipitously, Blur was absent in 2005, #58 in 2010 and #36 now, the Ramones remained at #15 from 5 years ago but were #44 in 2005, Jimi Hendrix climbed into the top 20, Elvis Presley rose from the dead--here are:

My 100 All-Time Favorite Artists of Popular Music
(All photos by Seth Arkin; please do not re-post without attribution)

1. Bruce Springsteen
2. The Beatles (+ solo, Wings)
3. Led Zeppelin (+ Robert Plant)
4. Nirvana
5. The Rolling Stones
6. The Who (+ Pete Townshend)
7. U2
8. R.E.M.
9. The Kinks (+ Ray Davies)
10. The Jam (+ Paul Weller)

11. Pearl Jam
12. The Smashing Pumpkins (+ Zwan, Billy Corgan)
13. David Bowie
14. The Clash
15. The Ramones
16. The Replacements (+ Paul Westerberg)
17. AC/DC
18. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
19. Cheap Trick
20. Jimi Hendrix

21. Rush
22. Midnight Oil
23. Radiohead
24. Bob Dylan
25. Foo Fighters
26. Dinosaur Jr.
27. Van Halen
28. Queen
29. Green Day
30. Bob Seger

31. Elvis Costello
32. Pink Floyd
33. Talking Heads (+ David Byrne)
34. Arcade Fire
35. Neil Young (+ CSNY, Buffalo Springfield)
36. Blur
37. Aerosmith
38. The Police (+ Sting)
39. Johnny Cash
40. Creedence Clearwater Revival (+ John Fogerty)

41. Stereophonics
42. Guns 'n' Roses
43. Hüsker Dü/Bob Mould/Sugar
44. Soundgarden
45. Willie Nile
46. The Wildhearts
47. The Killers
48. Wilco
49. Steely Dan
50. Simon & Garfunkel/Paul Simon

51. Elton John
52. Eric Clapton/Cream/Derek & the Dominoes/Yardbirds
53. Peter Gabriel/(early) Genesis
54. Billy Joel
55. Warren Zevon
56. The Zombies
57. The Cure
58. Stevie Wonder
59. Maxïmo Park
60. Garbage

61. System of a Down
62. Metallica
63. The Waterboys
64. Fleetwood Mac
65. Alejandro Escovedo
66. Van Morrison (+ Them)
67. Sex Pistols
68. The Doors
69. The Cars
70. Velvet Underground/Lou Reed

71. John Mellencamp
72. Depeche Mode
73. Nine Inch Nails
74. Elvis Presley
75. Red Hot Chili Peppers
76. The Beach Boys
77. The Byrds (+ Roger McGuinn)
78. Smoking Popes
79. Bob Marley
80. BoDeans

81. The Pretenders
82. Stevie Ray Vaughan
83. Buddy Guy
84. Prince
85. Santana
86. Blondie
87. Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne
88. Chuck Berry
89. Buddy Holly
90. Coldplay

91. Supertramp
92. Manic Street Preachers
93. Steve Winwood (all incarnations)
94. Ash
95. Jane's Addiction
96. Oasis
97. Jason and the Scorchers
98. The Flaming Lips
99. Liz Phair
100. Sly and the Family Stone

The Next 25

Rage Against the Machine (+ Tom Morello)
Dire Straits
The Stooges (+ Iggy Pop)
Love
ZZ Top
Bad Religion
The Bangles
The Monkees
New Order/Joy Division
The Miracles/Smokey Robinson
The White Stripes
Def Leppard
The Pixies
The Eagles
Jackson Browne
Material Issue
Boston
Social Distortion
Alice Cooper
Buzzcocks
Leonard Cohen
Electric Light Orchestra
Rod Stewart/The Faces/Jeff Beck Group
The Smiths

Paying Tribute to Those Who Pay Terrific Tribute

Note: This article references and praises--but doesn't explicitly rate--performances by:

The Cheetles - Beatles tribute
Phil Angotti & bandmates - Zombies tribute
w/ Tommi Zender
27 Live, Evanston, IL
February 15, 2014

My Fair Audrey:
Celebrating Audrey Hepburn,
a musical tribute
by Hilary Ann Feldman
with Beckie Menzie
Glenview Public Library
February 16, 2014

My thoughts on "Tribute Artists" aren't completely clear.

Especially to me.

While I admire anyone who has the talent and courage to perform in front of others, and appreciate everyone who has ever enjoyably entertained me--from rock bands who pack football stadiums to buskers who go largely ignored on subway platforms--I would generally say that I prefer the "real thing."

But what is the "real thing?"

And at least in a rock 'n roll realm, but also in terms of Broadway musicals that nowadays often feature existing pop songs, how much of it still exists?

While I have seen--and greatly enjoyed--Chicago's terrific Tributosaurus on several occasions, and likewise the excellent Beatles tribute group American English, I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 at a local bar to see a "tribute act." Most have been in the province of local summer festivals or other such free/cheap venues.

So though I've heard great things about The Musical Box--which covers early Genesis--and the Australian Pink Floyd Show, both which seem to play theater-sized venues for substantive admission, I tend to reserve my $30 & up concert expenditures for the "real thing."

But then, how many "jukebox musicals" have I seen, with talented vocalists singing tunes by ABBA, the Four Seasons, Buddy Holly, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, etc., etc.?

Aren't those essentially tribute acts?

And it's not like even in a stage musical featuring original music, the actors are singing songs they've created. Nor are most classical and jazz artists I see.

So why do I perceive something a bit less artistically pure about a band of talented musicians performing songs by the "Fab Four" than I do about an orchestra performing music by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Brahms? Or a local theater group performing West Side Story or Hello, Dolly?

Certainly, one could argue that most veteran rock acts--many whom I do pay considerable money to see--are only paying tribute to their former selves.

In the coming months, I will attend concerts by Barry Gibb, Ringo Starr and Billy Joel, none likely to sing songs any more recent than 20 years old, with most dating back much further.

So while I believe originality is a key element of much great artistry, how much of it still exists in rock and other realms?

Call me a relic who still cherishes three chords and the truth, but the truth is that there is no popular musical artist under the age of 30 that I knowingly want to see live, and very few of any age that I would look forward to seeing for a first time.

With so many of the rockers that I love--from Bruce Springsteen to Paul McCartney to the Rolling Stones and many more--at risk of retiring or expiring in the not-so-distant future, and others long extinct, it seems that if I want to continue hearing live music I like for the next (let's hope) 40 years, I not only better accept tribute acts, but embrace them.

Perhaps for much more than the $10 I paid to see an absolutely superlative tribute show at 27 Live in Evanston on Saturday night.

After an enjoyable set by local singer-songwriter Tommi Zender of presumably mostly original (or at least not well-known) material, I heard a Zombies cover band led by Phil Angotti followed by a really terrific Beatles setlist by the Cheetles.

Though I've heard Angotti's name for years (here's his AllMusic.com bio), I had never seen him, though I should note that he did come onstage to perform a couple of his own songs with Zender.

But I was tremendously impressed by how well he and 3 bandmates--whose names I can't cite--handled the Zombies' terrific catalog under the moniker Beechwood Park (a Zombies song they didn't play).

Ironically, only about 18 months ago, I--along with my friend Dave and sister Allison, who also accompanied me on Saturday with our friend Bob--saw the actual Zombies (with original members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent) at Viper Alley in Lincolnshire, a club not all that much larger than 27 Live.

But I love their music and with Angotti emulating Blunstone's vocals well, supported by great harmonies and impressive musicianship, it was a pleasure to hear them run through early Zombie singles like "She's Not There," "Tell Her No," "I Love You," "Leave Me Be," their cover of Gershwin's "Summertime" and a quartet of songs from the masterful Odessey and Oracle: "Care of Cell 44," "Maybe After She's Gone," "Friends of Mine" and "Time of the Season."

As I said to my pals, if the show ended there, my $10 would have been well worth it.

But while I have never been disappointed by American English and have seen at least a handful of other Beatle tribute bands over the years, I was as impressed as I could be by the Cheetles.

Opening with "Taxman" and hitting other Revolver album cuts like "She Said She Said," "Doctor Robert," "I Want To Tell You," the 7-piece band actually enriched my acute appreciation of the Beatles by mining their catalog so deeply.

Although the Cheetles gloriously romped through early Beatle gems--"All My Loving," "From Me to You," "She Loves You," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand"--in the middle of their nearly 2-hour set, even cooler was their jarring juxtaposition of the latter with "Happiness is a Warm Gun."

Many of their choices caught me by pleasant surprise, including "Nowhere Man," "Hold Me Tight," "Tell Me Why," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "This Boy," "Lovely Rita" and encores of "Getting Better" and "You Never Give Me Your Money."

Although unlike American English and other such groups, the Cheetles didn't dress like the Beatles, adorn wigs or run through the greatest hits in roughly chronological order, for hardcore Beatlemaniacs--as most in the rather full room assuredly were, even those of us who didn't get up and dance--they were about as good a "tribute act" as one could want, from the songs they sang to the way they sounded.

While she seems more predominantly a cabaret singer who performs various types of shows--including one coming up this weekend in Arlington Heights--I was also tremendously impressed by the "tribute act" Hilary Ann Feldman performed Sunday afternoon at the Glenview Public Library.

Given that Audrey Hepburn only starred in two musicals to my knowledge--Funny Face and My Fair Lady--I wasn't sure what to expect going into My Fair Audrey: Celebrating Audrey Hepburn, a Musical Tribute.

And while she has some nice credits, including in New York, London and Los Angeles, it wasn't Feldman's name that brought me--and presumably most others--to the GPL, but Hepburn's.

But after instantly showcasing a delightful voice on "Funny Face," Feldman--accompanied by pianist Beckie Menzie--delivered a program that went far beyond a mere medley of show tunes associated with its subject.

Feldman essentially took the audience through a live hourlong documentary of Hepburn's life, interspersing songs more for their topicality than familiarity--and shone all the more for it.

Beyond My Fair Lady's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" and "I Could Have Danced All Night," and "Moon River," which Audrey famously sang in Breakfast at Tiffany's, I really didn't recognize most of Feldman and Menzie's musical selections. So I may be wrong on some titles and can't cite the sources, with some possibly being originals. (Note: Thanks to some nice feedback from Feldman, I was able to correct some things I had wrong.)

But I was engrossed by learning about Hepburn's early life in Nazi-occupied Holland, which left her ill and malnourished, and how her lifelong commitment to UNICEF--for whom she would serve as a special ambassador in her final years--began with the aid she and her family received following liberation of the Netherlands.

Feldman shared how she was largely unfamiliar with Hepburn's film oeuvre prior to planning the performance--I honestly don't know if it is a regular showcase or was a first-time act for her--but was more so drawn to Hepburn's humanitarian mission.

Working without any accompanying visuals--I thought a few slides depicting Audrey at various stages might have been nice, if not truly necessary--Feldman didn't extensively run through Hepburn's filmography but did spend several minutes explaining the hubbub surrounding her participation in My Fair Lady.

After noting that Hepburn initially deferred to Julie Andrews as deserving the part of Eliza Doolittle, took the role only when it was clear the producers didn't want Andrews and was told she would do her own singing only to have Marni Nixon's voice substituted despite Audrey having arduously trained for months, Feldman smartly ran through "Just You Wait," substituting the (movie production-related) names of Jack Warner, Alan Lerner and Andre Previn for that of Henry Higgins.

This segment also featured a song titled "Vibrato," which had quite clever lyrics about one's limited vocal abilities. It was written previously by Menzie and another collaborator, Cheri Coons, but it fit the presentation perfectly and was a definite highlight.

Feldman also broached on Audrey's marriages, family and flirtatiousness ("I Love Men"), her work with UNICEF which took her to some of the most dangerous and emotionally-devastating places on Earth ("Beautiful City") and her refusal to act in The Diary of Anne Frank because it hit too close to home, given that both she and Frank were both born in 1929 and grew up in war-torn Holland.

This anecdote was accompanied by a song about having Hollywood aspirations--"Hollywood"--which actually quoted lines from The Diary of Anne Frank book.

While Feldman's songs--and her singing--were excellent, paralleling her comment that Hepburn's greatest role was that of humanitarian, her informative and heartfelt narrative was just as good if not better. I loved her summing up Hepburn by extolling Audrey's embodiment & embrace of this Dutch saying:

"Don't fret, it will happen differently anyway."

All in all, the performance had far more biographical insight and emotional heft than some--OK, me--may have suspected, and reiterated--albeit in a different context--what I had again discovered the night before:

There is nothing wrong with a great tribute act.

While this may seem easy to say given my limited outlay, the truth is that the $10 I spent on the Cheetles + "Zombies" provided more holistic entertainment satisfaction than The Beatles LOVE recently did for more than $100 in Las Vegas.

And even as a free library program, Hilary Ann Feldman's My Fair Audrey was genuinely far better than more than a few big budget musicals I've seen in downtown Chicago, on Broadway and in London's West End.

And thus, I feel it only appropriate to pay tribute.

I Want to Tell You: Remembering George Harrison on His 70th Birthday

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right

By order of entry into the band, as well as his stature throughout, George Harrison was the third Beatle.

This could be seen as both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he was one-fourth of the greatest, most important rock band in history, one that centuries hence will remain exalted alongside Mozart and Beethoven.

And there is no way of knowing if, without bandship with John, Paul and Ringo, George ever would have become famous or developed the songcraft that created "Here Comes The Sun," "Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," nor had the platform to explore Indian music and mysticism that helped introduce Eastern influences into popular music.

But on the other hand, Lennon and McCartney only allowed two Harrison compositions/lead vocals per Beatles album, no matter how many songs George may have had up his sleeve.

And based on having released the unprecedented 3-record set All Things Must Pass in November 1970, just months after The Beatles' official split--which many consider (along with Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and Imagine) the greatest of Beatle solo albums--Harrison's output within the Beatles could conceivably have been much greater than it was.

So after my friend Dave noted on Facebook that today would have been George Harrison's 70th birthday had he not been stricken with cancer and--after also being stabbed by a lunatic home invader--passed away at age 58 in 2001, I felt compelled to compile and share some of my favorite Harrison songs. (Wikipedia denotes all his compositions.)

A YouTube video playlist is below, which plays through 10 tunes including Beatles' classics written (or in the case of "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You," sung) by Harrison, solo cuts like "All Things Must Pass," "Blow Away" (a favorite of mine as a kid) and "Any Road," plus a Traveling Wilburys song.

With this evidence--and for just $9.99 on Amazon, I highly recommend downloading Live In Japan, a long-cherished double album documenting his 1990 tour of Japan with old pal (and wife stealer) Eric Clapton on guitar--it seems fair to say that even if he was the third Beatle, George Harrison forever stands not only among his bandmates, but the rock 'n roll songwriting gods: Jagger/Richards, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Ray Davies, Bob Dylan and few others.

And while I really can't expound on this with any acuity or corroboration, when I think of a "beautiful soul" in the realm of musical heroes or the famous of any sort, no one comes to mind more prevalently than George Harrison. (Who, not incidentally, also deserves credit for creating the all-star benefit concert with 1971's Concert for Bangladesh.)

"All things must pass," indeed, but I have no doubt the world is a worse place without "the Quiet Beatle" around to celebrate his 70th birthday.

But I still wish him a happy one while sharing some of the best of what he left behind. For as George also sang, "Life flows on within you and without you."

Finally, Some Well-Placed Hits at Wrigley -- Concert Review: Paul McCartney

Photo Credit: Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

Concert Review

Paul McCartney
Wrigley Field, Chicago
July 31 & August 1, 2011
@@@@@ (both shows)

I apologize for not writing and posting this review sooner, but it was a busy week, including spending roughly 6 hours with Paul McCartney at Wrigley Field.

Given that even my headline is a bit outdated with the Cubs having won 7 straight games--including the last 2 at home--until their streak was ended today, I realize by now this piece might be moot.

For either you were at one (or both) of Sir Paul's fab shows and know how great they were, have already read a stellar review elsewhere or really don't care.

So I won't belabor this, least of all for myself. But anyone who showed up at Wrigley expecting simply a golden oldies night of sentimental singalongs--or stayed away for fear of such--had their expectations solidly rocked for close to 3 hours each night. With a touring band that he's played with longer than the Beatles, and close to the 10 years he fronted Wings, the 69-year-old legend didn't let stifling heat keep him from delivering a pair of outstanding rock concerts of which nearly any artist of any age would be proud.

Until now, the best concerts I'd seen in 2011 were by Arcade Fire and U2. If Macca's two gigs weren't better, they surely weren't any worse. And I'm not just referencing the quality of the material--heavy not just on Beatles, but Wings chestnuts as well--but the quality and fire with which it was delivered. No, Paul's not a Liverpool lad anymore, but his voice sounded good, his bass playing was excellent and his band was wonderful.

You can click to see the setlists from Sunday and Monday; they weren't too different, but actually varied more than I had expected. Spontaneity is not among McCartney's mainstays, but after realizing the silliness of setlist quibbling years ago (not that it's stopped me), I've taken to just enjoying what the greatest living rock musician wants to play for me. So it was quite nice to have "Hello, Goodbye" swapped with "Magical Mystery Tour," "I've Just Seen A Face" give way to "I'm Looking Through You" and four other nightly variants.

And while the accolade I just cited is based on his Beatles' legacy, McCartney has put out much excellent music over the last 15 years, to the point that I could've happily heard a few more "new songs."

Perhaps it wasn't necessary to go both nights, but how many times in my life will I have the chance to see Paul McCartney--or even any winner--at Wrigley Field? Especially as both shows cost me less than 70% of attendees paid for just one concert, I was thrilled to treat myself to two hard day's nights.

Celebrating the 70th Birthday of John Lennon

Photo by Seth Arkin

On October 9, 1940, John Winston Lennon was born  in Liverpool Maternity Hospital.

In March 1957, he formed a skiffle group, soon to become known as the Quarrymen.

On July 6, 1957, he met Paul McCartney at a party at St. Peter's Church (regarding which there's a cool book called The Day John Met Paul). Paul, and later his friend George Harrison, would join the Quarrymen.

In August 1960, The Beatles were so named, and included John, Paul, George, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe would leave the band in 1961 and die from an aneurysm the following year. In August 1962, Ringo Starr replaced Pete Best on drums and on September 4, 1962, their first single, Love Me Do, was initially recorded.


On April 8, 1963, John and wife Cynthia had a son named Julian.

On June 6, 1963, John and Paul wrote She Loves You.

On February 7, 1964, the Beatles first arrived in America.

On February 7, 1964, they performed on the Ed Sullivan show for the first time, watched by approximately 74 million viewers—over 40 percent of the American population.

On October 21 & 22, 1965, John's composition, Nowhere Man--oft considered the Beatles first foray into social commentary--was recorded.

On November 9, 1966, the already married John met Yoko Ono. After his divorce from first wife, Cynthia, John and Yoko would marry on March 20, 1969. John soon added "Ono" as a middle name.

On April 10, 1970, the Beatles' break-up became public.

On October 11, 1971, John Lennon's most famous solo song, Imagine, was released as a single in the U.S.

On March 23, 1973, the Nixon administration ordered John Lennon's deportation from the U.S., but Nixon's own troubles (i.e. the Watergate scandal) precluded it from ever happening.

On  October 9, 1975, on his 35th birthday, John and Yoko had a son named Sean.

On November 17, 1980, John (along with Yoko) released his first album in 5 years, Double Fantasy.

On December 8, 1980, John was shot and killed outside his & Yoko's apartment building in New York by Mark David Chapman.

I think it's fairly safe to say that John Lennon's life and death have  impacted me (although both largely after the fact) more than that of any other person I haven't personally known.

While I can't help imagining what he might have done in the past 30 years, or any portion thereof, I also can't imagine the world without his being in it for the 40 years he was.

Below is a playlist of the 15 John Lennon songs (with and after the Beatles) that mean the most to me. If you get a chance to listen, I hope you enjoy them.

Happy Birthday John. And thanks.

Photo by Seth Arkin

Paying Tribute To a Great Beatles Cover Band: American English

Concert Review & Preview

American English
Seen August 1, 2010
Lincolnwood Fest
@@@@1/2

Appearing at the
Backlot Bash in Skokie, IL
Sunday, August 31st, 6:00pm

A few weeks ago I posted a list of my 100 All-Time Favorite Artists of Popular Music. Aside from people wondering if I had too much time on my hands (I do, and welcome all employment inquiries), the second most prevalent response was, "The Beatles aren't number one?"

That's correct; topping my list is Bruce Springsteen. In terms of the frequency with which I listen music and how ardently I follow him--including having seen 38 live shows in Chicago, New Jersey, L.A. and points in between--to say anyone other than "The Boss" is my personal favorite would be dishonest

But if the question were simply, "Who is the greatest all-time artist of popular music?" my answer would invariably be: "The Beatles." I would unreservedly testify under oath that the Beatles are the best, most important and most influential artist in the history of pop music.

Obviously, since I was born in 1968, I never saw the Beatles live and never had the opportunity. And the truth is that even if I were a good bit older, the Beatles only toured America--and thus played Chicago--a total of three times, none past 1966. As the video below depicts, many fans at Beatles shows could scarcely hear the songs over the screaming, and their concerts lasted barely over 30 minutes.



I have seen Paul McCartney in concert five times--I'm surprised he hasn't hit Chicago despite being on the road this summer and last--and he always performs a healthy dose of Beatles hits. I've also seen Ringo Starr in concert and have long loved George Harrison's Live in Japan double CD collection recorded in 1990 with Eric Clapton and his band, and wish George had decided to tour America around that time.

Although I was--and remain--heartbroken by John Lennon's murder (and would veto Mark David Chapman's current bid for parole) and saddened when George Harrison passed away at such a relatively young age, I feel that it is proper that The Beatles never were able to do a reunion tour. Their moment in time should remain sacred--and through songs, albums, videos and movies, they will undoubtedly live on forever.

Not as a substitute or vicarious thrill, but just something that I enjoy, over the years I have seen a handful of Beatles tribute bands (although not one called Rain, which will soon be performing on Broadway). My favorite, by far, has long been American English.

Of course, they are not the Beatles, despite technically pretending to be. And they are not even the next best thing; that would be Beatles recordings, concert footage and catching McCartney when he comes to town. But the price is right--usually "free" at a number of local summer festivals around Chicagoland and elsewhere--, the set list is impeccable (no matter what they play) and the sound is close enough to make it a whole lot of fun.

I've seen American English a number of times--usually at least once per summer over the last few--and never not enjoyed them a great deal (I think they've changed some of their members over time, but have never missed a beat(le)). At the beginning of August, I saw their 3-hour, 3-set show--dressed in appropriate uniforms, they perform as the early Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band and the later (Hey Jude, Get Back, etc.) Beatles--at Lincolnwood Fest in Proesel Park.

This Sunday night at 6:00pm, American English will be performing in Skokie at the Backlot Bash festival (honoring the village's past as a filming location in early days of motion pictures). I intend to be there.

There's no admission cost and "a splendid time is guaranteed for all." So why not "Drive Your Car" up to Skokie for a magical history tour? Especially because in a day when rock concerts start at about $50 on average and musical theater is charging big bucks for compilations of old songs with little or no accompanying narrative, you can always count on American English to deliver a tremendously satisfying show for nothing (or next to it). And that's something to which we can all pay tribute.

(This is a video of American English (from YouTube; I did not shoot it) performing A Day In The Life.)



---

Addendum: Rolling Stone has been advertising a new Collector's Issue featuring their picks for the 100 Greatest Beatles songs. On their website, they count down the Top 10. It's a pretty good list, but here are my 10 favorites (at least this week;-)

10. Here Comes the Sun
9. I Want to Hold Your Hand
8. Nowhere Man
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
6. Rain
5. Across the Universe
4. Help
3. A Hard Day's Night
2. Ticket To Ride
1. A Day in the Life

Runners Up:
And Your Bird Can Sing
Day Tripper
Hello, Goodbye
We Can Work It Out
In My Life
I Should've Known Better
Hey Bulldog
She Said, She Said
I Want To Tell You
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

My 100 All-Time Favorite Artists of Popular Music - 2010 Edition

In honor of Lollapalooza weekend in Chicago--although I'm not attending this year's fest, due to being too old & fat to enjoy standing in a field all day, let alone three, and a scarcity of acts that interest me--I thought it would be a good time to update my list of 100 favorite popular music (mostly rock) artists, which I first compiled and published five years ago.

Although without too many wholesale changes, there are a number of acts that either newly made or fell off the top 100, and others that bounced around within it. Beyond asking myself at each berth, "Do I like "x" better than the artist below," there was no scientific methodology, but I did try to consider each artist's recorded output, their merits as a live act (where applicable), how often I tend to listen to them and the depth & duration of my affinity.

As such, the rankings are based on my personal fondness more than my critical regard for one's originality, impact, influence or other barometers of artistic merit. In other words, although I know Bob Dylan (#30) is "greater" than Rush (#19), I don't "like" him better. On stature alone, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder and Bob Marley clearly belong, and I enjoy all four and others of their ilk, but none have been mainstays in the "soundtrack of my life" to the extent of the 100 who made the cut.

Keep in mind that I've seen more than 200 different artists as concert headliners and have nearly 1,400 artists in my iTunes library, so I like far more than the 100 listed here. And as this is meant as an "all-time" list, although  I've been listening heavily of late to stellar new releases from The Len Price 3, The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem, among others, I couldn't allow myself to be too myopic in my selections.

Finally, one thing that I had some trouble being consistent about was in how to consider solo acts who were previously in bands. I like the individual post-Beatles output of John, Paul & George enough to give them their own slots, as well as that of Paul Weller outside The Jam, but though I've enjoyed Ray Davies' solo recordings & concert appearances, I didn't cite him beyond The Kinks. I included Bob Mould/Husker Du/Sugar as a single entry, and likewise Eric Clapton/Cream/Derek & the Dominoes, but listed Ozzy Osbourne, not Black Sabbath (despite liking his output in both forms). Neither Steve Winwood nor Traffic (or Blind Faith) made the cut, but perhaps should have if considered in sum, yet I combined Velvet Underground & Lou Reed. And my penchant for Neil Young includes his work in CSNY, Buffalo Springfield and more so with Crazy Horse than without, but he's only included individually.

Oh, well, life is full of inconsistencies and so is my list. But here it is, as of August 6, 2010:

1. Bruce Springsteen
2. The Beatles
3. R.E.M.
4. Nirvana
5. Led Zeppelin
6. The Rolling Stones
7. U2
8. The Kinks
9. The Who
10. The Jam
11. Pearl Jam
12. The Clash
13. The Smashing Pumpkins
14. AC/DC
15. The Ramones
16. David Bowie
17. Radiohead
18. Cheap Trick
19. Rush
20. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
21. Midnight Oil
22. Stereophonics
23. Foo Fighters
24. Dinosaur Jr.
25. Green Day
26. Jimi Hendrix
27. The Replacements
28. Van Halen
29. Bob Seger
30. Bob Dylan
31. Pink Floyd
32. Elvis Costello
33. Queen
34. Talking Heads
35. The Police
36. Aerosmith
37. Neil Young
38. John Lennon
39. Creedence Clearwater Revival
40. Johnny Cash
41. Guns 'n' Roses
42. Alejandro Escovedo
43. Husker Du/Bob Mould/Sugar
44. The Wildhearts
45. The Killers
46. Paul McCartney
47. Steely Dan
48. Simon & Garfunkel
49. Elton John
50. Eric Clapton/Cream/Derek & the Dominoes
51. The Cure
52. Billy Joel
53. The Zombies
54. Metallica
55. The Flaming Lips
56. Peter Gabriel
57. Warren Zevon
58. Blur
59. Sex Pistols
60. Garbage
61. Soundgarden
62. Paul Weller
63. Van Morrison
64. The Waterboys
65. The Doors
66. Maximo Park
67. The Pretenders
68. Velvet Underground/Lou Reed
69. The Cars
70. BoDeans
71. Wilco
72. Nine Inch Nails
73. Depeche Mode
74. Liz Phair
75. John Mellencamp
76. Stevie Ray Vaughan
77. Prince
78. Dire Straits
79. Fleetwood Mac
80. The Byrds
81. The Beach Boys
82. George Harrison
83. The Move
84. Ash
85. The Pixies
86. Buddy Guy
87. The Smoking Popes
88. Def Leppard
89. Ozzy Osbourne
90. Blondie
91. The White Stripes
92. Buddy Holly
93. Coldplay
94. The Smiths
95. Beck
96. Eagles
97. Jackson Browne
98. Social Distortion
99. Boston
100. Material Issue

Top 3 Almosts: Supertramp, Love & Graham Parker

Dropouts from the 2005 list: Elvis Presley, Jason & the Scorchers, ZZ Top, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Santana, Bad Religion, The Wallflowers, The Darkness, Counting Crows, Jane's Addiction, Love and Graham Parker