Pick Or Pass On These Songs To Join A Legendary Band
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Entertainment
We're sure we're not the only ones who have listened to our favorite bands and envisioned ourselves up on the stage as one of the leading members. After all, one of the joys of listening to any type of pop song is getting to sing or play along with the professionals.
Unfortunately, bands are becoming all the more scarce in today's music climate -- which tends to lean more towards solo artists and collaborations rather than larger groups. In fact, it's hard to come up with even just a half dozen bands who have formed within the last decade and enjoyed mainstream success beyond one or two hit singles.
Instead, most of the bands that enjoy the fair share of radio play these days were formed decades ago, with many of them long since broken up. So there's a good chance that anyone who favors bands over solo artists is a fan of music from decades past.
So let's take a look at some chart-topping song across a wide variety of genres and years -- from the Rolling Stones to The Back Street Boys, to The Chainsmokers. Pick out some personal favorites, pass on the others, and we'll reveal a band to join!
“Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift
While plenty of solo artists these days turn out a couple hits and quickly fade into obscurity, Taylor Swift has been going strong since the early 2000s. This is largely thanks to the singer/ songwriters ability to adapt and try out different genres, including with this dance song, which is strikingly different from her earlier country hits.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
Reportedly, comedic actor Michael Myers petitioned so hard to get “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen put into his 1992 movie, Wayne’s World, that he was willing to walk away from the project entirely if they wouldn’t let him do it. Luckily, the song made the cut, and as a result, it peaked on the charts nearly two decades after it’s release.
"I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys
Nostalgia has given us a newfound respect for certain ‘90s boy bands and a few of their hit songs. “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, is certainly no exception, as it often enjoys its fair share of radio play on a number of pop stations, despite the song being nearly 20-years-old.
“Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Though the Red Hot Chili Peppers are still turning out albums every few years, their newer songs don’t get nearly as much play as some of their ‘80s and ‘90s classics. Maybe there most well-known song, “Scar Tissue”, was released back in 1999 on the band's critically acclaimed album Californication.
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters
After serving as the drummer for Nirvana for a number of years, David Grohl went off to be the leading member of the Foo Fighters, an alternative rock band that is still going strong today. “Everlong” is easily one of the band’s most recognizable songs today, which was originally released back in 1997.
“Crazy in Love” by Beyonce
Though Beyonce has turned out a number of hits since a number of her classic songs from the early 2000s still managed to get their share of radio play. “Crazy in Love” was the single from Beyonce’s first solo album, Dangerously In Love, which was released in 2003 after the members of Destiny’s Child started to go their separate ways.
“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus
Though her rise to fame came through the Disney Channel, where she played the title character in the Hanna Montana TV series, Miley Cyrus went to extreme length to shed her child star persona. Though she had already revamped her image before “Wrecking Ball”, this 2013 chart-topping song and it’s risqué music video still raised a number of eyebrows.
“Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band
“Chicken Fried” was released on the first studio album released by the country music group the Zac Brown Band back in 2008. However, Zac Brown actually wrote the song years earlier and had even allowed another band to put it on an album before their debut was released, which almost spelled disaster for this country band during their early days.
“Holiday” by Green Day
Anyone who is a fan of contemporary rock has no doubt memorized a few Green Day songs in their lifetime. The punk rock band was first formed in 1986 and is still going strong till this day. In that time, they have turned out a number of radio hits, including “Good Riddance,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and this 2004 song.
“Come Together” by The Beatles
Pick out one’s favorite Beatles song is like trying to pick out a favorite child. We hope even those who are largely drawn to more contemporary pop music have an appreciation for where the genre got its roots, which is largely thanks to this British band, which reigned supreme from 1960 to 1970.
“Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones
Some music theorists have said that one could break down a person’s musical taste into two broad categories: Beatles or Stones. So even though these bands both rose to fame during the same decade and out of the same country, there’s a lot about their musical style that is completely different.
“Take It Easy” by Eagles
The Eagles were easily the most popular American band of the 1970s, and they are one of the best-selling bands of all time. They have countless hits that continue to get radio play, and they even continue to tour, despite one of their leading members, Glenn Frey, sadly passing away just two years ago.
“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer
Though this song was released on Weezer’s debut album back in 1994, it continues to be one of the alternative rock band’s biggest hits. The song was written by lead singer, River Cuomo, and — despite being a pop rock song — it chronicles his father and step-father’s struggle with alcoholism and how it affected his upbringing.
“Just A Kiss” by Lady Antebellum
One of the most popular country music groups of the last decade, Lady Antebellum broke on the scene back in 2006, and they have turned out seven major studio albums since. “Just a Kiss” was featured on their 2011 effort, Own the Night, and the song was eventually certified double Platinum.
“I Feel It Coming” by The Weekend ft. Daft Punk
One of the biggest pop stars of the last decade, The Weekend has had a number of massive hits since he broke on the scene back in 2010. But instead of stealing the spotlight for himself, some of The Weekends biggest hits are collaborations with other artists, including this 2016 song, where he teamed up with Daft Punk.
“Diamonds” by Rihanna
Released on her 2012 album Unapologetic, “Diamonds” quickly became number one on the charts not just in North America, but in a number of countries around the world. It’s one of the best-selling singles of all-time. Not to mention that it has over a billion views on its official Youtube video alone.
“Rolling in the Deep” by Adele
One of the most recognizable voices of the last decade, British singer/ songwriter Adel released this song as the single of her second album. “Rolling in the Deep” held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for an impressive seven weeks and eventually winning her Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
“Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync
Much like the Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees, N’Sync was another mega boy band that reigned supreme throughout the 1990s. Some of their biggest hits included “I Want You Back,” “This I Promise You,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” as well as this hit, which was the single from their 1999 album No Strings Attached.
“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
Often recognized as the greatest rock and roll band of all time, Led Zeppelin may not be as well-known to mainstream listeners as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. However, their 1971 song “Stairway to Heaven” continues to have its fair share of recognition and radio play, after it spent the 1970s as the most requested song on the radio.
“Speed of Sound” by Coldplay
“Speed of Sound” is a 2005 song by Coldplay, which was released on their third studio album, X&Y. It was their first big hit abroad, reaching the number eight spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was eventually nominated for a number of Grammy Awards. The song drew inspiration from the 1985 sing “Running Up that Hill” by Bush.
“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Though it may not be as easily digestible as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird” is easily one of the most recognizable classic American rock songs, which was released by Lynyrd Skynyrd back in 1976. Though it never reached a number one spot on the radio, it is often considered the band’s best song.
“Closer” by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey
The Chainsmokers are a DJ duo act made up of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall. They broke onto the scene in 2012, and in just a few short years they were turning out a number of chart topping hits, including this 2016 song, “Closer”, which they collaborated with American singer Halsey on.
“Welcome To The Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance certainly isn’t for everyone, though the American emo rock band has certainly carved out a strong following since their debut in 2001. Their 2006 concept album, The Black Parade, brought them mainstream success and featured this single, which peaked on a number of charts worldwide.
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
The grunge movement enjoyed mainstream success throughout the 1990s largely thanks to this song from Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was the opening track from the band’s second album, Nevermind, which also featured the hits “Come as You Are” and “Lithium.” The song was written by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain.
“Back in Black” by AC/DC
This 1980 hit from British hard rock band AC/DC took its name from their seventh studio album. Much like a number of the bands other hits, the song has an iconic guitar riff, simplistic lyrics, and a classic hard rock sound. The song continues to enjoy its fair share of radio play, and it has been covered by various bands since.
“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga
Though Lady Gaga has ventured into more alternative music as well as an acting career, it’s her earlier pop songs that often enjoy the most radio play. “Poker Face” was one of many hits that the star turned out during the mid-‘00s, which came off her 2008 album The Fame.
“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd
Much like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd is another rock band that was formed in the 1960s that remains a favorite amongst rock enthusiasts, but doesn’t enjoy as much mainstream recognition today as they should. Even still, most would be able to pick out this 1975 song from just its first few guitar notes.
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith
This Aerosmith song, which is played at virtually at ever high school prom and a fair share of weddings, was first released on the Armageddon soundtrack in 1998. The song was written by Diane Warren and sung by Areosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Meanwhile, his daughter, Liv, played the romantic lead in the film.
“I Will Wait” Mumford & Sons
After a number of worldwide hits, including “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man,” Mumford and Sons went and topped themselves again with this 2012 song, which was released on their second studio album, Babel. “I Will Wait” went on to be nominated for a number of awards, including Best Rock Song at the 2013 Grammys.
“What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction
Despite only being together for five years, the English pop rock band One Direction certainly left a lasting mark on the music world between 2010 and 2015. One of their biggest hits during that time was “What Makes You Beautiful,” which was their leading single on their debut album, Up All Night.
