The Strokes is one of the most famous bands in the garage and punk rock scene in the U.S. Formed in New York in 1998, The Strokes features singer Julian Casablancas, guitarists Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi, bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti. They are credited for reviving indie rock in the New York music scene.
They released their debut album, ‘Is This It,’ in 2001, to massive international success and critical acclaim. Their following albums, ‘Room on Fire’ and ‘First Impressions of Earth’, were also huge commercial successes. After this, the band took a break for several years. They started working with Rick Rubin on a new album in 2016, titled ‘The New Abnormal.’ It was finally released in April 2020, and it received great reviews from fans and critics alike.
Recommended Listening: Do yourself a favor and just play the entire ‘Is This It’ album.
Green Day
Famous California rock band Green Day was formed by Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt in 1987. Drummer Tré Cool joined the band in 1990, replacing the former drummer and recording the band's second album, 'Kerplunk'. Green Day was known in the '80s and '90s punk scene in California, where it got its roots.
The band's 1994 album, 'Dookie,' was a huge success and sold over 10 million copies. It became credited for being one of the American bands to revive punk rock to the mainstream public. Their seventh album, 'American Idiot,' was very popular among the younger generations. Their 2009 album, '21st Century Breakdown', catapulted the band to fame again. Green Day has won five Grammys and sold over 75 million records around the world.
Recommended Listening: We would recommend starting with their album 'Dookie' and then moving on to 'American Idiot.'
Motley Crue
Motley Crue has a known reputation for being one of the craziest, most depraved rock bands in history, known for wreaking havoc wherever they go. The band formed in 1981, in Los Angeles, with Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee, and Vince Lee. The group of five became the bad boys of Hollywood, with their huge metal hair and an insane partying attitude.
Shockingly, all the band members survived years of debauchery and managed to become one of the most successful bands in the world, with over 100 million albums sold worldwide. They've released nine studio albums with 'Dr. Feelgood', 'Theatre of Pain,' 'New Tattoo,' and 'Shout at the Devil' are some of the most famous.
Recommended Listening: Any song recorded by Motley Crue will make you rock hard, but we'd definitely start off with their album 'Dr. Feelgood'.
The Revolution
The Revolution was formed in 1979 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by none other than legendary singer Prince. Although they're considered a rock band, they also fusion pop, funk, R&B, and even psychedelic rock. The Revolution got its claim to fame in the mid-1980s with their album, 'Purple Rain,' in 1984.
Their second studio album, 'Around the World in a Day,' had 6 top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band won three Grammy Awards and released two soundtracks and two videos on top of their two studio albums. Unfortunately, the band officially broke up in 1986.
Recommended Listening: "Kiss," "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," "Purple Rain," "Little Red Corvette," and virtually any songs released by The Revolution are amazing musical compositions. But if we had to start with something, it would probably be their 'Purple Rain' album.
Simon and Garfunkel
The American folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel is among the best-selling music artists in history. They had been together since the sixth grade and later on began performing under the name Tom & Jerry. Only in 1963, they became the famous duo Simon & Garfunkle.
They released several singles, and in 1965, everything changed for the two with the release of "The Sound of Silence." In 1970 the two decided to go their separate solo ways, not before releasing a few of the greatest hits of all time.
Recommended Listening: "The Boxer", "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", "Mrs. Robinson", and "America". For us, it will always be "The Boxer."