The Greatest American Rock Band Bracket!
Second Round, Classic Rock Division
The E Street Band (4) vs. the Heartbreakers (5)
Anthemic Jersey rockers versus the timeless hit machine
|
|
|
|
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band:
"When Bruce Springsteen finally broke through to national recognition in the fall of 1975 after a decade of trying, critics hailed him as the savior of rock & roll... He rocked as hard as Jerry Lee Lewis, his lyrics were as complicated as Bob Dylan's, and his concerts were near-religious celebrations of all that was best in music... [Forty years] later... Springsteen remains an established star who can look back on a career that produced one of the best-selling albums of all time, sold-out stadium shows, Grammy awards, an Oscar, and a group of imitators who constituted their own subgenre of popular music." --AllMusic.com Popularity
Influence:
|
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:
"Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers [culled] the best parts of the British Invasion, American garage rock, and Dylanesque singer/songwriters to create a distinctively American hybrid, recalling the past without being indebted to it. The Heartbreakers were a tight, muscular, and versatile backing band that provided the proper support for Petty's songs, which cataloged a series of middle-class losers and dreamers. [Petty's] willingness to experiment with the boundaries of classic rock and roll helped [the Heartbreakers] sustain [their] popularity well into the 21st century." --AllMusic.com Popularity
Influence:
|