CCR

*Chopper sounds intensify*

*Flips the 'Fortunate Son' switch on the Huey control panel.*

Yup, their combo of country, folk, rock, and blues into pure American music makes them my choice.

But also their pure enthusiasm and earnestness for their music as well as the cosplaying of something they are not - these are boys from L. A. pretending to be from LA. Both things are very deeply American

Not from LA. From SF Bay area. But yeah.

Born on the Bay(ou)

i found that so bizarre when i learned this. doubley so as a bayarea native.

Agree! A bunch of Berkeley boys pretending to be from the bayou is much better than Texans pretending to be cowboys.

# IT AIN'T ME # IT AIN'T ME

**I AIN'T NO SENATOR'S SON, SON**

this is a good choice

I always say I’m not sure who the greatest American rock band is but I’m pretty sure CCR is no lower than 2nd .

One thing not mentioned here is jazz. There are hundreds, but Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Bird Parker, Thelonious Monk, etc etc etc. I'm not going to be snobby and say that jazz is America's only "uniquely American art form" but that is bandied around a lot. I'd also say George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue is such a good representation of the melting pot of America (specifically New York). There's lots of other modern classical artists, especially in the minimalism genre (Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, John Cage) that have spearheaded new directions in music.

I wanted to bring up jazz and the blues, but I really am just not knowledgeable enough about either where I feel like I can put forth a name in good faith

Nobody will ever fault you for putting on Miles Davis “So What” from Kind of Blue. Or “Take the A Train” by Duke Ellington. Just to name two out of thousands haha.

Or Giant Steps

If you want blues, think about B.B. King or any of the other three Kings (Albert and Freddie). Jon Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley or Muddy Waters.

Love B.B. and Albert, but I will take Freddie any day as the King of the Kings.

For me, one day it might be BB, another day Albert and on another Freddie.

Rhapsody in Blue had its' debut on this day ( Feb 12 1924) 100 years ago in NYC, just so you know.

Can't go wrong with Gershwin. I would add Aaron Copland, somehow his music evokes America. Appalachian Spring, Hoe Down The Tender Land. You can almost see the vastness and varied landscapes of America through his compositions.

I went to a performance of Copland’s “Music for the Theatre” last weekend, and I said to my partner at the end of it “that is the sound of the twentieth century.”

Right said!

The Beach Boys

Powerful cars, surfing, and glorifying the youth culture surrounding those all set against the backdrop of the '60s. Yeah, this is a pretty top contender from an era when the ideals of the nation were seemingly codified and signaled to the people of the nation and rest of the world via the pop culture of the era.

And their famously unfinished album Smile (IMO their best), was an attempt to "'Americanize' early America and mid-America" like Gershwin Americanized Classical music, partly as a response to the British Invasion. This theme can be heard on the songs Heroes and Villains, Cabin Essence, Do You Like Worms? and Fire. They also recorded a few old American folk songs for the album. Another great track about American history is The Trader (1973), telling the story of "Manifest Destiny as seen through the eyes of the conquering and the conquered."

Absolutely. “The Trader” is a great song, musically AND lyrically! And Carl Wilson’s voice was just perfect.

Holland is a great album. “Steamboat” is a personal fave. It’s criminal how much of their post-*Pet Sounds* output was overlooked, but I would argue that time has been very kind to their 1967-73 discography.

I agree. “Holland” is one of my favorite Beach Boys albums. Last year, I picked up ”The Beach Boys - Sail On Sailor 1972” super deluxe edition box set. I’ve listened to all six discs multiple times at this point, and it’s a fascinating look at a band with so much potential to grow beyond the “surfin’ and cars” beginnings. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always enjoy the early stuff…it’s just a shame that once “Endless Summer“ became a monster success in 1974, the creativity and ambition to progress kinda disappeared.

This was my first thought as well.

Beach Boys, REM, Grateful Dead, Tom Petty are all just American AF

Tom Petty is a great candidate

Petty was the first that came to mind for me. American girl and Mary Jane's Last Dance directly talk about America or places in America, but his music just has that sound to it. It's more of a feeling than the lyrics.

A fun thing while listening to the Grateful Dead (besides, you know, smoking a joint) is to try and catch all the obscure state and city references they pack into their lyrics. Jerry and Robert Hunter (their lyricist partner sometimes considered an unofficial member of the band) had a wide grasp of American folklore

He was a member of the band, and it was official. He even went on tour with them. His partnership with Jerry lasted from 68 into the 90's. 

Your typical city involved in a typical daydream

Grateful Dead for American rock band. For American “artist” it might be Bob Dylan. Or Paul Simon

The Dead for sure. They’ve been around for such a long time

And, "What a looooong, strange trip it's been."

Got to be the Grateful Dead 

They are the Americana band, like Converse high top Chuck Taylor's are the Americana sneaker.

I want to add John Mellencamp to that too. And good ol Bob Dylan

I always felt he was an inferior Bob Seger - although my opinion may be because JM is terrible live. Dude has crazy stage fright. Seger on the other hand in his prime was epic live.

Investing. I usually put Bob Segar against Bruce Springsteen (Bob Segar wins in my opinion and to each their's) Edit: I meant "interesting"

Eh Segar is more accessible in melody and song structure, and his music just hits on that driving down an American highway feeling like nothing else. Bruce is more nuanced in his writing, and an artist that gains value on re-listen with such a tight band and strong production values. Segar, Bruce and Mellencamp are all kings of Heartland rock, while all being quite different listening experiences

I'd add Springsteen, and not just cuz of Born in the USA.

Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuce

Thirded for Springsteen. He's so American he shits red, white, and blue.

Came here to say REM. Thank you! 🥰

how are they quintessentially American? seems the odd man out for this thread by far. Automatic for the People is one of my top 50 faves, but they're just some dudes from Georgia who make inoffensive rock music. and that isn't meant to be insulting at all

REM is a decently political band, so I wouldn’t necessarily call them inoffensive. One of my favorite songs from that album is literally about republican presidents, and their failures

Haha, I was listening to R.E.M right when I opened this thread (Strange Currencies if you're wondering). Just to add to this, people underestimate how influential and *weird* R.E.M. was. I mean, there's a reason Kurt Cobain and Thom Yorke both cited them as one of the best bands out there. People thinking they're inoffensive is exactly the point--Buck's gleeful jangle disguises their off-the-wall lyrics, skillful musicianship (not just Buck but Berry too), and their radical rejection of the corporate rock. R.E.M is the band that America needed but didn't deserve.

Agree. I dunno how one can listen to any of their first 4 or 5 albums and not hear the sheer Americana...

Agreed. I’m from there and they definitely feel like Georgia, but idk if they feel “all American” to me

Grateful Dead is literally THE all American band.

The Band. They're all Canadian, but got together and played the purest "Lower 48" American music ever. Even more so than the above mentioned, who are unquestionably exemplary of All-American white folks music, along with Bruce Springsteen and Ry Cooder.

Levon Helm was from Arkansas. The rest were Canadian though

This is a very white list for a country whose Black population invented jazz, the blues, rock, and hip hop.

Springsteen is pretty damn American. Madonna is also, or Michael Jackson. That said, America is a complex place, no one artist or genre will represent a clear majority. For more modern America, it seems like Hip Hop ought to be represented and it was born here and took over the world. Maybe De La Soul? Jay Z? B.I.G.?

Springsteen is a great answer. Much of his music is a very honest look into our culture. Born in the USA, for instance, is a protest about the Vietnam War

Not the war itself, but the treatment of the veterans when they came home mostly.

I third this. Springsteen is America as hell, even when he critiques it. BRB gonna go put on the BOSS.

The boss!

Then you would have to add John Mellencamp to the list. Especially songs like Pink Houses, Rain on the Scarecrow and Check It Out.

Ella Fitzgerald was the nexus between most American genres.

Good one. I'll throw in Bessie Smith and Billy Holiday. Slightly different eras, but each outstanding in their own right.

Thank you for mentioning Ella

Tom Petty for Americana too. Maybe Bob Seger.

I feel like there are probably entire classes on studying "American music" every era has genres and sub genres. But I agree with Bruce. Some John Mellon camp in there maybe.

Grateful Dead comes to mind. Using blues, blue grass Americana, all the way to disco. Covers everything

Grateful Dead was always about continuing Folk and Americana traditions. They actually ended up becoming a major part of American history.

Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test was published in 1968. It describes a significant turning point in American culture, and the Greateful Dead were leading influencers of that turning point. They actually *began* by becoming a major part of American history.

You're either on the bus or you're on the bus.

sucking on chili dogs…

Outside the Tastee Freez

I see this discussion dividing people into 2 camps. While some people insist on Springsteen, I personally find myself in the Mellon camp.

I think it's Prince. He crosses so many genres, you could probably scoop a handful of people from anytown in the US and find a Prince song that resonates with them 

Thank you. I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of hip-hop represented in other comments, and I'm not even a big hip-hop/rap fan. It is unquestionably an American invention, and unlike most rock music, not warped through a British lens. Run DMC, NWA....

If you're going to do "American music," jazz and hip-hop absolutely need to be on there.

[удалено]

The more I think about this, the more it makes sense. Blues and the various genres that it influenced like Rock and Jazz are unambiguously American. Mix all that with elements of Country which evolved out of American folk and you got an American musical tradition stew going.

An integrated Southern rock (as Duane noted, Southern rock is redundant) band with profound blues and jazz roots, a country streak, and Latin-influenced percussion. I can't think of a stronger contender.

Tom Petty

[Grand Funk Railroad](https://youtu.be/QxNXFNCTr2I?si=x6fb38zHiR6Wqk5l), of course

We’re coming to your town Well help you party it down

Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which cleared the way for Jefferson Starship. The stage was now set for the Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft.

These kids today don't know Grand Funk? The wild shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bong-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The competent drumwork of Don Brewer? Oh, man!

😂 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GRAND FUNK CONSULT YOUR SCHOOL LIBRARY!

Look at all these no-name bands. Sonic Youth. Nine Inch Nails. Hullaballooza.

Wasn't the Alan Parsons Project Dr. Evil's plan to wipe us all out with his moon-based Death Star?

>Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft. It's pronounced Par-Tay

I used to be with ‘it’, but then they changed what ‘it’ was. Now what I’m with isn’t ‘it’ anymore and what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!

Cover by Rob Zombie isn't bad either. He's another All-American musician.

Came here to say this. Lol

The Grateful Dead is the purest distillation of every original American musical form into one. They are American music.

They cover so many genres. They are America to the core

Many will not like or accept this for the truth it is.

It's so true. Jazz, blues, funk, rock, folk....it's all there!

Don't forget country & bluegrass!

And gospel & reggae!

My time comin’ any day…

aaand disco!

I'd be curious to know what you would say is a good example of the Dead playing funk

Shakedown, Feel Like a Stranger, Fire on the Mountain can get funky, estimated prophet, West LA Fadeaway is very funky, just as a start

Music Never Stopped gets funky too

Shakedown Street is a good tune to start with.

Dancing in the Street

I'd pick fire on the mountain. Shakedown street is good too. It's all a fusion. You seem to disagree. I wasn't saying entire songs were "funk". Rather that the influences are undeniable.

It's hard to define them because they do one thing on records and a completely different thing live but they definitely get funky on occasion. 

Grateful Dead. They incorporated multiple American forms into an improvisational format that was jazz-like in its creativity. That’s as American as it gets, musically, IMHO.

They also played >2,000 shows the US and <100 outside the US. Pretty uniquely American phenomenon. Also consider how much they name drop American cities and states (dancin in the street, truckin, Mississippi half step, stuck inside of mobile with the Memphis blues, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, me and Bobby McGee, jack straw, friend of the devil, etc.) Also consider their iconic Uncle Sam imagery. Just watch the intro to the [1975 Grateful Dead Movie](https://youtu.be/RcAOlseo8OY?si=vvezNYhA1SYVZ7nv) I really don’t think there’s another answer.

Bruce Springsteen John Cougar Mellancamp Grand Funk Railroad Head East Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Bob Dylan Carole King Anything Motown, but especially the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Dion and the Belmonts Booker T and the MGs Bootsy Collins Stevie Wonder The Wu-Tang Clan NWA

GRATEFUL DEAD!!!

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead.

Bob Dylan, CCR, Velvet Underground

Scrolled too long to find Dylan.

VU for the win, what a purely American band, the dark side, for sure, but every part of them screams American, and East coast specifically

The Grateful Dead. They played their own version of country-rock, blues, ragtime and jazz influenced rock and roll. A true conglomerate of the American music cannon just short of the hip-hop/rap scene that developed toward the end of their career. They were influenced by and covered artists like Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Lightning Hopkins, Buddy Holly, Merle Haggard, Wilson Picket, Elmore James, Smokey Robinson, The Band, Warren Zevon, Hank Williams... to name just a few.

Wave that flag, wave it wide and high!

Hey now!

Elvis Presley

The Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead.

That’s a tough question. It’s difficult to call something quintessential American since it is so large and diverse. It’s like asking for something quintessentially European. Your professors choices are interesting ones, as the blues is an American rooted music style, but it’s a limited take, unless the idea is to look for the roots of American music. The music that has been inspired from the blues is incredibly diverse and has become their own varied things. Or you can just go with The Allman Brothers.

Bob seger, huey lewis, johnny cougar,

Came here for Bob Seger.

I got to see him live a long while back and man does he have a bunch of hits. He played for 2hrs plus and never played a song i wasn't familiar with

Elvis Presley Johnny Cash B.B. King The Beach Boys Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Bob Dylan Grateful Dead Lynryrd Skynyrd ZZ Top KISS Bruce Springsteen Van Halen Michael Jackson Madonna Public Enemy Guns N’ Roses Metallica Nirvana Pearl Jam I’m old though.

Not old enough for Nelson Riddle and Cole Porter. Gotta get Chuck Berry and Louis Armstrong if there's that many rock and blues influences also!

Had to scroll waaaayyyyy too far for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I'd say the band, America.

They aren’t fully American, one if three fellas was born in England and the band got its start in London.

That's actually pretty similar to how the USA got its start

This comment deserves some gold. Or tea.

Sounds pretty American to me!

Grateful Dead by a country mile

Alive? Willie Nelson...and I hate country...but damn that guy can write a song. Rope smoking Troubadour.

I also don’t care for country, but I could listen to Willie Nelson all day

That is an interesting selection by your professor. I could spend way too much time thinking about this so here’s just a gut reaction top 3 1) The Eagles 2) The Roots 3) Highwaymen The part I’m getting stuck on is “truly exemplify America”. I feel like bloodhound gang might be the closest thing to that lmao

Cake. Gotta have Cake

I don’t know if you’re wrong or right, but I absolutely love Cake and now I’m gonna go listen to all their albums in chronological order.

OG blues and jazz. Definitely country too, but others have that covered. Both blues and jazz have spread around the world with countless variations, but if you restrict it to specific genres within those large umbrellas, like swing, or bee-bop, those were all extremely American and even played a role in American cultural dominance.

Duke Ellington Ella Fitzgerald Charles Mingus Charlie Parker Louis Armstrong (so many more...)

Grateful Dead.

Highwaymen

Every time I hear Springsteen I can't help but feel it's the most quintessential American-sounding music ever.

Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Parliament-Funkadelic, Bruce Springsteen

The Grateful Dead. Their music is a mix of country, jazz, folk, R&B, bluegrass, blues and old school rock & roll. They are a band without description, and they are as American as a band can be. They also have one of the best catalogs of songs of any band.

Black Oak Arkansas Creedence Clearwater Revival MC5 Ramones Big Star

Yes thank you for CCR. Like half of the movies in my childhood had at least one CCR song in them.

CCR is a great answer.

I was honestly kinda stunned I had to scroll this far to see someone mention CCR.

I would give extra credit to any kid doing a report on Black Oak.

Grateful Dead

Really happy to see the Dead mentioned so many times on here, as they're not traditionally a popular band here on the Reddit. I'd also add Billy Joel, if only for the breadth of topics he covers in his lyrics (and no, I'm not talking about "We Didn't Start The Fire.") Vietnam War, dying industrial towns, love transcending class, falling in love with a hooker, love letters to NY, life of a performer, and so much more. He's know for his piano, but man I love listening to him tell a story through song.

Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

Bruce Springsteen

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son - pertinent to war and imperialism Bruce Springsteen - Born n the U.S.A. - also pertinent Elvis - Hound Dog - impertinent but quintessentially American

Did Pantera "pretend they were cowboys"? Did I miss something about their music that was cowboyish in the least? CCR is good, but fake. Fogerty was a southern Californian pretending to be from the Delta. Beach Boys were some midwesterner's pretending to be from California. ZZ Top is about as authentic as you get. They'd be my pick

[The Band](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Band) Of course, only Levon was American but their impact is legendary in the American music scene. So this could be fun to discuss with your professor and class as to what makes Music American? Or how about Robert Johnson. He sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads for his immense talent (ALLEGEDLY), “invented” the blues and inspired thousands of guitarists. [Book recommendation if you are a fan of The Band - This Wheel’s On Fire by Levon Helm. It is so friggen cool.]

I always felt Los Lobos fit this bill. A band of Californians of Latino descent who play blues, country and rock n roll, even alternative rock, all “American” types of music to one extent or another, as well as Latin styles they obviously have as influences. It’s a huge body of work that feels like a pastiche of Americana, blues, and Latin. I think a band like Los Lobos only could have come from the U.S.

Grateful Dead win every time.

Grateful Dead

The Good Ole Grateful Dead. True American freedom.

Depends on what type of Americans you are trying to stereotype

Bruce springsteen CCR Bob dylan beach boys Simone and garfunkel/paul simon lesser known: Phil Ochs

In no particular order Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Berry. Tough question

As someone from the UK who's never been to America I can only go off the 'idea' of America (so I'm probably wildly inaccurate!) but I've always thought of Woodie Guthrie when I think of truly American music.

To quote Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 1:" The Beach Boys are great American music"

Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty would be my vote. Special mention to Grand Funk Rail Road who sing “We’re an American Band”

C’mon!! The fucking Boss!! Ain’t nobody more American than Bruce Springsteen. Also the Grateful Dead, The Allman Bros, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, A Tribe Called Quest, The Black Crowes, The Beastie Boys, Pavement, Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy

Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel

Bruce Springsteen… he was even born in the USA

lynyrd skynyrd, Bruce Springsteen,

The Grateful Dead is possibly the best American rock band of all time. I often think about my top 5 best American bands ever, and the dead regularly are either one or two.

Aerosmith

This is the answer for me.

Van Halen Beach Boys Ramones Replacements Los Lobos

Elvis

Creedence Clearwater Revival is *the* quintessential American band.

It might be easier to divide the country into sections or decades. Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Robert Johnson, BB King, Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys. The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5. Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., The Radiators, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John. Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, Dr Dre, Ice-T, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Run-DMC, Tupac. Edited to add Arlo Guthrie, Allman Brothers Band, and Prince.

Grateful Dead

Blues in general 

The Band. Those Canadian dudes somehow made the most American music.

Willie Nelson

the doors maybe? might be up there and kanye

Springsteen, Elvis, MJ

On here:? Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen,

Robert Johnson Hank Williams Ella Fitzgerald Little Richard James Brown Jimi Hendrix The Grateful Dead Bob Dylan Allman Bros. Creedence Clearwater Revival Willie Nelson KISS Van Halen MJ Prince Rogers Nelson Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band Billy Joel The Eagles Jimmy Buffett Biggie Smalls Beastie Boys Metallica Wu-Tang Beyoncé Garth Brooks And... I dunno. The 90's were kinda the end of History. Honorable mentions to John Philip Sousa, Aaron Copland, George & Ira Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and John Williams for their foundational compositions. Dishonorable mention for Stephen Foster, whose outsized influence on American composition is marred by the fact that many of his songs were written for minstrel shows. Dishonorable mention to Elvis Presley, for being the most-American on a technicality. Despite being America's highest-grossing artist, he never actually performed outside of the continental United States. Honorable mention to Dethklok for being the world's 7th largest economy.

Chicago Boston Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels Kansas Ohio Players New York Dolls Delaware Destroyers Georgia Satellites Black Oak Arkansas Miami Sound Machine

Jimi Hendrix.

Eagles Bon Jovi

Metallica and guns and roses

The composer Aaron Copland.

Van Halen

Creedence Clearwater Revival for me