Eponymous Rockers

[millring]

In an era of bands with band names, these guys recorded and performed as themselves (though they mostly had the same bands with them). Rank them favorite to least.

[billhammond]

Eponymous Rockers, interesting band out of Epony, Ohio, whose songs were titled after which band member wrote them. Their biggest hit was "Gary No. 62," their first (and Gary Stawalski's) single to chart in the Top 100. They toured a great deal but never caught on, largely because venues didn't have room on their marquees to fit their name.

[howard lee]

#1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
#2. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

And I do like the other two guys, but not quite as much.

[Marshall]

1.
2.
3. Tom Petty
4. John Mellencamp, Bob Seeger, Bruce Springsteen.

(OK, I edited it. I do listen to some Petty.)

[drlj]

1. Petty(I listen to Tom Petty Radio on Sirius a lot)
2. Springsteen (I also listen to Springsteen’s channel)
3. Mellencamp—(I liked him more years ago, but he is a Hoosier & Hoosiers stick together—especially in hot weather )
4. Seeger

[billhammond]

I've never been a big fan of any of those guys, as much as I admire their work ethic and tenacity, so I didn't vote.

[aquaduct]

I love them all. But in order;

1. Seger (home town hero)
2. Petty (Mike Campbell is the schizz)
3. The other 2.

[drlj]

Apr 1, 2023 8:18:15 GMT -5 billhammond said:

I've never been a big fan of any of those guys, as much as I admire their work ethic and tenacity, so I didn't vote.

Take your protest non-vote down to Culver’s and bury it in a some frozen custard!🍦👹

[Cosmic Wonder]

Petty
Seger and the Silver bullet band.

I wore out Seegers live album back in the day. Nutbush City Limits is still a classic.

Mike

[John B]

I voted for Johnny Cougar, which was Mr. Mellencamp's nom de pleum on the poor advice of a misguided manager. He's done some interesting explorations in music. He drew major attention to the farm crisis in the 80's. He's an artist, as is many of his local relatives (close and distant). He funds the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, a not-for-profit that encourages everyone to explore the artist within. His boyhood home is right on 11, right next to Rockford Ridge drive-in, which may or may not have been a Tasty Freeze. But he's a difficult guy to like, sometimes, but I would bet most of the guys on this list are.

However, I am most likely to hear Mr. Petty on the radio, and I will almost never change the channel when he pops up. His soundtrack-but-not-a-soundtrack to "She's The One" is a great album. With and without the Heartbreakers he always has a stellar band playing with him. He inspired Bob Dylan to get out of his late 80's-early 90's rut and get back to making some interesting music. He's my top musical choice. And Peter is right, Mike Campbell is the shizz. I recommend the documentary, "Running Down A Dream" to gain some appreciation of Tom, his musical genius, his bone-headed stubbornness, and his strong belief in his own vision, everyone else be damned.

Regarding Bob Seger, my BIL said, "I never liked Bob Seger. Then a Bob Seger song came on the radio and I realized I can't think of a song I don't like by him. In fact, I really like them. So I guess I like Bob Seger." I like Bob Seger, too. I like Rick Vito's slide work on "Like A Rock," and I have to believe it's there because Bob thought it should be. I like how in the song "Traveling Man" you can hear a pre-LA Glenn Frey, a musician who really looked up to Bob Seger, singing background vocals. And how if you listen to songs like "Shame On The Moon" you can hear Glenn (and maybe a few other Eagles?) singing backup for Bob once again. And how when Bob passed on "The Heat Is On" he suggested the producers take it to Glenn, then. I get the feeling that Bob is a really good guy, and he's the one on the list I'd want to hang out with.

Bruce is Bruce. I prefer his later stuff to the earlier stuff that put him on the musical map.

I saw Tom Petty in concert, and I would gladly see the other three.

[Shannon]

I like Tom Petty.

The other three don't do much for me most of the time.

[Dub]

As a musical “Independent” I had to use the write-in option.

1. Little Richard
2. Buddy Holly

[aquaduct]

Apr 1, 2023 10:16:56 GMT -5 John B said:

I voted for Johnny Cougar, which was Mr. Mellencamp's nom de pleum on the poor advice of a misguided manager. He's done some interesting explorations in music. He drew major attention to the farm crisis in the 80's. He's an artist, as is many of his local relatives (close and distant). He funds the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, a not-for-profit that encourages everyone to explore the artist within. His boyhood home is right on 11, right next to Rockford Ridge drive-in, which may or may not have been a Tasty Freeze. But he's a difficult guy to like, sometimes, but I would bet most of the guys on this list are.

However, I am most likely to hear Mr. Petty on the radio, and I will almost never change the channel when he pops up. His soundtrack-but-not-a-soundtrack to "She's The One" is a great album. With and without the Heartbreakers he always has a stellar band playing with him. He inspired Bob Dylan to get out of his late 80's-early 90's rut and get back to making some interesting music. He's my top musical choice. And Peter is right, Mike Campbell is the shizz. I recommend the documentary, "Running Down A Dream" to gain some appreciation of Tom, his musical genius, his bone-headed stubbornness, and his strong belief in his own vision, everyone else be damned.

Regarding Bob Seger, my BIL said, "I never liked Bob Seger. Then a Bob Seger song came on the radio and I realized I can't think of a song I don't like by him. In fact, I really like them. So I guess I like Bob Seger." I like Bob Seger, too. I like Rick Vito's slide work on "Like A Rock," and I have to believe it's there because Bob thought it should be. I like how in the song "Traveling Man" you can hear a pre-LA Glenn Frey, a musician who really looked up to Bob Seger, singing background vocals. And how if you listen to songs like "Shame On The Moon" you can hear Glenn (and maybe a few other Eagles?) singing backup for Bob once again. And how when Bob passed on "The Heat Is On" he suggested the producers take it to Glenn, then. I get the feeling that Bob is a really good guy, and he's the one on the list I'd want to hang out with.

Bruce is Bruce. I prefer his later stuff to the earlier stuff that put him on the musical map.

I saw Tom Petty in concert, and I would gladly see the other three.

Seger's the only one I've seen live. A couple times. Back in high school days when Pine Knob offered discount 5 pack deals every summer.

Good stuff.

[millring]

Apr 1, 2023 11:04:22 GMT -5 Dub said:

As a musical “Independent” I had to use the write-in option.

1. Eddie Cochran
2. Carl Perkins

Excellent choices.

[james]

1 Springsteen
2 Seger

I bought a Johnny Cougar single as a teenager. 'I Need a Lover Who Won't Drive Me Crazy'.*

*ETA - Oh dear. YouTube reminds me that I was not an especially musically discerning 14/15 yr. old. 

[RickW]

They’re all ‘somewhat’ for me. Born to Run is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. The story telling, the energy, were incredible. Never did see him, wish I had. But I didn’t get into a lot of his music after that.

Tom Petty is number 2. I like his early stuff in particular. “Breakdown” is a great tune. I liked his later singles, but I can’t say that I listened to any albums much. I saw him in a small venue here when the Heartbreakers were just getting going. Don’t remember much about the show, except that they were into long, drawn out endings to the songs.

Much to John Bauman’s dismay, I have previously stated my dislike of Mellencamp. He always felt like he was trying to be Springsteen to me, which is unfair, but for the most part, the songs didn’t grab me.

Bob Seger is just okay for me. It’s funny how some people, despite having a great voice, and songs that should have hit my like button just fine, don’t, and Mr. S is one of them.

[drlj]

Apr 1, 2023 13:14:08 GMT -5 RickW said:

They’re all ‘somewhat’ for me. Born to Run is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. The story telling, the energy, were incredible. Never did see him, wish I had. But I didn’t get into a lot of his music after that.

Tom Petty is number 2. I like his early stuff in particular. “Breakdown” is a great tune. I liked his later singles, but I can’t say that I listened to any albums much. I saw him in a small venue here when the Heartbreakers were just getting going. Don’t remember much about the show, except that they were into long, drawn out endings to the songs.

Much to John Bauman’s dismay, I have previously stated my dislike of Mellencamp. He always felt like he was trying to be Springsteen to me, which is unfair, but for the most part, the songs didn’t grab me.

Bob Seger is just okay for me. It’s funny how some people, despite having a great voice, and songs that should have hit my like button just fine, don’t, and Mr. S is one of them.

Mellencamp was trying to be James Dean. It’s a Southern Indiana affliction.
Leather jacket collar turned up, cigarette in the corner of the mouth, and a look of disdain on the face while sitting on a fast motorcycle.

[millring]

Apr 1, 2023 10:16:56 GMT -5 John B said:

I voted for Johnny Cougar, which was Mr. Mellencamp's nom de pleum on the poor advice of a misguided manager. He's done some interesting explorations in music. He drew major attention to the farm crisis in the 80's. He's an artist, as is many of his local relatives (close and distant). He funds the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, a not-for-profit that encourages everyone to explore the artist within. His boyhood home is right on 11, right next to Rockford Ridge drive-in, which may or may not have been a Tasty Freeze. But he's a difficult guy to like, sometimes, but I would bet most of the guys on this list are.

All four of them became popular at a time when I wasn't really listening to the radio. I was probably more vaguely aware of Bob Seeger because I think his hits were far more mainstream and were used in commercials and movies. But my first awareness of Mellencamp was due to the Fort Wayne floods of '82 when he did a benefit concert www.concertarchives.org/concerts/flood-concert . I remember asking "Who is Johnny Cougar?" and thinking what a silly name. But I soon found out that my sister in law who comes from a blended family used to regularly see Mellencamp at family reunions. I don't think she's related. I think one of her relatives by marriage is related. Something like that. But it sort of humanized him for me to imagine him at a family get together. Much later I found out about the Bob Heimberger connection I shared here once.

Musically, it isn't even close for me. Mellencamp is my favorite musically. To my ear he's more melodic, uses far more interesting sounds (including lots of "folk" instruments). Acoustic guitar is very prominent in his hits. And his slice-of-life lyrics hit home with me. If I didn't already know he was a Hoosier, I would probably have guessed someone from the Ohio/Indiana/Illinois part of the Midwest. His songs are immediately singable and memorable and his hooks are really strong.

Seeger is second. Of the four, I think he's the only one with a really good voice -- a voice that could carry a song to popularity. The other three are, I think, really horrible singing voices that we've come to appreciate as the voice of their good music. Kinda like Carole King -- whose voice is quirky to say the least, but when I stand her "Natural Woman" up against a voice that is arguably in the pantheon of greatest ever -- Aretha Franklin -- I gotta say, I don't like Carole King's recording any less than Franklin's. So, a voice doesn't have to be "good" to be effective.

And Seeger has some really great songs, and Seeger's songs are atmospheric in ways the other four don't even come close to. Seeger's songs create mood.

Springsteen has some really great songs as evidenced by the fact that he's had some incredibly great covers of them (Pink Cadillac and the Soundhole Collective's spiritual grandson -- Josh Turner -- covers "I'm On Fire" really well). Still, not many Springsteen songs -- as done by him -- ring my bell.

Other than Breakdown -- which is simply fantastic -- I find Petty's songs dreery and depressing.

But what I'm really enjoying is reading all your takes on these four. To some degree I'm guessing that it really matters when we heard these guys (relative to our individual life cycles -- how old were we, what stage of life), and all the intangibles that make up for taste. Why we like some things we probably oughta hate and can't stand things that we probably love things so similar to that we can't even explain why we draw the line there.

[millring]

Sorry for misspelling "Seger" throughout. I shoulda googled.

[billhammond]

Apr 1, 2023 16:07:55 GMT -5 millring said:

Sorry for misspelling "Seger" throughout. I shoulda googled.

So, he's NOT Pete's son?