What is the best way to compare how big a band currently is? My quick go-to is monthly listeners on Spotify. For example, Roger Creager currently has 80k monhtly listeners while Robert Earl Keen still boasts 328k monthly listeners. That number changes monthly, but its a quick way to find out, for example, how U2 (19.8 million) compares to Taylor Swift (90.2 million).

I also look at current tours. U2 plays NRG to a sold out crowd for one night. Taylor Swift did three sold out nights. Another example - Sammy Hagar books and sells out the Woodlands Pavillion (15,000 seats) compared to Rick Springfield selling out Smart Financial Center (6000 seats).

Those are all big names. How about Blackberry Smoke vs Black Crowes? Both played 713 Music Hall, but Smoke was seated vs all standing for Crowes. Also, Smoke has 741k monthlys vs 2.5 million for Crowes.

I would guess up-and-coming or struggling artists hit up social media and friends and family for streams to get up to 4 or 5 digits on monthly listeners, but that's a short term gain at best. I see one of my favorite local bar bands is sitting at 13 monthly listeners. I just increased that number by 7.6% all by myself. That tracks.

Anyways, other than overall album sales, is there a better way?

I base mine on who has done the best job of rhyming Mansion with Wisconsin?

T-Pain tops my list.

I definitely have my own system, which would look a lot like most of y'alls with a lot of defunct or aging classic rock bands at the top. No brainer. I'm more curious about how current, smaller artists stack up against each other. I.e. who's bigger, Roger Creager or Randy Rogers? Billy Strings or Greta Van Fleet? etc.

I'm regretting this thread, already.

Not a big Spotify user myself, but it strikes me that older artists -- and perhaps country artists -- might be at a disadvantage with new ones when comparing streaming listeners.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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1. Tool

You can debate the rest.

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Fixed it for you

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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1. Led Zeppelin

You can debate the rest.

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#1 thieves

Philo B 93 said:

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I definitely have my own system, which would look a lot like most of y'alls with a lot of defunct or aging classic rock bands at the top. No brainer. I'm more curious about how current, smaller artists stack up against each other. I.e. who's bigger, Roger Creager or Randy Rogers? Billy Strings or Greta Van Fleet? etc.

I'm regretting this thread, already.

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I've never heard of Randy Rogers but Roger Creager was my fish in the Aggie Band so... he's a bigger name in my book.

Googled Randy Rogers - I left Austin in Jan. 2000 and didn't get back to Texas until Aug. 2023 so... I've probably missed out on lots of regionally popular music.

A few interesting things:

Tool has 4.2M monthly listeners compared to 16.8M for Led Zeppelin. So, regardless of personal taste, yes Zeppelin is still bigger than Tool.

I found two bands named "Thieves" on spotify. One has 4 monthly listeners and the other has 7. I assume Mookie is one of those 11 people. (the "Thieves" with 4 listeners is not bad.)

Roger Creager (gig 'em) has 80k monthly listeners compared to a whopping 788k for Randy Rogers. So even though I thought those two were the same person for several years, Randy is 10x bigger than Roger.

This is just one way to measure a band's reach, but its easy and kind of fun to see how they stack up at the moment.

Philo B 93 said:

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I found two bands named "Thieves" on spotify. One has 4 monthly listeners and the other has 7. I assume Mookie is one of those 11 people. (the "Thieves" with 4 listeners is not bad.)

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Tool did do a solid cover of No Quarter, though.

Know Your Enemy said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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1. Led Zeppelin

You can debate the rest.

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I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter.

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You'll appreciate this. Got the trailer for it the last time I went to the IMAX. Excited for it.

https://ledzepnews.com/2024/10/25/becoming-led-zeppelin-will-be-released-in-may/

Does it make me want to shove an ice pick in my ear canal?

If yes, it's probably Springsteen or Geddy Lee.

Why would you even want to rank bands? How could you possibly compare all the different genres and decades they were/are popular. Simply impossible. Listen to what you like. Doesn't matter if your favorite is one of the most successful bands ever or some obscure band with a small following.

And yes, Geddy Lee's vocals are like fingernails on a chalkboard.

No

Queen is probably bigger than Led Zeppelin now.

I've been more into keeping track of artists or bands that I'm not into, and figuring out what are the biggest acts that I used to tolerate or even enjoy, but nowt make me reach for the dial or skip track button.

My current Mt Rushmore of artists/groups that I'm fine if I never hear again:
Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Nirvana

This is how AI thinks we should do it, pretty interesting answer!


https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-to-compare-and-rank-bands-gzTpD4TpQsu5h3pWqXeVDg#0

There are various methods to compare and rank bands, ranging from subjective personal preferences to more structured scoring systems. Here are some approaches:

1. Personal Rating System: Create a customized scoring system based on specific criteria. For example, one method uses a D&D-inspired system with traits like Strength (overall enjoyment), Dexterity (production quality), Intelligence (lyrics), Wisdom (creativity), and Charisma (emotional impact)[1]. Each trait is scored from 1-20, with different weightings applied to calculate a final score.

2. Album Evaluation: Assess albums based on multiple factors:
- Songs: Quality, memorability, and catchiness of individual tracks
- Flow: Cohesiveness and consistency of the tracklist
- Production: Technical aspects, arrangements, and recording quality
- Theme & Concept: Lyrical content, mood, and cultural relevance
- Flex Score: Gut-level overall rating[1]

3. Favorite Songs List: Maintain a dynamic list of top songs, updating it as you discover new music. This method focuses on instinctive preferences rather than quantitative scoring[1].

4. Genre-Specific Comparisons: Some fans use genre icons as benchmarks. For instance, rating bands based on their similarity to influential artists like Bruce Springsteen or The Replacements[1].

5. Numerical Rating: Utilize a simple numerical scale (e.g., 1-5 or 1-10) to rate individual songs or albums. Calculate averages for overall band rankings[1].

6. Contest Scoring: For marching bands, formal competitions use specific scoring criteria:
- Music Performance (Individual and Ensemble)
- Visual Performance (Individual and Ensemble)
- General Effect (Visual and Music)
- Timing and penalties[2]

7. Professional Rankings: Music publications and critics often create comprehensive band rankings based on various factors, including commercial success, critical acclaim, influence, and longevity[3].

When comparing bands, it's important to consider factors such as musical skill, innovation, cultural impact, consistency across their discography, and live performance quality. Ultimately, personal taste plays a significant role in any ranking system.

Citations:
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsTalkMusic/comments/gnyoz0/what_are_some_creative_methods_you_use_to/
[2] https://westwoodband.org/demystifying-marching-contest-scoring/
[3]
[4] https://www.bandlink.org/marching/classifications/
[5] https://www.txbands.com/?alert=restricted&cc=NL
[6] https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3509902
[7] https://forum.phish.net/forum/show/1377379871

the most cool guy said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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1. Rush
You can debate the rest.

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Fixed it for you

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Fixed it for you

There's a thread for most overrated bands.

I know I made fun of you earlier but you got me thinking if you could figure out fantasy football for music.

10 round draft, 5 genres (pop, rock, country, rap, wlidcard), two picks per genre.
Head to head every week based on Spotify streams. Out of a month each week has a genre that streams are worth double. Redraft every quarter.

If anyone steals this and makes millions at least give me a shout out on the site.

Quad Dog said:

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I know I made fun of you earlier but you got me thinking if you could figure out fantasy football for music.

10 round draft, 5 genres (pop, rock, country, rap, wlidcard), two picks per genre.
Head to head every week based on Spotify streams. Out of a month each week has a genre that streams are worth double. Redraft every quarter.

If anyone steals this and makes millions at least give me a shout out on the site.

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I wouldn't draft anyone pre 80s.

Swifties will wreck this thing.

maroon barchetta said:

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Swifties will wreck this thing.

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That was the point of boosting other genres every few weeks, you could talk me into more than double.
An alternative would be to ratio streams based on total streams in that genre.

By height mostly

powerbelly said:

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By height mostly

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Dio says nope!

how tall was dio

Ronnie James Dio, the legendary rock vocalist, was approximately **5 feet 4 inches** tall (163 cm) [2][4]. In contrast, Dio Brando, a character from the anime *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure*, is depicted as being around **6 feet 1 inch** (185 cm) tall in his human form, and up to **6 feet 5 inches** (195 cm) in his vampire form [3].

Citations:
[1] Adult Dio, Part 1 : r/StardustCrusaders - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/StardustCrusaders/comments/m4u7f7/adult_dio_part_1/
[2] Ronnie James Dio 5 Foot 4 Inches Tall - Ultimate Classic Rock https://ultimateclassicrock.com/short-rockers-ronnie-james-dio/
[3] Dio Brando - JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia https://jojowiki.com/Dio_Brando
[4] 18 things you probably didn't know about Ronnie James Dio | Kerrang! https://www.kerrang.com/18-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-ronnie-james-dio
[5] How tall is Ronnie James Dio - CelebHeights.com https://www.celebheights.com/s/Ronnie-James-Dio-46952.html