How To Become The Biggest Band In Britain 

"Four specific keys to unlock the door": Beatles = G Led Z = Em Sex P = C Oasis = F#m

This may be the best vid yet, man. Please keep up the great work - and the whole comedian angle is exactly correct - I noticed that here in the US a decade ago and we’re still waiting for the next great rock band. I have a feeling we’ll be waiting a long time still, because even the comedians seem to be backing off around here, but I’m still hopeful for the UK, considering every major band that I adore is from there, not here. It’s a funny time we’re living in. Can’t wait to quit the Colonies for July 4th week to come to Blighty and see Blur. Your channel is the only RU-vid channel I watch since I quit the news. Please keep up the good work - hope you and yours are well👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

You've outdone yourself once again James! Great original analysis. Very important conclusion and message at the end!

This was a fantastic video! It really opened my eyes to just how important the connection between music and culture is. However, I think that the gap between the Sex Pistols and Oasis was filled by Joy Division/New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, The Smiths, etc. By the late 70s, the cultural pendulum was starting to swing the other way and people were starting to get sick of the punk movement with all its aggression and anarchy. It was at this time that the more depressing, bleak, and introspective post-punk movement was starting to kick off as former punks started to question the entire meaning and purpose behind the punk movement. This movement had all four keys to success: they had great songs, they sounded completely different to everything else on the charts, they had an anti-status quo message, and they had a completely unique dress code in the form of the Goth subculture. After the post-punk movement started to disintegrate and the country finally exited the Thatcher era, British culture started to become a bit more optimistic and hopeful of the future, which was accompanied by a strong sense of national pride, eventually giving birth to the Britpop/Cool Britannia movement.

Well that's it. I have the formula down now. See you at the top.

It’s dead I’m afraid. An aspect you’ve perhaps overlooked is that these bands flourished in an era where they were invested in. Labels, like banks, had the money to take a chance on lunatics like Lennon, Lydon, Page, and Gallagher. They had the budgets to pair these wonderful creatives with serious engineers and producers in proper studios to create jaw dropping albums. Streaming can not sustain that expenditure or investment. You have to look like Dua Lipa, be 100% obedient to the label like Harry Styles, and hit the bullseye first time with a hit for a label to invest even a penny into you. They haven’t got the money to take risks anymore, because no one is buying or consuming music in a cost effective way. All that is left is touring, which is now reserved for legacy artists and those who’ve already climbed the mountain. Some will get thru - Wet Leg, Royal Blood, The 1975, Haim… but the infrastructure just isn’t there anymore for anyone to scale the same heights. Why would a kid listen to a BBC chart show when their algorithm already knows what they like? Why would they wait for a music video to come on Kerrang or VH1 when all their mates are in Fortnight? Music is now without value - we are saturated in it, the gatekeepers are totally impotent, and the art itself is devalued by streaming and fighting to compete with all the other media and content we have been left to drown in..

This channel is like a wiki for new bands, safe to say i am going to apply a lot of what you've taught to my own band. Also their just entertaining, cheers James!

Watching this video from an American perspective is interesting because it makes me realize that it's been years since we've had a truly massive rock band on this side of the pond. We're in the era where Imagine Dragons passes for rock these days... There's a political barrier that modern rock bands in the US would have to get through. We're so polarized in this country that everyone is pretty much expected to take a side. It sort of seems like the solution would be for rock bands to avoid politics altogether, but we all know that never happens... The Internet has been the primary means by which new bands can advertise themselves and be discovered ever since radio was made pretty much obsolete for that purpose. The only issue is that it's ridiculously easy to lose favor on the Internet. One little accusation (even a false one) and your reputation is totally ruined. If today's Internet existed years earlier, a lot of great bands would have been snuffed out way too soon. This may be the most difficult time in history to become a "Rock 'n' Roll Star", but I think there's still hope for a rock revival in the near future. We can't be stuck in 2023 forever. It's about time for a revolution, my friends!

After Oasis there was the post post punk era that was good with the Strokes, Libertines etc. You have to be original, I have seen so many people copying Oasis and are shit, you get found out copying other groups. Great video

The Sex Pistols wrote a perfect album. So they definitely had great songs. The guitar playing is more advanced than they are given credit for. You had a songwriter in Glen Matlock, a lyricist in Rotten, and a talented and explosive guitarist in Jones. When Matlock left, it was all but over because he was the craftsman.

This is an absolutely amazing video! Id love if you did more Led Zeppelin videos they have such an interesting history!

As a songwriter, I concur that this is your best informative work. Brilliant as always but very good information. You’re the best James. Cheers!

I always get pulled into your videos! You have such a genuine and authentic way of presenting music history that is very enlightening and inspiring. As an American I have learned so much about British music, culture, and history. I would love to hear your take on the evolution of American rock. I know it’s not what your channel is about but I would be so interested in hearing your perspective. You just have such a talent for educating and expressing thoughts about these topics unlike anyone else. I learn more from your videos than all the others I have seen!

The Sex Pistols may not have been musical virtuosos, but to say that they didn’t really know how to properly play their instruments is a huge mistake. Steve, Paul & Glen were all solid musicians. Sid, not so much.

How do The Jam fit with this? Undisputed biggest band in Britain 80-82 but arguably the formula was a little different.

My songs, about an album full, were written during the lockdowns. I then spent 2022 revising them, adding bits here and taking out other bits. Getting the lyrics right is hard work. Its only now I realized Time is the most important key of all. If you are in a band, everyone wants to get the album out, they want to organise the launch party, its all rushed. Nice song ideas were not given the time to really flourish and got lost or buried in the final mix. This time I am in full control and its a great place to be. I am playing all the instruments and getting everything right. Each song is like an album, thats the amount of time Im putting into it. I could release the song Im working on right now called "When Your Ship Comes In" and it would be a great single but Im spending 2 or 3 weeks to get the intro just right.

This is a very good analysis, I have to give you praise for one of the best conceptual views on modern music! Excellent indeed. I do have one major bone to pick though --on the Oasis front. Though Oasis did stand out and became the last icon up to now, they were not the architypes like the bands mentioned! The Stone Roses, Charlatan’s, and a number of other bands proceeded them; though for various reasons they disintegrated or fell flat, Oasis were NOT the re-originators of the style (haircuts), the look, the attitude, the sound, or even the 90’s concept overall that they appeared to manifest. They completely inherited it all from the Madchester moment, 1989 to 1993. If the Stone Roses, for example, had not imploded, even if they had released just two more average albums by 1994, then Oasis would most likely be just another band like the Charleston’s, Ride, or others, good, but not the cornerstone. As you pointed out, “the songs” are not the only key, no matter how good, and since they inherited a completed genre, pre-made for them, they fell into it as default. They were lucky, in the true sense of the times to have it handed to them. The Beatles, Zeppelin, Sex Pistols really did create all four keys - on their own, there was not a genre for them to grab or pick up, they were architypes. There is no way Oasis invented or created their genre, it was completely inherited! They are not architypes. By the way, I do love Oasis, and it’s ironic they were able to have the torch passed to them, worthy of it, but they need to be examined without rose colored glasses.

Another clever and insightful video. Well done James! Love your content. In full agreement from a non-Brit Texan.

I agree with what you said about the sex pistols! Their songs are mostly 3 powerchord-ers but NVMTB is still a really catchy album overall.

Rock music flourished when rock stars were still allowed to be cool. When there was an element of unpredictable danger. We haven't seen this since Oasis, and they were a refreshing alternative to what KILLED the rockstar, and killed the cool for rock: Grunge. Rock lost it's place with grunge, handed the cool to rap, and never recovered. Rap kept throwing the party while Nirvana told people that parties suck, and so does life. Sad but true. It is actually statistically provable with numbers. But people don't wanna hear that shit lol Oasis was IMO the last REAL rock band from the lineage and tradition of legendary rock star stuff. Larger than life. Nothing after has even come CLOSE.

Nice video. Love your content! I would also add: The Beatles didn't just unlock Rock and Roll superstardom, they helped create it.

I think it's no coincidence that comedians (the real good ones) have similarities with the great bands mentioned, look at Kinison, Andy Kaufmanns (sometimes described at 'anti comedy, Norm MacDonald doubling down on calling O.J. Simpson a Murderer on SNL until they fired him. Gervais killing it at the Oscars, both camps going against the normal and straight and holding a mirror up at society and showing its absurdities and conformity

This is a fantastic analysis of rock 'n' roll days gone by and the parallels you've identified between these four bands are very astute. But, and it pains me to say this James, the "national mindset" and "general public opinion" don't exist anymore. We sometimes feel that it does when we speak to people who share the same opinions as us, and we conflate these prevailing opinions amongst our friends to be something that "everyone" in the country must feel the same thing. Also from the 60s through to the 90s, young people took influence from the pop music charts, magazines and tv/film, and that was pretty much it, so once a band became popular and managed to saturate these primary channels of mainstream media, it's was then relatively easy for the general public to get on board, because there were so few other distractions. However with the internet, social media and an infinitely wider range of role models that young people have to chose from, it will no longer be possible for any singe entity (solo artist or band) to take over the mainstream again. That's why there hasn't really been a post-internet great rock band that defines the current generation. Sorry to be morbid but what you've created here isn't a textbook; it's an epitaph. I sure hope that I'm wrong here, but I genuinely don't see how any one band is gonna suddenly get kids to put down their phones and turn their attention away from Tiktok/Instagram/influencers/video games and the million other minute, dopamine-hit distractions that they have.

Nowadays I think there is a lack of that social element, that made all those bands authentic. And now we only have idiot narcissists trying to be cool, making sure they're wearing the right clothes

James, I'm not british, English isn't even my mother language but thanks for this, you have inspired me and encouraged me to maybe in a future (I'm still a teenager haha) being a rock n roll legend. Cheers🤘

Great video as usual. However, I’d add a couple of things which I don’t think you mentioned. One is looks or physical appearance. I’m not talking about image hairstyle or how you dress but your physical looks. These bands or at least multiple members of each band had good or unique looks. It’s not something you can really control, but it is very important. It’s the reason Ian Stewart got kicked out of the Stones. He could’ve dressed like them, but his look was not right and did not fit the band. Secondly is charisma. This is not something you can teach or really acquire but all three of these bands had a lot of it. For me that is as important as anything in becoming the most famous band in Britain or America or anywhere. You have to exude a unique charisma. Young bands can be aware of this, and try to have it but again, it’s more of an inborn inherent thing in my opinion. You either have it or you don’t.

Steve Jones is one of the best guitarists ever though.

Brilliant video exploring music and culture. The best music in modern history has always came from oppression, it’s always been rebellion and expression. Just as a side point, my generations big band was Arctic monkeys. I can see they haven’t had as big a mark on history as the bands listed in this video and maybe it’s to do with them not really hitting your 4 keys test. I’d argue they are Britain’s last great rock band.

We are a band from Ireland and we are going to be the ones to change everything. We are sick of these modern day bands and have the vision to carry the legacy of real music. Mark our words. Rock n' roll will make its return.

I think if your good looking and you have a beautiful face that helps because the girls thrieve of gallagher and thats because he looks good

Rock and roll was 10 years old by the time the Beatles got famous. The Beatles rock counter culture image was not new, by the mid 60's. It was the 2nd wave of rock and roll. Kind of odd that they could bring back the excitement and craziness that Elvis went through. Interesting how they did that.

Oasis should have got Paul Cook to play drums when they got rid of McCarroll. They asked Glen Matlock to play when Guigsy left in 1995

the similarities between the hippy bollocks and all the woke shit nowadays is funny. feels like we're due another independant punk revolution soon. also, thats the sample from fuckin in the bushes!! i love it. fuck yeah noel. thats very satisfying to know, thanks james! can't wait to watch that documentary

Why would you put Oasis and Sex pistols up there with the Beatles and Zeppelin? No one would do that. Dont you have any other good big bands in England, to come up with 4 of them?

It is very difficult for another group to come out and change the scenery like these 4 bands did at their time. First they have to have a freaking genius not only at writing songs but with a good eye for what is going on socially and that is very hard because the cancel culture is more brutal with social media and that rubbish with people getting offended with every thing. Honestly, a long time has passed, it is not impossible but I don’t expect it to come.

I remember the first time I heard Oasis on the radio "Cigarettes and Alcohol". Loved it, got me dancing like nobody's business...the mix of Lydon and Lennon in the vocals. I thought the music was like T Rex meets Crazy Horse.

Really good video James,I turned 18 in 94 and was a madchester kid for sure, I remember in 92/93 waiting for something to come along and when Oasis did it was like someone found the volume switch again.

Mainstream is rap music now. It’s awful.

British rock is over culturally man, its all urban and grime carp now. Sad but true

No way Oasis is bigger or better than the Stones or The Who.

Gotta disagree about the Pistols' songs. I'd argue that God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK stand as great songs whether you know the historical context or not

Your point about the social revolution led by the Beatles is what the makers of Yesterday (the movie) missed entirely. The Beatles are erased from history and the only apparent difference is that their songs are gone as well. No sociological impact

This is quite possibly the best message in modern times ever given as a blueprint for any new band to take the torch from, whether that happens or not you have to commend James for the excellent video

James, I feel compelled to send you consulting fees😝🤘🏻🎸. This is extraordinary insight and advice. Thanks a million! 🙏🏼 I feel these 4 points have been tried by others and the formula may be known, old or status quo. It’s possible that the famous bands of the future will also innovate in the method. You have addressed that before as well 😉

You have made the normal mistake of underrating how good the Pistols were musically. Perhaps have a little relisten to Steve Jones guitar work.

any chance of doing an analytical video like this for how bands like: The jam, T rex, Joy Division, The Who, Black Sabbeth, Queen, The Clash, The Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, the Smiths, Rolling Stones etc etc

My mate sums it up best. "talent isn't enough".

James very good, but you under estimate the greatness of the Pistols' music. Ironic that your presumed hero Noel Gallagher has said on record - and a quote you are almost certainly aware of - that he'd give it all up - every song - to have written NMTB. That's all you need to know about how good the Sex Pistols' music is.

i wish it wast true but rock might be dead, so it doesnt matter how you do. just do what you do.

Can’t forget the instantly recognisable drumming of John Bonham for Led Zeppelin!

Simply a GREAT video and call to arms. I seriously hope some of your younger viewers pick up the ball and run with it. I'm on the other side of the pond, but I'm ready, waiting, and hoping for it. Peace.

I was expecting him to talk about keys in the sense of C major, Bflat minor, etc. How wrong I was....

The Beatles were a Tavistock Institute psy-op... For the truth about the corporate music industry as a social engineering tool of the Military/Industrial/Intelligence Complex see Dave McGowan’s book “Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon”. Also Mark Devlin’s “Musical Truth” series. While Jim Morrison’s father was commanding the fleet of ships involved in the false flag “Gulf of Tonkin Incident” that took the US into a land war in Vietnam, his son came out of nowhere to be the voice of a generation and the anti-war movement...Coincidence. For hundreds more coincidences, see the reading matter cited above.

Have to agree. Seen some great bands in pubs with great songs, only never to be heard again. It’s all down to luck.

britpop was the best thing

At first I thought "meh". And while I watched, I thought: "one of his best".

As Pat Finnerty has often opined, Three Blind Mice is a low-key banger.

Sex Pistols was never the biggest band in Britain!

Three things have prevented rock n roll music and rock stars from truly taking the forefront since the end of Oasis. Oasis really were the last true rock band because they had all the elements that this video expertly outlined. First, it is impossible for a rock star to exist in a time completely awash is dumb wokist ideology. Can you imagine how quickly Noel and Liam would have been canceled if all this PC, woke garbage existed in their heyday. If someone isn’t free to speak their mind and be counter-cultural, how can rock music and rock stars exist? It just isn’t possible. Second, the music industry has become far too corporate. It’s all about money. It’s not about the songs or the albums. Good rock bands will never be the most popular acts in an age dominated by money and playing it safe. This goes completely against what rock n roll is/was. Great artists can and do exist, but they will never gain the traction they fully deserve. Record companies only want what sells and they control what sells to a massive degree. That is why the charts are filled with utter junk all of the time. It’s the same song, the same chords, the same writers, the same drivel over and over again. Most rock acts won’t do what corporate douche bags tell them to do. Pop and hip hop acts do. Simple. Lastly, the internet, social media and all these streaming platforms have just poisoned the musical landscape and destroyed how music is consumed. Who buys albums anymore? Who makes albums anymore other than a select few number of artists? All this technology has taken the magic out of how music is consumed. It all just promotes a throwaway culture and throwaway music. Rock n roll can’t thrive in a culture and environment like this.

Pistols: NOT just a noise - actually brilliant and concise pop stuffed with tons of memorable hooks.

Yes, I think this one is a very well reported explanation about why these bands are so interesting and why they will last for a long time in the UK culture (and not only in UK but pretty much all over the planet), but don't you think that also the advent of the internet played a key role on the cultural devaluation of certain artistic phenomenon, like for example rock bands? (the bands you presented they all belong to the pre-internet era). Since there's a lot of material, and as you said here, a lot of talented musicians around (internet, pubs, streets, everywhere...), don't you think that this may be also the reason why the magic and the mystery of this way to express art and cultural movements ended?

This is awe-some, nice work mate. In the 60s a lot of incredible music came out of the London scene (and the SF scene in America). Then in the 80s-90s it was the second Invasion and Britpop. I have faith in this scene, that another generation of beautiful and incredible artists will follow in their footsteps.

the spice girls also did everything you mentioned in this video. their songs are maybe not to everyones taste but they're objectively good songs, they had their own signature sound and their 5 voices playing off one another really gives them a distinct character. they embodied what an entire generation of women wanted with the two word message of "girl power" and everyone would probably know the spice girls if they saw them.

Shouldn’t you include queen into this?? At their peak in 1975/1976 and once again in 1985/1986 They have their own unique sound , were able to easily cross genres. Were relevant for over two decades, raised the importance of pop videos and crowd participation in concerts.

when peace and love become boring... and hate and destruction take their place... it is not cultural... it is a downfall and decent of man into chaos, loss, and eventual extinction... music has the power to create or music has the power to destroy...

Many American bands can fit this mould but, for instance How does U2 fit in all this? They're successful too

You just need girls to be obsessed with you and your music

Oasis had Sex Pistols attitude with Beatles songs.

Excellent video!! Will be more difficult than ever before for the “next “ BIG band ! Can’t even fart these days without someone somewhere getting offended and getting their knickers in a twist . It will come though , change is in the air …….perhaps …..definitely…..maybe ? 😜

Concerning Led Zeppelin: and Robert Palmer's wail: May i please refer to Steve Marriottt's voice? I'm not saying Led stole it, but come on, check out Small Faces' rendition of Willie Dixon's (sung 1st by Muddy Waters') 'You need love' . Their live version in my little Belgium is ab so lute ly GRAND. Now tell me how whole lotta love is not built on the the Small Faces ' version. Okay that's just one song, and The Small Faces had their faults, but were also dealt a bad hand and i can't help wonder: what if they had kept going?

Great video. One small thing....One might include Bonham's drumming as part of Zep's signature sound.

The Beatles--- Made Famous by the media Led Zeppelin-- Made Famous by the people i know i am gonna get dissed for this,but for ME............Led Zeppelin is the greatest EVER band

Well I'm feeling platonic Even Supersonic 4 Keys on GG Whatever sound you want it

Great video with a lot of depth. I wonder if to fill in the gaps, we could consider Duran Duran in the 80s. For the 2000s, perhaps the Libertines?

lol! Been in a successful band since 81! Too easy to answer this! “PROMOTION “! Doesn’t exist anymore! Record companies aren’t interested in bands! Too much money to promote! There’s tons of bands out there along with some outstanding writers! They will never get aired! The writers have a better chance with publishing but even that way is getting a lot more lonely!

Excellent post well thought out.i would include queen ? I have a lot of friends in America.Canada.Australia.all about my age 53 I always ask them the same question name your top five bands .guitarists..and songs .in every case all are British not bad for a little island eh👌👍

Yes great video with some interesting points. These attributes were all achieved by accident, not by design. I seriously do not think Oasis belongs in the same conversation as the other three: While Noel's songs included one or two excellent pieces, they lacked enough range or large quantity of good stuff. They were derivative, offering absolutely nothing original at that point in time. Although some people may have been deluded into thinking they did. Their poor musicianship, droning, "washy" sound, served as a mask for their deficiencies. I always believe they'd have been much better with some half-decent players. Liam's vocal style, in particular, comes across as carefully self-imposed, whiny, and irritating. Which will always be a barrier to people listening and rating them in the future.

There is less music visibility in the media now.

You force facts to fit your criteria. But you sweep over too much. There's a lot more to why each of these bands got to the public. You leave out the brilliant tactics of management. You miss the money, and that money IS the point. It's WHY these people scratch those strings. The social measure you make is horseshit. Punk was a minority, and so were the Hippies. I lived through all of it. The "movements" were just deluded youth. It fades away like a dry lawn. There is fashion and politics. But most of this is fashion. But it will always take the teen mind over, because young people are easy meat.

Selling your soul is part of it too. Or having money to back you. It's a big part of it today. Not talent or originality or creativity. And gimmick image longevity being first in soemthing or being the best at something. Borrowing and being original. Good writing. Uniqueness and replay value. It's a lot of things. That and the Beatles probably stopped playing live for a lot of reasons. They have a strange history. So does led zeppelin. And then England has had more other big bands this is a pretty small list. They are others that come close to what these guys did or surpassed them depending on what it was. I guess this is more of you're saying culture was completely changed by them.

Another thing all these bands had was a unique album artwork style. It's probably a really small thing that isn't part of why they got to the top but I think it's interesting. The Beatles had a incredibly early sixties-style photos of the band, Led Zeppelin had their odd, vintage looking, unsaturated artwork, Sex Pistols had a bright cartoonish style to their artwork and Oasis had their famous, heavily-layered artwork. I also noticed they would also apply this to their singles. I think the 5th band that also reached the top, I think it's mentioned down below, is The Smiths. If we're talking about artwork then The Smiths had that, they had their artsy photographs taken from films and random moments. I also think that in the 00's the biggest British band was Arctic Monkeys. Once again, they had their artwork style, those 00's looking photographs of people and random things. I know the Smiths had all 4 keys, they most certainly had great songs, they had their unique sound: Morrisey's nasally vocals, Johnny Marr's layered, jangly guitar, Andy Rourke's melodic basslines and Mike Joyce's simple drumbeats, they definitely had a counter cultural message, Morrisey was a very controversial figure, The Smiths presented themselves in not really a feminine way but a more sensitive way almost, not really the others as much but Morrisey did, Morrisey would also speak his mind completely in his interviews which made him quite an interesting and counter cultural and they had a band look, the band wore dark clothes and wore random accessories with their quiffed hair. Arctic Monkeys had Great Songs and what at the time was a Unique Sound: Alex Turner's vocals sung in a very blatant Sheffield accent, simple writing and stripped-back production, their counter-cultural message was I'm not sure but I think it was club culture and 2000's culture eg their lyrics featured lots of talk about club life, I'm not 100% sure on that but I think it was that, they also had a band look - their flat neat hair and t-shirts and jeans, basically they just looked like average people with Arctic Monkeys, they, like Led Zeppelin, rose out of the movement which was started by Franz Ferdinand. Just a lot of insight I think I could see.

I enjoyed this video, it was really well thought out. One thing I noticed though is that you're very biased towards Oasis. All they did was steal from successful bands before them. They did! Then sold it to people who never really listened to music (properly) but just followed a band because it was cool to do so. I cannot listen to their music because of this. Almost every song I listen to by them I can here the song it's stolen from. This wasn't the case with all the other groups you mentioned. So really you should add another 'Tip' on becoming famous ... Plagiarism. Noel Gallagher was a master at it.

Something cool to point out is that the Beatles, 70s Pink Floyd, Queen and Oasis all had multiple vocalists, 3, 2, 3 and 2, but when the general public heard them they all know what band it is, but can't differentiate the vocalists. Like a synergistic merging. I think only the Beach Boys have it in the US. CSN come close perhaps, but Y ruins it. Pink Floyd even had a third for one track -- Roy Harper, Have a Cigar.

I agree about the pendulum as you said in the 70s with the pistols and the general anger within the public towards the state of the country. Why isnt there an anger now after covid war in Ukraine and cost of living crisis etc it seems that musicians have gone to sleep or everyone is punch drunk. This also repeated in the 90s with Brit Pop also Grunge had a style of clothing and "movement". What I cant understand is why it's not happened since the 90s we have not had a movement or genre of music. For decades you could take a song and release it now and it wouldn't be out of place, where before you can distinctly tell music from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. One more thing yes the pistols music was not musical masterpieces and you quote Noel however, I saw an interview where Noel (and I was gob smacked) said he "would swap his 11 albums to have written Never Mind The Bollocks" Even Liam rates Johnny Rotten as one of the best vocalists/front men ever. To find a band that isnt so PC you have to go to the other side of the planet and check out The River City Band they are like an early ACDC band but proper Ozzy craic

Awesome video. I don't agree with everything said but the 4 main points are definitely correct. I would add that Publicity / Promotion is also a major ingredient to success. The main thing these days that didn't exist when the 4 bands mentioned were around are: The Internet, Social Media and Technology (as in AI, Virtual Reality, The Metaverse and advances in making music and recording). We're living in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. This means we're continually being bombarded with news and information, trends and fashion. Kids these days grow up knowing and seeing things that took us years to know and see. Kids these days literally laugh at the antics of The Sex Pistols or The Gallagher Bros, it's a joke to them b'cos they've grown up in a cynical world weary and jaded world where everything's been done.

I love the pistols music. I didn't the first time I heard it though. After becoming more engaged with simple rock and roll I returned and they were heroes of straight ahead rock. It had the energy and attitude of the first days of rock and roll. Message was really secondary to this for me. Not my gen either.

As someone in his 60's, a poor Brit now living in Boston MA, I am obsessed with music and enjoy your channel, I have not heard your whole post this time yet but I note that you state that no-one can ever make it just with great social media followings, pod casts etc. Sadly, that is precisely all some modern artists have, and equally sadly, many have made a great deal of money and been very successful with that alone. You are an idealist ignoring the real world if you can't see that - Thats the sad harsh reality.

Could the complacency and conformity of the 2000's be due to the fact that the 20th century was about which political ideology you subscribed to where you could gather under one banner with others who shared the same values to fight another in a dichotomy of capitalist V communist, freak flag V patriotism? It was abruptly replaced in the 21st century by identity politics which atomized and fragmented societies into countless tribal affiliations with no real shared values or cultural identity to become a bland homogeneous technological consumerist pacifier to the point where there is no longer 'we' but 'me'. It's as if the 20th century was a war between two vast armies of crony capitalists on one side and revolutionary communists on the other (or square and hip). The 21st century, by contrast, is sizing up to be a rejection of revolution all together and a (perceived) fear of the clamp down on dissent and personal cancellation, the equivalent of ancient banishment. It's curious and coincidental that the last social movement of rebellion with Oasis started and ended in the 1990's. More people especially in the west have a better standard of living generally than those in the mid 20th century, so rebellion might just seem like a waste of time for so many. We also see it in the micro evolution and the splintering into a million pieces of causes being protested for these days. Each cause seems worthy on its merits but the sheer volume and diversity of causes might to some, seem frivolous and not worth the time to a larger group of people including the young. Young people seem more interested in tiktok likes than perceived inequality or particular ideological battles. That's just boomer and gen x fantasies to them. The old world is filled with toxic men and first world problems abound. Meanwhile, the wolves are inside the gate but everyone's too busy staring into their smartphone. My view is that this was all socially engineered and that the 20th century was a prelude to the coming fragmentation and total obedience to the State. The warning signs were there but those in the vanguard eventually gave up the fight and just got rich and lazy. We were once filled with idealism and a world of peace through revolution but we failed to realize that through social engineering, each generation is indoctrinated to rebel against the last (''Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly agin' '' [Bob Dylan]). We were now the stodgy ones and we are no longer relevant, so we sat back in our complacent hypocrisy and ignored the problem to let the State and the great god Algorithm take care of them.

I’m glad things are the way they are in contemporary music. These things are often cyclical and we’re in a Donny and Marie, Westlife-styley time in contemporary pop music and that kind of nondescript, art-as-product type music often accompanies a resurgence in innovate and exciting new artists. An over simplification I know, but thinking like this helps me navigate the dark and dearly landscape of contemporary music.

Who's next after Oasis? Easy. Radiohead. Great songs. With OK Computer unique sound. Cultural movement. I am a creep yet accepted. And dress code was there to an extent. My question is between The PIstols and Oasis, who was king or kings? Thats around a decade or so missing....Or was it taken over by Van Halen and Americans in the 80s, then Nirvana, and then Oasis? Great insight either way but I do see holes that need investigating.....

Brilliant video. Agree with everything. I'm 40 this year and grew up a massive queen and oasis fan but love 80s, 90s and 00s guitar bands. I think the libertines could of took over from oasis had it not been for petes antics. Its all autotuned rap shite now sadly

Great analysis and presentation! Being born in 1951 my teenage years coincided with the Beatles time in the limelight and your description of the times is spot on 😎.

Does those tips apply for other countries too? 😂 Lovely vid man✌️

Two examples to counter this - Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi....just great songs...🤷

Long story short, it's a good fringe

Get yourself cancelled to get to the top! 🙂 Awesome!

You need to look into the Tavistock institute.

Stealing other peoples music like Led Zeppelin did and Noel Gallagher still does. Zeppelin stole from the blues and Jeff Beck (Truth album) Gallagher just rips off too many to mention.

what about pink floyd

Be a rebel: unabashedly yourself and avoid all the cliches (tattoos, for starters..). Best wishes!