Your Top 10 Favorite Bands: How drastically have they changed over the years?

My current top ten would be:

1. Cinderella
2. Led Zeppelin
3. KISS
4. Def Leppard
5. Uriah Heep
6. Tesla
7. Reckless Love
8. Dream Theater
9. AC/DC
10. Dokken


A good portion of these have been relatively static fixtures over the years, with the exception of KISS, who I first start getting into in the last six or seven years. And Reckless Love is obviously a newer band, but I've loved all of their material since they came out.

At one point Opeth would have easily been on this list. But now that they seem to have permanently switched to a 70s prog sound with only clean vocals I've lost the interest I had once had in them.

There was also a time when Nightwish was high on my list. This was back when Tarja was still with them. I was really into progressive/power metal stuff for a few years there and they were the first female-fronted band in the genre that I discovered.

In the past, I often included Great White in my list too. I probably still could, but that's one case where the split of the band into two touring units and the constant bashing of each other in the media started to negatively color my enthusiasm about the music.

They all got older and not much else.

I would have to break it up into multiple parts/posts as it would be one long ass train of thought monologue if did not.

1.) Judas Priest. I still think they kill it; even with the loss of one half of the guitar tandem to retirement and the other to a crippling disease. 3 of the last 4 studio albums have been stellar and I am going to see them again for the 3rd time in the last 4 years and the live show is great. I feel like they "get it" in regards to their place in the pantheon of Metal. They are conscious of the song selection and not repeating the same tired stage show (Kiss) year after year; and also trying to improve on their sound and not make the same album over and over again.

2.) Iron Maiden. They have changed. There sound has progressed and they too have survived loss and line up changes. Vocal surgery to 'ol Brucey could have been a death knell but thankfully, it was not. I have to admit though, there was a time when they and JP would co headline my fave band list; now they are firmly in the second spot. Since the reunion in 2000, the albums are not as strong as what JP have released. In my humble opine, anyway. I don't feel as though they have released a truly great album, front to back, since 7th Son in 1988. Too much mid tempo, and slow, plodding songs in the last 30 years and not enough 5 minute, punch you in the face guitar and drums.

3.) Saxon. 15 years ago, these dudes were barely on my radar (a greatest hits was all I owned) and now they are nipping at Maiden's heels for the number 2 spot. I love just about everything they have ever done. I know they get some heat for the mid to late eighties output as it was a stab at breaking big in the U.S. market, but since I was already a fan at the time, I don't view it through that lens. I see them as a natural progression of the bands sound and like "Nations" and "Destiny" for what they are. They have been firing on all cylinders since 1997's Unleash the Beast, with a string of killer Metal albums released at the rate of one every few years. Saxon has also upped the heavy meter on the Metal scale since then, too. The live show is also great.

I'd have to think about this some. However my top 3: KISS, Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy hasn't changed.

Megadeth-Dave tried new stuff with his 90's output and we all know how that went but overall, I think their catalog is strong.
Maiden-Mostly what Sentinel said though I think AMOLAD is a great album.
Tourniquet-Ain't saying nothing.
Tesla-Not real stoked on the newest album, has a few good songs but mostly a strong catalog.
Blind Guardian-Everything through the 90's is excellent, not as strong since but still some good tunes.
Helloween-Don't like Chameleon at all, rest varies but still going strong.
Iced Earth-The bloat of a couple story albums is hard to handle but otherwise, love it.
Metal Church-All the Howe stuff is great, most of the Wayne stuff too and I even like most of the Ronnie stuff.
King's X-Always quality.
Queensryche-Everyone knows the story and if they hadn't recovered on the last three albums they wouldn't make this list.
This is today's list, tomorrow could be different but i'm old and don't care.

4.) Dio. I am of the belief that he has never made a "bad" album in any band he has fronted. Not saying it's all gold, but I could put his stuff on shuffle and not be tempted to hit skip much at all. I know he gets slagged for some of the newer stuff he released, but I love Master of the Moon and really enjoy Magica and Killing the Dragon. The 1990's albums are quality too, albeit a bit slower and more mid tempo than the 1980's output. Metal doesn't have to be fast to be good.

5.) Whitesnake. Been a fan since '87 and always will be. I love the "glam" era as much as the "bluesy" post Purple era. The albums since 2008's Good to Be Bad comeback have been great and I can't wait to grab the new one on Friday and then see them on Saturday night. Obviously, DC's vox have drastically changed, but in a studio setting, I have no complaints.

My top ten have changed drastically in the past 5 years, sometimes due to my changing tastes and sometimes due to the bands' changing.

Good question and I need to give this some more thought.  The main takeaway I'm coming up with now is that I don't even have enough favorite bands for a current top 10 list unless I list every Ginger Wildheart project and every Sulo project separately.

Sticking with bands/artists who are not deceased.

Bride - Massive changes...to the point that my favorite band's 2nd half discography doesn't interest me.

Blind Guardian - Yes and no...they've changed but they're still BG.

Iron Maiden - It's been said

Mortification - Almost as chameleon-like as Bride

Falconer - I'd say steady. Their one very different album I still love dearly.

Tourniquet - What wise Dark Horseman said.

Alter Bridge - Not much change...and that's a good thing! If you've never written a bad song, it's hard to change.

Impellitteri - There have been some variations of a theme, but he seems to stay true to light-speed shredding with great vocalists.

Rob Rock - Solo, band, or as guest; this is the man and hasn't lost one step.

Jorn Lande - Solo, band, or as guest; this is the man and hasn't lost one step.

I'll make Rob Rock number 11.

I’d say the majority of my top 10 is set in stone and will never change.

Stryper
The Crucified
Forbidden
Dio
Dangerous Toys
Cinderella
Iron Maiden
Megadeth
Tora Tora
Spread Eagle

The others have kinda fallen off the list just because of uninterest or crappy output on the last releases.
Bride
Tourniquet
Believer

I would immediately think of Blind Guardian. While i love and cherish their early power/speed metal material, i tend to find their later more symphonic releases to be less appealing.

The same applies for Stratovarius.

Now that I'm reading the thread again, I'm a little confused whether we're supposed to describe how each band has changed in the last ten years, or how our top 10 list of favourite bands has changed over the last ten years. Because those are two very different things.

Sorry should have clarified: I originally meant "How has your list of top 10 bands changed" (i.e. would you include the same bands now that you would have 15, 20 years ago?

But how the individual bands have changed themselves is also interesting so feel free to take it that way too!

glassprison wrote:

Sorry should have clarified: I originally meant "How has your list of top 10 bands changed" (i.e. would you include the same bands now that you would have 15, 20 years ago?

But how the individual bands have changed themselves is also interesting so feel free to take it that way too!

Ahhh, okay. It's funny cuz I omitted one or two that don't stretch back to the 1980's as I couldn't present how they had changed in sound. I will probably continue on in the same vein since I already did half my list.

6.) Metal Church. Still pretty much the same sound (albeit a bit less thrashy) especially since Howe has returned on the last 2 albums.Much like Dio, there really is no "bad" album. I love all the different eras and have faves from each. I never compare them as each singer changed the dynamic of the band.

7.) Dokken. The last couple albums, while not being great, have come back to a more "classic" Dokken sound. But, I am a fan boy and always will be.

8.) Metallica. I think we all know this story. Ha ha.

How'd I forget Dokken?

In no particular order, these are bands that had or continue to have a profound impact on my listening habits in hard rock and metal.

Aerosmith - They need to ditch all the outside writers and stop looking for radio hits. That formula worked wonders for them in the 90's but it's outdated now. Just the 5 members and Jack Douglas is all they should need to make great music again.

Guns n' Roses - Since their initial implosion and the Axl Rose Show that followed, they've tried to right the ship, but I'm not convinced the current incarnation has much gas left in the tanks for new music. I hope they prove me wrong.

Motorhead - Killed by Death. 'Nuff said.

Megadeth - Despite the numerous band changes, MegaDave and Junior still churn out quality music to my ears. Long may they reign.

Metallica - Do I really need to explain?

Ramones - Adios Amigos!

Black Sabbath - The Ozzy years set the standard for what heavy metal could and should be. It was heavy, it was light, it was metal, it was jazz, it was loud, it was quiet. The subsequent years had it's moments, but the early days were magical.

Anthrax - They proved that you could have a sense of humor in the all-too-serious metal scene. Both eras of vocalists have produced some of my favorite thrash songs and fine consistent albums. The last album was the first time in forever that showed a chink in the armor. Hopefully, they can come back strong.

Iron Maiden - I look at them in 2 phases of their career. Pre-Bruce's departure and post-his return. I've come to appreciate their longer, proggier moments, but sometimes I want the shorter, punchier stuff. It just depends on my mood.

LA Guns - Set the standard for what sleazy glam should be. Phil and Tracii create beautiful, dirty music together.

Honorable mention to Led Zeppelin. They were right up there with Black Sabbath as far as influences go. While the death of John Bonham was sad, I respect their decision to call it quits (more or less) and consequently saving us from hearing some terrible, over-produced synth-laden garbage in the 80's.

9.) Helloween, Still really good and heavy. I know they will never again touch the greatness of the Keepers era, but I really don't expect them to.

10.) Dream Theater. I found these guys in my senior year (1992) and have bought everything (except the new album) day or week of release. In the dozen or so studio albums, there have really only been two missteps (Falling into Infinity and the Astonishing) but the rest to me, especially the first 15 or so years of their existence is excellent.

Now, to answer the original question correctly, there have been many that have fallen out of the top 10 (Ozzy, Kiss, Megadeth, Anthrax, Queensryche) due to too many lack luster efforts in the second half of their careers. These bands/ artist are still top 25 faves, but no longer make the short list. Also, there are a ton of bands I play the heck out of (Primal Fear, Leatherwolf, Banshee, Chastain, HammerFall, Iron Savior) but didn't have the lineage to fit the criteria of how I interpreted the original question. I hope that makes sense. Ha.

These would be probably be the next 10 or so faves- Motorhead, MSG (Schenker), Van Halen, L.A. Guns, Deep Purple, Accept/ U.D.O., Twisted Sister, Satriani, and Y&T.