Top American Bands II - Honorable Mentions

Ever since I posted the Top Ten American Bands Countdown, all I can think about are the bands that could have made the list... There are a lot of great bands out there, and I would be remiss if I didn't do an honorable mention list, and even with adding an extra ten bands, there are still some that were highly considered but didn't make it. Some of my personal favorite American bands (Cake, Weezer, Maroon 5, Counting Crows) still didn't make it onto either list!! Anyway - this is essentially MY list of the top American bands that I'd categorize as being ranked 11-20 on a countdown...

20) The Glen Miller Orchestra
Ok - so it's a Big Band - that still counts, right? Big Band music pervaded American culture for years, and the sound was perhaps best captured by the Glen Miller Orchestra. Most of the classic big band tunes that people know were made popular by this "band," who's sound dominated the airways from the 1930s-50s.

19) Live
They made some great alternative music back in the day - some great rockin' songs, but also some really insightful and soulful hits. Their ability to completely mix it up, earns them a spot on the honorable mentions list.

18) Linkin Park
I don't really like LP, but I'll give them credit for evolving over the years. They went from every song sounding virtually the same, to their last album effort, which was very solid and complex. The fact that their still around weeds them out from a lot of the other crap bands that surfaced around the same time they did.

17) Guns 'N' Roses
At first, this seems like a band more suited for the Top Ten Hair Bands, and while they would make that list too, I think they deserve a spot here as well. While so many of their contemporaries are laughable now, we're still enjoying great songs like November Rain and Sweet Child of Mine. Axel Rose may have been a pain, but the songs still rock.

16) Pearl Jam
One of the first grunge bands, and I personally think, the best. They made several hit albums, and are still together at touring nearly 20 years later.

15) The Doors
I don't get it - I don't particularly like their music, but everyone else does - everyone seems to talk about how ground breaking they were. I think Morrison's antics did more to break ground than their music did, but I'll defer to everyone and at least put them on this second tier list.

14) The Ramones
Their influence on the Punk scene goes without saying.

13) Greenday
They brought punk music into the homes of kids and adults who had never considered listening to punk music before, by adding a solid rock component as well. They opened the door for bands like Blink 182.

12) Nine Inch Nails
So, NIN is really more one guy, than it is a band, but not entirely - so Trent Reznor makes the list for being incredibly innovative, and for making songs that are really good to listen to, but which often have so many layers of sounds that they almost become freaky!

11) Tool
I'm not sure there is a band out there that could consistently top the level of sophistication Tool manages in their songs. Their talent seems to know no bounds. Maynard is such a great singer - sings with passion without screaming, and really has a beautiful voice. The lyrics are always phenomenal, and the best thing, is that so many of their songs completely change right in the middle, without a loss of continuity. The only reason they didn't make the top ten is simply because they are a relatively little known band to mainstream America.

Top Ten American Bands

So I thought I'd put together a list of what I perceive to be the top ten AMERICAN bands of all time. A lot of things played into the list - these aren't my favorite bands - not by a long shot - but they are the bands I think are the most influential and/ or have been the most successful over the years. Again, these are bands, not individual artists.

Here it is - MY countdown of the Top Ten American Bands...

10) Red Hot Chili Peppers

• The Chili Peppers have been around for quite a while now, and still make hits. They edged out several very worthy bands to make the list, primarily because they get sooooo much air play. Can you really go more than a couple of days without hearing one of their songs on a rock station? Go ahead, take the challenge!

9) The Eagles

• Besides Hotel California, I don't even like any songs by The Eagles, BUT the Eagles have sold more albums than any other American Band, and that's why they make my list. I'm not sure why or how that happened, but it is still a fact.

8) Dave Matthews Band

• The DMB came out during the peak of the Alternative Music craze, and managed to become popular with their own unique sound. Their popularity still sells out venues.

7) Aerosmith

• Longevity and countless hits! From the 70's through the 90s, Aerosmith has been a force. And of course, they introduced white America to rap music with "Walk This Way," which was an important development in American Music.

6) R.E.M.

• Though not quite as relevant as they once were, R.E.M. is still together, still touring and still making albums. They were making alternative rock music, before that was even a recognized genre. Groundbreaking and consistent hits throughout the 80s and 90s earn them a spot in my countdown.

5) Van Halen

• Three decades of music, and two lead singers, both of which were very successful for the band. I am personally a Van Haggar fan, but I know those who love Diamond Dave are very loyal. But regardless of your top choice, there are few people who can't appreciate what Van Halen has been able to accomplish over the years.

4) The Beach Boys

• Though the Beach Boys don't seem to fit with the rest of the bands on this list, I do find them to be very influential and let's face it, no one has ever been able to duplicate their sound. When you hear a Beach Boys song on the radio, you know who it is without having to strain your brain to figure it out. Their hits - and there are many of them - are classics.

3) The Grateful Dead

• The Dead Heads are who put the Dead so high on the list.... Legions of fans who would follow the band anywhere, even after the death of the lead singer, put the Dead into the top three.

2) Nirvana

• I don't even like Nirvana's music. While I far prefer the music of Pearl Jam and other bands of the Seattle Sound, it is Nirvana that is widely recognized as being the leader of the Grunge movement, and thank God for it. In a time when pop music was really pitiful, grunge was a welcome change.

1) Metallica

• Most every classic rock or general rock station has a time for "Mandatory Metallica." I think that says it all... any band that has that kind of national impact like that, deserves special attention. And needless to say - the band is damned talented.

Top Ten Most Socially Impactful Sit-Coms of All Time

I was watching an episode of the Office last night on Hulu, and was laughing the whole way through. Sit-Coms are great for allowing you to escape the real world for 30 minutes in order to do nothing but enjoy yourself. But over the years, there have been Sit-Coms that have done more than just entertained. Today, it's hard to imagine a time in which sex, drugs, inter-racial relationships, homosexuality, single parents, etc. did not have a place in entertainment, but the time existed, not all that long ago. But thanks to many shows that managed to shake and/ or alter social norms with their content, television enjoys a much freer landscape now. For that reason alone these ground-breaking shows should be held in higher esteem than your Gilligan's Islands and Brady Bunches of the Sit-Com world. (All apologies to Sherwood Schwartz who created both shows - they had their place!)

So here is MY list of the Top Ten Most Socially Impactful American Sit-Coms of All Time...

10) The Cosby Show (1984-1992)

• The first show to feature an African American family, in an otherwise typical show about an upper-middle class family. Race was never really an issue - in other words, it wasn't a show about a black family trying to make it in a white world - it was just a show about a normal African-American family, and that was refreshing!

9) The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977)

• This made the list because it was one of the first, and one of the most successful, sit-coms to showcase a competent, professional woman making it on her own without a man. Though it seems unfathomable to us now, at one point, doing so was a radical concept.

8) Soap (1977-1981)

• Though there was another openly gay character portrayed years before (1972) on a little known show called "The Corner Bar," Billy Crystal's portrayal of Jodie Dallas on "Soap" seems to be the first openly gay character that made into mainstream American consciousness through a sit-com. Clearly, such a feat deserves a spot on the countdown.

7) Maude (1972-1978)

• Bea Arthur's shows made the list twice, first with Maude - a show about an opinionated woman, who had been married four times (scandalous enough on it's own). Maude makes the list for being the first show to bring the still-highly volatile issue of Abortion to the sit-com stage.

6) Roseanne (1988-1997)

• Long acknowledged as the first sit-com to show us how MOST Americans lived - Roseanne showed us the lighter, and sometimes darker, side of lower-middle class America., and the realities most people dealt with.

5) M.A.S.H. (1972-1983)

• Though MASH depicted the trials of a medical army unit during the Korean War, it began while US troops were very much still engaged in the Vietnam Conflict, so the commentary on the futility of war was clearly aimed at the current times. Though it was a sit-com, many of episodes addressed the difficulties the soldiers faced during the war, and the uncertainty they encountered at the prospect of returning home.

4) One Day at A Time (1975-1984)

• One of the first, and most successful, sit-com to focus on a divorcee raising two teenagers on her own. Be proud single moms!

3) The Golden Girls (1985-1992)

• The show that reminded us that advanced age doesn't make you stop living. The show that informed us all that no matter how old you are, you can still be active, vital, and very sexual! I think this show made us all look at our grandparents a little differently.

2) The Jeffersons (1975-1985)

• Unlike The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons WAS about an African American family coming up from nothing and becoming very successful. The Jeffersons made it to #2 on the list because it was the first mainstream sitcom to feature an inter-racial couple (the Willises).

1) All in the Family (1971-1979)

• All in the Family is at the top of the list, not for one reason, but for many. The show constantly challenged the boundaries of what was considered socially acceptable, and it was so highly rated, the social commentaries surely permeated into mainstream consciousness. Archie Bunker's ignorance knew no bounds... from religion to race - nothing was sacred on All in the Family. Interestingly, two of the other shows on this countdown (Maude and the Jeffersons) were spin-offs of the show.

Top Ten Reasons to Love The Pittsburgh Steelers

I'm just so overjoyed by the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII victory that I had to do a countdown pertaining to my favorite sports team of all time. Why do I bleed Black 'n' Gold? You'll see with MY Top Ten Reasons to Love the Pittsburgh Steelers...

10) No Cheerleaders

• Cheerleaders? We don't need no stinkin' Cheerleaders! This is Football, baby!!

9) The Terrible Towel

• Who doesn't love to see the black and gold towels waving wherever the Steelers are playing. It's a bonding sign between fans. I, for one, have 6 of my own! They are a must for every fan, and for ever Steeler game.

8) Heinz Field

• The home of the Pittsburgh Steelers deserves a spot on the list for a couple reasons. Only a few years old, Heinz Field is home of the Heinz Red Zone - where giant ketchup bottles on either side of the jumbotron open up when the Steelers are in the red-zone and "pour ketchup" (red lights) It's fun! Plus, where else can you buy Iron City Beer during a football game? No where I know of!

7) Traditional Uniforms

• While other teams have changed their uniforms completely over the years, even their logos and color schemes, the Pittsburgh Steelers have kept the same Black and Gold home and away uniforms for approximately 40 years now. Some stripes may have widened here and there, but overall, the look and feel is the same. Plus, I can't think of any other city in the country where all the professional sports teams have the same colors, but the Pirates and the Penguins both share the black 'n' gold with the Steelers. Why? Those colors make up the official flag of the City of Pittsburgh. Now that's solidarity.

6) The Coaches

• Since the onset of the Super Bowl era, the Steelers have only had FOUR, that's right just four, head coaches. Most head coaches are lucky if they keep an NFL job for 4 or 5 years, but there have only been four of them in Pittsburgh in 43 years. The first one, Bill Austin, was admittedly only around for a few years, but Chuck Noll coached for the Steelers for an amazing 23 years, and Bill Cowher for a nearly impressive 14 years and both men left of their on volition. It's an impressive testament to the faith the organization puts into its head coaches.

5) The Players

• Players come and go, this is true, but it's not so much the individuals I'm referencing here, as much as it is the type of player the Steelers draft and sign. It's rare to see a guy who likes to showboat or turn "Hollywood" play for the Steelers. The organization tends to lean towards guys who will play as a team, and allow the fans to win them over by making us all feel like they are just regular guys. Guys like Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker and Hines Ward truly embody this spirit, but the tradition of such players goes back far further than "the Bus."

4) Smathmouth Football

• This is football - it's a tough hard nosed, beat-em-up game. And no one does it better than the Steelers. They are known for their hard-pounding running game, and the tough, never say die attitude. They love to get physical, and play hard-core. None of this pretty West Coast Offense for us... just keep pounding the rock!

3) Rooney Family

• The biggest reason that the team has retained its identity for all these years, is the fact that the team has been owned by only one family for its entire 76 year history. The Rooney Family has owned the team and has been committed to excellence. In the hands of another owner, the team likely wouldn't be the Steelers we know today. And Pittsburgh loves the Rooneys - we even named our dog Rooney!

2) Steeler Nation

• Tales have been told that no matter where you go in the world there is a "Steeler Bar" where you can enjoy the game with fellow fans. I don't know exactly how true it is that there is one in EVERY city, but I know there is a lot of love for the Steelers in the world. Just before this Super Bowl, there were soldiers who flew their terrible towels over Afghanistan - and the photos then seemingly made their way to every Steeler fan in the world! The fans are great, whether they are in Pittsburgh, or anywhere else.

1) Six-Burgh

• Six Lombardi Trophies - the only team that can claim that. I think that says it all!

Top Ten Most Overexposed Celebrities

You simply can't go a day without hearing or reading something about at least one of these celebs, and quite frankly, I'm sick of it. I suppose by even creating this list I'm just overexposing them further, but nonetheless, here is MY list of the Top Ten Most Overexposed Celebrities...

10) Beyonce

• Look, don't get me wrong, the girl can sing, and she's beautiful, and she's even an entertaining actress. But here's the deal - she's been doing all of those things for about a decade now and she's still only in her mid-20s, so how much longer are we going to have to experience Beyonce incessantly?!

9) Jennifer Aniston

• Does anyone really care any more if she's upset by Brad and Angelina having their 18th kid? Get over it already! And who is she dating now? I have to tell you, I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for my next Entertainment Weekly to show up to let me know. (Please note sarcasm!) Shouldn't you actually have to do some recent movies or tv in order to stay so firmly entrenched in the limelight?

8) Paris Hilton

• Why is she even famous? Rich parents? Sex Tape? Partying? Jail? Tons of Reality Shows featuring her? Take your pick, but the fact that I am able to list so many reasons why she is famous just further proves how overexposed she is!

7) Tom Cruise

• Ok, so the Tom Cruise craze of seeing and hearing about him constantly has waned a bit recently, but any time there is a reference to be made about Scientology, there he is! He's just got a little too kooky, and a lot too overexposed for me to even remotely care anymore.

6) Katie Holmes

• The better half of TomKat edges out her hubby for a higher spot on the list for one reason... we see just as much, if not more, about her, but I have to ask - Why is she even famous?? Aside from being the mother to Tom Cruise's child, the best thing she has on her resume is Dawson's Creek, and that's not saying much. Overexposed and under-talented - that's a bad combination.

5) Jessica Simpson

• Speaking of overexposed and under-talented - or maybe in this case, I should just say untalented. Really, the best thing she has going for her is her body and her beauty, and to make matters worse, she's recently become very average looking weight-wise. I'm not saying she's fat, but she's definitely chubby for Hollywood. Her reality show with her former hubby proved she's not the brightest bulb in the box (Yes, Jess, Chicken of the Sea is chicken, and deviled eggs are actually possessed by satan!) And worse yet, she has become a part of Sunday football - I hope she and Tony Romo break up before next season! So for all these reasons, I'm just sick of seeing her face all over everything.

4) Madonna

• She is just the queen of staying in the spotlight. If more than a few months have gone by without a tabloid or confirmed rumor about Madonna, I get concerned that something has happened to her. For over 20 years now, she's been overexposed. That's a really amazing feat!

3) Brad Pitt

• So he's good looking, so he's a decent actor, so he's "dating" one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood... that just doesn't excuse the fact that he's an adulterer. I'm also really sick of hearing about all the do-good charity stuff. Most celebrities do their fair share of charity work - why do we hear so much more about Brangelina? Which of course brings me to his better (?) half...

3) Angelina Jolie

• If she gets pregnant again or adopts another child, I think someone should investigate whether or not she actually knows all her children's names. I suppose she could just cheat by looking at one of her many tattoos... surely her kids' names are permanently on her body somewhere. Why is the country so fascinated with her? Doesn't anyone remember that she used to be married to Billy Bob Thornton, and used to wear a vile of his blood around her neck? Or that when she won her Oscar, she practically French kissed her own brother? I say it's time to stop giving her the spotlight!

1) Brittany Spears

• Little Miss Brittany makes the top of the list. She went from being an adorable teenage sensation to nothing much more than tabloid fodder, and the media has followed every millisecond of it. But the real reason she's #1 is that she truly was the most EXPOSED celebrity on the list. One word, Brit... Panties!