When you hear the term 'dad rock' which band do you think of first?

[Sleek]

Steely Dan was better than Elvis, better than Led Zeppelin, and better than The Beatles.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but how are we defining "better" for the sake of this argument?

I think the only category that Steely Dan would be above those bands is in pure ugliness...I mean, great players, but have a look at this video and tell me there is even one person in that band with the correct amount of chromosomes:

https://youtu.be/7SM_eJKVlzs

Steely Dan: Less fuckable than Foreigner©

[CanadianMetal]

Thanks for posting that Steely Dan video . What a fantastic performance!

To be honest , I don’t see the fascination some have with band members being ugly / pretty ….

With the superb musicianship, killer guitar solo , great singing , otherworldly conga playing / rhythm section, Unless I was deaf , I would never have even noticed or cared about their teeth.

[CanadianMetal]

I saw an add recently about a local Steely Dan tribute show , consisting of over 10 accomplished local musicians that is playing a rare show next month . I think I will check that out, as never really paid much attention to SD much , but did hear about their musicianship .

[Fat_Elvis]

The Doobie Brothers. Many dads liked them in the 80s and 90s. I never met one teenager that did.

Raj, Dwayne & Rerun were teenagers.

[DangerZone]

dad rock is frat boy musicians - they’re not really creative types.
Just trend jumpers aging.

[mrsnikkisixx]

Creed

[Van Ailin']

Steely Dan was better than Elvis, better than Led Zeppelin, and better than The Beatles.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but how are we defining "better" for the sake of this argument?

Songs, lyrics, melodies, rhythms, recording quality, solos, consistency of work overall. Best records of the last 60 years.

[Darrien]

Steely Dan was better than Elvis, better than Led Zeppelin, and better than The Beatles.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but how are we defining "better" for the sake of this argument?

Songs, lyrics, melodies, rhythms, recording quality, solos, consistency of work overall. Best records of the last 60 years.

It's funny how Steely Dan fans believe so strongly in that band but can't ever sway the average listener.
My friend gave me The Royal Scam on vinyl claiming it would change my perspective, I listened to it once. Yes, they are good musicians but good songwriters? nah.

[TeslaFan]

Not sure why but Steely Dan comes to mind first

[Lobo]

The Dad Rock bands have changed over time.

At first it was The Stones, Beatles, etc.

A little later it became ACDC, Guess Who, The Band, BTO, Neil Young, Dire Straits, George Thorogood, Grand Funk, Boston, Loverboy etc. It became more than just the age of a band, it also was defined by a style. Kind of a meat and potatoes, straight ahead rock sound. Late 60's through the late 70's/early 80's type bands.

Now? You could say it's evolved to the point where it's more defined by age than anything else, and a little bit less by style. Nickelback, U2, Tom Petty, REM, Mellencamp. Could you now put in what were alternative bands in the 90's? Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden? It's hard to say in 2024.

[Bono Nettencourt]

The Doobie Brothers. Many dads liked them in the 80s and 90s. I never met one teenager that did.

Raj, Dwayne & Rerun were teenagers.

Al Dunbar!

[Van Ailin']

It's funny how Steely Dan fans believe so strongly in that band but can't ever sway the average listener.
My friend gave me The Royal Scam on vinyl claiming it would change my perspective, I listened to it once. Yes, they are good musicians but good songwriters? nah.

That's in part because average listeners are . . . average . . . as in mediocre. As songwriters, I'll take Becker's and Fagen's work over anything else I've heard in the vocal-songs universe. And The Royal Scam is not only one of their best, but I'd put it in the top 5 albums released in the entire 1970s. Certainly more interesting than Rumours or Hotel California. The masses would not agree. Masses are masses for a reason.

[Van Ailin']

Hang on, did Van Ailin' just say Steely Dan is better than Elvis, Led Zeppelin, and the The Beatles?

Tha' phuck?!?

I always thought Howard Stern showed his musical ignorance by bashing them, but you got some 'splaining to do on this one!!

Yes, and I'll stick to that. The best vocal/pop/rock act of the entire recorded era. Bar none. I consider that the highest the bar has been taken.

[aznsquirt]

Sirius has a Dad Rock Channel that's awesome, mostly 70s, 80, 90s classic/pop rock

Haha, they do:

"SiriusXM has a channel called Dad Rock that plays nostalgic rock songs from artists like The Killers, Metallica, Oasis, Pearl Jam, and more."

Of course this is one of those terms that evolves over time as newer bands become older bands.

[SeniorGrande]

Joe Bonamassa

[Zander]

Lynyrd Skynyrd. Pretty much every 70's american rock band with flannel shirts, beards and moustaches that predates Van Halen fits the bill.

[TravisBicklesMohawk]

The Eagles.

I read an interview with Trent Reznor years ago and he said his very first concert was The Eagles. And his dad took him . . .

[gtrjay]

Guns ‘n Roses
Motley Crue
Metallica

Any of these is every dad’s go-to band when they want to impress their kids with how hard they were “when I was your age.”

It’s these same dads that keep these awful bands on tour. Embarrassing AF.

So much win here! Damn!

[Tommy]

For us 40+ guys it's getting to be DMB, Blink and Green Day.

[rubysdad]

Van Hagar.

[Love_Industry]

The Eagles.

I read an interview with Trent Reznor years ago and he said his very first concert was The Eagles. And his dad took him . . .

This would make Iron Maiden and Kiss dad rock. Their huge post-reunion numbers must be dads and grandads taking the kids to see "their" band.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Van Hagar.

Soccer mom rock.

[Zinny]

For me, definitely Creedence Clearwater Revival, but as some have stated, it might be granddad rock, if that’s a thing.

[prog]

Dire Straits? I’m an old so it’s still dad rock to me. And still kicks ass. Let’s be real. Our dads generation was cooler and had better music than ours.

[Kajsa]

Deep purple for me. They even looked like really old geezers in 84 with the perfect strangers album. They were probably only in their late 30s at the time. They music goes with watching top gear, going to the pub, and watching Leicester tigers.

Video of perfect strangers where they are hanging out looking old and playing footy back in the 80s.

https://youtu.be/gZ_kez7WVUU?si=LmgWWPj31PQAycUO


Honourable mention: status quo

Hurriganes that I still love. US bands are all dad rock

[Hellsinkey]

Deep purple for me. They even looked like really old geezers in 84 with the perfect strangers album. They were probably only in their late 30s at the time. They music goes with watching top gear, going to the pub, and watching Leicester tigers.

Video of perfect strangers where they are hanging out looking old and playing footy back in the 80s.

https://youtu.be/gZ_kez7WVUU?si=LmgWWPj31PQAycUO


Honourable mention: status quo

Hurriganes that I still love.

Strange to see Hurriganes mentioned here, though they were popular in Sweden too in the 70's. The drummer/singer lives nearby.

[Kajsa]

Deep purple for me. They even looked like really old geezers in 84 with the perfect strangers album. They were probably only in their late 30s at the time. They music goes with watching top gear, going to the pub, and watching Leicester tigers.

Video of perfect strangers where they are hanging out looking old and playing footy back in the 80s.

https://youtu.be/gZ_kez7WVUU?si=LmgWWPj31PQAycUO


Honourable mention: status quo

Hurriganes that I still love.

Strange to see Hurriganes mentioned here, though they were popular in Sweden too in the 70's. The drummer/singer lives nearby.

Both my parents were born in Finland and I spent alot of summers there so the finland is still in my heart