Five Favourite Bands

Eric Berlin challenges people to name their five favourite bands.

I was intrigued by this challenge, and very much struck both by how challenging it was � and is now � and how much the choices seemingly threaten to define my personality. Define me, really.

For example, the person who chooses Adam Ant, Kajagoogoo, Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, and Styx is very likely very different than the Iron Maiden, Metallica, Dream Theater, Queensryche, Rush dude, who again is probably worlds different than the Fiona Apple, Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega person.

Here's my five: I think shows that I'm more interested in musical craftmanship than rebellious posturing or tortured messiah figures. They're all bands I first discovered around the same period (late 70s/early 80s), and all have careers lasting 20 or 30 years.

Pink Floyd - They're significant for me, since the first album I ever bought was "The Wall". The official British 'rock narrative' written by self-appointed cultural pundits either ignores the Floyd completely, or dismisses them as symbolic of the worst excesses of 70s corporate rock. Which just goes to show how much such idiots need a clue. Pink Floyd's amazing performance at Live8 a year ago showed everyone how great they still are.

Blue Öyster Cult - They're labelled as 'thinking man's metal', but I think they were always more than a metal band. They can rock out with the best of them, but they've also excelled at sublime pop with a sinister edge. They're a great live act even now; I'm seeing them live tomorrow night.

Marillion - They defied the critics by playing full-blown prog rock at the time when it was most unfashionable, and have continued to change and evolve with the times.

Rush - Sometimes I forget just how great their 70s and early 80s material is. Then I dig out classic albums like "Hemispheres", "2112" or "Moving Pictures", and I remember.

Ritchie Blackmore - This is a cheat to include two great bands as my fifth choice, Deep Purple and Rainbow. Forget Jimmy Page, Blackmore was my 70s guitar hero. It didn't hurt that he worked with three world-class singers, Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Ronnie Dio.

Honourable mentions - Yes, Frank Zappa, Black Sabbath (both with Ozzy and with Dio), Genesis when Steve Hackett was in the band, King Crimson, Uriah Heep.

Possible candidates for ten years time - Mostly Autumn, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, The Mars Volta, Muse.