Now, before you go off and start flaming me, I'm about as big a fan of that music as you can be without actually living in that era. That being said, I have a theory that some of them wouldn't be considered the musical genius' that they are...

The Doors - Before Morrison's death, the Doors were releasing some very weird songs, and Jim was getting more and more into the poetry aspect of it all. Had he not OD'd , and continued to crank out stuff no one really liked, would The Doors be considered so great?

Jimi Hendrix - One of the most gifted guitar players to ever have lived. His albums kept getting more and more inventive, and fans of the genre really appreciated him.

Janis Joplin - One of the most talented women of her era, Janis soulful voice, and incredible band combined for a GREAT sound. However, if she had not died, what would we think today of her and Big Brother and the Holding Company?

My answers

The Doors - No. Morrison's death stopped the Doors from becoming a shell of their former selves, and a joke. The albums such as L. A Woman would still be considered rock classics, but I don't think the Doors would have the same following.

Hendrix - undoubtedly YES. His guitar work was downright amazing. His sound wasn't changing all that much(he played various styles, and it was a progression from the "pop" rock to the "blues" rock). He would still be popular today I imagine.

Janis - This one is up in the air, I'll let you guys decide.

LA Woman was sending the Doors in a real bluesy direction. I think they would have pursued that, and while their mainstream popularity would have diminished, they would have put out good music for a long time, possibly even to the present. They may have had one last pseudo-psychadelic album in them, possibly finally recording a studio version of the Celebration of the Lizard, but I don't think they would have done anything as lame as Other Voices of Full Circle.

Janis Joplin would have fizzled in the 70's. She would have never fit in with the singer/songwriter movement, and I don't think the pop crowd would have cared. She would have been lumped in with other female jazz singers, which unfortunately is the kiss of death for a popular artist.

Don't know about Hendrix. His guitar playing was amazing, but I always thought he was sort of unfocused stylistically. I guess that was part of his experimental nature, but experimental things usually don't have long shelf lives. Blues really wasn't his thing, he would have never been a pop star, and the glam and prog crowds probably wouldn't have cared either.

The ones that immediately come to mind for me are the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I know the Beatles had broken up before John died, but until then there was always the possibility of a reunion. I do think that Paul, George and Ringo put out good music over the last few decades, and Paul is still performing these days and putting out new stuff.


The Stones I think are pretty much past it. I hear their old stuff on classic stations, and it's still good, but their new stuff always seems very "just churning out the goods" level of quality to me. I know their leader isn't dead, though he does look like a walking zombie

Doors were pretty much ahead of there time ..as far as Hendrix..I think he was planning on branching out into some jazz with Miles Davis (or so Ive read) beacuse that wa sright when fusion was strating to make it big

I think that all of these artists would have gotten worse. The early 70's was when rock started getting very bloated and boring (save Bowie, T. Rex, Stones and a few others).

That's what I'm saying.

Would everything they put out be awesome? No. Would each of these artists have put out some mind-blowingly good material? Absolutely yes.

I have to disagree with that..some of the best stuff came out during the 70-74 era..plus you had some great stuff form overseas..especially Germany

Deke, give me some examples of who you are talking about.

Where do I start?
King Crimson
Hawkwind
Ten Years After
Allman Brothers
Pink Floyd
Robin Trower
just to name a few

from Germany you had
Grobschnitt
Nektar
Kraan

I mean its ludicrous to list every band that putting good stuff out in a 4 year period...I could list a ton more ....

oops...I forgot ..
Santana was at their peak in the early 70's along with Deep Purple

wow blues not Hendrix thing???? Listen to Red House or the slow blues version of Voodoo Chile from Electric Ladyland..I think he was at his best when he was playing blues

Hendrix would've endured, his stuff still sounds revolutionary today.

Joplin's stature I think has already fallen quite a lot in the past few decades. She was a fine singer but she danced on the edge of being a parody of herself. I don't know a lot of "young" people (under 35) that listen to her now, although I still like a few of her songs I've never been a huge fan.

The Doors, probably not, especially if Morrison had swollen up into some sort of late-Elvis style guru. But the Doors I think are a phase for a lot of people now. I thought they were cool when I was 22 but now that I'm 30-something I find them kind of a joke, albeit a joke with some groovy sounding songs and some really lame ones (I can't listen to "Touch Me" without cracking up since I heard a comedian sing it in a lounge-act style parody that suited the song to a 'T').

Some weren't hugely famous as the above three when they died (Phil Ochs, Nick Drake, Tim Buckley) but have actually GAINED an audience since then. Whether that's due to talent or the morbid charm of them being young deaths, I'll let another poster decide...

Thanks for listing those bands Deke. I wanted to see your tastes.
I still stand behind what I said because most of what you listed is exactly what I was thinking of when I said "bloated". Just not my style, 'cept for a bit of Floyd. I'm not a progressive rock fan in the least.

well only about a couple of those bands are considered progressive..in fact most older bands pivotol records came out in that time period..not sure what you mean by bloated but Im assuming more along the lines of one song lasting 20-30 minutes (whole album sides) etc...anyway you are entitled to your opinion..I responded becuase that was the first time I ever heard anyone refer to that time period in rock in a negative way..Im curious..what type of music did you listen to back then or now??

Check out the collection of blues on the "Blues" release. I liked the direction he was taking with Band of Gypsies.

So is Ringo.

Hey Deke... yeah, just my opinion so I don't mean to cut down anyone's taste. I grew up in the 70's listening to classic rock, but by the time I was in college in the early 80's I was much more into punk/new wave and stuff like that. That's why, for me, I like shorter songs that get right to the point. And CERTAINLY, there was some awesome music from 70-75. Roxy Music, Lou Reed, Zep... Big Star is one of my favorites. But when I go back in time to listen to recordings it's almost always pre-1970 or post-1975.

There are some examples of bands from the 60's like the Stones who went on to record some of their best music in the early 70's.
But many others got too stinkin' serious and boring. I like my rock to be exciting and fun. Definitely plenty of that in the late 60's... but that died out mostly in the early 70's (I know the NY Dolls and the Dictators were around, but not popular and the Modern Lovers weren't heard for years). Just seems like the storm of FUN came back with the punk era.

you mentioned Zeepelin..I forgot all about them to be on my list...yea..different tastes it sounds like..hey as long as ya like what you are listening to..enjoy!

I once saw a cartoon where two old rockers were on the stage one rocker turned to the other and said, "If you had died years ago we would be legends".

I'm unsure....it seems most of the great bands last 5 years or so(Doors ect),they may not be to recognized at the time..but soon after people realize what was going on & they missed out on.

The Stones really started to suck in 70's,they had a few good songs then..but not many that i recall...& by the 80's-present...one huge joke. Mick doesn't sound good live,the music seems slower with no energy since they're to old & can't play the same anymore. Yet they still ruled in th 60's-early 70's!



Heck,what do you think AC/DC would be like today had Bon still lived? I'm sure he would have taken the band down & become a joke soon afterwards..much like Brian Johnson is doing to the band. Bon was awsome..but bound to fall sooner or later,but the band ruled with him.Brian was great at first,though the song writting was'nt that good with the hint of bad-boy humor that Bon put in,at least the beats were good for the most part. Yet by the mid-80's...he lost his voice & just sounds horrible. Flashforward to the present..Brian sounds even worse than ever...yet at least the band can still play & rock...though i think they should have quit long ago since once Brian opens his mouth,the songs become a disaster & he butchurs the Bon classics when he rarely plays a few..as well as his stuff.


Gun's N Roses was great when they ruled durring their 5 year or so time period. If they were able to get along & Axl was'nt such a jerk with un-controllable attitude..they may have still had a few years left to rule the world.Yet they died..but i still love the old albums....& to me..the 'new' GNR sucks & is not GNR!



+ another reason why some bands are better in a certain time span. The road takse alot out of you! can you imagine..touring daily from one city to the next,country after country,radio shows,tv shows,other public appearances..the actual concert,trying to get new material & record in the studio when you have the time & many more things such as trying to keep up with things & have a hit. Can you imagine how that would feel going for a few years non-stop? It'd be exhausting..& it's no wonder they get messed up in drugs & alcholhal & eventually fall apart.

I dont know about that ..The best Stones album (Exiles On Main Street) came out in the 70's along with Sticky Fingers. now late 70's yes..it started to go downhill..starting with Some Girls

on group that is still kicking and no one has mentioned is the Allman Brothers..they fizzled out in the mid 70's with drug and personal problems along with deaths of major members in the band ..came back in the 90's and still continue to put on one helluva a good show ..they tour every summer across the country and get stronger sounding every year