A list from LaLa Land



Lowell George and Little Feat could smoke
many of the bands on this list.

Thanks to our buddy Wayne "the Train" Shelor for passing along this list of the 50 Greatest L.A. bands (according to Los Angeles Magazine). We admit we have a much easier time ranking bands from our old Wisconsin hometown.  It would go something like this:

1. The Lonely Ones
2. The Probes

(If we included country and polka bands it would get a bit more interesting. And now we MUST mention The Rhythm Playboys. Just thinking about Dewey slamming the piano keys on "From a Jack to a King" brings a wistful tear. )

L.A., now that's a different deal. It's a daunting task just to compile a comprehensive list of bands that sprang up in L.A., much less put them in some logical order of significance.  Otherwise how could you completely forget about Little Feat? Ah, but it's not our place to shoot holes in this list. Of course that shouldn't stop you, so here you go:

1. Doors
2. Beach Boys
3. Byrds
4. Buffalo Springfield
5. Los Lobos
6. Seeds
7. Guns N' Roses
8. Monkees
9. War
10. N.W.A.
11. Crosby Stills & Nash
12. Germs
13. Metallica
14. X
15. Van Halen
16. Go-Go's
17. Eagles
18. Red Hot Chili Peppers
19. Chambers Brothers
20. Suicidal Tendencies
21. Tool
22. Bangles
23. Slayer
24. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
25. Rage Against the Machine
26. Maroon 5
27. Black Flag
28. Jane's Addiction
29. Toto
30. Mother's of Invention
31. Runaways
32. Berlin
33. Linkin Park
34. Poco
35. Turtles
36. Oingo Boingo
37. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
38. Motley Crue
39. Sparks
40. Blasters
41. Association
42. Flying Burrito Brothers
43. Ozomatli
44. Canned Heat
45. Love
46. Weezer
47. Megadeth
48. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
49. Sublime
50. Surfaris