Ok, I decided Iāll have a go at this one. There is no real method to my madness, and my list was built on the assumption that the names that easily sprung into my mind, were the bands that had the biggest affect on me. They are in no particular order, other than the fact that listing one band of individual would trigger memories of other bands, hence the reason that all of the Australian bands of grouped together (again, no specific order within those names).
Anyway, I give you⦠my top 200 bands (including some individuals):
Ryuichi Sakamoto
The Clash
The Jam
The Style Council
General Public
The (British) Beat
The Dictators
The Nails
The Stranglers
The Members
The Damned
Doll By Doll
Psychedelic Furs
Gang of Four
Elvis Costello (the Attractions, the Imposters, the Coward Brothers etc)
Joe Jackson
Brinsley Schwarz
Graham Parker & the Rumour
Dr Feelgood
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
The Cream
Humble Pie
The Small Faces/The Faces
The Jeff Beck Band
Roxy Music
ELP
The Nice
Mahavishnu Orchestra (John McLaughlin)
The Steve Miller Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Velvet Underground
James Brown
Lou Reed
Pop Will Eat Itself
XTC
King Crimson
Curved Air
Be Bop Deluxe
Van Der Graf Generator
Tangerine Dream
Kraftwerk
The Residents
Snakefinger
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of invention
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
The Sex Pistols
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
Viv Stanshall
Led Zeppelin
Chicago (first couple of albums)
Blood Sweat and Tears
Pacific Gas & Electric
The Kinks
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Yardbirds
Fairport Convention
Steeleye Span
The Pogues
The Strawbs
John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
Blue Oyster Cult
The Throb
The Reels
The Easybeats
The Loved Ones
Lobby Loyde & the Coloured Balls
The Purple Hearts (featured our former bass guitarist Bob Dames)
The Wild Cherries
Mike Furber & the Bowery Boys
Company Caine
Spectrum
Ariel
The Stars
Carson County Boogie Band
Broderick Smith Big Combo
The Dingoes
Wendy Saddington & Chain (also with Copperwine)
Chain
Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs
Daddy Cool
Mighty Kong
Sons of the Vegetal Mothers
Billy-T
Paul Madigan & the Humans
The Ferrets
The Lime Spiders (featured our guitarist Ged Corben)
The Cruel Sea (Ged Corben was a founder member when they were essentially an instrumental band)
Hunters & Collectors
The Birthday Party
Boys Next Door
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Sekret Sekret
The Sports
Harem Scarum
Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons
Drowning Not Waving (Dees supporter, David Bridie)
My Friend the Birthday Cake (Dees supporter, David Bridie)
The Huxton Creepers (Dees supporter, Archie Law)
Mackenzie Theory (Dees supporter, Rob Mackenzie)
Radio Birdman
Regurgitator
Crowded House
Kevin Borrich Express
Kahvas Jute
Tamam Shud
Tully
The Bee Gees (pre Saturday Night Fever)
The Seekers
Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band
Skyhooks
Matt Finish
Midnight Oil
The Angels
The Screaming Jets
The Backsliders
Coloured Stone
Gondwanaland
The Living End
Warumpi Band
Paul Kelly & <insert band of choice>
Kutcha Edwards
Archie Roach & Ruby Hunter
Gurramul & Mandawuay Yunupingu
Mixed Relations
Yothu Yindi
The Hitmen
Mental As Anything
Dog Trumpet
The Aliens
La De Das
Ayerās Rock
Healing Force
AC/DC (Bon Scott era only)
Flowers/Icehouse
GangaJang
The Allniters (featured our early guitarist Mickey Mahoney)
Kush
The Numbers
Freshwater (featuring Alison McCallum of āItās Timeā fame)
Sun (featuring Renee Geyer)
SPK
Severed Heads
Buffalo
Alberto Y Los Trio Paranoias
Prodigy
Pink Floyd
MC5
The Ramones
Television
Iggy & the Stooges
David Bowie
Traffic
The Spencer Davis Group
The Texas Tornadoes
Los Lobos
Lemmy (Hawkwind & Motƶrhead)
Ministry
Van Morrison
Quicksilver Messenger Service
The Byrds
Jefferson Airplane
Big Brother & the Holding Company (Janis Joplin)
They Might Be Giants
Wheezer
The Blue Hearts
Buddhadatta
The 5, 6, 7, 8ās
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Japan
Little Feat
Manfred Mann Earth Band
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Yello
Yellow Magic Orchestra (aka YMO)
Jimi Hendrix (Experience & Band of Gypsies)
Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green era only)
Argent
Neil Young
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Joni Mitchell
Procol Harum
Robin Trower
Genesis (Peter Gabriel era)
Kate Bush
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
Asleep At the Wheel
The Rock ān Roll Trio
Weather Report
The Screaming Blue Messiahs
Rockpile
Dave Edmunds
Nick Lowe
Wreckless Eric
Thunderclap Newman
Talking Heads
ZZ Top
Hank Williams
Bob Dylan
The Band