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1. Pink Floyd was my favorite band in college, from Relics to Atom Heart Mother, to Umugumma. Still, nothing compares to the Stones.
   Nothing compares to this classic.

   For a golden oldie stones song,

   I’ve seen the Stones since 1964 and have not missed a tour. I have also seen Pink Floyd on all of their tours and faux tours, and have to say that just by concert presence alone, the Stones win hands down.

2. Floyd or it didn’t happen.

3. Both were great bands and both exerted major game-changing influence on popular music. I’m voting for Floyd for the reasons I indicated earlier. The Stones haven’t done much to extend their legacy since about SOME GIRLS, and as such they’re no bigger or more important than they were in the late ’70s. Floyd, on the other hand, becomes more important by the day.

   In 20 years the Stones influence may have rebounded and simply gone over the top, and at the same time people might be asking “Pink Who?” Influence is a river that ebbs and flows, so there’s really no telling.

   For the moment, though, Pink Floyd seems to me to easily be the most important and influential of the Classic Rock bands when it comes to making contemporary music better, and for me that’s a powerful statement.

4. As a Gen X’er who’s played guitar for 16 or so years and hung around people of the same age who play a variety of different kinds of music I have to echo Sam’s insight. Floyd seems to only get more popular over time. There are certain bands songs that you learn right away depending on what genre you are into. Floyd is one of those bands that always seems to bridge all genres. The punk kid and the jam band chick are both learning Floyd tunes. While the Stones are certainly a great band I don’t think they touch Floyd in the influence department. I’m not saying they are not influential, just not a much as Floyd.

5. I won’t be sad with either of these winning. I know a lot of people want to discredit the Stones because they didn’t break up in 1982, but I can’t stop thinking about Let it Bleed, Exile on Main Street, Beggars Banquet, Aftermath, etc. I know Pink has some great albums too, but they seem like albums to smoke pot by, while the Stones are albums to drive/dance/move to. I guess I’m going with the Stones.

6. I think it says a lot about the power of the Stones that they still sell out stadium shows. While their last few albums won’t jump out at anyone as canon-worthy, there are actually a lot of very strong songs on them. The problem, of course, is that when you compare any of them to, say, “Satisfaction” or “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (or anything from their early canon) the newer stuff doesn’t measure up.

   To me, the Stones define what it means to be rock stars–good, bad, ugly, and more.

7. A very jet lagged Hear, hear!

   Jeff

8. The Rolling Stones. Reluctantly – since I consider them second after The Beatles.

   Before you vote, you should watch this – and see why The Stones matter so much….They educated America about its own musical history…..

   I

9. Went with the Stones.

10. Like Floyd a tad bit better, but I think the Stones are more important overall so went with them. I’d be happy with either, tho.

11. Where’s Gentle Giant?

    How disappointing.

12. Clearly, most people who vote here don’t think critically about what it means to be a great band instead of merely a favorite band. The Rolling Stones are the single most important band in History, after The Beatles. Period.

    They shaped Rock ‘n’ Roll from its very origins and pretty much paved the way to every other band that followed (together with The Beatles). Their influence and the impact they generated (especially in the 60s) is monstruous. If Rock was to have a different name you might call it “Rolling Stones”.

    You people lack research, that’s the problem here.

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