[creekster]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

This is a fun topic for me. I love music.

OK, I will throw out some ideas in NO order and see what the group thinks:

1. Reasonable stability within the band...meaning if you change band members every few years and wind up with a load of people who can say they were in your band, then you do not qualify.
2. Commercial success...while this should NEVER be the measure of greatness, it is usually a measure of mass and broad appeal. Kind of hard to argue for membership in the pantheon if you did not sell a lot of records
3. Touring...I dont think this should be a major criteria because it would be unfair to earlier acts (Elvis, for example) when touring was not as important. While the Beatles were likely lousy live and opted to not tour after their Candlestick show, can anyone name an iconic Stones show? The Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan and on the rooftops on Saville Row are some of the most iconic performances in rock history.
4. Innovation....did you take music in a new direction? What did you do that was innovative?
5. Longevity.....are people still listening to your music and talking about your for good? Or are they talking about you because you stuck around for so long?
6. Influence....who have you influenced? do artists reference you as an influence?
7. Impact......did you do something to impact, for good or bad, the political or social landscape of your time and beyond?

Anyway, some thoughts.

U2 looks very good based on these criteria.