I just voted for Radiohead but it was a mistake - oops sorry - thats buggered everything up

Pink Floyd, by a wide margin. The innovation was stuning. They were really one of the first true sampling bands(see how they made Money).They were a far superior live band. They had a far superior musicians in David Gilmour and Rick Wright. They pioneered modern rock shows starting with the first timed light show in 1966 at the UFO club in the London Underground and took their live performance pioneering to entirely new levels after that. Their lyrics are better (Piper and from Meddle on). They were one of, if not the first psychedelic jam band. Syd Barrett pioneered goth/glam and live free form rock all at the same time in 1966.

Everything that Radiohead has done is just a lighter version of what Pink Floyd had already done.

Radiohead has made some fine records and neat melodies, but they simply don't have the discography nor the innovative or live pedigree to compete with Pink Floyd. They do however have a muchlarger, frenzied online fanbase.

Also, Radiohead is lacking that balance that Pink Floyd have vocally and musically. With Radiohead, it's Yorke all the time,and there's no other vocalist or top level musican balancing his voice. It often just ends up sounding like depressive droning. Look at songs like Comfortably Numb and Hey You for that incredible balance (the Beatles had it as well) that Radiohead lacks.

Northy said everyone I wanted to, only much better than I would have.

I can appreciate how innovative and seminal Pink Floyd are, but I often find the bands influenced by their 'forefathers' to be more interesting and varied (obviously because Radiohead is the result of countless varied influences, of which Pink Floyd may not even be a big factor...never heard the band mention them much in interviews ).When OK Computer came out, the 'New Pink Floyd' tag was placed on them by every second journalist and while it may have been apt, after awhile it just seemed like a lazy comparison. It reminds me of critics who always compare Mark Kozelek's stuff to Nick Drake or Jens Lekman to Stephen Merritt and when asked about these artists in interviews, they appear mostly unenthusiastic or actually ignorant of them. I think it can be said for them and radiohead that they are infact influenced by the artists mentioned, yet in a more indirect way of liking other artists who were influenced by them.

Kinda went off topic abit there didn't I

Radiohead is never shy about admitting the fact that they are vastly influenced by Pink Floyd. I have heard all five of them, including Thom Yorke, praise and acknowledge Pink Floyd's influence on them and their music.

Really, I must reading the wrong interviews then.

Greenwood made other members of Radiohead watch "Live at Pompeii" during the recording of OK Computer. He is also obsessed with "Meddle", and was at the time of OK. It's why alot of OK sounds so much like early period Pink Floyd.

Pink Floyd

Ridiculous

I have to give the edge to Pink Floyd. The Wall and Darkside are just too monumental and astounding. KidA and Ok are amazing, but I don't think they quite measure up.

This is really a pretty tough question. Both bands have about an equal number of great and good albums.

Radiohead:
Great - The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A
Good - Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows

Pink Floyd:
Great - Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here
Good - Meddle, Animals, The Wall, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Rankings are of course my opinion. I got into Pink Floyd before I got into Radiohead, and I suspect that I never would've got into Radiohead (nor would they exist in the same state) without Pink Floyd. If I had to pick which band I would most likely reach for in a pinch, I'd go with Radiohead. But if I'm asked to pick the best band, I'm going with Pink Floyd. They were simply more innovative then Radiohead, which gives them the edge.

Two words

LET DOWN

Three more words

FAKE PLASTIC TREES

Well, I'm a huge fan of both bands, but I'd pick Radiohead. I think "the Wall" is Pink Floyd's greatest work, at least most interesting. It's like the greatest failure in music history, which, although, counter-intuitive, only adds to it's appeal for me. All in all, this is a stupid thread. The two bands have their own place in music, but are not that similar other that "other-worldy" attributes. The Beatles are the greatest band of all-time by default, and the rest of rock royalty is pretty much up to opinion.

I love both bands but my vote goes for Pink Floyd. Why? Read what Northy wrote (his first post on this thread).
I would add that what most people think is radiohead's inovation (for example when Kid A was released) a lot of those songs sound like Aphex Twin's most melodic tracks with a voice on top. So being an Aphex Twin fan by that time it was not a very innovative album for me (although I love all radiohead's albums).
On the other hand Pink Floyd's experimentation days were really experimental beacause back then they didn´t have computers or samplers (they had to actually cut/paste tapes to make their loops and stuff like that). Backthen there were a couple of other bands (like tangerine dream) trying to make "music of the future" but not as versatile as the Floyds.
PF experiments went also in the visual field since some of them were architecture students. Also a lot of people dont know Pink Floyd's discography but only their radio-friendly songs or more known albums like The Wall. And let me tell you is not the same thing to listen to the track "wish you were here" as a single than in the context of the entire album. Pink Floyd made albums (not songs) meant to be heard from beggining to end (at least in their classic years).
Again read Northy's first post! I just loved what he wrote

tough one... whose the better band?

personally I think Pink Floyd are

who do I prefer to listen to ?
Radiohead

Pink Floyd has some great songs, but they are overall less consistent than Radiohead. Radiohead has a talented group of musicians that seem to unify under a common thread and make really good albums and songs that mesh well. Pink Floyd has always seemed a little more willing to put out stuff that was less baked and more driven by someone elses ego in the band. I like a lot of there stuff, but there is a lot that is just too indulgent, or to ho hum.

I really don't know how you can compare these two bands, both are completely different styles, and Radiohead still have plenty of recording left.

quote:

Originally posted by brandondash:
Northy said everyone I wanted to, only much better than I would have.

I agree 100%.

This seems like a rather pointless debate (more so than normal ). OK Computer is the closest Radiohead's output has come to sounding like Pink Floyd. But their influences also include R.E.M., The Pixies, The Smiths, among others. Must we create Vs. threads for everyone Radiohead cites as an influence, simply because everyone loves them so damn much?

Radiohead Vs. Muse doesn't count. Everyone knows Muse cowers before Thom Yorke's lazy eye.