Your Top Five Most Exhilarating Bands

[Cosmic Harmony]

When you hear a band it makes you react and makes you feel a certain way. Sometimes overjoyed, other times infuriated. The question here is what five bands pump you up when you hear them to the point where you simply have to headbang, thrash, dance, or just move more than any other groups or artists in music can do for you? And by all means, feel free to cite a couple examples for each and elaborate beyond the obvious.

 

[The Wanderer]

Wagon Wheel-Old Crow Medicine Show
Sultans of Swing-Dire Straits
Simple Man-Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Last Gunfighter Ballad-Johnny Cash
If I Can Dream-Elvis Presley :].....

 

[Sox]

I can give five a go CH but there are many more and they often change around a bit when it comes to the top slots .. right here goes then, the ones that ... Exhilerate.

1, Led Zeppelin - Their music lifts my spirits everytime I hear it, the debut continues to bowl me over even to this day with the sheer raw energy.

2, Deep Purple - The 70's output just leaves me stunned I can't help but nod my head to 'em, I also enjoy the earlier and later efforts but in their prime they were on fire.

3. Black Sabbath - What can you say, they helped write the rules and set the standard and when at full tilt ... who can stay still ?

4. Gentlemans Pistols - My head thrashes about trying to keep up with my tapping feet, awesome live band.

5. Graveyard - Fantastic groove to their sound and again as a live outfit they really cut the mustard, a revelation.

I had to change my list CH as I misunderstood the OP a little. I read it as tracks not bands anyway alls well now.

 

[LG]

Exhilarating...

I'm like Sox it changes all the time but here are 5 off off the top of my head.

Saxon - Unleash the Beast the whole album sizzles.

Pink Floyd - Delicate Sound of Thunder, my VHS tape this still sends chills through me when I play it.

UFO - Strangers in the Night one of the best live records ever done.

Van Halen - The debut album is in my top 20 of all time.

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on Bald Mountain, 2 of the best pieces of classical ever done.

 

[electric funeral]

Pink Floyd - even when I'm not in the mood the music makes me feel better.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX) and Comfortably Numb.

Led Zeppelin - never stops to amaze me how good that band was. When The Levee Breaks and Dazed and Confused

Jethro Tull - MY girlfriend and me love to listen to them. Favorites: My God and The Whistler

Black Sabbath - When I just wanna hear some loud and heavy music. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and N.I.B.

Well, the fifth.........AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Joe Bonamassa or Cream.
AC/DC it is. Just what I wanted to hear when I got hold of them. Basically the whole Let There Be Rock album.

Oh go on then, one vid:

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

When I thought about this thread I guess I just approached it with bands who's music is either so fast or so aggressive or whatever that it just makes me move. I instantly get pumps and adrenalized. These are my top five.

The Living End


Jane's Addiction


Rage Against The Machine


Motorhead


Gogol Bordello

 

[electric funeral]

Good songs CH. Always thought Jane's Addiction is a bit underrated.

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

So have I. Especially considering how they came out of California in the 1980's and are almost like ground zero for alt rock.

 

[Sweaty]

Mmmm let me think....

The Cult - The whole "Love" album, many many memories of a youth gone wild.......

The Cure - "Head On The Door" album, again many many memories..

Graveyard - Their whole thing....blinding...

Dinosaur Jr - All their stuff...buzzing...

The Enid - just spellbinding....

As Sox and LG said...mine change with the wind but all is good...

 

[tomcat]

Since you asked bands rather than albums I'll try to answer that way.

I don't think any music "exhilarates" me anymore, unless it's a particular new song, or song of the day type thing that I'm really into at the moment. Like others said, this list would be subject to change I guess. Overall, and of the top of my head, and in no particular order except for the Fab Four:

-The Beatles (especially up to around '67)

-The Smiths (Johnny Marr's guitar work)

-Van Halen (Complete package with Roth)

-1980's RATT (I've just always liked that early Ratt, and still do)

-Led Zeppelin (Love Bonham's hypno-beats, and Page's griitty riffs)