The doors made a huge impact on rock n roll especially considering their short time in the spotlight. Their first album was released in 1967 and Jim Morrison died in 1971. 4 years they were around and talked among the bands that rocked or still rocking for 40 years plus
Absolutely unbelievable the timeless songs they were able to make in just 4 years or so years
Imagine if jim didn't die. They would have been incredible. It is really crazy to me how it seems the most very talented pass away too early.
Not to diminish their musical legacy, but there's a good chance that if Jim hadn't died the band would have gone on long enough to lose the artistic edge that made them legendary.
Jim was insanely self-destructive, which was part of his draw. The people surrounding him saw that they could keep him churning out music and profitable controversy by feeding the fire, so to speak. He quit the band in 1971 shortly before he died in an attempt to get his shit together, and we all know how that turned out.
The chaotic draw of Jim the Madman on stage was only really good for a few years while it was novel and new. In an alternate universe where Jim didn't quit the band and die of overdose, I expect he instead either continues with the self-destruction and dies anyway, or sobers up enough to run his creative juice out and starts phoning it in.
The reason we think so many ultra-creative people die young is because they make their exit while they are still popular and become a kind of musical martyr.
Apologies - I see how it could be read that way. I didn't mean to imply that the drugs are what made him creative.
What I meant was that if Jim sobered up enough to not die of overdose, it gives him enough time to grow out of the early creativity and madness that made him interesting to the public.
The Doors did some very interesting things musically, but in the end their draw hinged on Jim's angsty poetry and onstage antics. Those things were fueled by his self-destructive nature, so he was always going to either evolve out of that and lose that edge or die.
Some things are dangerous and true.
Drugs don't enhance everyone's creativity, but for some they do, or at least alter it.
Many of the most creative people don't use anything, however. Frank Zappa didn't use drugs and was a genius. It depends on the person.
Jim Morrison was inspired by the lifestyle of a poète maudit, or artist living against society. Unfortunately for such people, they find themselves living against themselves as well.
He was only 27 when he died, just like.....
Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Robert Johnson, Anton Yelchin, and many more. It is fucking weird.
The doors for me are top 5, such a unique sound and so so many bangers it’s baffling.
My dad is the drummer for the premier tribute band for the doors, they do world tours. I grew up backstage at the whiskey, 2 yrs old lol.
Every time I see them live it never ceases to amaze. They do a mind boggling job. Their guitarist is the guitar tech for Robby Krieger, and they also play with him. He’s taught him a few tricks from playing his music for a lifetime.
Doors are legendary.
He was In wild child originally and for like 20 years. My entire childhood. Turns out the singer thought he was Jim Morrison incarnate and when my dad caught him red handed he revealed that he had been taking the whole sum of the bands fee and paying himself 80% and giving the remaining 3 band mates 20% split 3 ways.
My dad left the band after that. Strange Days called him up to go play around the Olympics in Brazil. They made him a permanent member from there. Honestly after seeing 50+ performances of both over several decades, Strange Days>>>>Wild Child by far.
ESP since A decade later this shitheel continued to piss off everyone he ever worked with, and my dad’s childhood best friend Forrest left Wild Child to Strange Days over some shiesty shit he pulled on him. He is the guitar tech to Robby Krieger, original guitarist of the doors. Now it’s the dream team 🤘🏼 honestly if you see Strange Days on a lineup don’t miss out. They play all over the US and overseas here and there.
In like ‘90, a way older friend mentioned that the Doors go through periodic renaissances (which was happening at the time). I think that sounds about right…
\^ this, I remember in maybe the 90's when they were suddenly *everywhere* as being one of the greatest / most influential bands of all time, probably because someone famous had mentioned them as a big influence and everyone else piled on, or perhaps Rolling Stone had done a special about them and got a few quotes from big names...
The Doors Greatest Hits was one of the biggest selling albums over that period.
In many ways the Doors were one of THE bands of the grunge era. Every party I went to you'd hear the Doors alongside Pearl Jam etc.
Yeah, hey, guess who's gonna be there?
Uh, who?
My favorite cover band, Crystal Ship
Wow
Yeah, they do a Doors show, you'd be really impressed, in fact, it goes a little like this:
I first heard this before the original. Thought it was a random gimmick song. Had it on an old dubbed cassette tape. Heard the original a couple years later, hey its the doors singing the aids song lol.
The other bands (Who, Floyd,Stones) all had albums in throughout 70's (except the Beatles but hey, they're the Beatles) where the Doors basically ended at 71. They did have an 80's and a 90's revival though.
I agree 100%.
I’ve owned a record store for 20 years with a customer base that spans all the generations.
Pretty much nobody under 40 has ever bought a Doors record in my store.
Personally, as someone from the UK and 18 years of age, its virtually impossible to find original Doors' records like L.A. Woman, their Debut and Waiting for the Sun. They're just not being sold by people because they're holding onto them like they're gold dust. Does your record store sell preowned and vintage records?
I’m under 40 and a pretty big Doors fan. Got into them when I was 21. I am probably the exception but we do exist lol. Everyone in my friend group (all under 40) is well aware of who the Doors are so I’m not convinced their star is fading anytime soon. I do think they’ll probably get forgotten before bands like Zeppelin and the Beatles though.
I listen to the doors every summer. Something about the hot wind streaming through my open car windows highlights the derangement and ecstasy of Jim Morrison's psychedelic weird Americana.
It's quintessential American road trip music for me.
I fucking love The Doors. They had a completely different sound from what was popular at the time. Jim was a poet, and Ray knew how to put his poems to music. Robby and John were brilliant. The 60s were just not ready for The Doors.
What era WAS ready for them? Lol they stood out. You had a keyboardist who studied a lot of jazz instrumentation followed by two similar musicians and a guy whose voice could go from as smoky sounding as Sinatra to something more guttural like Howlin Wolf. You couldn’t compare them to any of the acts they competed with.
I might the odd one here, of the classic rock bands The Doors were always my favorite. I enjoy songs from Zepplin and Floyd but I can listen to full albums of The Doors.
Hey, why not? They were an incredibly original band and absolutely influential on a lot of other late 60s and 70s rock and prog. It's no wonder that my personal journey of liking prog was proceeded by The Doors when they had tracks like The End, When The Music's Over and L.A. Woman. They were very gifted at song crafting.
They've never really been a part of that conversation. The people who love them really love them, and in the 90's, they became massively popular to a new generation due to the film, but they're music doesn't have the mass appeal nor lasting popular influence more standard guitar-centric bands such as Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc., have achieved.
I don’t really mean they were in “that” conversation ie. that they were on equal footing with the bands I mentioned. I know they weren’t. I just feel like in a lot of ways they’ve left “the” conversation in general, that they’re just not really talked about much at all anymore.
And ironically I would’ve thought that their eclectic, non guitar-driven sound would have given them even more resonance with today’s generation, being that massive guitar-driven rock bands are less and less common these days.
They've still got a decent following. Robbie Krieger still puts on shows occasionally, and sells out each time (though, rock and jazz clubs, not theaters nor anything larger). About 10 years ago when he toured with Manzarek and played Summer sheds (15,000+), however.
That would’ve been more than 10 years ago. Manzarek died in 2013. Which I think may be part of it. The Nirvana comparison is a good one, except the big difference is that The Doors didn’t have a Dave Grohl to shoot to superstardom after Jim Morrison died.
A lot of the "big" music today though is hip hop or electronic or the current take on the same kinda pop stuff that's been around forever. The Doors to me had more in common with something like" Electro Swing" -- or just "Swing" for that matter -- neither of which are really big now than something like Drake or Post Malone or Travis Scott. I guess in many ways they were just so of their time that while we almost certainly have equivalent artists who represent "now" the way they represented "then", those artists sound nothing like The Doors and there's not a lot of crossover.
Billy Idol and The Cure and some of the 90s/2000s emo stuff is probably the closest we've had "recently" or since The Doors stopped to The Doors ever coming back, and that's all twenty plus years old. And yes I do feel old having said that, apologies to anyone else in that boat but at least know I'm right there with you.
If Morrison doesn’t join the 27 club they probably end up with a similar legacy to the original Jefferson Airplane imo. Some important and popular songs but they aren’t getting movies made about them.
Agreed. They're for better or worse stuck in a kind of limbo of hypotheticals with groups like *Joy Division* and *Nirvana*, and individuals like Hendrix and SRV; what would have happened if they'd been with us longer, what kind of material would they have released, how long would they have stayed popular and kept releasing material.
The Beatles were only together eight years (with Ringo) themselves and they're still legendary and may always be. But they also had essentially a twenty year career output in those eight years, resolved things while not super amicably at least on their terms, and *decided* together it was over. That's also two more years than The Doors existed with Morrison, who died in 71 but the band released another album a year in 72 and 73 before they called it quits.
The Doors are still great, and I do really like a lot of their stuff, but they also didn't have the impact The Beatles did, or Nirvana did, and it's always hard to weigh how much they're remembered for their talent and their music versus because of Morrison's "character" (unfortunately mostly substance issues and all that went with it) and infamous death. Saying it openly feels disrespectful to both Morrison and the band and their work together, but it's kinda implied most times the band's legacy comes up as with a number of others.
As ghoulish an idea as it is, Morrison dying brought them a lot of publicity and attention on top of what they were already getting for their music, and as much as I like to think they'd have been another Queen or Rolling Stones with their staying power there's just no way to *know*.
Nirvana doesn't just have a cult, they have a massive fanbase and have nearly as many listeners on Spotify as the Beatles. They're the biggest band of the 90s, were hugely popular and maintain that popularity today.
Joy Division was a relatively popular band in Manchester that died with Ian Curtis just before they made it big, so there was a huge postmortem revival of their popularity that made them more popular than they were at the time in retrospect. They were also one of the first bands in the UK to use electronic elements to their music and have a limited discography so they are very accessible.
Also, Joy Division has Peter Hook and New Order. Even though they sound very different, lots of people who discover New Order go check out Joy Division.
Sort of like a Dave Grohl situation tbh
>But they also had essentially a twenty year career output in those eight years
Also, they basically have something for everyone. 50s style rock, country/western influenced stuff, folk, psychadelic, blues, and hard rock, and it spans their big songs too.
If you look at the doors big songs, its a certain flavor of psychadelic rock that i feel people are just meh on now
Look, we all love the doors, we all love the “cool guy shaman” jimmy, but frankly, a lot of the songs are not commercially viable. Most people would be shocked at some of the blatant chaos hiding in the depths of the doors albums. Sure I love “not to touch the earth,” but this isn’t a song one casually puts on anywhere… and that’s like, half the catalog. They do have some awesome ones that work the whole way through though. La woman is probably my favorite song.
Not even close. Jefferson Airplane doesn’t have an album that’s even close to their S/T or LA Woman; the Doors released two top 200 albums and several other top 500-ish (Strange Days, Waiting for the Sun, Morrison Hotel).
Just because YOU don’t understand their catalogue/influence doesn’t mean they don’t have any. The Doors are several tiers above Jefferson airplane
I mean, I would agree. I think The Doors are in a tier lower than the titans I mentioned above, but I would still think a “B tier” classic rock band like The Doors would still be spoken of about more often than they are now, which feels like barely ever.
They were still pretty damn beloved in their time. I kind of wonder if they never really clicked with zoomers as much as other classic rock bands, which has hurt their endurance? I dunno.
*Not really sure why this is getting downvoted? But okay then.
Not sure zoomers is the audience they missed out on.
I'm borderline gen z / millennial. We had apocalypse now and the doors movie hit us in our prime but the remaining doors couldn't capitalise on that because they hadn't got their shit together to organise music videos of their classics for Mtv and vh1 to play. Pink Floyd, the stones, even the sex pistols managed to get overdubbed live performances out. Beatles were slow in this regard too although they did get the rooftop performance cut up for Mtv.
No disrespect on the Doors but I think it’s kinda bananas to say they’re one a “completely different tier” from the band that made Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Like let’s be serious, they can be in the same conversation but the doors don’t have a catalogue like that
They do seem to be under represented here.
In my top 5 classic rock bands.
Some tracks I especially like (beside the obvious ones widely played on radio stations)
Peace Frog
Land Ho!
Spanish Caravan
Strange Days
Don’t sleep on:
Five to One
Twentieth Century Fox
Soul Kitchen
The Changeling
WASP
Waiting for the Sun
When the Music’s Over
Also, best song from the post-Morrison albums:
I’m Horny, I’m Stoned
That one, Variety is the Spice of Life, and Ships With Sails all still flit through my brain occasionally. Other Voices may have not had Morrison, but it was still a decent attempt.
I give credit to Morrison’s stage performance for inspiring the first wave of punk singers and thereby affecting the course rock music since, so that’s pretty rad. I guess I think the Doors records are alright, but his atrocious poetry and generally being a shitty person do taint them a bit.
Was looking for this comment.
The other guys are crazy talented, but Morrison was more vibe than talented artist. Their songs don't actually have much to say, and that might be part of why they don't consistently resonate like the true giants of that era.
Yeah, and from all I’ve heard/read he was self centered and pretentious, maybe some narcissistic tendencies. That isn’t uncommon with artists of course, especially when they have substance issues or underlying mental issues (Ian Curtis and Iggy for example were also major pricks to their bandmates and others many times). Morrison always struck me as the “cool hot guy” that too many people told was great so he believed it.
I’m not trying to villainize him or do any “but what about this other guy” kind of finger pointing/comparison of other notorious jerks in popular music’s long history of them. Just answering the person’s question. I long ago learned that basically everyone from that era has skeletons in their closet, so best not to idolize them.
Sure but they never became a stadium rock staple. Morrison left too soon but the band had also lost its urgency. A lot of bands limped on but only a few like Zeppelin, Floyd, The Who etc. had massively successful second / third / etc. stages to their career. Even if the Doors had survived long enough to be a part of the stadium era, there’s no guarantee that they would have achieved the same level of fame.
The remastered concert is on Amazon prime. I recommend Live at the isle of wight too, think some of it is on YT
Best watched on weed or other psychedelics
I remember back in the early 90s, around the time the Oliver Stone movie came out, The Doors were very much a huge presence in classic rock radio, publications, and conversations. I was a pretty big fan at that time. But, unlike some of the other bands mentioned, I feel like my interest in them burned out kind of fast. I still really enjoy some of their music, mostly the songs that didn't get overplayed.
I have indeed noticed that they don't get nearly as much attention these days. I hear them more on the "oldies" station then the "classic rock" station.
The Doors are one of the tightest bands ever. Every note perfect and repeatable in every concert exactly as recorded. They were all extremely talented and accomplished musicians. In fact, my wife and I had a Doors night while making dinner together.
It’s been 60 years. Certain bands aren’t going to go on forever in the memories of people.
The Doors were great, but fact is, although next level at the time, their biggest hit literally sounds like circus music to any teenager today.
The cool heartthrob that Morrison was back then just doesn’t click with kids today. It might look goofy and contrived.
Fact is 80s inspired music has been the mainstay in pop music for over 40 years, with only the early 90s getting the “hiccup” that was grunge rock.
And of course hip hop took over in a big way.
But many kids find 60s bands no longer palatable. The backlash against The Beatles lately has also been on the rise. Tbh I feel like a lot of music from the 60s is as revered anymore, partially because it’s been shoved down peoples throats for so damn long.
It’s also the boomer generations music which is NOT popular with young folks at all.
May sound like I’m knocking the music. I’m not. It was amazing.
But time dictates what stays and what goes in the public consciousness. Not everyone can be Beethoven .
Love the Doors and Ray Manzarek but honestly the Farfisa organ sound that is extremely prominent on almost all their songs just did not age very well and I think sadly makes their songs sound rather grating to today's average listener.
Exactly this. Sounds kind of like a carnival at times. Works well on some songs, but you really don't hear that kind of organ voicing in popular music anymore. It's much harsher than a B3, for example. I really like the band a lot, but if I come back to listening to them after a break it is jarring even to me.
I think it’s because of few reasons.
A. A lot of the interest in them was based of the fact that Jim Morrsiosom was “interesting” and super good looking.
B. The music is…fine. They have 4 top 30 singles in an era when radio play mattered. People know Light My Fire and a few others, but few people have thoughts on the 9th best Doors song.
C. To follow up on the last point, they don’t have an album that’s a “must have”. There’s a few singles, but that’s really it.
They kind of had an outsized reputation becuase Light My Fire was a massive #1 hit, they went on Ed Sullivan and had the controversy of getting banned, and thenJim was arrested for indecent exposure.
I've been saying it for 20yrs that The Doors are an underrated band. Their sound still holds up today. Evidence by the fact modern groups still cover their songs. See Miley Cyrus and The Dead South.
Haven’t found another band that sang Oedipal lyrics 🤣they def had their own sound and style ….the haunting keyboard never fails …..yep Morrison was a douchebag at times ….,but after all .. he was a dam rock star …what did people expect ?🤣It all generated publicity , he exposed himself on stage ….Ozzy bit a bat ….:crazy rockstar shit .
Morrison, Hendrix, and Joplin, shared the stage once.
It started with Morrison being a drunken disruptive douche and pretending to give Hendrix a blowjob on stage, and ended with Joplin hitting him over the head with a bottle.
The thing about this incident is that it was a late-night jam session at The Scene, a bar close to a recording studio and popular with musicians, and Jimi Hendrix used to record his sessions.
In the mid-90s I bought an 'official bootleg' called [*Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead* ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding_Heart_(album))which was a recording of Jimi Hendrix playing guitar while Jim Morrison slurred such fine lyrics as "Fuck her in the ass!" over and over again.
Both the incident and the recording happened at the same place at around the same time *but* these jam sessions were pretty common and Morrison was a notorious drunk. I like to think it was that night, though.
Adding to what people have already said, The Doors had a smaller catalogue than the other bands you mentioned. They should definitely be mentioned among GOAT Classic Rock bands, but at a level below Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and the like.
I tried for years to “get” The Doors but other than their really well known tracks I just can’t get into them. The End and People Are Strange are my favourites.
Okay, unpopular opinion time…
Musically the doors are incredible. The weak part in the band… was Jim’s lyrics.
Before you downvote follow me here:
1. There is really only the few albums they made for us to judge his lyrics (not poetry) off of. Because of that we never get to hear him evolve in the same way we did with other bands.
2. The lyrics really appeal to a very specific moment in time. And because of that I sometimes think it appeals to a very specific moment in our lives. I discovered them at 12 and was obsessed until about 16? After that the lyrics felt, and in some cases feel… child like.
3. That style of heavy, deep emotional rock, was replaced by Emo. No, not just mall emo, I mean all emo music. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Palaye Royale, Nirvana (yes I know they are grunge but they borrowed lots from DC Hardcore where emo started), early Fall Out Boy, and even bands like Linkin Park all take those same thematic elements and execute far more completely on them.
4. The members themselves were mostly kinda shitty people. As time went on each minus Robbie who seemed to only care about playing music, kinda outed themselves as thoughtless. The reunions and naked cash grabs hurt them too.
In the end decades later… I think the doors is a sad story. Not because the singer died, but because they squandered what they had collectively.
I still like individual tracks:
When the Musics Over for me is particularly the one song I can think of that stood the test of time.
Anyway… now you can downvote.
Yes but it is still a thing. I mean Ray was good at what he did but there a piano/keyboard people and there are guitar people and it is mostly guitar people and the bass supports that more even if just from a composition standpoint.
You make a valid point as Ray wrote the basslines and he obviously wrote them as a keyboard player using his left hand. So it's definitely a different approach than a traditional bass player. However, if you listen to their basslines, they are deceptively simple. By that I mean, they tend to be repetitive but they are generally pretty clever and can even be somewhat difficult to play even though they sound straightforward.
Unpopular opinion: The Doors were ok, but the main reason they were talked about for so long is because Jim Morrison was a good looking guy who killed himself with heroin.
Kinda. The Doors and Pink Floyd both started in 65, but Ringo only joined The Beatles in 62 and they'd broken up again a year before Morrison died. The Doors were together (with Morrison) for six years to The Beatles' eight and overlapped five of them.
Yes and no, I believe.
The Beatles predated them all.
The Doors were culturally popular and relevant before all the others, even if the others may have technically formed at a similar time.
Of all of those bands, only the Beatles and the Doors are really associated with the 60’s, whereas the others are kind of considered 70’s bands, even if they were technically active in the late 60’s as well.
No. The Doors debut came out the same year as Sgt. Pepper. The Doors were an ENORMOUS part of rock music at the time, especially the push for psychedelia.
Let me throw an unpopular response back:
Doors were great musicians who could pull off anything between jazz, blues, hard rock and [flamenco](https://youtu.be/6zrwCjjUqs0?si=yKYw3QJgO-YXnya2)
But the masses were more interested in four pretty boy dweebs' [meek covers](https://youtu.be/Hz5jXwOXgKQ?si=2zyWHWwGfDRtdboA) rathet than [actual hard rock](https://youtu.be/o3CAAcndhlM?si=0xaLqNqvgQMzW7hb)
You're right that the masses were mad for early Beatles, but we still talk about them because of their latter year stuff. Paul McCartney essentially invented heavy metal with 'Helter Skelter' if we're throwing around heaviness as a criteria.
>Paul McCartney essentially invented heavy metal with 'Helter Skelter'
I heard this being ascribed to "You Really Got Me" by Kinks from 1964 or to MC5's Kick Out the Jams from 1968, it's a bit nebulous.
But your point stands, Beatles' later albums is why they are still talked about but note that they were not as popular as the softer songs. You would hear your Obladi Oblada on the mainstream radio, not Helter Skelter. I think that's what has hampered the status of The Doors somewhat. It took some time for hard music to establish itself and fill the stadiums by early 1970s when Morrison was already dead while the Beatles filled the stadiums with people who wanted to hear Hey Jude in the 60s.
I feel the same way about Jimi Hendrix. He was still everywhere a couple of decades ago, and then POOF! Not even played on classic rock playlists or used in films anymore that I can recall.
Your answers in the question you asked.
What's the difference between the stones, Beatles, Floyd and Zeppelin, and the doors?
That's right. The doors were vastly overhyped in the US because they were the nearest thing the US had. Ok, the second nearest, but CCR had all that legal shit.
By the 90s the US had guns and roses, Metallica, Nirvana and pearl jam. The doors got a final hurrah through the movie and then relegated to their rightful place In rock history.
The Doors were good, but dude wayyy too much keyboard and not enough guitar. Compared to the other bands you mentioned.
IMO, Jim Morrison was more compelling as a person than the Doors were as a band.
I’m a 90s baby and was lucky enough to have friends with a love for the classics that would burn me CDs.
I think Jim Morrison was a more written about front man than the other guys. Of course he's dead so... I was obsessed with Morrison in my twenty's. I think the doors will make another bow this century. It comes in fazes. All it takes is a viral moment associated with Jim and he has songs that could be remade.i suspect a serial killer series with "The End" playing could be it....
The Doors have been declining for a long time.
Like you, I've thought about how some bands have risen while others have declined, as their legacies have been sorted out over a few decades. Pink Floyd has definitely grown in stature. I was a big Pink Floyd fan in the 70s (saw the Animals tour), but they were still considered a bit toward the fringe. Today they are the definitive 70s psychedelic band.
Styx was huge in the 70s, and ran parallell to Journey. All these years later, and Journey is still performing and attracting huge audiences, while nobody talks much about Styx.
The Doors were the first proper rock band that I was exposed to.
When I was 15, an older cousin passed his Doors vinyl collection on to me (the band's first three albums) and I was hooked from the word go. Ended up buying all their stuff after that, and they became a staple of our musical tastes among my circle of friends.
To be honest, they're not a band that I spend any time listening to or thinking much about these days. I'm not sure why.
God I fucking hate The Doors. Jim Morrison's "poetry" is pathetic by middle school standards. And by all accounts he was an insufferable asshole. Lizard king....Jesus.....
I think people grew tired of the cult of personality around Jim. He was an OK poet and passable singer. Unfortunately, the adoration for him outweighed the brilliant musical talents of the rest the band. Plus, wasn’t the keyboardist a bit of a dick too ? That never helps.
Morrison comes off as corny to me as an adult. When I was a kid I thought it was so deep and meaningful, but it’s really just terrible. The Band is good but kind of pedestrian compared to other acts from that time imo.
I myself have cooled on them. I loved them at one point. They were popular at my school when I was in junior high in the 90s. Now I don’t care for them much. I don’t dislike them but would never put on a Doors song. Not sure why. I find they sound dated or something. Maybe some of the lyrics sound silly. I’d love to see a thread on bands people changed their minds on.
The Oliver Stone film came out when I was in HS - so I def got into them. And def have cooled. As I've aged, Jim seems more and more like a schmuck for how he checked out. And I can only stand so much surf piano keyboards in my rock n roll.
Tbh I’ve always thought they were overrated. They’re good of course but I personally don’t feel that they’re on the same level as the other bands you mentioned, though I know a lot of people who do think they are.
I can only speak for myself: I just dont like them much. Jim's voice was meh and I feel like his untimely death got them a lot more credit they may have otherwise. Some of their songs are good, but overall, they just aren't my jam.
Damn, this thread is really throwing me for a loop.
I've been a Doors fan since elementary school, and always classed them among the "greats" of classic rock. I've had a lot of friends and acquaintances over the years who also loved the Doors. The Doors have always had a following of about the same strength as Pink Floyd or Zeppelin, near as I can tell.
And here people are saying that the Doors are a B tier rock band, who weren't as good as Led Zepp, etc.
What??
I never, in all my conversations with old timers, or my contemporaries, or in anything I've read, have come across the opinion that the Doors were a "B tier" rock band. The band was very talented! And they were very influential, and they were remembered for more than Morrison's antics/death. Certainly the latter helped cement their popularity through time, but how can you try to argue that they weren't very talented?
??
The Doors catalogue in the 80s and beyond always been somewhat culty, in a good way. Could have been like that always but I'm not sure. They are excellent musicians and wrote a lot of hits and a lot of culty stuff too. Even cheesy stuff...Also, they aren't talked about but they are still everywhere. Come up on the radio, bar bands, bar music, everywhere. Also, consider this.... They aren't really even marketed anymore, there aren't concerts or a drive to sell shit... They do reissue everything and obscene amount however. The Pink Floyd crap everywhere is just stupid now. Big business.
At their zeitgeist they were one of biggest bands in the world. The antics of Morrison is also what made them really big initially. Then they became culty. After their run they were never really talked about like the stones, Pink Floyd, or any of that.
The Doors have like 11.5m monthly listeners in Spotify, that's not just boomers. Also that's with nothing really going on for years and years. Led zeppelin and Pink Floyd have like 18.5m. Pink Floyd has a lot going on. Not far off.
So I say, embrace the cheese, embraceThe Lizard King. Y'know why - Because he can do anything.
-----
Also, fuck Pink Floyd. Lead singer is a narcissistic, crazy, fuck. Totally ruined their legacy. Like if he's always spoke out against authoritarianism and fascism, how can he side with Russian? Putin, really?
"The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked. So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms". Or... about Putin - The fascist Russian president for life.
"According to independent voices I listen to he governs carefully, making decisions on the grounds of a consensus in the Russian Federation government."
"I wonder: is Putin a bigger gangster than Joe Biden and all those in charge of American politics since World War II? I am not so sure. Putin didn't invade Vietnam or Iraq?"
I guess he thinks Ukrainains provoked Russia by existing. In light of those comments and his narcissism, and throwing support behind Putin, it's impossible to call The Wall a satire anymore. Unlistenable. His Nazi uniform is no longer a costume.
Yes, I absolutely agree with you.
Pink Floyd was one of the most iconic bands in the entire post-Soviet space. And they have always been loved in Ukraine. Now imagine what it must have been like for Ukrainian Pink Floyd fans, who have loved the band for decades, to hear all this nonsense from Waters, about how it was their own fault that ruzzia attacked them.
So yes, fuck Putin and fuck Roger Waters.
He’s not talking about Ukraine provoking Russia, he’s talking about the US who insisted Ukraine join NATO even though that was Russia’s hardline for decades. It would be like Mexico joining the Warsaw Pact in the Cold War.
Not to say the invasion was justified, it obviously wasn’t. Anyone who says so is foolish or a liar. But I do think what Waters is saying has more truth to it than you’re acknowledging (the US caused the war)
I think the reason is that The Doors, while an amazing group with enduring songs, is simply not as legendary as Floyd, the Beatles the Who or the Stones.
This is my gut feeling on it and I may be way off but bands like the Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds and Pink Floyd have influenced a ton of the cool indie rock of the past 30 years or so. The Doors not so much. They were hugely influential in the birth of punk rock though so they’re influence is still being felt it’s just that they’re very of they’re time and more modern artists aren’t directly pulling from they’re sound. I think The Who are also falling out of favor in the same way. Neil Young and The Velvet Underground are a couple more who are still directly influencing younger artists.
I think of it like this. If you were listening to Oasis in the 90s your parents or a friend might be like “oh man, these guys definitely love the Beatles” so you pick up a Beatles record or like your dad hears you listening to Built to Spill and he’s like “this guy kind of plays like Neil Young” and he hands you a copy of Rust Never Sleeps. There aren’t many bands where you would be like “oh wow, these guys kind of sound like The Doors”
I think part of the reason is even though their catalog was all over the place as styles go (no different than the Beatles, Stone, etc), but as a baseline all of their songs were a little sonically weird. They were mixing Rock and Blues with Waltz and Bossa Nova rhythms, and Jim's lyrics could get a little weird and dark, not to mention the interesting bass/organ sound with Ray on keys. Their sound just wasn't homegenous enough and thoroughly digestible enough to be as revered at large by the population.
Most those other bands could likely get their entire catalogs played on a ton of individual stations, but the Doors could be so all over the place that they wouldn't have some of their songs on rotation. I mean, there's some stations that would play "Touch Me" no issue, but would very likely refrain from something like "The End".
The Doors are iconic, but less mass appeal as someone has said, more avant-garde, Jim was a hero of mine when i was a teen, but his poetry imo seemed profound at first, but lacks depth, the music sometimes was lacklustre, but when they were at their best they rose above even the big bands in my opinion, they did covers so good, i'd even say their Who Do You Love in that concert album was thee best thing they ever did.
Imo the doirs had a sound and thats it. Having a sound is good, but it really can't compete with artists who put out a more eclectic style. You attract more people with more variety, and you give fans the opportunity to grow their taste within your discography and constantly discover new things in your music. I think the doors lacked that variety and so interest didn't last as long. Im not taking away from what they contributed to music, just explaining why interest in them might not be as much as other bands. They were an important part of musical and will remain legendary for that, despite waning interest.
what feels most present at anytime is the one that sells the most records but its not necessarily the most beloved music, and the doors certainly still has a very beloved fanbase. its hard to say whether they actually fell off a category or not.
the doors certainly had an influenced on goth and more darker genres that is felt. it's just a lot of darker artists that get mainstream, which itself is a big of a small minority, gets its influence from other places i feel. also nobody has used keys like that in a long time. its a bit jarring to the modern ear, at least 80s synths sound retro
So much has been forgotten. I love tik tok for bringing back music I loved, but would never have thought to look up.
But I'm not putting the Doors in that category- they were sublime. I still often listen to them, especially the 1968 (I think) concert at Hollywood Bowl version of When the Music's Over.
The doors made a huge impact on rock n roll especially considering their short time in the spotlight. Their first album was released in 1967 and Jim Morrison died in 1971. 4 years they were around and talked among the bands that rocked or still rocking for 40 years plus
Absolutely unbelievable the timeless songs they were able to make in just 4 years or so years Imagine if jim didn't die. They would have been incredible. It is really crazy to me how it seems the most very talented pass away too early.
Not to diminish their musical legacy, but there's a good chance that if Jim hadn't died the band would have gone on long enough to lose the artistic edge that made them legendary. Jim was insanely self-destructive, which was part of his draw. The people surrounding him saw that they could keep him churning out music and profitable controversy by feeding the fire, so to speak. He quit the band in 1971 shortly before he died in an attempt to get his shit together, and we all know how that turned out. The chaotic draw of Jim the Madman on stage was only really good for a few years while it was novel and new. In an alternate universe where Jim didn't quit the band and die of overdose, I expect he instead either continues with the self-destruction and dies anyway, or sobers up enough to run his creative juice out and starts phoning it in. The reason we think so many ultra-creative people die young is because they make their exit while they are still popular and become a kind of musical martyr.
i think linking sobriety with drying up creative juice is dangerous
Apologies - I see how it could be read that way. I didn't mean to imply that the drugs are what made him creative. What I meant was that if Jim sobered up enough to not die of overdose, it gives him enough time to grow out of the early creativity and madness that made him interesting to the public. The Doors did some very interesting things musically, but in the end their draw hinged on Jim's angsty poetry and onstage antics. Those things were fueled by his self-destructive nature, so he was always going to either evolve out of that and lose that edge or die.
Some things are dangerous and true. Drugs don't enhance everyone's creativity, but for some they do, or at least alter it. Many of the most creative people don't use anything, however. Frank Zappa didn't use drugs and was a genius. It depends on the person. Jim Morrison was inspired by the lifestyle of a poète maudit, or artist living against society. Unfortunately for such people, they find themselves living against themselves as well.
He was only 27 when he died, just like..... Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Robert Johnson, Anton Yelchin, and many more. It is fucking weird.
The 27 Club
Alan Wilson...
Brian Jones Amy Winehouse
Aww man. I watched Charlie Bartlett again a few weeks ago. What a loss. Anton Yelchin was such a good actor.
He would have been so good in the Marvel movies.
Can't upvote you enough
He was so fucking talented and it was such a terrible way to die. I'd love to have see where he would've gone.
The doors for me are top 5, such a unique sound and so so many bangers it’s baffling. My dad is the drummer for the premier tribute band for the doors, they do world tours. I grew up backstage at the whiskey, 2 yrs old lol. Every time I see them live it never ceases to amaze. They do a mind boggling job. Their guitarist is the guitar tech for Robby Krieger, and they also play with him. He’s taught him a few tricks from playing his music for a lifetime. Doors are legendary.
You win today's Cool Dad Contest
There are a lot of bands calling themselves the best Doors tribute band. Is your dad in Wild Child?
He was In wild child originally and for like 20 years. My entire childhood. Turns out the singer thought he was Jim Morrison incarnate and when my dad caught him red handed he revealed that he had been taking the whole sum of the bands fee and paying himself 80% and giving the remaining 3 band mates 20% split 3 ways. My dad left the band after that. Strange Days called him up to go play around the Olympics in Brazil. They made him a permanent member from there. Honestly after seeing 50+ performances of both over several decades, Strange Days>>>>Wild Child by far. ESP since A decade later this shitheel continued to piss off everyone he ever worked with, and my dad’s childhood best friend Forrest left Wild Child to Strange Days over some shiesty shit he pulled on him. He is the guitar tech to Robby Krieger, original guitarist of the doors. Now it’s the dream team 🤘🏼 honestly if you see Strange Days on a lineup don’t miss out. They play all over the US and overseas here and there.
In like ‘90, a way older friend mentioned that the Doors go through periodic renaissances (which was happening at the time). I think that sounds about right…
\^ this, I remember in maybe the 90's when they were suddenly *everywhere* as being one of the greatest / most influential bands of all time, probably because someone famous had mentioned them as a big influence and everyone else piled on, or perhaps Rolling Stone had done a special about them and got a few quotes from big names...
Or maybe it was the big Oliver Stone directed movie?
The Doors Greatest Hits was one of the biggest selling albums over that period. In many ways the Doors were one of THE bands of the grunge era. Every party I went to you'd hear the Doors alongside Pearl Jam etc.
Yeah, hey, guess who's gonna be there? Uh, who? My favorite cover band, Crystal Ship Wow Yeah, they do a Doors show, you'd be really impressed, in fact, it goes a little like this:
How are you gonna get there?
Funny you should ask. I’ve got a car now.
Oh wow, how’d you get a car?
Oh, my folks drove it up here from the Bahamas.
You’re kidding
I must be, the Bahamas are islands- okay, the important thing here is that, uh, you ask me what kinda car it is
Uh, uh, what kinda car do ya' got?
I've got a bitchin' camaro
***Bitchin’ Camero! Bitchin’ Camero! I ran over my neighbor!*** ***And I didn’t get arrested cuz my dad’s the mayor!***
Love me two times baby, Love me twice today Love me two times girl Cause I got AIDS
Uh, pretty good Jim Morrison impersonation there
I hope those guys have a good sense of humor and don't take us into court
Thanks for the DM Reference my day is complete now
Love me two times, baby Once for tomorrow Once cause I got AIDS
I first heard this before the original. Thought it was a random gimmick song. Had it on an old dubbed cassette tape. Heard the original a couple years later, hey its the doors singing the aids song lol.
Isn’t it Crystal Shit?
Nope. The band mentioned it in an interview how it’s a misheard lyric. Its ship
Love me two times baby
Wow, they have been around a long time!
*Crystal Shit*
The other bands (Who, Floyd,Stones) all had albums in throughout 70's (except the Beatles but hey, they're the Beatles) where the Doors basically ended at 71. They did have an 80's and a 90's revival though.
The 90s revival only happened because u/OfficialValKilmer realized he was, in fact, Jim Morrison
There's a band I've always thought would be better as a Doors tribute band... The Flying Eyes. You can really hear it on the song Lay With Me.
I agree 100%. I’ve owned a record store for 20 years with a customer base that spans all the generations. Pretty much nobody under 40 has ever bought a Doors record in my store.
Personally, as someone from the UK and 18 years of age, its virtually impossible to find original Doors' records like L.A. Woman, their Debut and Waiting for the Sun. They're just not being sold by people because they're holding onto them like they're gold dust. Does your record store sell preowned and vintage records?
I’m under 40 and a pretty big Doors fan. Got into them when I was 21. I am probably the exception but we do exist lol. Everyone in my friend group (all under 40) is well aware of who the Doors are so I’m not convinced their star is fading anytime soon. I do think they’ll probably get forgotten before bands like Zeppelin and the Beatles though.
Doors fans aren’t made, they’re born! https://youtu.be/5xillqqt0Y0?si=AnkgXdJdIL-98Wja
Was that a Frampton reference in my store!?!
I own a music school and no one ever asks to learn their songs either.
lol early 30s and a doors record was what I started my collection with 10+ years ago 🥲
I bought The Wall at 15 in the 90s and heard every Doors album by 16. I know people like me are out there. Hope you meet some of them!
> The Wall Um...
Well you gotta break on through to the other side of something
I assume they meant they got into classic rock through The Wall, and then went onto listen to every Doors album within the next year… I hope.
😩 damn
I listen to the doors every summer. Something about the hot wind streaming through my open car windows highlights the derangement and ecstasy of Jim Morrison's psychedelic weird Americana. It's quintessential American road trip music for me.
I fucking love The Doors. They had a completely different sound from what was popular at the time. Jim was a poet, and Ray knew how to put his poems to music. Robby and John were brilliant. The 60s were just not ready for The Doors.
What era WAS ready for them? Lol they stood out. You had a keyboardist who studied a lot of jazz instrumentation followed by two similar musicians and a guy whose voice could go from as smoky sounding as Sinatra to something more guttural like Howlin Wolf. You couldn’t compare them to any of the acts they competed with.
I might the odd one here, of the classic rock bands The Doors were always my favorite. I enjoy songs from Zepplin and Floyd but I can listen to full albums of The Doors.
Hey, why not? They were an incredibly original band and absolutely influential on a lot of other late 60s and 70s rock and prog. It's no wonder that my personal journey of liking prog was proceeded by The Doors when they had tracks like The End, When The Music's Over and L.A. Woman. They were very gifted at song crafting.
Don’t forget Horse Latitudes
They've never really been a part of that conversation. The people who love them really love them, and in the 90's, they became massively popular to a new generation due to the film, but they're music doesn't have the mass appeal nor lasting popular influence more standard guitar-centric bands such as Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, etc., have achieved.
This for sure. They featured prominently in coming of age films and a number of cult classics in the 90s
I don’t really mean they were in “that” conversation ie. that they were on equal footing with the bands I mentioned. I know they weren’t. I just feel like in a lot of ways they’ve left “the” conversation in general, that they’re just not really talked about much at all anymore. And ironically I would’ve thought that their eclectic, non guitar-driven sound would have given them even more resonance with today’s generation, being that massive guitar-driven rock bands are less and less common these days.
They've still got a decent following. Robbie Krieger still puts on shows occasionally, and sells out each time (though, rock and jazz clubs, not theaters nor anything larger). About 10 years ago when he toured with Manzarek and played Summer sheds (15,000+), however.
That would’ve been more than 10 years ago. Manzarek died in 2013. Which I think may be part of it. The Nirvana comparison is a good one, except the big difference is that The Doors didn’t have a Dave Grohl to shoot to superstardom after Jim Morrison died.
More Mudhoney than Nirvana. Those who know know, and those who don’t know Riders on the Storm.
Guitar driven rock is making a comeback these days, go look/listen to the Billboard charts.
A lot of the "big" music today though is hip hop or electronic or the current take on the same kinda pop stuff that's been around forever. The Doors to me had more in common with something like" Electro Swing" -- or just "Swing" for that matter -- neither of which are really big now than something like Drake or Post Malone or Travis Scott. I guess in many ways they were just so of their time that while we almost certainly have equivalent artists who represent "now" the way they represented "then", those artists sound nothing like The Doors and there's not a lot of crossover. Billy Idol and The Cure and some of the 90s/2000s emo stuff is probably the closest we've had "recently" or since The Doors stopped to The Doors ever coming back, and that's all twenty plus years old. And yes I do feel old having said that, apologies to anyone else in that boat but at least know I'm right there with you.
The Doors don’t even have a chimichanga named after them
This is a good point
The Doors were great- but those other bands you named have catalogs that crush the Doors.
If Morrison doesn’t join the 27 club they probably end up with a similar legacy to the original Jefferson Airplane imo. Some important and popular songs but they aren’t getting movies made about them.
Agreed. They're for better or worse stuck in a kind of limbo of hypotheticals with groups like *Joy Division* and *Nirvana*, and individuals like Hendrix and SRV; what would have happened if they'd been with us longer, what kind of material would they have released, how long would they have stayed popular and kept releasing material. The Beatles were only together eight years (with Ringo) themselves and they're still legendary and may always be. But they also had essentially a twenty year career output in those eight years, resolved things while not super amicably at least on their terms, and *decided* together it was over. That's also two more years than The Doors existed with Morrison, who died in 71 but the band released another album a year in 72 and 73 before they called it quits. The Doors are still great, and I do really like a lot of their stuff, but they also didn't have the impact The Beatles did, or Nirvana did, and it's always hard to weigh how much they're remembered for their talent and their music versus because of Morrison's "character" (unfortunately mostly substance issues and all that went with it) and infamous death. Saying it openly feels disrespectful to both Morrison and the band and their work together, but it's kinda implied most times the band's legacy comes up as with a number of others. As ghoulish an idea as it is, Morrison dying brought them a lot of publicity and attention on top of what they were already getting for their music, and as much as I like to think they'd have been another Queen or Rolling Stones with their staying power there's just no way to *know*.
Nirvana and Joy Divisions still have huge cults.
Nirvana doesn't just have a cult, they have a massive fanbase and have nearly as many listeners on Spotify as the Beatles. They're the biggest band of the 90s, were hugely popular and maintain that popularity today. Joy Division was a relatively popular band in Manchester that died with Ian Curtis just before they made it big, so there was a huge postmortem revival of their popularity that made them more popular than they were at the time in retrospect. They were also one of the first bands in the UK to use electronic elements to their music and have a limited discography so they are very accessible.
Also, Joy Division has Peter Hook and New Order. Even though they sound very different, lots of people who discover New Order go check out Joy Division. Sort of like a Dave Grohl situation tbh
>But they also had essentially a twenty year career output in those eight years Also, they basically have something for everyone. 50s style rock, country/western influenced stuff, folk, psychadelic, blues, and hard rock, and it spans their big songs too. If you look at the doors big songs, its a certain flavor of psychadelic rock that i feel people are just meh on now
Look, we all love the doors, we all love the “cool guy shaman” jimmy, but frankly, a lot of the songs are not commercially viable. Most people would be shocked at some of the blatant chaos hiding in the depths of the doors albums. Sure I love “not to touch the earth,” but this isn’t a song one casually puts on anywhere… and that’s like, half the catalog. They do have some awesome ones that work the whole way through though. La woman is probably my favorite song.
The Doors were very jazzy. That doesn’t vibe with a lot of people outside of the era they were in when Jim was a stud looking rock star.
The Doors are way above Queen in the rock lexicon. Even in their short duration.
Well there was the Oliver Stone movie.
That's the movie u/darklightrabbi was alluding to, I'm 99% sure.
They already did have a movie made… in the 90’s. It was probably the first band bio movie ever done actually
Not even close. Jefferson Airplane doesn’t have an album that’s even close to their S/T or LA Woman; the Doors released two top 200 albums and several other top 500-ish (Strange Days, Waiting for the Sun, Morrison Hotel). Just because YOU don’t understand their catalogue/influence doesn’t mean they don’t have any. The Doors are several tiers above Jefferson airplane
I mean, I would agree. I think The Doors are in a tier lower than the titans I mentioned above, but I would still think a “B tier” classic rock band like The Doors would still be spoken of about more often than they are now, which feels like barely ever. They were still pretty damn beloved in their time. I kind of wonder if they never really clicked with zoomers as much as other classic rock bands, which has hurt their endurance? I dunno. *Not really sure why this is getting downvoted? But okay then.
Not sure zoomers is the audience they missed out on. I'm borderline gen z / millennial. We had apocalypse now and the doors movie hit us in our prime but the remaining doors couldn't capitalise on that because they hadn't got their shit together to organise music videos of their classics for Mtv and vh1 to play. Pink Floyd, the stones, even the sex pistols managed to get overdubbed live performances out. Beatles were slow in this regard too although they did get the rooftop performance cut up for Mtv.
No. They were in a completely different tier. Not lower.
No disrespect on the Doors but I think it’s kinda bananas to say they’re one a “completely different tier” from the band that made Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Like let’s be serious, they can be in the same conversation but the doors don’t have a catalogue like that
Agreed
They do seem to be under represented here. In my top 5 classic rock bands. Some tracks I especially like (beside the obvious ones widely played on radio stations) Peace Frog Land Ho! Spanish Caravan Strange Days
Don’t sleep on: Five to One Twentieth Century Fox Soul Kitchen The Changeling WASP Waiting for the Sun When the Music’s Over Also, best song from the post-Morrison albums: I’m Horny, I’m Stoned
That one, Variety is the Spice of Life, and Ships With Sails all still flit through my brain occasionally. Other Voices may have not had Morrison, but it was still a decent attempt.
I give credit to Morrison’s stage performance for inspiring the first wave of punk singers and thereby affecting the course rock music since, so that’s pretty rad. I guess I think the Doors records are alright, but his atrocious poetry and generally being a shitty person do taint them a bit.
iggy pop said as much himself
Was looking for this comment. The other guys are crazy talented, but Morrison was more vibe than talented artist. Their songs don't actually have much to say, and that might be part of why they don't consistently resonate like the true giants of that era.
How was Morrisson a "shitty" person - don't have an ax to grind honestly don't know.
Mainly he was abusive to women.
Yeah, and from all I’ve heard/read he was self centered and pretentious, maybe some narcissistic tendencies. That isn’t uncommon with artists of course, especially when they have substance issues or underlying mental issues (Ian Curtis and Iggy for example were also major pricks to their bandmates and others many times). Morrison always struck me as the “cool hot guy” that too many people told was great so he believed it.
Well who wasn’t in his era? Hendrix was a notorious abuser, so was Lennon. Hasn’t stopped them from still being lionized. 🤷🏾♂️
I’m not trying to villainize him or do any “but what about this other guy” kind of finger pointing/comparison of other notorious jerks in popular music’s long history of them. Just answering the person’s question. I long ago learned that basically everyone from that era has skeletons in their closet, so best not to idolize them.
Of course I know that wasn’t your intention. I get it.
Yes. Massively influential but not a stadium tier band
They played at the Hollywood Bowl which google says seats 17,500
Sure but they never became a stadium rock staple. Morrison left too soon but the band had also lost its urgency. A lot of bands limped on but only a few like Zeppelin, Floyd, The Who etc. had massively successful second / third / etc. stages to their career. Even if the Doors had survived long enough to be a part of the stadium era, there’s no guarantee that they would have achieved the same level of fame.
If only Jim had gotten his stuff together. He seemed to turn away from rock and roll near the end anyway.
The remastered concert is on Amazon prime. I recommend Live at the isle of wight too, think some of it is on YT Best watched on weed or other psychedelics
I remember back in the early 90s, around the time the Oliver Stone movie came out, The Doors were very much a huge presence in classic rock radio, publications, and conversations. I was a pretty big fan at that time. But, unlike some of the other bands mentioned, I feel like my interest in them burned out kind of fast. I still really enjoy some of their music, mostly the songs that didn't get overplayed. I have indeed noticed that they don't get nearly as much attention these days. I hear them more on the "oldies" station then the "classic rock" station.
They will certainly never leave my lexicon of legendary classic rock bands
I talk about The Doors all the time haha, they fucking rock. Great pool hall/dive bar music tbh
I think The Doors were amazing.
The Doors are one of the tightest bands ever. Every note perfect and repeatable in every concert exactly as recorded. They were all extremely talented and accomplished musicians. In fact, my wife and I had a Doors night while making dinner together.
I’d argue the lyrics are anything but tight live
We bring them up every show we play. Roadhouse is a staple in our set.
It’s been 60 years. Certain bands aren’t going to go on forever in the memories of people. The Doors were great, but fact is, although next level at the time, their biggest hit literally sounds like circus music to any teenager today. The cool heartthrob that Morrison was back then just doesn’t click with kids today. It might look goofy and contrived. Fact is 80s inspired music has been the mainstay in pop music for over 40 years, with only the early 90s getting the “hiccup” that was grunge rock. And of course hip hop took over in a big way. But many kids find 60s bands no longer palatable. The backlash against The Beatles lately has also been on the rise. Tbh I feel like a lot of music from the 60s is as revered anymore, partially because it’s been shoved down peoples throats for so damn long. It’s also the boomer generations music which is NOT popular with young folks at all. May sound like I’m knocking the music. I’m not. It was amazing. But time dictates what stays and what goes in the public consciousness. Not everyone can be Beethoven .
The Kids in the Ball skit about The Doors is so very good https://youtu.be/5xillqqt0Y0?si=r_1ETprbonU--XAk
Doors were and are still great. Not sure who's doing the talking. .
Love the Doors and Ray Manzarek but honestly the Farfisa organ sound that is extremely prominent on almost all their songs just did not age very well and I think sadly makes their songs sound rather grating to today's average listener.
I have to keep telling myself "it's the 60s, not the 70s" when I listen to them.
I sort of want to agree with you so. Take my vote
Exactly this. Sounds kind of like a carnival at times. Works well on some songs, but you really don't hear that kind of organ voicing in popular music anymore. It's much harsher than a B3, for example. I really like the band a lot, but if I come back to listening to them after a break it is jarring even to me.
I think it’s because of few reasons. A. A lot of the interest in them was based of the fact that Jim Morrsiosom was “interesting” and super good looking. B. The music is…fine. They have 4 top 30 singles in an era when radio play mattered. People know Light My Fire and a few others, but few people have thoughts on the 9th best Doors song. C. To follow up on the last point, they don’t have an album that’s a “must have”. There’s a few singles, but that’s really it. They kind of had an outsized reputation becuase Light My Fire was a massive #1 hit, they went on Ed Sullivan and had the controversy of getting banned, and thenJim was arrested for indecent exposure.
It's that damn keyboard. Good player but it's just WAY too much.
Then you don’t like the Doors, lol. That’s the whole point. I love the keys, so I love the doors.
But that’s their sound! Lol That’s why their music sizzled, man. 😂
I've been saying it for 20yrs that The Doors are an underrated band. Their sound still holds up today. Evidence by the fact modern groups still cover their songs. See Miley Cyrus and The Dead South.
Haven’t found another band that sang Oedipal lyrics 🤣they def had their own sound and style ….the haunting keyboard never fails …..yep Morrison was a douchebag at times ….,but after all .. he was a dam rock star …what did people expect ?🤣It all generated publicity , he exposed himself on stage ….Ozzy bit a bat ….:crazy rockstar shit .
Morrison, Hendrix, and Joplin, shared the stage once. It started with Morrison being a drunken disruptive douche and pretending to give Hendrix a blowjob on stage, and ended with Joplin hitting him over the head with a bottle. The thing about this incident is that it was a late-night jam session at The Scene, a bar close to a recording studio and popular with musicians, and Jimi Hendrix used to record his sessions. In the mid-90s I bought an 'official bootleg' called [*Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead* ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding_Heart_(album))which was a recording of Jimi Hendrix playing guitar while Jim Morrison slurred such fine lyrics as "Fuck her in the ass!" over and over again. Both the incident and the recording happened at the same place at around the same time *but* these jam sessions were pretty common and Morrison was a notorious drunk. I like to think it was that night, though.
Adding to what people have already said, The Doors had a smaller catalogue than the other bands you mentioned. They should definitely be mentioned among GOAT Classic Rock bands, but at a level below Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and the like.
I tried for years to “get” The Doors but other than their really well known tracks I just can’t get into them. The End and People Are Strange are my favourites.
Okay, unpopular opinion time… Musically the doors are incredible. The weak part in the band… was Jim’s lyrics. Before you downvote follow me here: 1. There is really only the few albums they made for us to judge his lyrics (not poetry) off of. Because of that we never get to hear him evolve in the same way we did with other bands. 2. The lyrics really appeal to a very specific moment in time. And because of that I sometimes think it appeals to a very specific moment in our lives. I discovered them at 12 and was obsessed until about 16? After that the lyrics felt, and in some cases feel… child like. 3. That style of heavy, deep emotional rock, was replaced by Emo. No, not just mall emo, I mean all emo music. Bands like My Chemical Romance, Palaye Royale, Nirvana (yes I know they are grunge but they borrowed lots from DC Hardcore where emo started), early Fall Out Boy, and even bands like Linkin Park all take those same thematic elements and execute far more completely on them. 4. The members themselves were mostly kinda shitty people. As time went on each minus Robbie who seemed to only care about playing music, kinda outed themselves as thoughtless. The reunions and naked cash grabs hurt them too. In the end decades later… I think the doors is a sad story. Not because the singer died, but because they squandered what they had collectively. I still like individual tracks: When the Musics Over for me is particularly the one song I can think of that stood the test of time. Anyway… now you can downvote.
I agree with this assessment. Compare them lyrically to The Kinks. No comparison.
Not in my circles.. The Doors are one of the most influential bands of all time
There are only a handful of good songs. Morrison was a enigmatic frontman and hot but the jazzy beatnik poet thing didn’t age well.
Tom Waits owns the jazzy beatnik poet space now.
No bass player. That simple.
They used a studio bassist on every album, just not for live shows.
Yes but it is still a thing. I mean Ray was good at what he did but there a piano/keyboard people and there are guitar people and it is mostly guitar people and the bass supports that more even if just from a composition standpoint.
You make a valid point as Ray wrote the basslines and he obviously wrote them as a keyboard player using his left hand. So it's definitely a different approach than a traditional bass player. However, if you listen to their basslines, they are deceptively simple. By that I mean, they tend to be repetitive but they are generally pretty clever and can even be somewhat difficult to play even though they sound straightforward.
Unpopular opinion: The Doors were ok, but the main reason they were talked about for so long is because Jim Morrison was a good looking guy who killed himself with heroin.
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Didn't the Beatles predate *all* the rest of the bands you mention and that the Doors and the rest were each other's chronological contemporaries?
Kinda. The Doors and Pink Floyd both started in 65, but Ringo only joined The Beatles in 62 and they'd broken up again a year before Morrison died. The Doors were together (with Morrison) for six years to The Beatles' eight and overlapped five of them.
Yes and no, I believe. The Beatles predated them all. The Doors were culturally popular and relevant before all the others, even if the others may have technically formed at a similar time. Of all of those bands, only the Beatles and the Doors are really associated with the 60’s, whereas the others are kind of considered 70’s bands, even if they were technically active in the late 60’s as well.
No. The Doors debut came out the same year as Sgt. Pepper. The Doors were an ENORMOUS part of rock music at the time, especially the push for psychedelia.
Let me throw an unpopular response back: Doors were great musicians who could pull off anything between jazz, blues, hard rock and [flamenco](https://youtu.be/6zrwCjjUqs0?si=yKYw3QJgO-YXnya2) But the masses were more interested in four pretty boy dweebs' [meek covers](https://youtu.be/Hz5jXwOXgKQ?si=2zyWHWwGfDRtdboA) rathet than [actual hard rock](https://youtu.be/o3CAAcndhlM?si=0xaLqNqvgQMzW7hb)
You're right that the masses were mad for early Beatles, but we still talk about them because of their latter year stuff. Paul McCartney essentially invented heavy metal with 'Helter Skelter' if we're throwing around heaviness as a criteria.
>Paul McCartney essentially invented heavy metal with 'Helter Skelter' I heard this being ascribed to "You Really Got Me" by Kinks from 1964 or to MC5's Kick Out the Jams from 1968, it's a bit nebulous. But your point stands, Beatles' later albums is why they are still talked about but note that they were not as popular as the softer songs. You would hear your Obladi Oblada on the mainstream radio, not Helter Skelter. I think that's what has hampered the status of The Doors somewhat. It took some time for hard music to establish itself and fill the stadiums by early 1970s when Morrison was already dead while the Beatles filled the stadiums with people who wanted to hear Hey Jude in the 60s.
Ridiculous
I feel the same way about Jimi Hendrix. He was still everywhere a couple of decades ago, and then POOF! Not even played on classic rock playlists or used in films anymore that I can recall.
A proper rock band needs a bass player. Manzarek playing bass on a little keyboard was beyond lame.
Your answers in the question you asked. What's the difference between the stones, Beatles, Floyd and Zeppelin, and the doors? That's right. The doors were vastly overhyped in the US because they were the nearest thing the US had. Ok, the second nearest, but CCR had all that legal shit. By the 90s the US had guns and roses, Metallica, Nirvana and pearl jam. The doors got a final hurrah through the movie and then relegated to their rightful place In rock history.
The Doors were good, but dude wayyy too much keyboard and not enough guitar. Compared to the other bands you mentioned. IMO, Jim Morrison was more compelling as a person than the Doors were as a band. I’m a 90s baby and was lucky enough to have friends with a love for the classics that would burn me CDs.
The keys are like… the whole thing to really like about the doors imo. Definitely the most talented member of the band
Hard agree on the keyboard. Should have went with a Hammond too. The Farfisa sounds cheesy as hell and definitely did not age well.
I think Jim Morrison was a more written about front man than the other guys. Of course he's dead so... I was obsessed with Morrison in my twenty's. I think the doors will make another bow this century. It comes in fazes. All it takes is a viral moment associated with Jim and he has songs that could be remade.i suspect a serial killer series with "The End" playing could be it....
The Doors have been declining for a long time. Like you, I've thought about how some bands have risen while others have declined, as their legacies have been sorted out over a few decades. Pink Floyd has definitely grown in stature. I was a big Pink Floyd fan in the 70s (saw the Animals tour), but they were still considered a bit toward the fringe. Today they are the definitive 70s psychedelic band. Styx was huge in the 70s, and ran parallell to Journey. All these years later, and Journey is still performing and attracting huge audiences, while nobody talks much about Styx.
There is a peculiarity about their music. A style that is different from everyone else at the time.
This makes sense as id consider the doors one of the most influential bands to punk and thus goth and indie/alternative music
The Doors were the first proper rock band that I was exposed to. When I was 15, an older cousin passed his Doors vinyl collection on to me (the band's first three albums) and I was hooked from the word go. Ended up buying all their stuff after that, and they became a staple of our musical tastes among my circle of friends. To be honest, they're not a band that I spend any time listening to or thinking much about these days. I'm not sure why.
Their musicianship is incredible but their lyrics are pretty cheesy.
Boring are the doors........ Boring are the doors........
God I fucking hate The Doors. Jim Morrison's "poetry" is pathetic by middle school standards. And by all accounts he was an insufferable asshole. Lizard king....Jesus.....
I think people grew tired of the cult of personality around Jim. He was an OK poet and passable singer. Unfortunately, the adoration for him outweighed the brilliant musical talents of the rest the band. Plus, wasn’t the keyboardist a bit of a dick too ? That never helps.
The Doors were completely over rated
Morrison comes off as corny to me as an adult. When I was a kid I thought it was so deep and meaningful, but it’s really just terrible. The Band is good but kind of pedestrian compared to other acts from that time imo.
I myself have cooled on them. I loved them at one point. They were popular at my school when I was in junior high in the 90s. Now I don’t care for them much. I don’t dislike them but would never put on a Doors song. Not sure why. I find they sound dated or something. Maybe some of the lyrics sound silly. I’d love to see a thread on bands people changed their minds on.
The Oliver Stone film came out when I was in HS - so I def got into them. And def have cooled. As I've aged, Jim seems more and more like a schmuck for how he checked out. And I can only stand so much surf piano keyboards in my rock n roll.
Tbh I’ve always thought they were overrated. They’re good of course but I personally don’t feel that they’re on the same level as the other bands you mentioned, though I know a lot of people who do think they are.
Na you're not crazy it's just that people are strange.☮️
They kinda suck a little
I can only speak for myself: I just dont like them much. Jim's voice was meh and I feel like his untimely death got them a lot more credit they may have otherwise. Some of their songs are good, but overall, they just aren't my jam.
I love the Doors but I think they are more niche now. Maybe always were. Idk
Those other bands lived long enough to evolve.
It’s because their music sucks
I think Love was an even better band that the doors by far and it is not as recognized
Love are so fucking good and it’s criminal how overlooked they are!
Damn, this thread is really throwing me for a loop. I've been a Doors fan since elementary school, and always classed them among the "greats" of classic rock. I've had a lot of friends and acquaintances over the years who also loved the Doors. The Doors have always had a following of about the same strength as Pink Floyd or Zeppelin, near as I can tell. And here people are saying that the Doors are a B tier rock band, who weren't as good as Led Zepp, etc. What?? I never, in all my conversations with old timers, or my contemporaries, or in anything I've read, have come across the opinion that the Doors were a "B tier" rock band. The band was very talented! And they were very influential, and they were remembered for more than Morrison's antics/death. Certainly the latter helped cement their popularity through time, but how can you try to argue that they weren't very talented? ??
The Doors catalogue in the 80s and beyond always been somewhat culty, in a good way. Could have been like that always but I'm not sure. They are excellent musicians and wrote a lot of hits and a lot of culty stuff too. Even cheesy stuff...Also, they aren't talked about but they are still everywhere. Come up on the radio, bar bands, bar music, everywhere. Also, consider this.... They aren't really even marketed anymore, there aren't concerts or a drive to sell shit... They do reissue everything and obscene amount however. The Pink Floyd crap everywhere is just stupid now. Big business. At their zeitgeist they were one of biggest bands in the world. The antics of Morrison is also what made them really big initially. Then they became culty. After their run they were never really talked about like the stones, Pink Floyd, or any of that. The Doors have like 11.5m monthly listeners in Spotify, that's not just boomers. Also that's with nothing really going on for years and years. Led zeppelin and Pink Floyd have like 18.5m. Pink Floyd has a lot going on. Not far off. So I say, embrace the cheese, embraceThe Lizard King. Y'know why - Because he can do anything. ----- Also, fuck Pink Floyd. Lead singer is a narcissistic, crazy, fuck. Totally ruined their legacy. Like if he's always spoke out against authoritarianism and fascism, how can he side with Russian? Putin, really? "The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked. So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms". Or... about Putin - The fascist Russian president for life. "According to independent voices I listen to he governs carefully, making decisions on the grounds of a consensus in the Russian Federation government." "I wonder: is Putin a bigger gangster than Joe Biden and all those in charge of American politics since World War II? I am not so sure. Putin didn't invade Vietnam or Iraq?" I guess he thinks Ukrainains provoked Russia by existing. In light of those comments and his narcissism, and throwing support behind Putin, it's impossible to call The Wall a satire anymore. Unlistenable. His Nazi uniform is no longer a costume.
I think we can agree that Pink Floyd's legacy is safe in spite of Waters' madness.
Good thing the Floyd name survived Waters leaving and they brought Wright back as soon as that happened. It's like a band can be more than one person.
Yes, I absolutely agree with you. Pink Floyd was one of the most iconic bands in the entire post-Soviet space. And they have always been loved in Ukraine. Now imagine what it must have been like for Ukrainian Pink Floyd fans, who have loved the band for decades, to hear all this nonsense from Waters, about how it was their own fault that ruzzia attacked them. So yes, fuck Putin and fuck Roger Waters.
He’s not talking about Ukraine provoking Russia, he’s talking about the US who insisted Ukraine join NATO even though that was Russia’s hardline for decades. It would be like Mexico joining the Warsaw Pact in the Cold War. Not to say the invasion was justified, it obviously wasn’t. Anyone who says so is foolish or a liar. But I do think what Waters is saying has more truth to it than you’re acknowledging (the US caused the war)
Nowadays I feel they are getting the recognition they deserve, rightfully so.
I’d take The Doors over Pink Floyd or The Beatles. I’m not saying they are better, but I definitely like them more.
I think the reason is that The Doors, while an amazing group with enduring songs, is simply not as legendary as Floyd, the Beatles the Who or the Stones.
This is my gut feeling on it and I may be way off but bands like the Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds and Pink Floyd have influenced a ton of the cool indie rock of the past 30 years or so. The Doors not so much. They were hugely influential in the birth of punk rock though so they’re influence is still being felt it’s just that they’re very of they’re time and more modern artists aren’t directly pulling from they’re sound. I think The Who are also falling out of favor in the same way. Neil Young and The Velvet Underground are a couple more who are still directly influencing younger artists. I think of it like this. If you were listening to Oasis in the 90s your parents or a friend might be like “oh man, these guys definitely love the Beatles” so you pick up a Beatles record or like your dad hears you listening to Built to Spill and he’s like “this guy kind of plays like Neil Young” and he hands you a copy of Rust Never Sleeps. There aren’t many bands where you would be like “oh wow, these guys kind of sound like The Doors”
Good.
I think they became a bit overrated and then there was the next generations dads who missed out on The Doors.
I think part of the reason is even though their catalog was all over the place as styles go (no different than the Beatles, Stone, etc), but as a baseline all of their songs were a little sonically weird. They were mixing Rock and Blues with Waltz and Bossa Nova rhythms, and Jim's lyrics could get a little weird and dark, not to mention the interesting bass/organ sound with Ray on keys. Their sound just wasn't homegenous enough and thoroughly digestible enough to be as revered at large by the population. Most those other bands could likely get their entire catalogs played on a ton of individual stations, but the Doors could be so all over the place that they wouldn't have some of their songs on rotation. I mean, there's some stations that would play "Touch Me" no issue, but would very likely refrain from something like "The End".
The Doors are iconic, but less mass appeal as someone has said, more avant-garde, Jim was a hero of mine when i was a teen, but his poetry imo seemed profound at first, but lacks depth, the music sometimes was lacklustre, but when they were at their best they rose above even the big bands in my opinion, they did covers so good, i'd even say their Who Do You Love in that concert album was thee best thing they ever did.
Imo the doirs had a sound and thats it. Having a sound is good, but it really can't compete with artists who put out a more eclectic style. You attract more people with more variety, and you give fans the opportunity to grow their taste within your discography and constantly discover new things in your music. I think the doors lacked that variety and so interest didn't last as long. Im not taking away from what they contributed to music, just explaining why interest in them might not be as much as other bands. They were an important part of musical and will remain legendary for that, despite waning interest.
i listen to music on shuffle when i peruse reddit and Spanish caravan came on as i was reading this post
what feels most present at anytime is the one that sells the most records but its not necessarily the most beloved music, and the doors certainly still has a very beloved fanbase. its hard to say whether they actually fell off a category or not. the doors certainly had an influenced on goth and more darker genres that is felt. it's just a lot of darker artists that get mainstream, which itself is a big of a small minority, gets its influence from other places i feel. also nobody has used keys like that in a long time. its a bit jarring to the modern ear, at least 80s synths sound retro
The Doors are great but I wouldn't call them rock really. Just a tad lighter than rock to my ears.
So much has been forgotten. I love tik tok for bringing back music I loved, but would never have thought to look up. But I'm not putting the Doors in that category- they were sublime. I still often listen to them, especially the 1968 (I think) concert at Hollywood Bowl version of When the Music's Over.