Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Photograph of All-Time

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I find the rawness of the photo refreshing from the over-retouched photos of today.

https://petapixel.com/2019/09/21/the-clash-of-palladium-and-silver/

 

[msage]

Hmmm, I would have tossed. On father review, I still would have tossed it!
To each his own!

 

[awty]

Yep, new what it would be before I opened it. It may be a generation thing, but if you were born in the sixties you probably went through adolescence with that album and posters in all the cool record shops and music shows on tv........and London's burning again.

 

[eddie]

I don’t know if it’s the best rock n roll photo of all-time, but it’s the best RnR album.

 

[scheimfluger_77]

Been done.

 

[BTMonolith]

i do think it was pretty punk to choose this image for a cover and rip off elvis on top. but greatest rock photo? i dunno man...

https://www.kqed.org/news/10991301/...ouvenir-of-a-lifetime-from-the-summer-of-love

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Meh...

 

[swchris]

Greatest rock photo? Maybe. One of the greatest surely for me. But I don't know much other "rock" photos right now. Surely there are...

 

[markbau]

Why do people bestow terms like “best ever” on anything? It’s like when you drive around the US there are signs saying “worlds best/biggest whatever”
The articles author should have just said “my favourite” I hate it when people try to present an opinion as a fact.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Okay, I give up. And, yes, I didn’t even have to look at the article to know what the anointed photo was. For capturing something of the raw explosive energy of rock and roll in one shot, what’s a better one? Honest question.

 

[BTMonolith]

Okay, I give up. And, yes, I didn’t even have to look at the article to know what the anointed photo was. For capturing something of the raw explosive energy of rock and roll in one shot, what’s a better one? Honest question.

don’t know if better but there’s for sure some raw explosive energy being felt at this elvis show from ‘57:

 

[markbau]

Okay, I give up. And, yes, I didn’t even have to look at the article to know what the anointed photo was. For capturing something of the raw explosive energy of rock and roll in one shot, what’s a better one? Honest question.

I reckon this one by Annie Leibowitz is easily its equal. Call me old fashioned but the guitar is actually being played in this photo as opposed to it being smashed in the Clash photo and look at Mick! (Personally I would have burned down that huge bank of lights on the right)

 

[Pioneer]

I do like the photo for its energy but "great" photos are felt in the soul.

IMHO there are not a whole lot of those.

...and when someone has to draw lines and triangles on a photo it has lost any soul it may have had.

So...not so great.

 

[miha]

Refreshing indeed, but far from greatest. And I don't quite follow the yin-yang, dark-bright gimmicks.

 

[macfred]

Why do people bestow terms like “best ever” on anything? It’s like when you drive around the US there are signs saying “worlds best/biggest whatever”
The articles author should have just said “my favourite” ...

This!

 

[eddie]

Mapplethorpe, the Starn Twins, Misrach, Corbijn, among others, have done album covers. It mattered more when there were 12" LPs, less when they went to CDs, and even less now that everything is downloaded.

 

[John51]

imo, it wouldn't have been that good a photo without the text. Clash + London Burning is what makes it stand out.

Fixed seating or not, it's the bands job to get them up dancing. I saw the Stones in '69. There were security towards the front of the stage to keep us seated. After the 2nd number, the audience knew what was coming because Charlie was fixing a cowbell to his kit. He hit the cowbell twice and the audience rose as one. The security got swamped and we were dancing in the aisles for the rest of the gig.

 

[tezzasmall]

I reckon this one by Annie Leibowitz is easily its equal. (Personally I would have burned down that huge bank of lights on the right)

So would many on this forum I'm sure. But, having seen some 'top pro's' exhibitions over the years, they seem not to care about these things, the further they go up the ladder.

At the Bailey exhibition that I saw in London a few years ago, a LOT of them needed spotting etc. and the white marks stood out terribly, especially on the 6 foot odd prints!

Terry S

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I reckon this one by Annie Leibowitz is easily its equal. Call me old fashioned but the guitar is actually being played in this photo as opposed to it being smashed in the Clash photo and look at Mick! (Personally I would have burned down that huge bank of lights on the right) ]

Okay, that’s indeed nice. Won’t argue.

 

[GregY]

Good photo. You bet. "The Best" ...... at best arguable. Jim Marshall..... he's your God of rock n roll photographers.

 

[Rick A]

"Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Photograph of All-Time"
Merely a statement of opinion, not fact.

 

[markbau]

"Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Photograph of All-Time"
Merely a statement of opinion, not fact.

+1. I do tire of people presenting opinions as facts. First came across this concept when I lived in the US for a short while and came across Rush Limbaugh on my local radio station. Opinions presented as written in stone facts. Beware of people with massive egos!

 

[Louis Nargi]

+1. I do tire of people presenting opinions as facts. First came across this concept when I lived in the US for a short while and came across Rush Limbaugh on my local radio station. Opinions presented as written in stone facts. Beware of people with massive egos!

What dose Rush Limbaugh have to do with this I thought this was about photography.

 

[markbau]

What dose Rush Limbaugh have to do with this I thought this was about photography.

The thread had progressed to people presenting opinions as facts.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Johnny Cash and the middle finger always springs to mind when I think about music photography. Surely it is one of the most iconic photographs. I agree though that you really can't say best.