Recommended Western rock bands; popular overseas bands.

TodayThe Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins – Today

They are The Smashing Pumpkins, an alternative rock band from Chicago.

This song became well-known in Japan because it was sampled in Dragon Ash’s signature track “Grateful Days.” The band is characterized by having many songs with beautiful melodies while being rooted in the grunge sound that was popular at the time of their debut.

I Wanna Be AdoredThe Stone Roses

The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored (Official Video)

They were the central band of the Madchester movement that emerged in the UK from the mid to late 1980s.

In Britain at that time, club-goers and live-house (gig) attendees were usually completely separate crowds, but The Stone Roses were a legendary band whose shows drew both audiences and had them all fired up.

ReptiliaThe Strokes

The Strokes – Reptilia (Official HD Video)

Formed in New York in 1999, they are a band that, like The White Stripes, came to represent the early-2000s garage rock revival.

However, unlike other garage bands, The Strokes stood apart as a more urban, sophisticated, and artful presence.

Bitter Sweet SymphonyThe Verve

The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony

The Verve are a British band that emerged during the Britpop movement of the early 1990s.

Their third album, Urban Hymns, which includes this song, was a massive hit, selling 10 million copies worldwide and earning high praise from Oasis’s Gallagher brothers and Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

My GenerationThe Who

The Who – My Generation

The Who is one of the three great British rock bands alongside the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and they remain a globally beloved band.

While The Who’s music has evolved in various ways over the eras, it is characterized by having many simple, catchy songs.

With or Without YouU2

U2 – With Or Without You (U2 At The BBC)

Their heyday was in the ’80s, but they’re still a rock band that represents the world—you can’t forget them.

Even recently, they’ve been actively releasing albums, capturing the hearts of their devoted fans.

They’ve won numerous awards, and I definitely want rock fans around the world to start by listening to their early albums.

Fall To PiecesVelvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver – Fall To Pieces (Official Video)

Velvet Revolver is a band with a classic hard rock sound, formed primarily by three former members of Guns N’ Roses.

Since vocalist Scott Weiland left in 2008, they haven’t been notably active and are effectively on hiatus.