btw,

00s : the necks (australian)

my list wasn't actually the list of my favourite bands. it was a list of what i think are the most important, most characteristic, most original bands. i prefer vu over the beatles but for a start hardly anyone listened to vu in the 60s. pco too are a very nice band but they are totally off the radar of the public. they definitely don't stand for the 80s like the smiths do. the bands i mentioned were dominating their decade in a way. they shaped their time. faust were 100% german as far as i know. correct me if i am wrong. stereolab lack originality so much. they are unthinkable without vu and neu!

faust bass player - jean-herve peron is french but all the rest were german.

the best of the PCO was in the 70s dammit. see, i really do have a prblem with the 80s for the most part. i suppose i should change it to Scritti Politti. and i totally agree about stereolab but, still, they always bring something new to the old sounds they fossick.

as for the actual idea that i missed completely, then i'd agree with the beatles but, surely, it'd be the eagles for the 70s and REM for the 80s?

[edit] - i said the eagles because they were so damned popular all round the world. to keep that train of thought then the 80s would have to be governed by prince instead of rem.