Band who has the most unique sound that no one else sounds like.

Tupelo Chain Sex

 

If it were possible I'd press the like button 20 times for this post.

 

Some of these have probably already been mentioned but I'll just add my vote for them:

Gentle Giant
Van der Graaf Generator
Soft Machine
Caravan

The Kinks
Jethro Tull
The Who
Traffic
Cream

 

Styx

 

A lot of the bands mentioned in this thread so far are very "blues rock based" and as such, don't sound unique at all.

What some think are obscure bands, aren't to others so many listed here are subjective.

Many of these bands have subsequently influenced other bands and by doing so are no longer unique.

The Residents are surely their own animal.

Someone mentioned Current 93 and they were certainly folk influenced but Nurse With Wound on the other hand, even though they were Krautrock influenced, have a very unique take on music and not easily copied. If something sounds like NWW it's because Steven Stapleton collaborated with them.

The first thing that came to mind for me was Jandek. Not really blues, not rock, not lo-fi, not easily copied but yet all those things...to a degree.

 

Elvis when being questioned at Sun Records at 18 years old.
Marion Keisker - "What kind of singer are you?"
Elvis - "I sing all kinds"
Marion Keisker- " Who do you sound like?
Elvis - "I don't sound like nobody"

 

Totally agree on Meshuggah, they have the most original and technically brutal music in metal. If one wants to experience them, listen to Bleed from the brilliant oBzen record

 

The Hold Steady

 

Kaleidoscope (US). They never reminded me of anybody else. Unique, even when attempting something "commercial" like Egyptian Gardens in 1967:

 

This sounds unique

 

Other bands have done the Kraftwerk thing after Kraftwerk, but they were kind of a first.

 

and they sound very different from kraftwerk more ambient before that term was household...

 

Much better than sounding like Arcade Fire. They suck.

 

Many bands have a unique sound.
It's a pity the last couple of years less Music is unique.
I bring up Boards of Canada

 

In 1966 Bob Dylan & The Hawks were the loudest most abrasive trip out there.NOBODY sounded like them.

After seeing Dylan in 1966 its hard to select another but I really dig the chaos & dark beauty that is Pere Ubu.
I have been riding the Ubu train since the mid 70s.

For my money there are only 2 artists that after decades continue to release relevant and challenging music.
Those 2 artists are Dylan & Pere Ubu.

Honorable mention;
Velvet Underground

 

Suicide

 

Moving Gelatine Plates
Suburban Lawns
Music Machine
Jarvis Street Revue
Melt Banana
Ruins
Kraftwerk
Slayer
Type O Negative
Nuclear Crayons
Die Kreuzen
West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band
Suicide
Eyeless In Gaza
Brighter Death Now
Laibach
Killing Joke
Merzbow
Head of David
Bethlehem
Thergothon
Discordance Axis
Victims Family
Soundgarden
Man Is The Bastard
Big Boys
Amebix
Wire
Pere Ubu
Lucky Pierre

 

50,000,000 Eskimo Music Fans Can't Be Wrong!

I'm going with Alison Krauss.
And, fortunately, Smash Mouth and Blues Traveler.
Less fortunately, The Moody Blues.
The Bee Gees
Baby Metal
Kate Bush
Yma Sumac
Joanna Newsom
The Beau Hunks

And I'll stop there. No, wait - Tom Lehrer.

 

First that come to mind...
Caravan
Jefferson Airplane (Takes Off through Volunteers)
Love
Moody Blues
Comus
The Church
Fleet Foxes

 

When "Dark Side of the Moon" was released, there was absolutely nothing like it.

Same would be true of Jimi Hendrix.

 

As has already been mentioned, for all those claiming The Who you need to check out The Creation, hell, they were even produced by Shel Talmy!

As for Queen, I live with the biggest fan, and my wife was quite surprised by the similarity with 10cc's Original Soundtrack (she, of course, knew I'm Not In Love), and you can add things like Jellyfish's Joining A Fan Club to the sounds like Queen list!

As for Gang Of Four, Liverpool's The Dead 60s always get mentioned in the same breath.

As for Steely Dan, they have famously ripped off some themes, most notably Keith Jarrett (who they had to co-credit), and Rosie Vela's Zazu was pretty much a Dan album with Rosie's vocals! Lyle Mays also paid tribute with his track Feet First.

 

Master's Hammer with their blend of keyboard synths and timpani drums and especially Franta Storm's vocals. I cannot find a single band that can even emulate that guy's vocals.

 

Einsturzende Neubauten.

 

Maybe some of those early bands, who were obviously influenced by them and were trying to sound like them. But by then The Who were already changing and moving on, going from the hard R&B emphasis of the first record towards the power pop of the second. And even someone like The Creation, Jack Jones was no Keith Moon and nobody in that band came close to being the prolific songwriter like Townshend was. And if we're taking live, then The Who do apply here. When stripped down to their bare bones and letting their unique personalities be heard, absolutely no one sounded like The Who. I've seen various cover bands not get it even remotely close, and that includes the Amazing Journey all-star tribute from a decade or so back which included world-class musicians like Mike Portnoy, Paul Gilbert, and Billy Sheehan. And it still did not sound like The Who.

 

DEAD CAN DANCE

...many have tried none can compare...