Greatest Live Rock Artists

[Tim]

Criteria: Based upon reputation within music circles at their peak, consistancy at maintaining that high performance level over time, the impact of their live performances on their own career and influence on the evolution of live performances as a whole.

Link: https://digitaldreamdoor.com/mobile/roc ... eband.html

1. James Brown
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Elvis Presley
4. The Who
5. Otis Redding
6. Ike & Tina Turner
7. The Rolling Stones
8. Solomon Burke
9. Michael Jackson
10. Parliament/Funkadelic
11. Bo Diddley
12. Sam & Dave
13. Queen
14. Led Zeppelin
15. Jackie Wilson
16. The Grateful Dead
17. Little Richard
18. Jimi Hendrix
19. Fats Domino
20. AC/DC
21. Sam Cooke
22. The Allman Brothers Band
23. U2
24. Big Jay McNeely
25. Jerry Lee Lewis
26. Prince
27. Pearl Jam
28. Van Halen
29. The Temptations
30. Elton John
31. Bill Haley & The Comets
32. Bob Marley
33. Cream
34. Janis Joplin
35. Billy Joel
36. Janet Jackson
37. The Dominoes
38. The Cadillacs
39. Pink Floyd
40. The Isley Brothers
41. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
42. Alice Cooper
43. Jefferson Airplane
44. Chuck Berry
45. The Roots
46. Kiss
47. Iggy & The Stooges
48. The Treniers
49. Metallica
50. The Beach Boys
51. Bob Dylan
52. Joe Tex
53. Run-D.M.C.
54. Phish
55. Earth, Wind & Fire
56. The Ramones
57. The MC5
58. Madonna
59. The Doors
60. Sly & The Family Stone
61. Rush
62. Public Enemy
63. The Johnny Otis Show
64. Quicksilver Messenger Service
65. The Supremes
66. Aerosmith
67. Stevie Wonder
68. Wynonie Harris
69. Deep Purple
70. Red Hot Chili Peppers
71. Ruth Brown
72. Neil Young
73. Sugar Pie DeSanto
74. Dick Dale
75. Ray Charles
76. Black Sabbath
77. Santana
78. Rufus Thomas
79. Kanye West
80. Johnny "Guitar" Watson
81. Iron Maiden
82. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
83. Rage Against The Machine
84. Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps
85. Nirvana
86. N.W.A.
87. Sonny Til & The Orioles
88. Digital Underground
89. Judas Priest
90. Yes
91. Isaac Hayes
92. Talking Heads
93. Wu-Tang Clan
94. Van Morrison
95. Professor Longhair
96. Etta James
97. David Bowie
98. The Staple Singers
99. The Sonics
100. The Vibrations

Edited by Sampson

[Zach]

The Roots over Kiss and Iggy Pop / The Stooges is pretty wild.

No Cheap Trick? No Frampton?

Also, I'll just do my thing and note that The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Orbital all have impressive credentials as live acts.

[Tim]

Curious about approximate placements for your suggestions, Zach.

[Tim]

I'd update the top 10 to be more like this:

1. James Brown
2. Bruce Springsteen
3. Elvis Presley
4. The Who
5. Otis Redding
6. Ike & Tina Turner
7. Queen
8. The Rolling Stones
9. The Grateful Dead
10. Michael Jackson

[ManPerson]

I'd have The Grateful Dead a bit higher, even.

[Tim]

And I don't think consistancy should be a separate criterion. I'd rather factor it under live reputation/acclaim banner. Maybe popularity live could be added as well though I understand why Sampson omitted it.

[Tim]

I'd have The Grateful Dead a bit higher, even.

Guess my thinking was that Rolling Stones' influence is more fundamental and everyone in the top 7 are more widely acclaimed than them.

[Tim]

Also, I'll just do my thing and note that The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Orbital all have impressive credentials as live acts.

If we talking electronic, Jean-Michel Jarre too.

[Zach]

Yup, absolutely. He's probably the most influential of them all in that regard.

As for placements go for my suggestions, I really have no idea, LOL. But I do find it odd that CT and Frampton--both of whom largely owe their legacies to their stagecraft, and both of whom have albums generally regarded as among the greatest live rock records in history--are absent. Then again, they could have just been oversights.