Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)

[Tim]

I am thinking that if influence is the tiebreaker Run-DMC prolly should be in the top 25 just below Bowie. You could argue their commercial impact/popularity is greater than raw numbers suggest with them being sorta Elvis of hip-hop (ultimately the most important artist in popularizing the genre).

[Tim]

Next:

50 Cent
Lil Wayne
The Smashing Pumpkins
Snoop Dogg
De La Soul
Wu-Tang Clan
Boyz II Men
Steely Dan
Arctic Monkeys
Barry White

[ManPerson]

Actually, I'd say Usher clearly takes popularity over Alicia Keys and probably influence as well.

[Tim]

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Madonna
7. Chuck Berry
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Ray Charles
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Marvin Gaye
18. Kanye West
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Run-D.M.C.
26. Eminem
27. U2
28. Nirvana
29. Beyoncé
30. 2pac
31. The Supremes
32. Bruce Springsteen
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Drake
42. Elton John
43. Mariah Carey
44. Whitney Houston
45. The Everly Brothers
46. Janet Jackson
47. Black Sabbath
48. Public Enemy
49. Otis Redding
50. The Byrds
51. Sly & the Family Stone
52. Metallica
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. Donna Summer
55. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
56. The Bee Gees
57. The Kinks
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Beastie Boys
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. The Doors
64. Kraftwerk
65. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
66. AC/DC
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. Rihanna
69. The Velvet Underground
70. The Notorious B.I.G.
71. Joni Mitchell
72. Outkast
73. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
74. Simon & Garfunkel
75. Britney Spears
76. Creedence Clearwater Revival
77. Dr. Dre
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Eagles
81. Ramones
82. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
83. LL Cool J
84. Eric B. & Rakim
85. Aerosmith
86. Guns N' Roses
87. The Police
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Lady Gaga
91. Coldplay
92. Al Green
93. Green Day
94. Adele
95. The Weeknd
96. Depeche Mode
97. Rod Stewart
98. Paul McCartney/Wings
99. Pearl Jam
100. The Grateful Dead
101. George Michael/Wham!
102. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
103. Mary J. Blige
104. Missy Elliott
105. Earth, Wind, & Fire
106. Jerry Lee Lewis
107. Roy Brown
108. Wynonie Harris
109. The Platters
110. The Shirelles
111. Jackie Wilson
112. Van Morrison
113. Cream
114. Fugees/Lauryn Hill
115. Joy Division/New Order
116. Red Hot Chili Peppers
117. Eric Clapton
118. John Lennon
119. Deep Purple
120. Santana
121. The Isley Brothers
122. The Dominoes
123. The Orioles
124. The Four Tops
125. The Cure
126. The Smiths
127. Blondie
128. The Clovers
129. Ruth Brown
130. The Band
131. Bad Bunny
132. Ariana Grande
133. The Sex Pistols
134. Iron Maiden
135. Billy Joel
136. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
137. Justin Timberlake
138. Oasis
139. TLC
140. Talking Heads
141. Lana Del Rey
142. Daft Punk
143. Big Joe Turner
144. Johnny Otis
145. Eddie Cochran
146. Iggy Pop & the Stooges
147. Kate Bush
148. Roxy Music
149. Chic
150. Genesis
151. Rush
152. Etta James
153. Martha & the Vandellas
154. Frank Zappa
155. Patti Smith
156. Phil Collins
157. Daryl Hall & John Oates
158. Usher
159. Chicago
160. A Tribe Called Quest
161. Booker T. & the MG’s
162. Alicia Keys
163. Cher
164. Diana Ross
165. R. Kelly
166. Kool & the Gang
167. Wilson Pickett
168. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)
169. Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company
170. Nas
171. Sam & Dave
172. Pixies
173. Paul Simon
174. Afrika Bambaataa
175. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
176. The Yardbirds
177. Dire Straits
178. KISS
179. Frank Ocean
180. Elvis Costello
181. Bon Jovi
182. Alice Cooper
183. Neil Diamond
184. Carole King
185. Justin Bieber
186. The Righteous Brothers
187. Rick Nelson
188. Jefferson Airplane
189. Yes
190. Journey
191. James Taylor
192. Carl Perkins
193. The "5" Royales
194. Dionne Warwick
195. Def Leppard
196. Dion (& the Belmonts)
197. Gladys Knight & the Pips
198. The Mamas & the Papas
199. Johnny Ace
200. The Coasters
201. The Allman Brothers Band
202. Del Shannon
203. The White Stripes
204. King Crimson
205. The Cars
206. The O’Jays
207. Lynyrd Skynyrd
208. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
209. Salt-N-Pepa
210. Solomon Burke
211. Tom Petty
212. Bob Seger (& The Silver Bullet Band)
213. Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
214. Sonic Youth
215. Little Willie John
216. The Ventures
217. The Flamingos
218. The Animals
219. Judas Priest
220. Jethro Tull
221. The Pretenders
222. John Mellencamp
223. LaVern Baker
224. Bobby "Blue" Bland
225. Chuck Willis
226. War
227. The Moody Blues
228. Jackson Browne
229. Shirley & Lee
230. Jan & Dean
231. Ivory Joe Hunter
232. Boogie Down Productions
233. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
234. Bonnie Raitt
235. The Dells

Switched Usher and Alicia Keys on my latest list.

[Tim]

Next:

50 Cent
Lil Wayne
The Smashing Pumpkins
Snoop Dogg
De La Soul
Wu-Tang Clan
Boyz II Men
Steely Dan
Arctic Monkeys
Barry White

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Madonna
7. Chuck Berry
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Ray Charles
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Marvin Gaye
18. Kanye West
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Run-D.M.C.
26. Eminem
27. U2
28. Nirvana
29. Beyoncé
30. 2pac
31. The Supremes
32. Bruce Springsteen
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Drake
42. Elton John
43. Mariah Carey
44. Whitney Houston
45. The Everly Brothers
46. Janet Jackson
47. Black Sabbath
48. Public Enemy
49. Otis Redding
50. The Byrds
51. Sly & the Family Stone
52. Metallica
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. Donna Summer
55. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
56. The Bee Gees
57. The Kinks
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Beastie Boys
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. The Doors
64. Kraftwerk
65. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
66. AC/DC
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. Rihanna
69. The Velvet Underground
70. The Notorious B.I.G.
71. Joni Mitchell
72. Outkast
73. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
74. Simon & Garfunkel
75. Britney Spears
76. Creedence Clearwater Revival
77. Dr. Dre
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Eagles
81. Ramones
82. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
83. LL Cool J
84. Eric B. & Rakim
85. Aerosmith
86. Guns N' Roses
87. The Police
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Lady Gaga
91. Coldplay
92. Al Green
93. Green Day
94. Adele
95. The Weeknd
96. Depeche Mode
97. Rod Stewart
98. Paul McCartney/Wings
99. Pearl Jam
100. The Grateful Dead
101. George Michael/Wham!
102. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
103. Mary J. Blige
104. Missy Elliott
105. Earth, Wind, & Fire
106. Jerry Lee Lewis
107. Roy Brown
108. Wynonie Harris
109. The Platters
110. The Shirelles
111. Jackie Wilson
112. Van Morrison
113. Cream
114. Fugees/Lauryn Hill
115. Joy Division/New Order
116. Red Hot Chili Peppers
117. Eric Clapton
118. John Lennon
119. Deep Purple
120. Santana
121. The Isley Brothers
122. The Dominoes
123. The Orioles
124. The Four Tops
125. The Cure
126. The Smiths
127. Blondie
128. The Clovers
129. Ruth Brown
130. The Band
131. Bad Bunny
132. Ariana Grande
133. The Sex Pistols
134. Iron Maiden
135. Billy Joel
136. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
137. Justin Timberlake
138. Oasis
139. TLC
140. Talking Heads
141. Lana Del Rey
142. Daft Punk
143. Big Joe Turner
144. Johnny Otis
145. Eddie Cochran
146. Iggy Pop & the Stooges
147. Kate Bush
148. Roxy Music
149. Chic
150. Genesis
151. Rush
152. Etta James
153. Martha & the Vandellas
154. Frank Zappa
155. Patti Smith
156. Snoop Dogg
157. Lil Wayne
158. Phil Collins
159. The Smashing Pumpkins
160. Daryl Hall & John Oates
161. Usher
162. Chicago
163. A Tribe Called Quest
164. Booker T. & the MG’s
165. De La Soul
166. Alicia Keys
167. Cher
168. Diana Ross
169. R. Kelly
170. Kool & the Gang
171. Wilson Pickett
172. Boyz II Men
173. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)
174. Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company
175. Wu-Tang Clan
176. Nas
177. Sam & Dave
178. Arctic Monkeys
179. Pixies
180. Paul Simon
181. Afrika Bambaataa
182. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
183. The Yardbirds
184. Dire Straits
185. KISS
186. Frank Ocean
187. Elvis Costello
188. Steely Dan
189. Bon Jovi
190. Alice Cooper
191. Neil Diamond
192. Carole King
193. Justin Bieber
194. The Righteous Brothers
195. Rick Nelson
196. Jefferson Airplane
197. Barry White
198. Yes
199. Journey
200. James Taylor
201. Carl Perkins
202. The "5" Royales
203. Dionne Warwick
204. Def Leppard
205. Dion (& the Belmonts)
206. Gladys Knight & the Pips
207. The Mamas & the Papas
208. Johnny Ace
209. The Coasters
210. The Allman Brothers Band
211. Del Shannon
212. The White Stripes
213. King Crimson
214. The Cars
215. The O’Jays
216. Lynyrd Skynyrd
217. 50 Cent
218. Screamin' Jay Hawkins
219. Salt-N-Pepa
220. Solomon Burke
221. Tom Petty
222. Bob Seger (& The Silver Bullet Band)
223. Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
224. Sonic Youth
225. Little Willie John
226. The Ventures
227. The Flamingos
228. The Animals
229. Judas Priest
230. Jethro Tull
231. The Pretenders
232. John Mellencamp
233. LaVern Baker
234. Bobby "Blue" Bland
235. Chuck Willis
236. War
237. The Moody Blues
238. Jackson Browne
239. Shirley & Lee
240. Jan & Dean
241. Ivory Joe Hunter
242. Boogie Down Productions
243. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
244. Bonnie Raitt
245. The Dells

[Fido]

Since I was at it I decided to make my compromise of the top 100 (haven't looked below that mark). Some placements were more by gut feeling and making it more consistent with other lists, taking into account all that sweet sweet DDD wisdom.

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Madonna
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Ray Charles
11. Aretha Franklin
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Little Richard
17. Prince
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Jay Z
20. Kanye West
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Bruce Springsteen
24. Pink Floyd
25. David Bowie
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. 2Pac
30. Eminem
31. Beyoncé
32. The Supremes
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & the Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Elton John
42. Mariah Carey
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Public Enemy
46. Drake
47. Black Sabbath
48. Otis Redding
49. Sly & the Family Stone
50. The Byrds
51. Metallica
52. Bill Haley & His Comets
53. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
54. Bee Gees
55. The Kinks
56. Janet Jackson
57. Donna Summer
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Doors
61. The Beastie Boys
62. Roy Orbison
63. The Clash
64. Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions
65. AC/DC
66. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. Simon & Garfunkel
69. Eagles
70. Rihanna
71. Joni Mitchell
72. Outkast
73. Britney Spears
74. The Velvet Underground
75. The Notorious B.I.G.
76. Kraftwerk
77. Creedence Clearwater Revival
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Ramones
81. Eric B. & Rakim
82. LL Cool J
83. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
84. Dr. Dre
85. Aerosmith
86. The Police
87. Guns N’ Roses
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Al Green
91. Rod Stewart
92. The Grateful Dead
93. Paul McCartney/Wings
94. Pearl Jam
95. Coldplay
96. Green Day
97. Lady Gaga
98. Adele
99.Depeche Mode
100. The Weeknd

On the last bunch which I haven't commented on: Stewart kills in popularity especially taking into account for how long, and beats or at least holds his own in acclaim against anyone. The Dead are the most influential and more acclaimed than most. Macca of course great popularity and acclaim, and Pearl Jam lose popularity against them but are more influential on grunge/post-grunge and are more acclaimed than all of them. The Weeknd only wins popularity against Depeche Mode, though honestly I don't see either of the two in this range of the list (though I haven't looked into the next groups). Feel free to comment on anything.

[Tim]

On the first glance, I like it.

[ManPerson]

I can live with most of this, here's the stuff I'd change.

- I still feel that Prince and Marvin Gaye take acclaim and popularity over Little Richard for sure, but I could live with him being between the two of them
- I'd keep Kanye ahead of Jay-Z, since they're both top tier rap artists in terms of popularity and acclaim, while I think Kanye was a lot more of a game changer in the genre.
- I think Bruce's lack of influence for this range of the list should keep him a little lower than you have him right now. Pink Floyd and U2 are comparable, if not a bit stronger, in popularity, Bowie's comparable in acclaim, and all three are clearly more influential (Bowie and Floyd especially)
- I'd clearly give Eminem acclaim and popularity over Pac. In terms of acclaim, both seem to hold a similar status as MCs/lyricists, while Eminem's discography is more acclaimed than 2pac's for sure.
- I'd keep Janet Jackson a bit higher. I see her as pretty close to Metallica in acclaim and popularity (they're on opposite ends of the spectrum between sales/lasting popularity and chart success so it's pretty hard to judge), while I think her influence is a bit more widespread.
- Joni Mitchell/Outkast/Velvet Underground seem to take acclaim and influence over the Eagles (probably Rihanna and S&G as well) so I'd move them ahead
- I think Dre is clearly more popular and lastingly acclaimed than the two ahead of him, while being highly influential in his own right.
- I think Lady Gaga and Coldplay are very comparable in the criteria with Rod Stewart and Macca
- I wouldn't underestimate The Weeknd. Obviously in the upper echelon in popularity for 21st century artists while more or less pioneering alternative r&b. Solid acclaim as well.

[ManPerson]

And I think I may have overrated George Michael slightly, I think between RHCP and Eric Clapton is about where he should be, instead.

[Tim]

So, do we rock with this update?

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Madonna
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Ray Charles
11. Aretha Franklin
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Little Richard
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Kanye West
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. U2
26. Bruce Springsteen
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. Eminem
30. 2pac
31. Beyoncé
32. The Supremes
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Elton John
42. Mariah Carey
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Black Sabbath
46. Public Enemy
47. Drake
48. Otis Redding
49. Sly & the Family Stone
50. The Byrds
51. Janet Jackson
52. Metallica
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
55. Bee Gees
56. The Kinks
57. Donna Summer
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Beastie Boys
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. The Doors
64. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
65. AC/DC
66. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. The Velvet Underground
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Outkast
71. Simon & Garfunkel
72. Eagles
73. Rihanna
74. Britney Spears
75. The Notorious B.I.G.
76. Kraftwerk
77. Creedence Clearwater Revival
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Dr. Dre
81. Ramones
82. Eric B. & Rakim
83. LL Cool J
84. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
85. Aerosmith
86. The Police
87. Guns N' Roses
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Al Green
91. The Grateful Dead
92. Pearl Jam
93. Rod Stewart
94. Paul McCartney/Wings
95. Lady Gaga
96. Coldplay
97. Green Day
98. Adele
99. The Weeknd
100. Depeche Mode

Figure Sabbath does beat Public Enemy in both popularity and influence so I moved them back ahead. The Doors imo lose to Beasties/Orbison/Clash in both influence and acclaim so I don't really see them atop of this group. Think Dre wins popularity by at least as much as Ramones win influence plus revered as a producer which imo has to be factored in acclaim in some form.

[Brian]

C'mon, WHO? What was the big soft rock album before their debut in 1972?
Tapestry and Sweet Baby James

Agreed, and I think Elton John's Honky Chateau, released 2 weeks before Eagles self-titled and a bigger album, qualifies too. Maybe also Paul Simon's solo debut. But as I recall, Sampson credited Eagles with some influence in the thread for this list in the old forum. Maybe for their production, but I'm not sure.

Reckon I found it:

I think the Eagles are fairly comfortable in their lead commercially over Metallica, combining albums and singles. Metallica had a few singles hits, more than most metal bands, but not to the Eagles level and all of the Eagles albums were huge too. The Eagles musical impact at the time was pretty high. They've lost their luster somewhat after breaking up because they were kinda nose in the air perfectionists and that annoyed some people, but when they were churning out their hits one after another they were very well respected, more so than a lot of big name 70's artists. Their records were considered very well-produced, beautifully sung (we'll get into that more in a minute) and they were always considered great songwriters and an underrated band, including live. So I think their musical impact doesn't suffer during their era anyway.

As for their influence, it's more secondary in nature, as they weren't innovators, but they spearheaded that California stoner country-rock of the 70's, the Laurel Canyon hedonistic musical lifestyle, kind of epitomizing the post-hippie ideal - laid back, cynical, a little bitter, but still voicing their concerns. It really kind of symbolized the entire west coast scene at the time. There's a bunch of books about that whole time period, them and Jackson Browne and others, some focusing specifically on the country-rock movement, which they more than anyone sort of smoothed out and took the "twang" out of to make it more palatable to the mainstream, and some others written about the Laurel Canyon drugs and debauchery scene that they were a major part of and ties it all together. Also, their "steam cleaned" harmonies were done through excessive measures that indirectly led to the processed vocals of today where things are cleaned up in post-production gives them influence in a weird sort of way. They didn't do that themselves, there was no auto-tune then, but their obsession in this area definitely gave artists and producers the ambition to make the sound as clean as possible, almost sterile, which is what you see start to take shape the following decade before hip-hop and alternative and metal got back to rawer unprocessed sounds. Their influence in this way is actually something that causes some backlash today with their legacy and gave them that anal-retentive image they're stuck with. Fleetwood Mac was another who could be viewed that way, though not quite to that extent. It was an era of trying for an almost artificial perfection which came to dominate production once technology caught up to them and allowed for greater control over the finished product.

Yes, that's it.

[Fido]

I can live with most of this, here's the stuff I'd change.

- I still feel that Prince and Marvin Gaye take acclaim and popularity over Little Richard for sure, but I could live with him being between the two of them

Well, one of the reasons I placed Little Richard next to Fats is because I think it looks better for the two 50s pioneering singers/pianists to be together. Regardless of individual match-ups, I don't see a clear difference that would place one over Prince but not the other.

- I'd keep Janet Jackson a bit higher. I see her as pretty close to Metallica in acclaim and popularity (they're on opposite ends of the spectrum between sales/lasting popularity and chart success so it's pretty hard to judge), while I think her influence is a bit more widespread.

I had influence as a tie, with Metallica winning both popularity and acclaim. While close on both accounts, I think the fact that Metallica achieved that level of popularity while making a very uncommercial style of music puts them ahead.

- Joni Mitchell/Outkast/Velvet Underground seem to take acclaim and influence over the Eagles (probably Rihanna and S&G as well) so I'd move them ahead

Ok with Joni and Velvet, disagree with Outkast and S&G winning influence, for the reasons previously stated.

- I think Lady Gaga and Coldplay are very comparable in the criteria with Rod Stewart and Macca
- I wouldn't underestimate The Weeknd. Obviously in the upper echelon in popularity for 21st century artists while more or less pioneering alternative r&b. Solid acclaim as well.

Sure, they are comparable but Stewart and Macca still win.

The Weeknd basically only has popularity imo. His acclaim is way out of this league, and his influence on alt r&b also is. He debuted after Ye's 808s, Drake (who we already have in the top 50 for more or less the same), and he was one of many along with Ocean and the host of others who continued after 00s neo-soul. Haven't looked too far ahead but he is ahead of other way more important R&B artists like Blige, Jackie Wilson or EW&F.

[Fido]

So, do we rock with this update?

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Madonna
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Ray Charles
11. Aretha Franklin
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Little Richard
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Kanye West
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. U2
26. Bruce Springsteen
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. Eminem
30. 2pac
31. Beyoncé
32. The Supremes
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Elton John
42. Mariah Carey
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Black Sabbath
46. Public Enemy
47. Drake
48. Otis Redding
49. Sly & the Family Stone
50. The Byrds
51. Janet Jackson
52. Metallica
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
55. Bee Gees
56. The Kinks
57. Donna Summer
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Beastie Boys
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. The Doors
64. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
65. AC/DC
66. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. The Velvet Underground
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Outkast
71. Simon & Garfunkel
72. Eagles
73. Rihanna
74. Britney Spears
75. The Notorious B.I.G.
76. Kraftwerk
77. Creedence Clearwater Revival
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Dr. Dre
81. Ramones
82. Eric B. & Rakim
83. LL Cool J
84. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
85. Aerosmith
86. The Police
87. Guns N' Roses
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Al Green
91. The Grateful Dead
92. Pearl Jam
93. Rod Stewart
94. Paul McCartney/Wings
95. Lady Gaga
96. Coldplay
97. Green Day
98. Adele
99. The Weeknd
100. Depeche Mode

Figure Sabbath does beat Public Enemy in both popularity and influence so I moved them back ahead. The Doors imo lose to Beasties/Orbison/Clash in both influence and acclaim so I don't really see them atop of this group. Think Dre wins popularity by at least as much as Ramones win influence plus revered as a producer which imo has to be factored in acclaim in some form.

Yeah, Public Enemy ahead of Sabbath was more about consistency, though you could argue since hip hop is way bigger than metal they should be ahead. I can agree with Clash and Beasties, not so much on Orbison. I'll say again that you are overrating Dr. Dre but I see it's a lost cause. I liked that hip hop cluster of N.W.A. to Flash.

[Tim]

Well, Orbison is incredibly revered as a vocalist and, to lesser extent, as a writer, highly succesful singles artist, cited as inspiration by tons of singer-songwriters, ranked quite a bit higher than Doors on Samp's influence list.

I'd agree with rap being bigger than metal overall but we already ranked six rappers over Sabbath and Sabbath's influence does stretch outside of metal, think grunge, hard rock, even punk.

Guess I can see Dre below Rakim and Ramones but prolly not below LL Cool J and Grandmaster Flash.

[ManPerson]

I can live with most of this, here's the stuff I'd change.

- I still feel that Prince and Marvin Gaye take acclaim and popularity over Little Richard for sure, but I could live with him being between the two of them

Well, one of the reasons I placed Little Richard next to Fats is because I think it looks better for the two 50s pioneering singers/pianists to be together. Regardless of individual match-ups, I don't see a clear difference that would place one over Prince but not the other.
I'd say Fats Domino clearly takes popularity over Little Richard.

- I'd keep Janet Jackson a bit higher. I see her as pretty close to Metallica in acclaim and popularity (they're on opposite ends of the spectrum between sales/lasting popularity and chart success so it's pretty hard to judge), while I think her influence is a bit more widespread.

I had influence as a tie, with Metallica winning both popularity and acclaim. While close on both accounts, I think the fact that Metallica achieved that level of popularity while making a very uncommercial style of music puts them ahead.
Sure, but I think they should be back to back either way.

- Joni Mitchell/Outkast/Velvet Underground seem to take acclaim and influence over the Eagles (probably Rihanna and S&G as well) so I'd move them ahead

Ok with Joni and Velvet, disagree with Outkast and S&G winning influence, for the reasons previously stated.

- I think Lady Gaga and Coldplay are very comparable in the criteria with Rod Stewart and Macca
- I wouldn't underestimate The Weeknd. Obviously in the upper echelon in popularity for 21st century artists while more or less pioneering alternative r&b. Solid acclaim as well.

Sure, they are comparable but Stewart and Macca still win.

The Weeknd basically only has popularity imo. His acclaim is way out of this league, and his influence on alt r&b also is. He debuted after Ye's 808s, Drake (who we already have in the top 50 for more or less the same), and he was one of many along with Ocean and the host of others who continued after 00s neo-soul. Haven't looked too far ahead but he is ahead of other way more important R&B artists like Blige, Jackie Wilson or EW&F.

I think you're underrating his acclaim a bit, keep in mind that After Hours, Dawn FM and all the singles from both albums (including Blinding Lights) aren't taken into account for the AM artist rankings. I can see some of your points in regards to his influence but I think alt-r&b (The Weeknd's flavor of it especially) has a pretty distinct sound from neo-soul. I'm fine with him being at the bottom of this group, but I'd very much be opposed to him dropping below the top 110-120.

[ManPerson]

How about this?

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Chuck Berry
7. Madonna
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Ray Charles
11. Aretha Franklin
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Little Richard
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Kanye West
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. U2
26. Bruce Springsteen
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. Eminem
30. 2pac
31. Beyoncé
32. The Supremes
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. Kendrick Lamar
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Elton John
42. Mariah Carey
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Black Sabbath
46. Public Enemy
47. Drake
48. Otis Redding
49. Sly & the Family Stone
50. The Byrds
51. Metallica
52. Janet Jackson
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
55. Bee Gees
56. The Kinks
57. Donna Summer
58. ABBA
59. Bo Diddley
60. The Beastie Boys
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. The Doors
64. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
65. AC/DC
66. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
67. Fleetwood Mac
68. The Velvet Underground
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Eagles
71. Outkast
72. Simon & Garfunkel
73. Rihanna
74. Britney Spears
75. The Notorious B.I.G.
76. Kraftwerk
77. Creedence Clearwater Revival
78. Radiohead
79. N.W.A.
80. Dr. Dre
81. Ramones
82. Eric B. & Rakim
83. LL Cool J
84. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
85. Aerosmith
86. The Police
87. Guns N' Roses
88. Van Halen
89. The Drifters
90. Al Green
91. The Grateful Dead
92. Pearl Jam
93. Rod Stewart
94. Paul McCartney/Wings
95. Lady Gaga
96. Coldplay
97. Green Day
98. Adele
99. Depeche Mode
100. The Weeknd