Page 8 of 38
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:20 pm
by Brian
They started out as Jerry Butler & the Impressions, had a big song in "For Our Precious Love", and then Butler left. Mayfield was pretty dominant from then until he left in 1970. After that, they had a few charting singles, but only one real pop hit. They did have a few R&B hits after that.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:22 pm
by Tim
Once we done with the top 100, I reckon we look over these lists, among others, to see who may be other top 100 worthy artists and, I suggest, to expand the main list to 250.
ManPerson wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2024 9:53 am
Some recent-ish artists (1990- onwards) that could be in the list, in very rough order of importance (I don't think all of these should be on the list ftr)
Beyonce
Kendrick Lamar
Taylor Swift
Drake
The Notorious B.I.G.
Dr. Dre
Green Day
Rihanna
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Britney Spears
Fugees/Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Adele
Coldplay
Mary J. Blige
TLC
Lady Gaga
Oasis
Daft Punk
The Weeknd
Justin Timberlake
Lana Del Rey
The White Stripes
Bad Bunny
Brian wrote: Fri Dec 06, 2024 10:36 pm
While this part isn't on the main site, here's a second hundred that I had posted in the old forum:
101. Wilson Pickett
102. The Ramones
103. Eric Clapton
104. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5
105. Red Hot Chili Peppers
106. The Four Tops
107. Green Day
108. Frank Zappa
109. The Coasters
110. Etta James
111. LL Cool J
112. Dion (& the Belmonts)
113. Earth, Wind, & Fire
114. Chicago
115. Santana
116. Yes
117. Martha & the Vandellas
118. Jefferson Airplane
119. Iron Maiden
120. The Moody Blues
121. Rick Nelson
122. Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
123. Lavern Baker
124. Talking Heads
125. The Jackson 5 / The Jacksons
126. John Lennon
127. Gladys Knight & the Pips
128. Roy Brown
129. Wynonie Harris
130. Eric B. & Rakim
131. Blondie
132. The Mamas & the Papas
133. The Velvet Underground
134. The Sex Pistols
135. Daryl Hall & John Oates
136. Lynyrd Skynyrd
137. Joy Division/New Order
138. The Five Royales
139. The Yardbirds
140. Rush
141. The Smiths
142. Tom Petty
143. Roxy Music
144. Bob Seger
145. The O’Jays
146. Carole King
147. George Michael / Wham!
148. Kraftwerk
149. KISS
150. Solomon Burke
151. Sam and Dave
152. Genesis
153. Eddie Cochran
154. King Crimson
155. Notorious B.I.G.
156. Patti Smith
157. Alice Cooper
158. The Flamingos
159. Def Leppard
160. James Taylor
161. Jackson Browne
162. Diana Ross
163. Bon Jovi
164. Little Willie John
165. War
166. The Animals
167. The Cars
168. Phil Collins
169. Kool & the Gang
170. Ivory Joe Hunter
171. Bonnie Raitt
172. Del Shannon
173. R. Kelly
174. Mary J. Blige
175. Coldplay
176. Chuck Willis
177. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
178. Afrika Bambaataa
179. Carl Perkins
180. Dr. Dre
181. Iggy Pop & the Stooges
182. The Pretenders
183. A Tribe Called Quest
184. Booker T. & the MG’s
185. Depeche Mode
186. Cher
187. Kate Bush
188. Bobby "Blue" Bland
189. Emerson, Lake, & Palmer
190. Salt-N-Pepa
191. The Carpenters
192. The Ventures
193. Nas
194. Boogie Down Productions
195. Journey
196. Johnny Ace
197. Chic
198. John "Cougar" Mellencamp
199. Dionne Warwick
200. Shirley & Lee
ManPerson wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 7:00 pm
Some others who could be included in the top 200
- Neil Diamond
- Dire Straits (this is a rather surprising omission, imo)
- The Cure
- Sonic Youth
- Pixies
- Judas Priest
- Ariana Grande
- Justin Bieber
- Frank Ocean
- Alicia Keys
- Usher
- 50 Cent
- Lil Wayne
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Snoop Dogg
- De La Soul
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Boyz II Men
- Steely Dan
- Arctic Monkeys
- Jethro Tull
- Barry White
- Lionel Richie/The Commodores
- The Spinners
- The Staple Singers
- Sade
- Duran Duran
- Amos Milburn
- Ike & Tina Turner
- Brian Eno
- Nicki Minaj
- The Ravens
- Leonard Cohen
- Peter Gabriel
- Heart
- The Monkees
- Nine Inch Nails
- ZZ Top
- Rage Against the Machine
- Aphex Twin
- Björk
- Pet Shop Boys
- Giorgio Moroder
- Tangerine Dream
- Yellow Magic Orchestra
- Jean-Michel Jarre
- The Human League
- Gary Numan / Tubeway Army
- The Prodigy
- The Chemical Brothers
- Massive Attack
- Moby
- Tyler, the Creator
- Ice Cube
- Motörhead
- Hüsker Dü
- T.I.
- Future
- Isaac Hayes
- Destiny's Child
- Boston
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:23 pm
by ManPerson
I'm fine with them staying combined.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:25 pm
by ManPerson
Tim wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:22 pm
Once we done with the top 100, I reckon we look over these lists, among others, to see who may be other top 100 worthy artists and, I suggest, to expand the main list to 200.
ManPerson wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2024 9:53 am
Some recent-ish artists (1990- onwards) that could be in the list, in very rough order of importance (I don't think all of these should be on the list ftr)
Beyonce
Kendrick Lamar
Taylor Swift
Drake
The Notorious B.I.G.
Dr. Dre
Green Day
Rihanna
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Britney Spears
Fugees/Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Adele
Coldplay
Mary J. Blige
TLC
Lady Gaga
Oasis
Daft Punk
The Weeknd
Justin Timberlake
Lana Del Rey
The White Stripes
Add Bad Bunny to this list
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:51 pm
by ManPerson
I'd say Abba should be considered as well, maybe Brian Eno, though, admittedly a lot of his greatest work is in the ambient genre.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:57 pm
by Tim
Guess we can also use Bruce's popular music list as a source after these two lists. Abba is on it and pretty high, sadly Eno is not.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:58 pm
by ManPerson
Bruce's list doesn't include acclaim, iirc.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 7:00 pm
by ManPerson
Some others who could be included in the top 200
- Neil Diamond
- Dire Straits (this is a rather surprising omission, imo)
- The Cure
- Sonic Youth
- Pixies
- Judas Priest
- Ariana Grande
- Justin Bieber
- Frank Ocean
- Alicia Keys
- Usher
- 50 Cent
- Lil Wayne
- The Smashing Pumpkins
- Snoop Dogg
- De La Soul
- Wu-Tang Clan
- Boyz II Men
- Steely Dan
- Arctic Monkeys
- Jethro Tull
- Barry White
- Lionel Richie/The Commodores
- Moody Blues
- The Spinners
- The Staple Singers
- Sade
- Duran Duran
- Amos Milburn
- Ike & Tina Turner
- Nicki Minaj
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 8:50 pm
by ManPerson
My draft for the top 100
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. Kanye West
15. Jimi Hendrix
16. Fats Domino
17. Prince
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Eminem
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. 2pac
30. The Supremes
31. Bruce Springsteen
32. Queen
33. Bob Marley & the Wailers
34. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
35. Whitney Houston
36. The Temptations
37. Neil Young
38. R.E.M.
39. Elton John
40. The Everly Brothers
41. Janet Jackson
42. Mariah Carey
43. Black Sabbath
44. Public Enemy
45. The Byrds
46. Otis Redding
47. Metallica
48. Sly & the Family Stone
49. Bill Haley & the Comets
50. Bee Gees
51. Donna Summer
52. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
53. The Kinks
54. The Beastie Boys
55. Bo Diddley
56. Roy Orbison
57. The Clash
58. AC/DC
59. Fleetwood Mac
60. The Doors
61. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
62. N.W.A.
63. Outkast
64. Joni Mitchell
65. Simon & Garfunkel
66. Creedence Clearwater Revival
67. Parliament/Funkadelic/George-Clinton
68. Radiohead
69. Aerosmith
70. Eagles
71. Guns n Roses
72. The Police
73. Van Halen
74. Al Green
75. The Drifters
76. Pearl Jam
77. The Grateful Dead
78. Rod Stewart
79. Paul McCartney
80. The Shirelles
81. The Dominoes
82. The Orioles
83. Van Morrison
84. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
85. Cream
86. The Isley Brothers
87. Billy Joel
88. The Platters
89. Jerry Lee Lewis
90. Deep Purple
91. The Band
92. Jackie Wilson
93. Big Joe Turner
94. Johnny Otis
95. Ruth Brown
96. Janis Joplin/Big Brother & Holding Company
97. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
98. Elvis Costello
99. The Clovers
100. The Allman Brothers Band
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 8:54 pm
by ManPerson
Some thoughts on the more major differences between our lists
- Since The Orioles are arguably the first doo-wop act I'd have them quite a bit higher than you do, even though their popularity and acclaim is fairly low.
- My breakdown on Kanye
Kanye vs Hendrix
Acclaim: Kanye
Popularity: Kanye fairly easily
Influence: Jimi Hendrix fairly easily (though I'd give Kanye cultural impact)
Kanye vs Prince
Acclaim: Close
Popularity: Close
Influence: I'd lean towards Kanye
- I could see Houston where you have her
- I figure N.W.A's cultural impact and influence should bring them pretty high, especially since they're probably the most lastingly popular 80s hip hop act. I could see them a bit lower than I have them, though, since they only have 4 songs of any note.
- I see Guns N Roses as pretty close to The Police and I think they take popularity and acclaim over Van Halen and Pearl Jam for example
- CSNY don't seem to particularly excel in any of the criteria (for a top 100 candidate, anyway), so I had them fairly low. I could see them a bit higher but I wouldn't have them over Jackie Wilson, or any of the guys i have above him.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:18 pm
by ManPerson
My attempt at a middle ground
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. Kanye West
17. Prince
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Eminem
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Nirvana
29. 2pac
30. The Supremes
31. Bruce Springsteen
32. Queen
33. Bob Marley & the Wailers
34. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
35. The Temptations
36. Neil Young
37. R.E.M.
38. Elton John
39. Whitney Houston
40. The Everly Brothers
41. Janet Jackson
42. Mariah Carey
43. Black Sabbath
44. Public Enemy
45. The Byrds
46. Otis Redding
47. Metallica
48. Sly & the Family Stone
49. Bill Haley & the Comets
50. Bee Gees
51. Donna Summer
52. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
53. The Kinks
54. The Beastie Boys
55. Bo Diddley
56. Roy Orbison
57. The Clash
58. AC/DC
59. Fleetwood Mac
60. The Doors
61. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
62. Joni Mitchell
63. Outkast
64. Simon & Garfunkel
65. Creedence Clearwater Revival
66. Parliament/Funkadelic/George-Clinton
67. Radiohead
68. N.W.A.
69. Aerosmith
70. Eagles
71. Guns n Roses
72. The Police
73. Van Halen
74. Al Green
75. The Drifters
76. Rod Stewart
77. Paul McCartney/Wings
78. Pearl Jam
79. The Grateful Dead
80. The Shirelles
81. Van Morrison
82. Cream
83. The Isley Brothers
84. The Dominoes
85. The Orioles
86. The Band
87. Billy Joel
88. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
89. The Platters
90. Jerry Lee Lewis
91. Deep Purple
92. Jackie Wilson
93. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
94. Big Joe Turner
95. Johnny Otis
96. Janis Joplin/Big Brother & Holding Company
97. Ruth Brown
98. The Allman Brothers Band
99. Elvis Costello
100. The Clovers
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:29 pm
by Tim
I like it. Any reason you did not acknowledge Wings in Paul McCartney's listing?
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:34 pm
by ManPerson
Because I forgot.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:35 pm
by Tim
ManPerson wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:58 pm
Bruce's list doesn't include acclaim, iirc.
Sure but there are still gonna be overlap between top 300 popular music artists and top 200 rock artists.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:43 pm
by ManPerson
Tim wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:35 pm
ManPerson wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2026 6:58 pm
Bruce's list doesn't include acclaim, iirc.
Sure but there are still gonna be overlap between top 300 popular music artists and top 200 rock artists.
Definitely. I figured that could partially explain Eno's absence though.
Re: Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2026 9:51 pm
by Tim
So I suggest these 10 to be the first we add.
Beyonce
Kendrick Lamar
Taylor Swift
Drake
The Notorious B.I.G.
Dr. Dre
Green Day
Rihanna
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Britney Spears