Greatest Rock Artists of the 1940s

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Criteria: Rock 'n' roll began in late 1947 and grew exponentially for the remainder of the decade. This list takes into account only those artists who recorded extensively in the field of rock during that time. Many of the names also recorded in other styles and pre-dated the formation of rock 'n' roll, but they're ranked based only on their rock output between 1947-1949 using the following criteria: Commercial Impact, Influence, Musical Impact and Cultural Impact.

Edited By: Sampson
List Begun: 2020-03-31

1. Roy Brown
2. Amos Milburn
3. Wynonie Harris
4. Sonny Til & The Orioles
5. The Ravens
6. Big Jay McNeely
7. Ivory Joe Hunter
8. Paul Williams
9. Goree Carter & His Hepcats
10. Sonny Thompson
11. Paul Gayten
12. Little Willie Littlefield
13. Johnny Otis
14. Jimmy Liggins
15. Andrew Tibbs
16. Jimmy Preston
17. Larry Darnell
18. Todd Rhodes
19. Chubby Newsom
20. Hal Singer
21. Big Joe Turner
22. Wild Bill Moore
23. Tiny Grimes
24. Albennie Jones
25. Billy Wright
26. Frank "Floorshow" Culley
27. Joe Morris
28. Chris Powell & The Five Blue Flames
29. Earl Bostic
30. Annie Laurie
31. The Robins
32. Cousin Joe
33. Dave Bartholomew
34. Eddie Williams & His Brown Buddies / Floyd Dixon
35. Joe Swift
36. The Five Scamps
37. Stick McGhee
38. Eddie Chamblee
39. Crown Prince Waterford
40. Erline Harris
41. Joe Lutcher
42. Charlie "Boogie Woogie" Davis
43. Ruth Brown
44. Maxwell Davis
45. Freddie Mitchell
46. Tiny Bradshaw
47. Percy Mayfield
48. Jimmy "Baby Face" Lewis
49. The Four Tunes
50. Edgar Hayes & His Stardusters
51. J.B. Summers
52. Lonnie Lyons
53. Jewel King
54. Smilin' Smokey Lynn
55. Mr. Google Eyes
56. Tina Dixon
57. Harry Crafton
58. T.J. Fowler
59. Paul Bascomb
60. Conrad Johnson (Conney's Combo)
61. The Ray-O-Vacs
62. Charlie Singleton
63. Gatemouth Brown
64. James Von Streeter
65. L. C. Williams
66. Tom Archia
67. Joe Thomas
68. The Great Gates
69. Clarence Samuels
70. Bumps Myers
71. Clifford Blivens
72. Big Jim Wynn
73. Cecil Gant
74. Smiley Lewis
75. Eddie Mack
76. Tommy Ridgley
77. Big Maybelle (Mabel Smith)
78. Little Esther
79. "Kansas City Jimmy" Smith
80. Big John Greer
81. The Trenier Twins
82. Jesse Thomas
83. Clarence Garlow
84. The X-Rays
85. Eddie Woodland
86. The Shadows
87. Eddie Gorman
88. Little Miss Sharecropper (LaVern Baker)
89. Pete Johnson
90. The Blenders
91. Devonia Williams
92. Johnny Crawford
93. Doc Pomus
94. Madonna Martin
95. René Hall
96. Tiny Webb
97. Joe Houston
98. The Rhythm Riffers
99. Buster Bennett
100. Ray Charles

25 Greatest Direct Influences On The Birth of Rock 'N' Roll
1. Louis Jordan
2. Roy Milton & His Solid Senders
3. The Ink Spots
4. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
5. T-Bone Walker
6. Illinois Jacquet
7. Joe Liggins & His Honeydrippers
8. Lucky Millinder
9. The Mills Brothers
10. The Soul Stirrers
11. Bull Moose Jackson
12. The Delta Rhythm Boys
13. Dinah Washington
14. The Charioteers
15. Buddy Johnson
16. The Golden Gate Quartet
17. Julia Lee
18. Champion Jack Dupree
19. Albert Ammons
20. Johnny Moore's Three Blazers
21. The Five Red Caps
22. Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
23. The Cats And The Fiddle
24. The King Cole Trio
25. Les Paul