The greatest rock bands and artists of all time all have their mythology. There are so many incredible stories about them that I sometimes doubt that they were ever real. But then I remember the songs, the albums, the posters on the wall.
Assembling a list of the 150 greatest rock bands and artists of all time is not an easy task. Not even for me.
But I’ve been fair, and, dare I say it, I’ve been inspired. Yes, the list places a lot of focus on guitar bands. On loud guitar bands! But the great innovators of rock music are included. It’s only fair.
Here are the best rock bands and artists that rock music has to offer us.
Top 100 Greatest Rock Bands and Artists of All Time
1. The Beatles
I have not been able to change my opinion about The Beatles. Believe me, I have tried. I’ve tried to think of them as overrated. I have tried to complain that I hear their songs too often. Nothing will work. The Beatles’ work is sublime. In fact, for their short lifespan, I believe that they are examples of artistic inventiveness in the 20th Century. Ol’ John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Besides, I think nearly nothing of their work sounds contrived. We are surprised each time we hear “Sgt. Pepper’s” or “The White Album” because they must’ve also been surprised hearing the songs come together for the first time. The Beatles are the most influential rock band in the world, and that’s saying something. Rock music may come and go, but not The Beatles. They are the greatest rock band of all time.
2. Led Zeppelin
The first time I heard Led Zeppelin, I was a kid. Many of the songs sounded like folk tales set to music. There was a beginning where characters and events were introduced and an ending where it all seemed to end in a glorious fight between good and evil. That’s the format of “Stairway to Heaven,” of course, but of other songs as well.
I argue that Led Zeppelin was far more subtle than people give them credit. This is why they don’t really have any true correspondents, just imitators. Like The Beatles, Zep had a brilliant line-up. It was Jimmy Page‘s crystal clear vision and the undeniable talent of Robert Plant, John Bonham and the great John Paul Jones that helped things come together.
Their music was subtle, but their rule wasn’t. Led Zeppelin approached the rock world like Vikings pillaging off the coast of England. They took what they liked and made it yours. But if it were that easy, all would do it. I think Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest rock bands, and I can’t see anyone ever beating them at their own game.
(Also) 2. Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan turned rock songwriting into a serious art form. Of course, he came through it by way of folk music and poetry. By the 1960s, he had begun playing electric rock, to the despair of some of his original folk fans. But it was during this time that he created the likes of “Blonde on Blonde,” one of the greatest albums of all time.
Dylan was, indeed, a mysterious man who disliked fame. His work after 1975’s “Blood on the Tracks,” was notoriously unpredictable. He could spring-release albums that felt like practical jokes or bonafide classics that rivalled his classics.
Luckily, Bob Dylan is still making great music. In fact, it’s all added up. No other artist on this list has more great compositions than Dylan or history buffs obsessing over every line that he’s ever produced. Bob Dylan is one of the truly great artists of modern times.
3. Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd, even more than The Kinks, The Smiths, or The Libertines, echoed a lost sense of Britishness I’ve always thought. With Syd Barrett helming the band, they wrote tunes that sounded like Victorian-era dreams of adventure. I’ve always thought that under the leadership of Roger Waters, Pink Floyd sounded like well-educated English lords concerned with the state of the world. With David Gilmour running things, the band sounded like older, at-peace English gentlemen.
Pink Floyd’s run of albums from the early 1970s is nearly unmatched. They took grandiose concepts and created works that are known the world over. They made progressive rock’s ambitions accepted by the radio-listening public. I can’t deny Pink Floyd’s greatness.
4. Queen
I, like others, was first struck by the confidence of the Queen and its four members. The band’s music was glorious, yet played like everyone in the world ought to hear it. They played stadiums as if they personally owned them. They also created sophisticated, anthemic albums that continue to be one of the standards by which all other LPs are judged. I knew it then, and as I am sure Freddie Mercury always did as well – Queen was destined to be one of the greatest rock bands.
5. The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones‘ singer, Mick Jagger, predicted a short career for himself. He would soon be off to work in a bank somewhere. I am glad that he was wrong.
The Rolling Stones was The British Invasion blended with incredible workmanship and the occasional sparks of unbelievable flair. They made great records, obeyed no law, and I hope that long they may run onto the world’s stages.
6. David Bowie
David Bowie, I am certain, was always burdened by the feeling that he was different from others. Not better, necessarily, but certainly not regular.
He became a recording artist after many experiments with different Philippines and various art forms. That decision gave us “Space Oddity,” “Hunky Dory,” “Ziggy Stardust” or “Let’s Dance.”
I often can’t believe these belong to the same man. And, in a way, they don’t. David Bowie was many people at the same time, in congregation, working to create one of the great bodies of work in rock music.
7. The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys was a band I struggled to understand until one day. I’d always thought of them as happy American kids who’d sang about girls and cars.
But then I learned that Brian Wilson wasn’t talking about girls and cars. Not just that. I suppose he was talking about the universe and sounds that expressed holy splendour. That made listening to “Pet Sounds” a wholly different experience. It opened me up to finally experiencing the greatness of The Beach Boys.
8. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley can’t be denied off this list. Your ears, like mine, may need to adjust to the sound of his recordings. You will have, like me, believe the stories of just what a revelatory force he was. But once you’re in, you’re in. Elvis Presley made most of the people on this list fall in love with rock n’ roll, and I can’t rob The King of his throne.
9. The Kinks
The Kinks are the best band that most people in the world only know two songs by. I think so. But I’m not alone. Although not quite as popular as The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, those who appreciate The Kinks think of them as masters.
Ray Davies is the songwriters’ songwriter. He didn’t get along with his brother Dave, a great guitarist. They were English and born into a world that was disappearing. They made some of the best songs ever written, and I think even John Lennon, in a moment of clarity and honesty, would’ve admitted it. That is the story of The Kinks.
10. Nirvana
Nirvana is a fashionable band. But it’s been so many years. They only made three albums, I hear you say. But they’re well-regarded decades later. Their music was basic and derivative. Still, so many years later, so many new rock bands have tried to sound like them.
The truth is that Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain particularly, made everything look easy. Yes, it was effortless. That’s greatness for you. I don’t think we need more than three albums to prove that to us.
11. Aerosmith
Aerosmith is the ultimate American rock band to the point that their story is a cliche. It’s not because they lacked originality. It’s because they are the template for most other bands of their type.
Sure, I understand. Aerosmith was the U.S. version of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones to begin with. But “Sweet Emotion,” “Walk This Way,” or “Jenny’s Got a Gun” could’ve only come from them. Bless Steven Tyler’s screaming and Joe Perry’s riff-translating fingers.
12. R.E.M.
R.E.M. is, I think, the greatest success story in rock music. The most successful people are those who do what they love without having to change. They’re even happier when their peers admire them and when they are rewarded. R.E.M. managed to be the biggest band in alternative rock while never sacrificing their standards or neutering their creativity. That’s success in my book!
13. The Clash
The Clash had the greatest slogan any band ever used for themselves. They were “the only band that mattered”, they argued. Was it because their songs dealt with important, modern issues? Was it because their music included so many styles besides punk-rock or because they had global hits?
It was all of that. Joe Strummer will be happy to know he was right. If you have to choose just one band to listen to, I don’t think you’ll go wrong choosing The Clash.
14. The Who
The Who, for a band of its size and fame, survives as a myth. I’ve heard many people talk of them as if having witnessed something special. Like having watched the greatest football team ever playing or some religious miracle,
The Who, at their best, had something that felt like it could never happen again. But that’s not all. They birthed the rock opera with “Tommy” and made one of the greatest hard-rock albums with “Who’s Next.” I’m not always a fan, but I can’t deny that The Who is a colossal rock band.
15. AC/DC
AC/DC, I am sure, upon the inevitable alien invasion we keep being warned off, will be the band that will be used by our alien overlords to understand what rock music is.
Yes, AC/DC is the standard. They are the definitive rock band. And, as Angus Young will boast, they have the same album, remade about seventeen times, to prove it. But, oh, what a set of songs that album contains.
16. Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols was, I know, a one-album wonder. But they weren’t just a wonder. They were a miracle.
It shouldn’t have worked so well. They were just a group of kids that Malcolm McLaren paid to start trouble. But then, they started playing. And, lo and behold, nothing could stand in their way. Nothing but fate.
“Nevermind the Bollocks” is an album Sex Pistols never managed to redo or outdo. But I’m sure nobody else did, either.
17. Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry invented the guitar hero, the great rock songwriter and the sleazy rock star all in one go. I am in awe of a man of such talent.
He made some great songs. At least twenty-eight by Berry estimations. And then, he worked for the clubs with the assistance of cheap pick-up bands. But it was enough. It was more than enough.
From “Johnny B. Goode” to “Nadine,” Chuck Berry proved that he was in a league of his own. That’s why he is one of the greatest rock artists of all time. Thanks, Chuck!
18. Jimi Hendrix Experience
Jimi Hendrix, people said, could do magic. He knew voodoo. Some say he turned water into wine and that virgins would lose their chastity just by staring into his eyes.
Ah, just all wives’ tales. Who wouldn’t believe them, though? Jimi Hendrix had reinvented the guitar and made Eric Clapton weep in jealous agony.
I don’t always listen to Jimi Hendrix Experience nowadays, but I know they deserve a place among the greatest rock bands ever.
19. Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, I am certain, could’ve been called The Saintly Kids Who Help Grannies Cross the Street and would’ve been branded as evil. Just hear Toni Iommi’s guitar wail!
Sure, Black Sabbath invented a sound. It’s the sound that so many heavy metal styles are born from – doom, stoner rock, sludge metal. But this wasn’t the work of a one-trick pony. Through a colossal career in which the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio were occasional members, Black Sabbath recorded many timeless rock albums.
20. The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground are, yes, I know, impossibly cool. They palled with Andy Warhol. Moe Tucker didn’t sit down playing drums. And Lou Reed had as much wit as Oscar Wilde on a late Friday evening.
But that’s not why I like them, personally. I like them because they recorded four excellent, artsy albums using the most basic rock n’ roll elements for most of the songs. I like them because it doesn’t take a college degree to understand them. And I like The Velvet Underground because I am afraid that saying otherwise might mean John Cale will find out where I live.
21. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and Heartbreakers‘ discography is a mighty satisfying one. It’s just the sound that they got early on, a mix of The Byrids, the Rolling Stones and New Wave. It’s not just the fact that they had big hits in multiple decades. More than anything, it’s the quality of the songs.
When it came to songwriting, the usually good-natured Petty was relentless and willing to do anything. Such single-mindedness paid off. By the time of his untimely passing in 2017, the world had come to rely on Petty and his legendary backing band, The Heartbreakers, for great classic rock. In his absence, the work’s quality is most strongly felt.
22. Ramones
The Ramones didn’t just invent themselves, their identities, or their haircuts. They practically invented an entire genre. By the time it had been exported into Britain, it’d become angrier and nihilistic, and the music had come to be known as “punk.”
Ramones, however, weren’t nihilistic. They were just plain weird NYC kids with ample collective imaginations and a bag full of great songs. Throughout their career, they kept a formula going. This can be defined by keeping things simple, the same, and usually fantastic.
23. The Smiths
Everything about The Smiths was great. The jangly guitars were gorgeous. The lyrics were thought-provoking. And, in a world of grey, faceless pop bands, The Smiths couldn’t help but stand out.
The Smiths resulted from the unlikely but great partnership between Stephen Morrissey and Johnny Marr. It ended in tears, of course. But during their short existence, The Smiths revitalized guitar music and started more rumours and scandals than any royal ever could.
24. Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Marley was a superstitious man, of course. But these helped him believe in his music as belonging to a kind of holy quest. And it worked; by the end of his career, few hadn’t been made aware of Marley hits, Rastafarianism, weed consumption, or The Wailers’ native Jamaica.
Those who love Marley best also like to remember that, like John Lennon, Marley stood for peace and understanding between humans. Meanwhile, those who just like the radio hits have plenty to work with.
25. Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac was partly a rock band with an ever-changing roster and partly a soap opera, which made for great copy. The group was started as a vehicle for Peter Green’s moody, memorable blues-rock licks. Green and the band succumbed to drug addiction and madness.
But by the 1970s, a soft-rock, well-produced other version of the group existed. Its album “Rumours” made them the biggest band in the world. And while drama followed the band throughout its career, so did the great songs.
26. The Cure
The Cure isn’t merely the flagship band for gothic rock, a music genre over which singer Robert Smith has never taken patronage. The Cure is one of the most interesting, versatile bands to come out of the great punk boom of the 1970s.
Determined and hard-working, Robert Smith and The Cure have crafted an impressive discography. Tone-wise, these range from the morbid and strange to the light and poppy. The world will always see The Cure’s musicians as peddlers of doom. But that’s fine. Regardless of this, they are one of the greatest bands of all time.
27. Oasis
Oasis was an explosion. Loved by many and hated by nearly as many, in the 90s, the Gallagher brothers couldn’t be ignored. It was because of their brash self-confidence. But it was also because of the incredible number of great songs that filled up early albums like “What’s the Story (Morning Glory).”
And, while the pace couldn’t be sustained, Oasis added other great songs past their 1997 peak. That’s why the news of their reunion in 2025 made millions apply for a chance to see them live. Can so many people be wrong? Often, yes. But, this time, it’s all in the songs.
28. The Doors
The Doors dreamed of rock n’ roll as a shamanistic ritual. Once film students, Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek re-fashioned themselves as the nightmarish, anything-goes cousins of the Californian hippies.
Sure, The Doors had some great songs. But it was Morrison’s capacity to inspire devotion or rioting which spoke to rock’s spirit. The band’s initial run was short, but songs like “Break On Through” or “Riders on the Storm,” as well as scandals, cemented the reputation as one of the greatest rock bands ever.
29. Iggy Pop and The Stooges
Iggy Pop and The Stooges didn’t know they were helping create a brand-new sound. All they knew is that they were working hard to tear down the old one. They did it in a simple, brash, rocking way of playing. Soon, it would be called “punk.”
The Stooges were magnificent. But they were destined to be doomed quickly. Iggy Pop managed to carry on. First, he brought the basic rock ideas to a shell-shocked Berlin for albums like “The Idiot.” Next, and for the rest of his career, he bravely experimented with sounds. All the while, he retained the same philosophy – do it loudly and leave a mark!
30. Deep Purple
Deep Purple, on their finest day, were a force to be reckoned with. Of the great hard-rock bands of the 1970s, none was louder or included more proficient musicians.
But Purple also knew that musical wizardry alone didn’t pay the bills. Their Mk. II line-up registered hits like “Smoke on the Water.” Future iterations would occasionally travel the way of pop-rock.
It’s the 1970s output of the band that is most celebrated. Pioneers of album-oriented rock as well as stage masters, Deep Purple deserves to be referred to as one of the finest rock bands in history.
31. Van Halen
32. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
33. Elvis Costello and The Attractions
34. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
35. Yes
36. Patti Smith
37. The Police
38. The Replacements
39. Jeff Beck
40. Radiohead
41. Genesis
42. Iron Maiden
43. Pearl Jam
44. Rush
45. Metallica
46. Creedence Clearwater Revival
47. Faces
48. Santana
49. Talking Heads
50. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
51. Red Hot Chili Peppers
52. The Allman Brothers Band
53. Nine Inch Nails
54. Judas Priest
55. Eagles
56. The Cars
57. Pixies
58. Ween
59. Soundgarden
60. Dire Straits
61. Jethro Tull
62. Alice Cooper
63. Lynyrd Skynyrd
64. ZZ Top
65. Pavement
66. The Jam
67. Guns n’ Roses
68. Cheap Trick
69. Bad Company
70. The White Stripes
71. Thin Lizzy
72. Supertramp
73. Roxy Music
74. Grateful Dead
75. U2
76. Motorhead
77. The Strokes
78. Scorpions
79. Electric Light Orchestra
80. Journey
81. Boston
82. Green Day
83. Joy Division
84. Alice in Chains
85. Megadeth
86. Television
87. Rainbow
88. Heart
89. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
90. The Byrds
91. Tears For Fears
92. Free
93. Mott the Hoople
94. Nazareth
95. Uriah Heep
96. Toto
97. Dinosaur Jr.
98. The Cramps
99. Faith No More
100. Janis Joplin (Big Brother & The Holding Company)
Make sure to check out the accompanying playlist and subscribe for more playlists!
And jump deeper. Alt77 has lists and playlists of the greatest bands in several genres and styles.
Honorable Mentions
101. Steve Miller
102. Curtis Mayfield
103. Warren Zevon
104. Pretenders
105. Tom Waits
106. KISS
107. Van Morrison
108. Golden Earring
109. Cream
110. Dio
111. The Band
112. Bon Jovi
113. Ike & Tina Turner
114. The Pretty Things
115. Slayer
116. Ten Years After
117. Tesla
118. Jefferson Airplane
119. Blur
120. America
121. Joe Jackson
122. The Yardbirds
123. The Smashing Pumpkins
124. Traffic
125. Misfits
126. Blue Oyster Cult
127. Blue Cheer
128. Foo Fighters
129. Buffalo Springfield
130. Steppenwolf
131. The Guess Who
132. The J. Geils Band
133. Todd Rundgren
134. Heroes del Silencio
135. Foghat
136. Kansas
137. Muse
138. Linkin Park
139. Motley Crue
140. Jane’s Addiction
141. The Animals
142. Whitesnake
143. Weezer
144. Queens of the Stone Age
145. The Runaways
146. Saxon
147. Meat Loaf
148. The Doobie Brothers
149. The Black Crowes
150. Humble Pie
