Top Ten Artists Who Have Played Multiple Genres

The Top Ten
1 Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore was a Northern Irish musician, most widely recognised as a singer, songwriter, and virtuoso rock and blues guitarist.

In time order: hard rock, heavy metal, blues rock, blues, jazz

2 Metallica Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman".

With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.

Released 4 great Thrash Metal records that helped pioneer and popularize the genre.
Switched to an old school metal/hard rock sound with The Black Album, and kept releasing commercial hard rock albums.
Death Magnetic returned to thrash in some ways

3 Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use the technique of overdubbing. They also incorporate large amounts of orchestral arrangements. Hansi Kürsch creates a huge choir effect by overdubbing his own voice multiple times in complex, overlapping harmonies. Thanks to overdubs and numerous backing vocals Blind Guardian stand out with a very dense sound.

Thrashy Speed Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal. Created at least one masterpiece in every of these subgenres:
Speed Metal - Majesty
Power Metal - Nightfall
Progressive Metal - And Then There Was Silence
Symphonic Metal - Sacred Worlds

4 The Beatles The Beatles were an English pop rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They were soon known as the foremost and most influential act of rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. ...read more.

Most diverse band ever

The second is The Who

They are number 1

Just on the White album ALONE, they did;
Pop rock, hard rock, surf rock, psychedelic rock, folk rock, punk rock, Minuet Waltz [Piggies], Western Cowboy Lament [Rocky Raccoon], Political Protest, Dance Hall [Obladi-Oblada],Lullaby [Goodnight], Experimental [Revolution 9], the most popular "birthday" song ever except for HB itself, and even a good old traditional ballad.
Absolutely nobody can touch them for versatility.

5 Bathory Bathory was a Swedish Black/Viking Metal band formed in 1983 by Quorthon and Jonas Åkerlund. Bathory's first 4 albums layed the blueprint for Scandinavian Black Metal. Quorthon is often credited with creating the "shrieking" vocal style of Black Metal. Their 5th album, Hammerheart (1990) displayed old school Heavy Metal with a Nordic folk twist, creating Viking Metal. Majority of their work was Viking Metal , but Bathory is most well known for their first 4 , which proved influential to many future Black Metal bands. Bathory ended in 2004 when Quorthon died of heart failure.

One of my favorites.
Started out with a Black Metal style, with Quorthon being credited with creating the guttaral Black Metal vocal style.
Their 5th album began an era of Viking/Folk Metal, which leaves Bathory credited with creating Viking Metal.
They also released a few Thrash albums

6 Sepultura Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Their first album, Morbid Visions presented a proto-black metal sound with Wagner Lamounier of Sarcófago. Sepultura's sound varies by the album, from thrash metal, groove metal, and even death metal.

Started out with an early black metal album with the current Sarcófago vocalist.
Then released 4 great thrash metal albums with slight death metal influences.
Released 2 Groove Metal albums which helped pioneer the genre. The second of which (Roots) is credited with pioneering Nu Metal.

They've been releasing mostly Groove Metal albums since Max Cavalera left

7 David Bowie David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress. He is credited for his experimental and creative musical discography which has won praise and accolades for many critics and fans. The man who the world knew as David Bowie was an actor, a painter, a philosopher, and many other things. But first and foremost, and what he was known for most, he was a rock star, covering every genre from psychedelic folk to industrial. His influence on fashion, music, and pop culture in general remains as his legacy--along, of course, with his unforgettable music.
8 Bob Dylan Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and artist who has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades.
9 Behemoth Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground.

Started out Black Metal
Switched to Death Metal
Now play a great fusion of Death and Black Metal

10 Carcass Carcass are a British extreme metal band from Liverpool, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reformation was enacted in 2007 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons.

Started out with 2 Grindcore/Goregrind albums, which helped pioneer Grindcore along with Napalm Death.
Switched to a more pure Death Metal sound.
Then started playing Melodic Death Metal, and played a big role in the spread of Melodeath.
Today, they play regular death metal

Bill Steer: "What should we do today? "
Jeff Walker: "Let's create a new genre and push it to perfection! "

The Contenders
11 Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian post-grunge band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Canada. The band is composed of guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan Peake, bassist Mike Kroeger, and drummer Daniel Adair.
12 Pink Alecia Beth Moore known professionally as P!NK, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress.
13 Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie Sr., known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, musician, record producer, activist, minister and actor.
14 Pantera Pantera was an American heavy metal band formed in 1981 by guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul. The band started out as a glam metal act in the 1980s with little success. After discarding their original lead vocalist and enlisting Phil Anselmo, the band signed a major record deal with Warner Music Group via Atco Records. Around this time, Pantera underwent a major change in their musical... read more

Started out with a few Glam Metal records, and were not well known.
New vocalist came in, and they released a Traditional Metal/Speed Metal album with 'Power Metal'
Released 5 Groove Metal albums, which invented Groove Metal, and made them the biggest Metal band of the 90s.

15 Moby Moby is an American musician, who has produced inventive new styles to various subgenres of electronic music, inspired by 1950's gospel as much as by modern rock, and musicians from New Order to David Bowie. ...read more.

I don't think there's a musical genre he hasn't been inspired by.

16 Heino
17 Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She was born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania. Swift is best known for writing personal songs and has won 13 Grammy Awards... read more

Never thought I'd see Slayer and Taylor Swift on the same list.

She sang a duet with def leppard

18 Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. ...read more.

I don't agree with this. Slayer has been playing thrash since day 1, and some say they are the only band of the big 4 to stay true to thrash.

Diablos in Musica is considered a Nu Metal album, but still has thrash elements in it. So I wouldn't say the played different genres

I agree with Ryan.

19 Queen Queen are an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals). Before forming into Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in a band ...read more.
20 XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy (January 23, 1998 - June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, and often referred to as X, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and criminal.

Definitely has a lot of genres in his music, lives up to his words

21 Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American alternative rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The current members include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ), and Rob Bourdon (drums). Linkin Park is associated with a mixture of alternative rock, hip hop, and techno. Some of their influences include Nine Inch Nails, Deftones,... read more

Tge other word for diversity is Linkin Park. Not only they switched genres multiple times, but also they were hugely successful in those genres

22 Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian–French singer-songwriter and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million.
23 Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has ...read more.
24 The Isley Brothers
25 Darkthrone Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. It formed in 1986 as a death metal band under the name Black Death. In 1991, the band embraced a black metal style influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost and became one of the leading bands in the Norwegian black metal scene. Their first three black metal albums—A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Under a Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger (sometimes dubbed the "Unholy Trinity") are considered the peak of the band's career and to be among the most influential albums in the genre. For most of this time, Darkthrone has been a duo of Nocturno Culto and Fenriz, who have sought to remain outside the music mainstream. Since 2006, their work has strayed from ...read more.

Started out as one of the most infamous and popular Norwegian Black Metal bands, and today they play Crust Punk

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