Most Epic Rock N' Roll Bands of All Time

There are many great bands belonging to the gender of Rock N' Roll. But only a few are epic. This list is about Rock N' Roll gods and legends.
The Top Ten
1 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (Vocal), Jimmy Page (Guitar), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboard) and John Bonham (Drums) and was very much the child of Jimmy Page who even financed their first tour. He had tasted some previous success with The [original] Yardbirds and was friendly with some big names in rock. Page states it was Keith Moon of The Who that claimed the band could only go down, like a lead balloon -- thus prompting the iconic name of Led Zeppelin. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors ...read more.

People argue about plagiarism. Yes, they have plagiarized work, but have you heard Led's talent? John Bonham slamming the drums in songs like When The Levee Breaks and How Many More Times, Jimmy Page playing the guitar like a god in songs like Stairway to Heaven and making riffs like Moby Dick and Heartbreaker, Robert Plant singing perfectly and beautifully in every song but the instrumentals, and John Paul Jones strumming the base guitar amazingly everywhere he goes. Led Zeppelin was a band of pure talent and amazingness, and I feel bad for anyone who thinks otherwise. Also in the age-old argument, Led Zeppelin IS BETTER THAN AC/DC!

Led Zeppelin has written some of the best rock songs ever. A great number of them have been overshadowed by Stairway to Heaven, though. It's sad that a great song like Stairway got so popular that a lot of great songs like Achilles Last Stand, No Quarter, The Battle of Evermore, Living Loving Maid, Houses of the Holy, In The Light, The Ocean, Ramble On, and Good Times Bad Times get overshadowed.

Point is, Led Zeppelin is awesome and should be remember for more than just one great song.

Led Zeppelin easily remain the most enduringly popular, enigmatic, mysterious, legendary, ubiquitous, influential, misunderstood, emulated, worshipped and revered rock band of all time. Beatles & Stones had some of these qualities but Led Zeppelin always possessed something unique and intangible that is very difficult to describe... You just knew that is set them apart from all others.

All of the members of Led Zeppelin were very skilled and very good musicians, but Led Zeppelin was not just Jimmy Page, or Robert Plant. Led Zeppelin was all four of the guys, and that is what makes Led Zeppelin that great as they are. Their chemistry and musicianship and all of their great songs is what makes Led Zeppelin number 1 for me.

2 Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of 5 members - David Gilmour (Vocals and Guitar), Syd Barrett (Vocals and Guitar), Nick Mason (Drums), Roger Waters (Vocals and Bass), and Richard Wright (Vocals and Keyboard). Barrett was replaced by Gilmour in 1968. ...read more.

When I hear the expression "musical gods", Pink Floyd is the first thing that comes to mind, the pure genius and perfection of every song can overwhelm every other band on this list. My personal favourite album, "Animals", is something that reached the highest level of what I can only call an "unbeatable, untouchable piece of art". Pink Floyd is the best, and the tribute bands out there like Brit Floyd... Etc are amazing as well!

Roger Waters writes much better and more meaningful lyrics than Plant. Jimmy Page beats Gilmour on guitar technique and raw skill, but Gilmour plays with more soul and style, which is why he's my favorite guitarist, and he has one of the coolest unique tones and voices. Rick Wright was a literal god on the keyboard, and his keyboard playing is one of the main things that set apart Pink Floyd's intrumental sound from other bands.

"Wish You Were Here" had only 5 songs (four if you count the two parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond as one part) and yet, it's one of the most complete albums ever made... That alone shows their brilliance (and then there's Dark Side, Meddle, Animals, The Wall, Piper etc). And the guitar solo in Comfortably Numb is the very definition of "epic"!

Even though they aren't my Nr. 1 favorite band (Led Zep is), I think they deserve the Nr. 1 spot. They have 4 legendary concept albums (Dark side of the moon, Wish you were here, Animals and The wall) and don't have any filler songs. They put effort and time into every song they ever did.
Just listen to all of the parts of Shine On You Crazy Diamond and you'll understand.

3 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.

Queen has written some of the most influential songs of all time. Bohemian Rhapsody is #1 on the list of best songs here on the top tens. We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions are also legends and pretty much nobody hasn't heard them at least once. The Show Must Go On and Another One Bites The Dust are also great.

While all those bands have great musicians, Queen is certainly the band with the most epic ballads, Rhapsody, Show Must Go On, Somebody To Love, Champions, Save Me, Fat Bottomed Girls and so on.

God Save The Queen!

No one/band can sing like queen did (Bohemian rhapsody,bycicle race,don't stop me now) Freddy mercury is the greatest rock singer of all time and Bohemian rhapsody is the greatest song.Only the Greatest Band can create the greatest song.Now,queen is the most popular rock band more popular than any rock bands

Queen is most definitely the leader in this field. Never has there have been a band as magnificent as Queen, nor is there ever likely to be.

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 ...read more.

Unlike most other bands, who "mined" their albums for hit singles, The Beatles felt like it was cheating their fans to release singles off of albums. They could easily have had ANOTHER 15-20 #1 hits had they wanted to release them. Examples: While My Guitar Gently Weeps and In My Life, just to name a couple.

The Beetles Couldn't live up to rock expectations, so they sold out and made kids songs after that. So there, they're not even a rock band. Please remove them.

The Beatles CREATED what we call rock today. With more than 265 songs and musicians like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr they deserve the 1st rank!

Lennon, McCartney and Harrison are probably the BEST songwriters/singers (Ringo was an average drummer and mostly there for the ride).

5 The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first settled line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Their best works include songs like Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, Satisfication (Which ranked no. 2 in The Rolling Stones Magazine’s best songs of all time list). The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2012, the band celebrated its 50th anniversary.

BROWN SUGAR AND Mick Jagger was so cute, I would love to party back stage with them even today these men put the rock in Rock in roll

Number 15? In the top 3 for sure. Led zep, stones, floyd, and queen are the gods of rock!

Let it Bleed, best album

6 Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".

Aerosmith is a rock legend and they got so many great hits! They rule! They deserve more credit. They aren't called the "Bad Boys from Boston" for no reason.

Aerosmith is the best band ever you can't just overlook walk this way and sweet emotion

Steven Tyler's voice is the best, Joe Perry's guitar is the best, this band is the best!

Better then Guns N' Roses by far.

7 AC/DC AC/DC are a Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who continued as members until Malcolm's illness and departure in 2014 . They were fronted by Bon Scott until his untimely death due to alcohol poisoning in 1979, after which they hired Brian Johnson ...read more.

ACDC wins on sheer hard work and staying power. All the others except the Stones lasted 5 - 10 years, and only ACDC is still drawing sold out crowds in their 5th decade of performing.

Come on, AC/DC is the best... Listen to their songs like highway to hell, thunderstruck, rock or bust etc. They're great

Their album "Back in Black" is the 2nd highest selling album of all time and rightfully so.

AC/DC must be the first one!

8 Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles formed in 1985. The classic lineup, as signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. Apart from hard rock they are also ...read more.

Guns N' Roses The other word for Rock N ROll... Nobody can mess with those five guys... Always wanted to live like them... God's beautiful 5 mistakes!

If we’re talking epic, then do me a favor and listen to Appetite for Destruction.

I don't understand why people say they got worse over time, chinese democracy was an amazing album, different from their previous stuff but amazing nevertheless

The late 80's was a time saturated with glam metal and dance music. Then along comes GN'R and pushes and shoves its way to the front of the line, beats the bouncer half to death and reminds the world that rock n' roll was never supposed to be corporate, hyper-processed assembly line garbage - it was supposed to be raw and real and terrifying and written straight from the heart. Guns N' Roses may have been a flash in the pan, but they embodied the hedonistic rebelliousness of rock n' roll more thoroughly than any band before or since, and Appetite for Destruction remains the single greatest rock album in the history of the genre.

9 The Who The Who is an English rock band formed in London, England in 1964. The most recognizable lineup was Roger Daltrey (lead vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass guitar), and Keith Moon (drums). They are best known for their live performances and hit songs Baba O'Riley, My Generation, and Won't Get Fooled Again. Some noted achievements were their rock operas, Tommy (album), Quadrophenia (album), and A Quick One, While He's Away (song). ...read more.

I have never understood why Led Zeppelin have been rated higher than The Who. For people who do not know the name Led Zeppelin was coined by John Entwistle and the art work on Zep's first album was done by him. Led Zeppelin was the band John and Kieth Moon wanted to form when they thought of leaving The Who but their driver left them with the details and joined Jimmy Page and the rest as they say is history

The Who of the late 60's & early 70's were phenomenally good. I saw them in 1970 and it was best rock concert I had ever seen (until I saw Led Zeppelin in 1972-nothing ever equaled Zeppelin in their prime). The Who belong in the top three of any "great" rock list.

The who would blow any band off stage. Every Ben wish they were the first to smash their instruments. Who are the first ones to do everything instrument smashing rock opera's movies they are the bar can't raise anymore

How is Queen, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin above the Who? I'll agree with the Beatles because they really started it all but come on and the Doors should be much higher up as well.

10 Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, ...read more.

'Child In Time' speaks EPIC.
Legendary riffs and solos, epic songs - both fast and slow. They are gods of hard rock and heavy metal. Should be in the TOP 5.
They became my Number 1 band of the 70s when I realized how much they did for metal invention.

Nothing is or can be more epic than Smoke in the Water and Highway Star.

The band who started heavy metal. Deserves a top 5 spot.

Child In Time, Lazy, Space Truckin' from Made In Japan.

The Contenders
11 Nirvana Nirvana was an American grunge band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana disbanded after Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. The drummer of the band, David Grohl, went on to start the Foo-Fighters, an alternative rock band. ...read more.

First of all I am 11 but this band is the best kurt's voice is the best and I'm sad I did not grow up in the 90s

They built next 20 years. The vocal melodies.

12 Poison Poison is an American glam and hard rock band that achieved great commercial success in the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.
13 Rush

So far rush is the band fit this category, rolling stones and Beatles, what have you been smoking,

Best drummer, bassist & guitarist, always pushing the ceiling, inspiring technical and integrity of music.

Best Band ever. No one matches their level of detail and complexity in composition. I Like Zep but I doubt they could even play La Villa Strangiato. I doubt any band could. Pure genius and only the chosen can recognize that.

Rush is so epic it is almost ridiculous...

14 Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy Metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The most critically acclaimed period for the band was from 1983-1989. With vocalist Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, lead guitarist Dave Murray, rhythm guitarist Adrian ...read more.

Every thing about iron maiden is AWESOME!

15 Van Halen Van Halen was an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. From 1974 until 1985, the band consisted of guitarist Eddie Van Halen, vocalist David Lee Roth, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony.

They proved that they can make good music with or without their original lead singer

Eddie Van Halen best guitarist on the planet

Best all around band in rock history

16 The Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most important and influential rock bands of the 1960s.
17 The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland. They are most known for their songs "Message In A Bottle", "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Roxanne", ...read more.
18 Green Day Green Day are an American pop punk/punk rock band formed in East Bay, California in 1987. The members include Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass), Tré Cool (drums) and Jason White (guitar). Green Day are associated with punk rock, pop punk and alternative rock. Some of their influences include The Ramones, Sex Pistols, NOFX, and Bad Religion. They are best known for their songs like ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’, ‘Basket Case’ and their ‘American Idiot’ & ‘Dookie’ albums. American Idiot sold 6 million copies in the U.S. and won a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album". Green Day have sold over 75 million records worldwide and have won 5 Grammy Awards. They ...read more.

Awesome rock band! At least the best in the 21st century.. Just listen to songs like 21 guns, boulevard of broken dreams, American idiot, X Kid you will know what is Green Day, and again greetings from India and the whole world

Green Day is the best punk band. Listen to songs like Boulevard of broken dreams, 21 guns and you'll know what is Green Day!
NOT only the Best Punk band BUT the BEST BAND EVER WHO ARE LIVING ON EARTH!
Greetings from India!

Green Day is one of the best rock bands ever. Songs like "Blvd. Of Broken Dreams", "21 Guns", American Idiot", "Waiting", "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are really cool.

Not just boulevard of broken dreams, or 21 guns, or wake me up when September ends, there's fell for you, private ale, stay the night, jesus of suburbia, holiday and... well I doubt I could write the name of all their songs, they are ALL A.W.E.S.O.M. E!

19 The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore.

Too short lived, and mainly remembered for their front-man's hedonism, this band is not a top 10.

What was packed into a four year span is not even fathomable

When it comes to rock n roll,they are one of the best...LA Woman,roadhouse blues are great rock n roll songs

The sound of life!

20 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.

Ummm one of the best bands ever and unbelievable LIVE, how are they way down here?

HOW ARE THEY NOT FURTHER UP?!?
They are the greatest band in history in my opinion, and certainly the best metal band ever.

Metallica should be higher.

21 Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band formed in July 1967, in London. The band have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time.
22 Motörhead Motörhead were an English heavy metal band formed in June 1975 by bassist, singer, and songwriter Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, who was the sole constant member; guitarist and songwriter Larry Wallis; and drummer Lucas Fox. The band's harsh vocals and fast paced tempos helped inspire speed metal and thrash metal.

I'm not a very big motor head fan, because I have heard several of their songs and they all sound pretty much the same, and plus the singer sounds like he has a very small vocal range and he has been smoking too much. (also I can do a spot on impression of him singing. )

23 Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is a hard rock/pop rock band formed in 1983, which had a streak of successful albums in the late 1980s. The band originally consisted of lead vocalist Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Ritchie Sambora (left in 2013), bassist Alec John Such (left in 1994), keyboard David Bryan, and drummer Tico Torres. ...read more.

This band is epic. Their concerts are simply amazing, lyrics very heart-touching and motivating " I just wanna live while I'm alive. It's my life" "this romeo is bleeding but you can't see its blood. There's nothing but some feelings that this old dog, kicked up." "It's been raining since you left me, now I'm drowning in the flood. See I've always been a fighter but without you I give up." "We weren't born to follow, come on and get up of your knees. When life is a bitter pill to swallow you gotta hold on to what you believe." "Who says you can't go home? " Also, their songs tell you a story, a real inspiring story. If you don't believe me listen to wanted dead or alive, never say goodbye, living on a prayer or you give love a bad name and quit listening to these modern new songs that only talk about how many people they slept with, how many parties they've gone to and how drunk they had gotten, etc. I know not every modern song is like this but most of them are.

Best band ever!
The best literally the best!
Os Richie sambora is the best guitar player in the world!
Lol!

Love it since I was only a kid

What about now

24 Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.

The Greatest Band Ever

25 Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in 1977 by Mark Knopfler, his younger brother David Knopfler, John Illsley, and Pick Withers.
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