Best British Rock Bands

I was fortunate to grow up in the 60's and 70's and love approximately 80% of bands on this list. Our bands pushed boundaries in creativity, entertained big time, and penned thought provoking songs, giving us a huge legacy of avenues to follow. Should The Beatles be number 1 on this? Yes (in my personal opinion), but who cares! A massive thanks to all of our bands for your brilliant gift!
Listen. I don't understand how anyone can listen to Elanore Rigby, Paint it Black or Black Dog and not completely understand why Beatles, Stones and Zeppelin are now and always will be the top three Greatest British Bands Ever. PERIOD. End Topic.
That said, four through ten are seriously up for debate but number 4 is Queen. 'enough Said. The rest of you can fight over 5...
Is this a joke? Who placed Queen on the first place? by the way I Want To Hold Your Hand is a pop song but many of the post Rubber Soul era songs are one of the greatest songs ever created!
1. The Beatles
2. Led Zeppelin
3. The Rolling Stones
4. The Clash
5. The Who
6. Pink Floyd
7. Black Sabbath
8. The Kinks
9. Cream
10. Queen
America has the best solo artists, Britain has the best bands

Queen were always different, no question about that. The fact that they produced songs from so many different genres just shows that these guys were geniuses, both musically and in other aspects.
Also, most of their best songs have stood the test of time (and I don't just mean Bohemian Rhapsody), more than can be said for many other bands.
I do think that The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd deserve their fame; I love all these bands and their music (though in my humble opinion, I prefer Queen over Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd).
P.S. Freddie was probably (actually, most likely) the most impressive rock vocalist of all time. This is justified by other lists, other websites, and all viewpoints of people I know (and myself, of course).
Powerhouse band of four ingenious writers with different styles, songs covering every topic from time difference when travelling at near light speed to heart breaking songs about their lead singer's death, Queen is one of the most influential and long-lasting rock bands in history.
Definitely top 3, no questions asked. Why? I don't know...Bohemian Rhapsody? We will Rock You? Another One Bites The Dust? The fact that each member has written a number 1 song is ridiculous enough. Queen truly are one of the best rock bands of all time..let alone one of the best out of the UK
These Are The Days Of Our Lives is definitely one of my faves by them. Tear Jerker.

Should be number 1 or 2 after the Beatles. Totally original, one of a kind, & avant garde. They paved the way for everything that's followed without ever blatantly stealing from others like Zeppelin, who in my opinion shouldn't even be in the top 10!
Not my favourite but still amazing! They are unique and their guitar solos are amazing!
The absolute best; better than the Beatles, no matter what any Beatles fan or Beatle says. They are unbeatable.
This band always made people ask questions. I think that's what is really important.

Best Drummer
Page was a mind blowing master on the guitar, blues, classical, bluegrass, heavy metal.
Jones played bass and organ and added the hypnotic psychedelic vibs.
And Plant would bring you back to life with his unique and amizingly loud bellows!
The most versatile band beside the Beatles of which I'm also a huge fan.
Stones, Zep or latter Beatles. You can't go wrong.
But Zepp was my personal favorite, listening to them at night on a dark country road with Page's guitar echoing was a major trip.
They were so good at their craft, that honestly I just have to listen to all the subtleties, in almost every song, they've ever put out to consider them the best rock n' roll/blues-rock/hard-rock band ever.
Stairway to Heaven (of course), Rock n' Roll, Kashmir - all brilliant! Listen to Led Zeppelin! Any one who says they are terrible are 102% Justin Bieber fans...
My brother hates led zeppelin, but I love Them! I'm a big led zeppelin fan, and wish my brother would be as well!

PLEASE! All you Stones haters who say they're old and dried up, Please for your fathers' sake, read early Stephen King and listen to young Stones. Master King will teach you what it means to be a Stones fan.
Once the Beatles disbanded they really came into their own. Just great rock'n roll.
I'm not a massive fan, but they are still great!
The only rock n roll band with the most inspiring music of all time.. they have over 20 songs that I can say all of them are simply PERFECT than whole Beatles and the rest bands ever

Incredible range and pioneers in every sense of the word. Smashing guitars, the craziest drummer ever and the best bassist of all time. Pete Townshend is an incredible lyricist and composer and produced killer riffs while leading innovation all aroud. Oh, and the most iconic scream of rock by one of the most powerful voices ever heard from a band frontman. Between 1969 and 1973 they were the biggest rock band in the world and remained top notch till '78. After that, they still produced some gems worth listening to, but it was never the real deal again.
The Who are way underrated and deserve much more respect. Anyone who hasn't listened to Quadrophenia cannot call themselves a music fan.
Two rock operas on the silver screen, tore theatres apart with a mixture merlin could not concoct!
Their top stuff was excellent, but not deep enough in quality production.

The band became mainstream after improving after their debut album got panned. In 1978, Osbourne was fired and replaced with former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Who went to release 2 albums before leaving in 1983, only for Osbourne to return in 1992. ...read more.
Heavy metal not rock.

I overrated the beatles and stones because I knew there would be a riot in England if I didn't have them in the top 5. I came later so in my opinion Motorhead, Judas Priest, Saxon, and especially Iron Maiden are all way better than the Beatles, Stones, Led Zep, and Queen. I couldn't cheat Iron Maiden outta the number one spot, they've earned it.
Best band ever not even joking. Still brilliant even today. Senjutsu is so surprisingly good. Just great. Please vote.
They are my favorite band, but they are metal not rock.
New wave heavy metal not heavy rock.

A band consagrated with an everlating "critical acclaim". 9 albums, each different than the last one yet with outstanding songs and protrayimg different and versatile landscapes and moods that simply blow your brains off of you let them. For the respect of music itself. Put them at least in the top ten (they're better than muse and oasis for starters)
Masters who continue to pioneer and top their past work to this day, Radiohead are unbeatable and the definitive alternative rock legends.
Radiohead's probably the only perfect band in existence. They make phenomenal music that is timeless.
Ok computer one of the best album of all time. in rainbows is the first album to have an anything you can pay of payment

The Kinks influenced more bands and their music will be listened to and studied for generations,!...No one could pen lyrics like Ray Davies.
One of my favorites. Was "You Really Got Me" one of the first heavy metal sounds? Maybe. Yet they could be funny as well.
Such a great band!

They went for there debut album in 94 to playing 2 nights to 150,000 people at Knebworth 2 years later, where about 2.6 million people applied for tickets. In terms of which british band is actually the best, it's obviously The Beatles. But Oasis are my favourite band
How on earth are Iron Maiden ahead of Oasis? Makes no sense to me. In my opinion Oasis are greatest band of all time.
My all time favourite band, people forget how big they were, all 7 of their albums went to #1 in the UK!
One of the most underrated bands in history, all their songs are meaningful for all kind of people

They should be 9th, behind the elite 8. In their time, they were way better than Oasis, Radiohead and Muse. Those bands have a dull style of rock.
Longevity, live capability, working class roots, triumph over adversity. The band that has it all - the British Rock Gods.
How can Def Leppard be 13? Hysteria sold over 25 million copies world wide and still continues to sell on a daily basis.
How on earth is oasis, Blur & Coldplay on the list. Not one of them is a rock band, 1st two are indie and the last one is pop

This list is crazy and out of focus. Deep Purple are one of the founding farthers of the genre they should be in the top 3. Beatles are not rock really.

I think that Muse is the best band in the 21st Century. Matt is one of the best guitarists and especially one of the best singers in rock history, no doubt. Chris is one of the best bassists and what can I say about Dom, along with John Bonham they dominate the world of music... They are the Best!
I couldn't believe that. Muse is oone of the best bands, their style are amazing and spectacular, they have very good songs, Time is Running Out, Starlight, Hysteria, Black Star, United States of Eurasia etc...
They are similar and they are different at the same time. Great combination of classic music and hard rock in together with Matt's voice will leave no one indifferent.
Muse over Radiohead. You have got to be kidding me. The substatiation of the votes found in the comments read like a high school yearbook. You gotta get out more!


As a newer band, I really think they have proved themselves to be one of the best British Rock groups just like the old rocks groups I grew up listening too. I know there are different types of rock music. But if you keep rocking, we will keep listening.
They are very creative artists. They put a nice touch towards their songs. Both Clocks and Speed of Sound are one of my many favorite singles.

Innovation between each records, good double guitar, excellent vocalist, big influence other for metal bands.

First of acid rock bands, then they were gone, well, not Clapton, he is still rocking. Maybe I just like almost everything Clapton ever did. Cream was really special for the time, and a great start for what followed. Here at 16 is OK, I guess because most of what followed with Clapton was done in the US with American artist or groups considered American.
Cream were innovators of hard rock. The greatest blues rock band ever. Should be top 5.
Best musician on each instrument at the time, and then some.

Is there any thing more complimentary than stummer's vocals and jones's riffs? They are more than just a punk band and tried things that no other band had ever done before. I grew up with this band and I they wont get old
The Clash is an amazing band and their music has held up very well today!
Best punk band ever, and where are the Pistols?
Best british band ever

They took you into another world.
Come people get with it!

Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, and Young Guns are higher than Yes. Welp, I've seen everything.
Todays people don't know what real music is.


They have released four studio albums: Pastel Painted People In Candy Coloured Crowds (2023), Mesmer Theatre (2020), Lemon Freddy Phantom Of The Sky (2017) and Tomorrow Is Yesterday (2016). They have released three singles: Ghostwriter (2016), Lemon Freddy (2018) and Wishes Last Forever (2019). ...read more.
The Arcana are not only the best British rock band they are the best rock period.
I don't actually think any other band British band combines the shear artistry of The Arcana

Pop rock not pure rock.

The clash, dire straits, Rolling Stones and many more bands should definitely be high on the list but this is my all time favourite band and it should definitely be at least in top 15.
I like other bands in here like The Beatles, Queen and The Kink more, but I feel like these guys are just too low on this list.
Should be higher.