Top 10 Best Rock Bands of the 20th Century
A list of the greatest rock bands of the past century.
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 named Smile. Freddie Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate... read more Whoop! No wonder they have are number one. They have been in he charts more times than The Beatles, they are the only band to have a Christmas number one on two occasions and not to mention the blend of rock, mock opera, hard rock and ballad in one song! Oh, and all four of them have penned number ones: Freddie Mercury and Bohemian Rhapsody; Brian May and We Will Rock You; Roger Taylor and Radio GaGa and John Deacon with Another One Bites The Dust. Love you Queen. RIP Freddie! X
Just like what I said, Queen is the most talented and perhaps the greatest ever. They are the finest in live performances among any other group. They never split up until Freddie died on 1991. Please bear in mind that music is a form a form of art and not a display of good looking guys like Beatles do. The Beatles only sold and influenced many because of their looks, but their singing talent is like an amateur. Once again, Queen is the best ever!
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... read more Lots of great bands, but seriously? No one even comes close, even though I actually liked Led Zeppelin better. But the influence the Beatles had on music, culture, and the pure insanity of their followers was really something to behold. If you weren't alive at this time and didn't "live it" then your vote should not count because you don't have the perspective and you truly can't understand.
The started a new form of music. Built off of what Elvis and previous rock/blues groups did, the Beatles took that and transformed into a new sound, and with that, they evolutionized music forever. Without their achievements, groups like Queen would never have existed. The Beatles are the most influential music group of the twentieth century without a doubt. They are also arguably the most popular.
Queen is my favorite band. They did everything perfectly (except not calling it quits after their last single in 1997). That being said, the Beatles are the best band of the 20th century, as well as the best band in the history of popular music. I knew this when I first heard the music of the Beatles. I would definitely keep Queen in the top 5, but not number 1. It will always be the Beatles.
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... read more They are one most successful, innovative and influential bands and rock history, they are pioneers of heavy metal and brings a new wave of magic and mysticism on his lyrics and on stage make then mysterious and unique, with songs like: " Black Dog", "Immigrant Song", "Whole Lotta Love" and his famous, the controversial "Stairway to Heaven". They have sold over 200 million albums worldwide according to some sources, while other sources state sales of more than 300 million records, including111.5 million certified units in the United States, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, as well as the second-best-selling band of all time in the US. They have had all of their original studio albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard album chart in the US, with six reaching the number one spot. Rolling Stone magazine has described Led Zeppelin as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the '70s" and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". Similarly, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described the band in the 1970s as being "as influential in that decade as The Beatles were in the prior one". A few of the awards the band have received include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and the Polar Music Prize in 2006. Led Zeppelin were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. The band is ranked number 1 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock and Classic Rock's "50 Best Live Acts of All Time". Led Zeppelin remain one of the most bootlegged artists in the history of rock music. With this no can argue the they are the greatest band of the 20th century. As of 2005, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Queen albums have spent a total of 1,322 weeks (twenty-six years) on the UK Album Charts, more time than any other musical act
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... read more
One of the most charismatics and influencials groups in the history of rock, since his first album released in 1964 we know that they are here to stay. with songs like: " Paint In Black", "Sympaty For The Devil", "Ruby Tuesday", "Honky Tonk Women" and " Brown Sugar" They are one of the most recognizibles rock bands of the world. they were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 they are the second most successful group in the Billboard Hot 100 chart and they re with no doubt the 2nd greatest rock band of the 20th century.
The Stones blazed the trail that Zeppelin later paved.
The very prototypes of Rock Stars.
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 to front the band.
Commonly referred to as a hard rock or blues rock band. Well well well what are the AC/DC doing here?
You all know that the band is great according to their songs
And albums. Though AC/DC's Highway To Hell is better enough to prove
It... And its really really GOOD!
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"... read more Of the Century? More like best band ever. My other favorite band is Green Day, but I chose to vote for this because it's higher up. By the way, popularity does not mean it's the best.
Metallica on 2, still under rated.. Its surely should be number 1... They ruled music for 4 decades.. Listening to Metallica feels like riding the lightening
Absolutely in love with them.
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner. Best American band ever- with more selling records across the world--159million copies sold.
The Eagles were inspired by Led Zeppelins Folk Music side and the Beatles too.
The best mix of the most talented musicians singers / song writers.
Rage Against the Machine is a rap metal band formed in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk. Managed to combine their political views via rap with heavy metal, their band contained one of the most gifted guitarists, Tom Morello, one of the most talented bassist's, Tim Copperfield, an excellent drummer in Brad Wilk and Zack De La Rocha who managed to rap about his views over hard music. They haven't made one bad song and they all have a true meaning, they're definitely one of the most influential and all-round talented bands ever!
Kiss, often styled as KISS, was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. The original members were Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, vocals).Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s. Their shock rock-style live performances featured... read more
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... read more Best live sound and musicianship of them all, ambitious music
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 Hey people, Pink Floyd was more capable of doing anything than Led Zeppelin, simply because they had better sounds and could make any sound. Pink Floyd Rolling Stone magazine said that Pink Floyd did whatever the heck they wanted to do, regardless of the rules. Led Zeppelin's lyrics get cheesy after a while. In my opinion the 2 greatest guitarists of all time are Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour. Nobody else can dig into your soul more than these 2 guitarists. Pink Floyd has better vocals than Robert Plant. Jimmy Page is a great guitarist too, but he sounds extremely messy. I don't really like that. So that's why I go with Hendrix and Gilmour for guitar. Oh by the way, Echoes is a far better song than Stairway to Heaven. There's no comparison. I'm not dissing Led Zep, but I think that Pink foyd is a better artist. They should be ahead of Led Zep and Queen on this list. Pink Floyd would destroy Queen.
Black Sabbath were a Heavy Metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.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... read more
They created heavy metal so...
Heavy metal, man!
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.The band was comprised of Kurt Cobain (Vocals, Guitar), Dave Grohl (Drums) and Krist Novoselic (Bass).
Nirvana is most well-known for their... read more
Kurt Cobain conveys so much emotion through his lyrics and the music.
Legendary riffs in simple yet complex music that is totally underrated
Def Leppard are an English hard rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement.
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 associated with heavy metal... read more
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. The band's most famous album is Slippery When Wet, released in 1986, and had multiple hit singles... read more
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, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of... read more
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. Green day is a very underestimated band. Its songs from 1994 onwards are just spectacular. It is the one which carried forward punk to the 21st century. Even before the release of Dookie the songs were of pretty good quality, with some of their best solos. The recent album trilogy displays their various capabilities. They are a true punk rock band.
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group's musical pursuits, they have maintained a sound built on melodic instrumentals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery,... read more
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first band to define the punk rock sound.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience was an English-American rock band that formed in Westminster, London, in September 1966. Composed of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding, and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969. During this time they released three successful studio albums. This band was amazing. Widely recognized as hugely influential on the development of hard rock and heavy metal in the late-1960s and beyond, The Experience were best known for the skill, style and charisma of frontman Hendrix, who has been voted one of the greatest guitarists by various music publications and writers. All three of the band's studio albums, Are You Experienced (1967), Axis: Bold as Love (1967) and Electric Ladyland (1968), were featured in the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Albums of all time, at positions 15, 82 and 54 respectively. In 1992, The Jimi Hendrix Experience were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His most famous songs are: "Foxy Lady", "Hey Joe", "Purple Haze", "All Along the Watchtower"&"Voodoo Child". For the, is ranking as the 6th greatest rock band of all time.
Personal note: I have wished put the experience a little more higher but because for the lack of more success and impact (due to hendrix's death and the band later disbanded) and short duration don't cut the top 5. It real sad because this band had amazing potential but is ok because they have great success for the short time they last.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band best known for popularizing the Southern rock genre during the 1970s They are known for songs like "Free Bird", "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Tuesdays Gone" . Southern rock and bluesy style is the best. Awesome live!
Oasis were an English britpop band formed in Manchester in 1991. Developed from an earlier group, the Rain, the band originally consisted of Liam Gallagher (vocals and tambourine), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan, and Tony McCarroll. Noel Gallagher (Liam's Brother) served as the primary songwriter and guitarist for the band. They released a total of 7 albums. Definitely Maybe (1994),... read more Should be number one!
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. This band dominate the early to mid 80s' like no other band couldn't do it smiling and dancing but don't underestimate this guys they can rock all night long with songs like: "You Really Got me", "Dreams", "Hot For a Teacher", "Panama"& "Jump ".
As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwideand has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Van Halen is the 19th best-selling band/artist of all time with sales of over 56 million albums in the United States alone, and is one of five rock bands that have had two albums sell more than 10 million copies in the U.S. In 1999, the RIAA certified their debut album diamond for ten million in U.S. sales.
There were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007.
For they sucess and accolades is the 8th greatest rock band of 20th century.
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. The Clash are an amazing rock band that released the songs "Rock The Casbah" "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" "London Calling". They are the definition of a hit band of British Punk.