Top 10 Best Rock Bands of All Time

Led Zeppelin, the true hard rock originals, placed at No. 2! It sort of pains me. They should be in the number 1 slot. And Metallica doesn't deserve that number 1 position. I have heard Queen, Guns N' Roses, Black Sabbath, The Who, Beatles, AC/DC, and Metallica, but none have that understated elegance in rock music, perfect tunes, great guitar riffs, fantastic drums, and, of course, the lyrics.

I have been a fan of all the above-mentioned rock bands at various times, but finally getting hold of many Led Zeppelin albums made me an honest fan of them. Also, at times, I feel embarrassed that all these years I had been listening to average, run-of-the-mill rock songs (my pre-Led Zeppelin years).

Obviously, The Beatles are the best band ever. They still have songs that feel ahead of their time 50-60 years later.

I love how they evolved. They weren't stuck in a rut but ran wild into flights of fancy, taking current events and making them legendary - all while thumbing their noses at what was considered normal.

They were like a person with dissociative identity disorder, morphing from one idea to another without a plan but always with a purpose.

It seems I was born in the wrong generation because I see that Metallica is in first. The Beatles are a legend, an unbelievable phenomenon in music history.

I honestly think Pink Floyd should be at number one. The combination of Waters' concepts and lyrics, along with Gilmour's guitar and vocals - as well as the fine musicianship of Rick Wright and Nick Mason - produces a force that continues to create Pink Floyd fans to this day.

I recently saw someone write, "Pink Floyd has never written a bad song. There may be a weak song, or a song that requires thought to understand, but never a bad song." I agree with this 100%. This is one of the few bands that has never released a 'filler' album.

I find that Freddie Mercury has such great vocal talent, and no man in the universe, nor any other creature, can sing like Freddie Mercury! The different styles that Freddie Mercury can perform in different songs are simply incredible!

While I love The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and (sort of) Metallica, Queen is unquestionably the best live performer on this list, and possibly ever. I was blessed with tickets to Live Aid in '85. There has yet to be a musical performance I have seen (and I've been to more rock concerts than I can count) that matches the heavenly sound produced there.

In the studio, they still maintain the talent to hang with the best of them. Brian was the guy who walked in, read the music, played it amazingly (with a bit of improv here and there, almost all of which was kept), and then hung with Freddie outside the recording room.

Freddie was the guy who insisted that he had assistants with notepads on hand at all times, in case inspiration for a song struck. Bohemian Rhapsody was written in one night. Who Wants to Live Forever was written when he was driving back from being diagnosed with AIDS.

Roger was one of the coolest dudes in the group (he wore Ozzy-style glasses before Ozzy), often deviating extremely from the music sheet and wowing everyone in the studio.

Lastly, but certainly not least, came John, who was often the silent one in the background but godlike musically nonetheless. He wrote and did an amazing bass line for Another One Bites The Dust and The Invisible Man. He rocked everyone's (especially Vanilla Ice's) socks with his performance in Under Pressure.

Overall, the four titans of tune came together to make one of the greatest bands to ever exist, and that's why they deserve the #1 spot on this list.

Metallica opened my world, Metallica opened my eyes, and Metallica opened my ears. They released my soul. Metallica is the best metal band that will be playing in the whole universe. They are great performers! In fact, I listen to Nothing Else Matters now!

I don't respect the Beatles. They were just untalented young men who created simple yet extremely boring tracks. Not to mention Paul McCartney. He's a really bad vocalist. "Hey Jude" and "Yesterday" prove that he never took singing lessons. He should have listened to and learned from Elvis Presley.

On the other hand, Metallica was just great. I mean, can anyone think of that solo in "The Thing That Should Not Be"? No guitarist in the world could have created such an awesome solo. Just listen to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and see how badly that was played.

Metallica's career is monumental, and songs like "One" and "Welcome Home" easily prove that.

My favorite band from the British Invasion and one of my favorites in general. They still have it after over six decades together. Quite impressive, don't you think?

Here is a fact: They can't ALL be in the top ten. Admittedly, some shouldn't be in the top ten or are too high up on this list. The only ones that should be there are Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Metallica at number one? The only good albums they've made are "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride The Lightning". That is IT. The Rolling Stones have made about forty albums, all of which are decent, and most of them are brilliant.

Rush should be here as well. And they are. Maybe they should be higher, but you can't have EVERYBODY in the top ten.

Where on earth are Black Sabbath? Although they started off as a twelve-bar blues band, they INVENTED heavy metal, and Tony Iommi is a metal god. Without them, there would be no Metallica! Black Sabbath are 47th.

The Who at 38? Tool at 43? Porcupine Tree not even here at all? Dream Theater not here? Cream so low down?

My friend recently got me into his favorite band of all time, AC/DC. Somehow, despite how popular they've been for so long, they just never really caught my attention.

But now I realize how much time I wasted not lovin' them like I do now!

AC/DC's dubious sixth place on this list is a clear indication of the ignorance of the current generation of iTunes-only kids who think Linkin Park is vintage and 30 Seconds to Mars is badass. Pick up a vinyl record or even a compact disc, if you know what that means, and listen to some real rock music. Then come back to this list and make an educated decision.

In what sane universe does Jared Leto wearing far too much eye makeup garner a better spot on a top ten list than AC/DC or Pink Floyd, for that matter? This list needs to be renamed "My Favorite Rock Band" to make any sense at all because this certainly is not a list of "The Top Ten Best Rock Bands of All Time." Surely rock bands that earn a spot on an all-time greatest list should, as a requirement, have a reasonable amount of staying power, not to mention talent.

Perhaps if AC/DC were to sell out and allow their albums to appear in the iTunes Store, the people voting on this list would be better informed, and this list would be more indicative of a true top ten?

Who the heck is Tokio Hotel? Why isn't Nirvana in the top ten? They changed music forever! How is a band like A-ha or X Japan ahead of Nirvana? I've never even heard of them! Nirvana should have cracked the top ten at least! This list is rigged!

Metallica number 1? They're a really good band, but number one maybe a bit much. I think the Beatles should have made it number 1.

I wouldn't say Nirvana should be number one because they shouldn't be. However, they should certainly be up there. Nirvana is often overlooked on lists like this because they are from a different generation than most bands on the list. Some people view them as too recent to deserve recognition.

Personally, I believe it shows how they actually, in a way, saved the genre. When pop and hip-hop began to take over, rock was a fading genre. Nirvana brought it back into prominence. Some say Cobain was the last great rock star, and that certainly is a true statement.

Raw music and angst made him the voice of a generation. Someone like him nowadays would be almost unheard of. Nirvana put alternative rock in the spotlight and inspired a lot of bands to keep making music with rock elements.

Nirvana speaks to a younger generation and helps the legacy of rock and roll live on. This makes them one of the greatest acts of all time in my opinion. Even though they weren't a part of rock at its start and can't necessarily be considered "classic," they worked hard to make sure real music could take over for one (hopefully not) last time.

Let's just hope someone like Kurt comes around again and delivers this message to yet another generation. Only this time, let's hope this person sticks around for a bit longer.

A lot of good bands are on here, but the genius of Pete Townshend made/makes The Who the best. Check out the often-overlooked Quadrophenia album. Who can ever forget the drumming of Keith Moon? The bass of Entwistle and the See Me, Feel Me voice of Daltrey? What a band!

I agree, there never has been a better live album than Live at Leeds as the band was so tight for those shows, at their peak back then. Oh, and those jumpsuits Pete wore! Anyone who likes The Who should search for Pete Townshend and listen to his solo stuff, as there are some real treasures to be found. They should be higher up, but I don't think they really tried to be at the top, as they never sold out back then like some others did. Rest in peace, Keith and John!

With hits like "Runaway Train" and "Somebody to Shove," you may or may not have heard of Soul Asylum. If you have heard of them, good for you! Click the check and move on with your day.

If not, go listen to them right now if you are a fan of rock, alt-rock, punk, grunge, country, or anything like that, really. They are great.

If it wasn't for Sabbath, we wouldn't have all the metal we have now. Besides their influence, their discography is easily top 10, either with Ozzy or Dio.

17? Are you kidding me? Black Sabbath is my absolute favorite band, no doubt. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and last but most certainly not least, Ozzy Osbourne. I don't know if it's just because I've been listening to their music literally my whole life, but I love them. Even though I had my doubts about the "13" album, I liked that too. Ozzy's solo career couldn't have gone better either. How could you possibly rank 30 Seconds To Mars and Green Day higher than Black Sabbath? I get that they attract the younger crowd, but Black Sabbath is legendary. Black Sabbath is the real deal.

Shameful to see them not even in the top ten here, but it doesn't surprise me. These lists are only based on popularity and mainstream radio success.

Rush is the greatest band in the world. Three guys who are more talented than any other band in history. These guys were made to play together. The chemistry between them is unmatched.

Every album was incredible, even their debut with John Rutsey before Neil joined. It does not get any better than Rush, really.

I don't know where to start. Other commenters have shared the accolades and the legacy of Rush so eloquently.

Personally, Rush is a band I discovered when I was a lost 18-year-old girl. Their music struck something in me that resonated and made sense in my upside-down world, so I brought them along on my life's journey for 37 years now. They provided the soundtrack of my adult life, through love and loss, my joys and struggles, and raising two beautiful sons. Being a Rush fan has become part of my identity over the years, and I felt, like others, physically hurt when they left the stage for the last time in 2015. I watched grown men cry as the band played their last shows. My fellow Rush fans and I were devastated by the loss of drummer/lyricist Neil Peart in 2020 and mourn him to this day.

Because Rush was never mainstream, being a Rush fan means sharing a bond and investing a part of your heart in three astoundingly talented men and thousands of people around the world who cherish them and what they have created over decades. Each member of the band stands out in their individual fields as exceptional musicians and is often mentioned as being an influence on so many popular and successful musicians who came after them.

Rush will always have a part of my heart. RIP Neil Peart. Much love to Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, and to all my fellow Rush brothers and sisters who continue keeping the music alive and spreading the gospel of Rush. There will never be a band like them again.

I have to go wash my face now. Someone is chopping onions, and my eyes are tearing up.

Nothing compares to "Jesus of Suburbia"! It's like their songs are for everybody. Every audience that sings back their songs is not just reflecting what Green Day is saying with that song, but also reflecting their lives being in that song.

Billie Joe is an amazing performer, musician, songwriter, and singer. Mike is an awesome, underrated bassist (with the best bass lines in history), and Tre Cool is the most badass, funny, pure energy, and great rock and roll drummer (with awesome drum solos). Their lineup is the best.

Iron Maiden's raw sound, with elements of punk as well as classical riffs and solos, primarily during the Paul Di'Anno era (the first two albums), is forever stamped in the history of rock and heavy metal!

I thought this list was about the best rock bands ever. When I saw the first spot, I see no reason why Iron Maiden should not be in the top ten. Listen to their songs "Flight of Icarus," "Wasted Years," and, of course, their classics like "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "The Trooper." The vocals can't be called anything other than flawless. Even their newer songs like "Rainmaker," etc., are really, really good.

Everyone should understand this: if Iron Maiden had given more gaps between the classic albums they released in succession (1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988) and promoted them with some mainstream media support, they would have sold more, much more albums than all the bands mentioned above Maiden in this list.

They've brought to the world an all-new genre. It's called Linkin Park. The combination of Chester (amazing voice) and Mike Shinoda (rap) is just insane. They're awesome. No one can match Chester's voice when it comes to shouting like that and yet find it so pleasing.

Linkin Park forever. They've produced music that no one can ever forget. It lives always somewhere within, somewhere very deep.

They can't be beat. They change their music and have so many hit songs. They are in Transformers. They have the most views of any rock band on YouTube. New Divide, What I've Done, Crawling, In the End, Numb, Faint, Breaking the Habit, and so many more hit songs. They are simply the best.

Best band to grace this Earth, period. I've been listening to them since I was a little tyke, and let me tell you something: I'm a modern-day Plato from listening to these guys. Kiedis' theory isn't perfect, but it's close. His insightfulness has been the foundation of my constitution, by which I live today. He's taught me more than any teacher could ever teach me, and I love him for that.

Now, back to the band. They fuse all these great sounds that we, as humans, know, love, feel, and can't explain. The Peppers extract those feelings from us and take us on a ride through the beautiful thing we call life. They are more than just a band to me. They are my medicine. I bleed the Red Hot Chili Peppers. If I had one wish, other than everlasting wellness for my family, it would be that these guys would find the fountain of youth.

I love The Experience and have two of their CDs, but the reason they aren't higher on the list is because Jimi Hendrix is the band. No disrespect to the other guys, but they are overshadowed. Jimi always had a backup band, and it wasn't always this one. They are the best of his bands, but he had Band of Gypsies and a couple of other groups at different times.

This is why groups like David Bowie and The Spiders From Mars aren't on the list - the band isn't noticed. The legend is. And what a super legend Hendrix is! He's a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and arguably The Rolling Stones' best guitarist ever.

How is Aerosmith ranked below Linkin Park, Nirvana, and all those other bands that were inspired by Aerosmith? Aerosmith has already proven that they are one of the best bands ever. They visited Japan during its worst times in 2011 after the earthquake and performed for the people. They've sold 168 million albums in 40 years and have countless hits. They've even covered songs by the Beatles, the Doors, and other bands, making the original songs seem insignificant.

Admit it - Steven Tyler is the best rock band singer, or possibly just the best singer in general. Joe Perry is the best guitarist to walk the Earth, and so is Brad Whitford. Tom Hamilton is the best bassist and wrote their hit "Sweet Emotion," and Joey Kramer creates thunder unlike any other drummer. He can drum so fast that the strobe lights can't even catch him!

Aerosmith has filled so many arenas over the years. There was once so many people that the arena was packed, and the streets surrounding it were crowded with people who wanted to hear them. Their shows are amazing, and I'd love to see one myself. These electrifying shows get the crowd revved up. Aerosmith should have their own genre name because they're so great. Aerosmith will continue to rock until they hit their deathbeds. A true great rock band never stops rocking.

If anyone doesn't vote for Radiohead, it's only because they haven't had the opportunity to listen to their music. I've always been a "Radiohead," and as a result, I've listened to a very wide range of music throughout my years. To be really general, I'd categorize my taste in music as eclectic, with a preference for any music that sounds beautiful and actually has meaning (given there are lyrics in the music to analyze). That means that there is some classical music that I find amazing, as well as some present-day "house" music that I feel just as passionately about.

With that being said, from what I've personally heard myself (which I'm confident should serve as a solid foundation to base my opinion on), there have been no musicians or bands as close to perfection as Radiohead are at the moment (keep in mind, Radiohead can only exacerbate how strongly I feel about this claim as time goes on). I don't believe that the word "genius" is actually a word that can be attributed to any human being. We're all geniuses in one way or another, but colloquially speaking, Radiohead is genius. They're not Beethovens of the 21st century. Also, they are not the Beatles of the 21st century. They're better. They're more evolved, sensitive, and thoughtful. It wouldn't make sense to compare a humanoid of the 22nd century to a caveman of the Paleolithic Era, just as it doesn't make sense to compare Radiohead to anything that has existed in the past.

I'm convinced that, with some time (and a few more albums), there will be a widely accepted acknowledgment that Radiohead has been the greatest band that life as we know it has ever been graced with. Not to be vain, but I'm convinced that my opinion should be regarded as earnest. And if you happen to disagree with my opinion, that's fine, just please stay out of my life until you've managed to come around. I understand that it takes time for some people to understand certain things themselves.

It's hard to argue the case for U2's greatness, primarily because of their huge popularity. Artists that are this big are usually pretty dismal quality-wise, with the odd obvious exception. U2 is the foremost of these exceptions - they are possibly the greatest rock band of all time and definitely the biggest.

A lot of people don't like them because of this massive success, but they achieved it on the back of genuinely original, transformative music. No one sounds like them (although they certainly try). Their positivity and power stand out a mile amidst the general sea of anger and depression of most modern music. I love them regardless of how much money they make - if all "big" acts were this fantastic, I would live full-time in the mainstream.

There will never be another Jim Morrison. Jim paved the way for live concerts to come alive, for the audience to really come for a spectacle and witness art. First and foremost, Jim was a scholarly poet, singing and writing timeless classics, but then backed up by Ray, Robby, and John.

These four were masterminds. They had film and literary backgrounds and were one of the smartest bands to date. These guys really were in sync when it came down to music. I've never heard a more consistent discography from any band. Although there are only six albums (with Jim) by them, every song is a masterpiece. The Doors really turned the music scene on its back, true musicianship, and definitely top three.

Van Halen caught my attention when I was 13, and they released "Jump"! The most awesome song of all time! Then I discovered that it was just one of their best songs.

The vast majority of their songs, of course, were played by the one and only Van Halen (complete with David Lee Roth).

Really, twenty-four? How, just tell me how. Van Halen deserves to be higher, at least in the top ten. They were the first band to combine heavy metal with hard rock and truly produce their own sound. If their first album was their only album, they would still be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Here's one name for you: Eddie Van Halen. He alone is one reason why they should be higher. Eddie is arguably the best guitarist in history. Just listen to Eruption sometime or even Runnin' With the Devil, Panama, Mean Street, or Light Up the Sky. 1984 is an album that not only changed rock history but also pop music with its synth and songs like I'll Wait, Jump, and even the instrumental piece 1984. Just tell me why they aren't number one.

Dave Grohl is an inspiration. He can play any instrument he wants and has a voice from heaven. The man was in two of the greatest bands on the planet, and that must count for something. Oh, and Taylor Hawkins is a badass on the drums. I wouldn't doubt it if he was actually almost better than Dave.

Dave is the best drummer ever to live, other than John Bonham. Kurt could have been biased when he said he was the best drummer ever, but I'll take his word.

Foo Fighters kick ass. They have won 6 Grammys and are nominated for 6 more in 2011 for the album Wasting Light. Dave Grohl is a genius. He made the entire first album by himself. He's so passionate about his music, and he's a good dad. He doesn't do any drugs.

I went to the Wells Fargo Center in Philly to see them, and they were great. They played for 3 hours, plus Dave's guitar tech even got me a flyer signed and a guitar pick from Dave Grohl. Nicest people ever, totally down to earth.

I'm a 16-year-old kid, so obviously, I'm going to pick a modern rock group. But you must understand that I grew up with rock. All my life, I've loved Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. I can gladly say my second favorite song is "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and my third favorite is "Comfortably Numb." But my all-time favorite song is "Failure" by Breaking Benjamin. They have a sound that is so modern and melodic that I can feel the emotion their music brings. If you haven't heard Breaking Benjamin, you should. Start with "The Diary of Jane" and move on from there.

Um, why is Linkin Park ahead of A7X? They had two good albums! That's it! Avenged Sevenfold has the most unique sound to this date. They have one of the greatest guitarists of all time and probably the best duo of guitarists I have ever heard. And M. Shadows probably has the most unique voice for a rock band I've heard.

Yes, nobody will ever beat Metallica, but Avenged Sevenfold at number 9? Whoever voted apparently doesn't really know what good music is. Thirty Seconds to Mars is trash, Tokio Hotel is trash, and Linkin Park should be off this list. A7X forever.