# The greatest rock bands of all time

Bands (not solo artists) that rank highest in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists and in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's history, ordered by consensus between critics and fans.

- 44 votes · 27 items
- Aug 27, 2023 · encore_salty
- https://even.best/en/l/113/the-greatest-rock-bands-of-all-time

## Top 25

1. **The Rolling Stones** (6 · ▲6 ▼0) — London, 1962–. Jagger and Richards, more than six decades of touring; number four for Rolling Stone.
2. **The Beatles** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — Liverpool, 1960–1970. Number one on Rolling Stone's list and the best-selling act in music history.
3. **Led Zeppelin** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — London, 1968–1980. 'Stairway to Heaven' and the blueprint of hard rock and heavy metal.
4. **Pink Floyd** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — London, 1965. The Dark Side of the Moon spent more than 900 weeks on the Billboard 200.
5. **Queen** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — London, 1970–. Freddie Mercury, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and Live Aid 1985.
6. **The Who** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — London, 1964–. Pete Townshend's smashed guitars and the rock opera Tommy.
7. **Nirvana** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Aberdeen, Washington, 1987–1994. Kurt Cobain and Nevermind took grunge worldwide.
8. **Radiohead** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Abingdon, England, 1985–. From OK Computer to Kid A, they reinvented themselves album after album.
9. **The Doors** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Los Angeles, 1965–1973. Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek's organ.
10. **The Velvet Underground** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — New York, 1964–1973. Lou Reed, John Cale and Andy Warhol; the most influential band that hardly sold.
11. **U2** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Dublin, 1976–. The Joshua Tree and some of the highest-grossing tours in history.
12. **The Clash** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — London, 1976–1986. 'The only band that matters'; punk with politics, reggae and London Calling.
13. **Black Sabbath** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Birmingham, 1968. Tony Iommi's riffs and Ozzy Osbourne: the birth of heavy metal.
14. **Ramones** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — New York, 1974–1996. Two-minute songs and leather jackets that kicked off punk.
15. **The Kinks** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — London, 1963–1996. Ray Davies' very English songs, from 'You Really Got Me' to 'Waterloo Sunset'.
16. **Guns N' Roses** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Los Angeles, 1985–. Appetite for Destruction is the best-selling debut album in US history.
17. **The Band** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Toronto/Woodstock, 1967–1976. Dylan's backing band who invented Americana; The Last Waltz by Scorsese.
18. **R.E.M.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Athens, Georgia, 1980–2011. From college radio to 'Losing My Religion'.
19. **Creedence Clearwater Revival** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — El Cerrito, California, 1967–1972. Swamp rock with 'Proud Mary' and 'Fortunate Son'.
20. **Talking Heads** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — New York, 1975–1991. David Byrne's art-funk, Remain in Light and Stop Making Sense.
21. **AC/DC** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Sydney, 1973–. Angus Young's school uniform; Back in Black is one of the best-selling albums ever.
22. **Fleetwood Mac** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — London, 1967–. From British blues to Rumours, with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.
23. **The Smiths** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Manchester, 1982–1987. Morrissey and Johnny Marr; four studio albums that marked British indie.
24. **Rush** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Canadian progressive rock trio formed in Toronto in 1968, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
25. **Pearl Jam** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Seattle band formed in 1990, one of the defining groups of grunge with the album Ten.
26. **Metallica** (-1 · ▲1 ▼2) — Los Angeles, 1981–. Master of Puppets and the 'Black Album'; the biggest metal band in the world.
27. **The Beach Boys** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Hawthorne, California, 1961–. Brian Wilson's harmonies and Pet Sounds; number 12 for Rolling Stone.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.