Everyone likes music. Some like classic rock or metal. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, here is their list of the
Top 100 Classic Rock Artists. Most if not all will probably agree or disagree with who should be on here. Ultimate Classic Rock compiled this list by looking at stats such as songs written or performed, who rushed out to sound like carbon copies of them, to metal bands trying to copy their idols, the list goes on
100
-The Scorpions
-This German-based band, like most if not all bands, struggled in the beginning. But they finally found their stride with songs like "No One Like You", "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Still Loving You". They briefly considered retirement, but that was out of the question indefinitely. Especially since they had one more Top 40 UK hit with their 2015 album
Return to Forever
99
-Ronnie James Dio
-You name the band, he's probably fronted it. He's fronted legendary Brit rockers Rainbow, legendary doom metallers Black Sabbath and even his own named band Dio in 1983. To say that he had a strained relationship with some of the bands he's fronted would be an understatement. Most describe him as bossy and opinionated, but there's no doubt that this man, while short in stature, more than makes up for that with an incredibly wide range of vocals. He returned to Black Sabbath in the late 2000s for an award-winning album called The Devil You Know before losing his final battle to stomach cancer
98
-Billy Idol
-This punk rocker became a legend here in the US and UK without the benefit of MTV. He was originally in a legendary London punk band called Generation X. He soon ventured out on his own, mixing punk with pop music and is now a world famous musician, with songs like "Rebel Yell", "White Wedding" and "Flesh for Fantasy" to his name
97
-Jeff Beck
-No classic rock artist list would be complete without Jeff Beck. Considered a "guitar god" from the 1960s, he would switch back and forth between various types of music, whether it be jazz one minute, fusion the next. It's almost as if he has musical ADHD. Nonetheless, he's an iconic household name in rock
96
-Stevie Ray Vaughan
-Most would think a list like this doesn't need to include blues. If it wasn't for blues and jazz, you wouldn't have rock or metal. The way he played, mixing the styles of Albert King, Jimi Hendrix and jazz, he could adapt to any generation. But he came around in the 1980s, combining synthesizer, electric guitar and blues. He was able renew interest in blues
95
-Blue Oyster Cult
-This is a band famous for having the Hells Angels provide security. They are considered, by some, a strange band. Founded by music critics Sandy Pearlman and Richard Meltzer, this band would go on to achieve worldwide fame as the geniuses behind "Godzilla", "Burnin' for You", "Don't Fear the Reaper". In addition to the founding members, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Eric Bloom and Allen Lanier helped the band work together to achieve fame
94
-Traffic
-This band is somewhat well known, but not known to everyone. Two of its key members-Dave Mason and Steve Winwood-would depart to find success as solo artists
93
-Thin Lizzy
-These Dublin, Ireland-based rockers are famous for "The Boys are Back in Town", "Jailbreak" and more. Charming front man Phil Lynott and the rest of the band are largely unknown for their other songs other than the previously mentioned two. But still, they are a great band worth checking out
92
-The James Gang
-Inspired by the 60s power trio Cream, this band would have been more successful if they didn't have a revolving door on lineups. Between 1966-1977, the band changed lineups fifteen times. Two of the more notable names of these changes included Tommy Bolin and Joe Walsh. But of course, as history always proves right, these two would go on to find fame elsewhere. Joe Walsh would join The Eagles and Tommy Bolin would enjoy a short stint of success as the primary guitarist for Deep Purple. He would replace legendary axe slinger Ritchie Blackmore before dying of a drug overdose in the mid 1970s
91
-Chicago
-These heavy jazz-rockers are still as successful today as they were back then. They often take orchestra and jazz-type instruments out on tour with them. They may have changed lineups occasionally, but it was still a consistent lineup that included hits like "You're My Inspiration". They successfully combined the freedom from rules of jazz with the attitude of rock. Even today, when they announce tours, tickets sell FAST!!!
90
-Peter Frampton
-It would be an uproar, riot and more if Peter Frampton were left off here. He is one of those names from the 1970s that instantly conjures images of easy listening, fantastic guitar work and just great songs. Starting out in Humble Pie, he went solo and became a worldwide success almost immediately. Despite the fact he ruled the mid 1970s with an iron fist, he never once reached those points again. He did receive a Grammy for 2006's Fingerprints.
89
-Motorhead
-You thought it was just rock that was on here? Think again. These live-fast, die-hard rockers from England definitely deserve to be on here!! Despite the fact that they changed lineups, there was one thing about all these lineups that defined the band-it's iconic frontman/bassist, Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known to the world as Lemmy Kilmister or simply "Lemmy". Nothing proved that Lemmy was Motorhead more than his death in 2015 marking the end of the band. It was said that bands like Motorhead helped give birth to thrash metal
88
-The Moody Blues
-Originally starting out combining R&B and pop, like most bands from Britain in the 1960s, The Moody Blues changed to the idea of combining rock styles and classical styles. Some would consider them progressive rock and maybe they are. Their most famous hit "Nights in White Satin" from Days of Future Passed, helped give birth to a genre known as art-rock. After a long break, they reinvented themselves as progressive-pop in the early 1980s, with songs like "I Know You're Out There Somewhere"
87
-Emerson, Lake & Palmer
-These legendary prog rockers are known for their extremely long songs, some lasting 20-30 minutes or more. They combined rock with synthesizer and had a fair amount of people following them. The band more or less broke up in 2016 when Keith Emerson passed away
86
-Ted Nugent
-This madman, known as the Motor City Madman, is just as wild on the guitar as his name suggests. He is known more for his views on politics, animal rights and more. None the less, he is a successful musician, but because of his views he has not made friends with certain musicians
85
-John Fogerty
-His previous band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, was an interesting band that combined country-sounding music with rock music, what we might call folk rock. None the less, it was great, churning out awesome songs like "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" The band lost its momentum when front man John Fogerty embarked on a solo career. Despite the legal issues plaguing him, he got free of those and spread his wings musically, making music that sounds reminiscent of his former band
84
-Bachman-Turner-Overdrive
-Founded by former Guess Who member Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, this band only had a short window of success in the 1970s. They had some success with "Takin' Care of Business" and "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", before the band more or less broke up
83
-Ringo Starr
-If you have heard of The Beatles, then you've heard of Ringo Starr. He was their large nosed, ring-wearing drummer who started out in a 1960s band called Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He received a lot of attention for starting a solo career so fast out of the breakup of The Beatles, but it proved to be not too bad. By 1973, he had four top U.K. singles. 1974 saw a gold disc in honor of his debut album Ringo. His success faded for a bit amidst alcohol and drug issues, but by the late 1980s, he was back, with his band The All-Starr Band
82
-Don Henley
-If you know The Eagles, this name is associated with the masters behind "Hotel California", "King of Hollywood" and more. The 1980s saw Henley making a huge success of a solo career for him. His debut was marked by the Top 10 1982 hit "Dirty Laundry (about famous gossip rags and the whole celeb culture). 1984 saw Building the Perfect Beast and 1989 saw End of the Innocence, both of which went triple platinum. 2000 saw the release of Inside Job and after that he made a return to country with 2015's Cass County.
81
-Bon Jovi
-1986 seen the birth of Slippery When Wet. They were your almost stereotypical 1980s hair metal band with spandex, torn clothes and hair jacked to the ceiling with Aqua-Net. Each album became more and more successful and even into the early 2000s, Crush went multi-platinum.
80
-The Faces
-This short-lived band took members from The Small Faces-Ronnie Lane, Ian McLaghan and combined them with slightly newer talent. Guitarist Ronnie Wood, singer Rod Stewart. This band started to suffer though. Rod Stewart had started making solo music, which became successful. Ronnie Lane left after four successful albums. By that point the band was in shambles and the remaining members went to The Who or The Rolling Stones
79
-Bad Company
-If there's one example out of the many examples of successfully merging blues with rock, it's Bad Company. Vocalist Paul Rodgers has that perfectly raspy quality to his voice, reminding you of the blues singers of yesteryear. They combined members of Mott the Hoople, Free and King Crimson. Despite the fact the original lineup didn't last long, the band did go to sell more than 14 million albums worldwide. And plus, one of their better known songs, "Bad Company" was even covered by metal band Five Finger Death Punch
78
-Phil Collins
-He originally started out as the drummer in Genesis, when Peter Gabriel fronted the band. When Gabriel left, the band members turned to Collins to sing. He said yes and the band became a commercial success. With songs like "Land of Confusion", "Invisible Touch" and "Hold On My Heart" and more, Genesis was a success with Collins. Six years later, Collins pursued a solo career that would prove highly successful, with songs "Don't Lose My Number" or "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore"
77
-Sammy Hagar
-He's been in quite a few bands over the years. Starting out in Montrose, then moving over to HSAS, then Van Halen and now Chickenfoot, he's almost the anti-rock star. Even in his successful position as a worldwide famous musician, he's still humble, down to earth, no ego whatsoever, unlike the former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth. Before he even met Eddie Van Halen, he already had to platinum-selling albums, which produced songs like "I Can't Drive 55", "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy", "Heavy Metal", "One Way to Rock"
76
-Motley Crue
-They were like Kiss for the 80s, only with out the black and white makeup. They took what Kiss did and multiplied it by 20. They created songs with suggestive lyrics and made them successful, which in turn, made them one of the most successful 1980s metal bands. What other band has a drummer who can play drums while spinning 360s and 180s? Also, who else can rock the black leather and female makeup and actually look good doing it?
75
-Joe Walsh
-Here we have another member of The Eagles who has successfully ventured out on his own. He joined The Eagles prior to their 1976 hit "Hotel California". 1973 saw the release of one of his better known songs "Rocky Mountain Way".
74
-Electric Light Orchestra
-This band combined pop music with classical styles. Jeff Lynne being one of the founders, this band would go on to score 15 Top 20 songs in their successful career
73
-Dire Straits
-This group of rockers hailing from London knew when to quit when the quitting was good. They started out doing pub and prog rock. They would go on to put out four albums before they released 1985's Brothers in Arms. They broke up shortly afterwards. 6 years later, they reunited and released one more album, which went platinum. They broke up for good afterwards.
72
-Buffalo Springfield
-1967-1968 saw some high level of activity for these folk rockers. They were known for the "California sound", which combined country, folk and rock. They released three albums, one of which spawned their trademark hit "For What It's Worth". Of course, the members of this band would go on to find fame in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Loggins-Messina, Poco, etc.
71
-Foreigner
-Between 1977-1987, this band was at the top of their game. They released nine Top 10 singles, six platinum-selling albums. Shortly after that, singer Lou Gramm began an on-again, off again relationship with the band caused some loss of success with the band. The band finally re-entered the Top 40 with the release of 2009's Can't Slow Down, with new vocalist Kelly Hansen
70
-Jethro Tull
-Almost everyone knows this band as having the singer who plays a flute. They emerged with their own brand of quirky prog rock at a time when everyone and their dog was doing prog rock only because it was what was in at the time. Because of singer Ian Anderson's type of lyrics and ability to rock on the flute, they had a slightly folk rock-ish air about them. But don't let the flute fool you-these guys can rock hard
69
-Lou Reed
-He could change his persona almost like David Bowie. Reed went from glam rocker to junkie rocker to kinky poet and more. Literary types loved him because of his strong eye for detail. He was said to be an early inspiration for punk because of his brutal honesty. John Cale of the Velvet Underground to Alice Cooper to Metallica even cite this man as a source of inspiration
68
-The Doobie Brothers
-This band was able to successfully merge soulful pop with boogie rock. A hard thing to do, but not for these guys. They dominated part of the 1970s. They were able to score eight Top 20 Billboard songs, with two #1 songs in that decade alone. They broke up briefly, but reunited with Tom Johnston
67
-Robert Plant
-This name pretty much conjures images of Led Zeppelin, which in turn conjures images of castles in the morning with mist filling the air, of Lord of the Rings and more mythical inspiration. Originally finding fame in Led Zeppelin at age 22, he kept with the band until the band's demise in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham. With his solo career, it has many shades, such as bluegrass, synth pop, classic oldies, world music and many more waiting to come
66
-Peter Gabriel
-Ah, yes. The iconic former front man for Genesis. His time outside of Genesis saw the release of four self-titled albums. He ruled part of the 1980s with his quirky type of music and by 1986, when he released So, he came out as a trademark pop voice
65
-John Mellencamp
-Some might think of him as a Bruce Springsteen rip off. Some might think of him as being like Bruce Springsteen from Indiana. His special brand of music is along the same sort of lines as Springsteen, which is more or less to say Americana, but in addition he writes some pretty catchy pop rock songs like "Paper in Fire", "Crumblin' Down", "Pink Houses"
64
-Styx
-Prog rock is where this band started. They quickly became one of those arena rock household names, with songs like "Fooling Yourself", "Renegade", "Blue Collar Man". This band still continues today, with Tommy Shaw and James "JY" Young
63
-Steve Miller
-He started as blues with a touch of psychedelia with good friend, blues rocker Boz Scaggs. They split, which proved successful for both of them as Miller went more towards rock in the late 70s, early 80s
62
-Stevie Nicks
-The early 1980s saw Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks pursue a solo career. Through 1989, she released four albums that went platinum. Despite the fact that her solo albums have a great deal of space between releases, she's still an earner of Top 10 hits
61
-Alice Cooper
-Known as the king of shock rock, this rocker knows how to turn up the macabre factor to 11 on stage. Whether it's using a large boa constrictor, a guillotine or even playing Frankenstein to create a large animatronic Alice Cooper, he knows how to put on a good show. Initially the band was called Alice Cooper and this singer was going by his birth name of Vincent Furnier. Their music go could from garage rock to show tunes to vaudeville to metal. Even today, the over the top theatrics are one reason, besides the awesome music, that people flock in the hundreds of thousands to see Alice Cooper
60
-Boston
-It took this band 18 years to release four multi-platinum albums. What they lacked in amount of releases they more than compensated for in power of music. This was also aided by Tom Scholz's guitar and Brad Delp's voice
59
-Ozzy Osbourne
-When Ozzy parted from Black Sabbath in 1979, everyone expected nothing from the man as he attempted a solo career. But he proved all wrong with his solo career churning out highly successful songs like "Shot in the Dark", "Mama, I'm Coming Home", "Desire", "Bark at the Moon" and more. Early on, he found success with Randy Rhoads on guitar. After the young guitarist's untimely death, Ozzy went on to release five platinum-selling albums. Even today, he's working on and releasing music which is going high on the charts
58
-George Harrison
-No one probably expected anything of all four members of The Beatles to be successful outside the band. But John Lennon had embarked on a successful solo career. Paul McCartney had Wings. Ringo Starr was off to a good start and so was George Harrison. The 1969 song "Something" from his Beatle days gave Harrison an inkling of confidence to pursue more song writing. All Things Must Pass and the subsequent following album, went to No. 1. 1975 saw five of his songs reaching Top 20. He was part of a short lived band called The Travelling Wilburys with Ringo Starr and Tom Petty before dying of lung cancer in 2001
57
-Santana
-Some think that Latinos can't do rock. This man proves everyone wrong! He can fuse various types of music together and still have it be successful. As his namesake band took off, his fellow band members found fame elsewhere because he took things in a more jazz-based direction. The band reunited in 2016 and have been together since
56
-Iron Maiden
-UP THE IRONS! is a phrase commonly heard with these Leytonstone, London metallers. Even to this day, they have a distinct trait of never having their songs played on mainstream radio. That never stops Maiden, though. They ruled the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement during the late 1970s, early 1980s, with hard rockers Samson hot on their heels. They managed to snag four in a row Billboard-approved multi platinum selling albums in the 1980s. Despite the fact that guitarist Adrian Smith and vocalist Bruce Dickinson parted ways with the band in the 1990s, they reunited with the band in 2000, with a new guitarist in the band, Janick Gers, and the band has never been more successful. To date, their highest grossing album has been 2015's The Book of Souls.
55
-Judas Priest
-Iron Maiden's supposed "rivals". They entered the 1970s with a look and sound like no other. No other band at the time had the hardcore image of studded black leather, which would come to be associated with gay-frequented leather bars and the whole gay communities. But that does not take away from the aggressive edge Judas Priest's music has to offer. While inspiring the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had to little to show for it in terms of sales. But high-selling albums like Unleashed in the East, British Steel and Screaming for Vengeance secured their spot as metal gods.
54
-Jefferson Airplane
-Nothing says sixties psychedelia more than Jefferson Airplane. They more or less defined the 1960s San Francisco hippie movement. Grace Slick and Marty Balin shared vocals, while Jorma Kaukonen played his guitar as if his very life depended on it. Between 1965-1972, they made various appearances at festivals like Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, Altamont. They churned out seven studio albums, a string of highly successful songs like "White Rabbit", "Somebody to Love". When the band broke up, they broke off into bands like Hot Tuna and Jefferson Starship before reuniting in 1989
53
-Def Leppard
-These Sheffield teenagers dreamed of nothing more than rocking out on the biggest stages like their idols, Deep Purple, Queen and more. Despite the fact they are not metal, they got lumped in to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with other fledgling bands like Diamond Head, Raven, Saxon, Iron Maiden. Because of their interest in glam and pop, they quickly became darlings of the 1980s rock world.
52
-Janis Joplin
-She didn't have the best start. She started with ordinary bands for a short time, but that didn't stop her from making it big. Her raspy voice gave her a sort of blues edge. In fact, after her death from a drug overdose in 1970, her song "Me and Bobby McGee" became a #1 posthumous hit
51
-Jackson Browne
-His easy listening type music is good for what ails all. It's calming, light, breezy. He managed to set a template from the 1970s that most musicians probably followed. He combined smart lyrics, hooky melodies that were simple. He covered anything in his music, from a breakup to his wife's death to looking in on one's self to weariness from being on the road. Since the 80s, where his music took a more political turn, his music rests between the two worlds
50
-Rod Stewart
-A lot of people who became fans of Stewart through his most recently made smooth songbook probably are blissfully unaware of the rock beginnings of this raspy-voiced rocker. He had a career beginning with The Faces. His solo career sort of started there because when he did eventually go solo, he had a definitely '70s rock sound to it. As he continued out on his own, he racked up the success on the charts. When he turned to pop and disco, the success skyrocketed.
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