Based on chart figures, sales data, airplay, awards, and appearances on best-of lists (and not just rock groups from the last 50 years, mind you), here are the top 100 groups and duos according to Dave’s Music Database:
See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories.
The Beatles
1. The Beatles
2. The Rollng Stones
3. U2
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Pink Floyd
6. The Beach Boys
7. The Who
8. Queen
9. R.E.M.
10. Eagles
The Rolling Stones
11. The Bee Gees
12. Fleetwood Mac
13. The Andrews Sisters
14. Aerosmith
15. The Temptations
16. Peerless Quartet/Columbia Male Quartet
17. Yes
18. Simon & Garfunkel
19. Pearl Jam
20. The Doors
The Beach Boys
21. The Police
22. Nirvana
23. American Quartet
24. The Supremes
25. The Kinks
26. Haydn Quartet
27. Van Halen
28. AC/DC
29. Guns N’ Roses
30. Journey
U2
31. Rush
32. Genesis
33. Radiohead
34. Styx
35. Tears for Fears
36. Velvet Underground
37. Metallica
38. Bon Jovi
39. Creedence Clearwater Revival
40. Black Sabbath
Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page
41. Green Day
42. The Clash
43. Chicago
44. Crosby, Stills & Nash
45. Foreigner
46. Daryl Hall & John Oates
47. Lynyrd Skynyrd
48. Alabama
49. Deep Purple
50. The Byrds
Queen
51. Abba
52. ZZ Top
53. Dire Straits
54. Marillion
55. The Band
56. Kiss
57. Maroon 5
58. Oasis
59. Red Hot Chili Peppers
60. Allman Brothers Band
The Who
61. Cream
62. Sly & the Family Stone
63. The Jackson 5/The Jacksons
64. The Moody Blues
65. The Everly Brothers
66. Blondie
67. The Ink Spots
68. The Mills Brothers
69. Def Leppard
70. The Miracles
The Bee Gees
71. Talking Heads
72. Electric Light Orchestra
73. Simple Minds
74. INXS
75. Grateful Dead
76. The Drifters
77. The Cure
78. Eurythmics
79. Glee Cast
80. Carpenters
Pink Floyd
81. Steely Dan
82. Beastie Boys
83. Four Tops
84. Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship
85. Jethro Tull
86. Duran Duran
87. Ramones
88. Blur
89. Sex Pistols
90. Earth, Wind & Fire
R.E.M.
91. Squeeze
92. Boston
93. Coldplay
94. Public Enemy
95. The Monkees
96. The Cars
97. Pretenders
98. Indigo Girls
99. The Animals
100. Boyz II Men
Eagles
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First posted 9/10/2011; last updated 4/8/2022. | 
Hey, just a question: according to your stats, is there any 00s band poised to break through in this list? I was thinking that Coldplay probably could be here, and maybe the White Stripes as well. Cheers
ReplyDeleteExcellent question, Alberto - and you are right on the money with your first guess. Coldplay would be the newest group to have a shot at breaking into the top 100, but they don't show up on the list until #144. Linkin Park shows up at #159, Rascal Flatts at #178, Evanescence at #203, Nickelback at #212, Black Eyed Peas at #223, Audioslave at #241, and The White Stripes don't surface until #244. Personally, out of that batch I'd rank White Stripes ahead of all of them, but this is what the number crunching tells me.
DeleteWhere is The Jimi Hendrix Experience? You CANNOT possibly exclude this legendary group! Backstreet Boys are better? C'mon...
ReplyDeleteI didn't include the Experience, opting to compile all the work he did with and without the Experience under the banner of Hendrix as a solo artist. If I put him on this list (Experience + non-Experience material) he would rank #5, between U2 and Led Zeppelin.
DeleteThanks Dave. Definitely in my top handful of artists...
DeleteHi, Dave (yes still following this website!)
ReplyDeleteOne question : are you going to do an update on this list, eventually?
Hey, Alberto. I'm not sure when this list will get a makeover, but I redo the lists often, so who knows. Glad you're still following!
ReplyDeleteMany thanks! I'll stay tuned
DeleteThis list seems to have been reorganized, with some omissions from the previous list. What a waste of time.
ReplyDeleteAs noted at the top of the page, the list has been updated so there are some omissions for previous lists. As with all DMDB lists, they are based on aggregates of multiple lists and the goal is to keep those current. The attempt is not to satisfy each individual's tastes (which would be impossible) but to reflect a consensus. I'm sorry it is a waste of time for you to consider the opinions of others.
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