The Top 100 Acts of All Time

Acts: Top 100 All Time

Below are the top 100 acts of all time according to the DMDB. This list is an aggregate of multiple best-of lists, including specialty lists, such as those focused exclusively on a certain genre. Dave’s Music Database has created separate lists for the top 100 groups/duos of all time and the top 1000 music makers of all time, which features only individuals. This information is combined with various awards, chart success, and sales figures (click here for a link to the resources). A great effort has been made to find lists that represent numerous genres and eras of music. Even so, this list still leans almost entirely on the 20th century, or roughly the era of recorded music, meaning classical music, such as composers Ludwig van Beethoven, are absent from this list. Still, this list does at least acknowledge that there were big-name acts who made music prior to the rock era, something which few best-of lists seem to realize. Links below connect to the act’s entry in the Music Makers A-Z guide, which offers a short bio about the act and lists significant works. In some cases, the act has a more detailed DMDB page which can be linked to via the A-Z guide entry. When applicable, links have also been posted for best-of song or album lists for the act. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories.

1. The Beatles: top 100 songs
2. Bing Crosby: top 100 songs
3. Elvis Presley: top 100 songs
4. Billy Murray: top 100 songs
5. Frank Sinatra: top 100 songs
6. Paul Whiteman: top 100 songs
7. The Rolling Stones: top 100 Songs
8. Bob Dylan: top 100 songs
9. Paul McCartney: top 100 songs
10. Elton John: top 100 songs

11. Irving Berlin: top 100 songs 12. Bruce Springsteen: top 100 songs 13. Henry Burr: top 100 songs 14. John Lennon: top 40 songs 15. Michael Jackson: top 100 songs 16. David Bowie: top 100 songs 17. Richard Rodgers: top 50 songs 18. Stevie Wonder: top 100 songs 19. Guy Lombardo: top 100 songs 20. Prince: top 100 songs

21. U2: top 100 songs 22. Oscar Hammerstein II: top 50 songs 23. Eric Clapton: top 100 songs 24. Tommy Dorsey: top 100 songs 25. Aretha Franklin: top 50 songs 26. Madonna: top 60 songs 27. Arthur Collins: top 100 songs 28. George Gershwin: top 50 songs 29. Led Zeppelin: top 100 songs 30. Byron G. Harlan: top 100 songs

31. Ray Charles: top 50 songs 32. Neil Young: top 40 songs 33. Pink Floyd: top 100 songs 34. The Beach Boys: top 100 songs 35. Jimi Hendrix: top 25 songs 36. Harry MacDonough 37. Benny Goodman: top 100 songs 38. The Who: top 100 songs 39. George Harrison 40. Louis Armstrong: top 50 songs

41. George Martin 42. Ludwig van Beethoven 43. James Brown: top 50 songs 44. Queen: top 50 songs 45. Glenn Miller: top 100 songs 46. Perry Como 47. Marvin Gaye: top 50 songs 48. Rod Stewart: top 100 songs 49. Johnny Cash 50. Al Jolson

51. Mariah Carey: top 40 songs 52. Billy Joel: top 50 songs 53. Sting 54. R.E.M.: top 100 songs 55. Jimmy Page: top 100 songs 56. Nat “King” Cole 57. Taylor Swift: top 100 songs 58. Ira Gershwin: top 50 songs 59. Duke Ellington 60. Eagles: top 70 songs

61. Ada Jones 62. Rick Rubin: top 50 albums 63. The Bee Gees: top 100 songs 64. Ringo Starr 65. Jimmy Dorsey 66. Whitney Houston: top 50 songs 67. Jerome Kern 68. Fleetwood Mac: top 100 songs 69. Cole Porter 70. Bob Marley

71. The Andrews Sisters 72. Aerosmith 73. Eminem 74. Drake 75. Johnny Mercer 76. Carole King: Top 50 77. The Temptations 78. The Peerless Quartet/Columbia Male Quartet 79. Smokey Robinson 80. Dolly Parton: top 100 songs

81. Van Morrison 82. Ben Selvin 83. Phil Collins: top 100 songs 84. Billie Holiday 85. Albert Campbell 86. Tom Petty: top 30 songs 87. Yes: top 30 songs 88. Willie Nelson: top 80 songs 89. Elvis Costello: top 50 songs 90. Simon & Garfunkel/Paul Simon

91. Pearl Jam: top 50 songs 92. Lou Reed: top 50 songs 93. Kenny Rogers: top 75 songs 94. Kanye West 95. Diana Ross: top 50 songs 96. The Doors 97. Mick Jagger 98. The Police: top 100 songs (Sting & the Police) 99. Chuck Berry: top 25 songs 100. Berry Gordy Jr.: top 100 Motown songs

Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories Dave’s Music Database: “All-Time Top 1000 Music Makers” Dave’s Music Database: “All-Time Top 100 Groups” First posted 11/13/2013; last updated 5/26/2019.