The Top 100 Classic Rock Acts, 1962-1981

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These are the top 100 classic rock acts as listed in the yet-to-be-released Dave’s Music Database book, Charting the Classic Rock Songs, 1962-1981. That book speculated on what a classic rock chart would have looked like, had it existed, for the aforementioned years. Songs’ peak positions were tallied to generate a list of the top 100 classic rock artists.

1. The Beatles
2. The Rolling Stones
3. Led Zeppelin
4. The Who
5. Elton John
6. Bob Dylan
7. Pink Floyd
8. The Doors
9. AC/DC
10. Eagles

11. Paul McCartney/Wings
12. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
13. Rod Stewart/The Faces
14. Fleetwood Mac
15. Bruce Springsteen
16. Jimi Hendrix
17. David Bowie
18. Creedence Clearwater Revival
19. Paul Simon/Simon & Garfunkel
20. The Kinks

21. Eric Clapton/Derek & the Dominos
22. Queen
23. Billy Joel
24. The Doobie Brothers
25. Steely Dan
26. Neil Young
27. Van Halen
28. Electric Light Orchestra
29. Aerosmith
30. Rush

31. Grateful Dead
32. Chicago
33. Lynyrd Skynyrd
34. Styx
35. Allman Brothers Band
36. Crosby, Stills & Nash/Neil Young
37. The Guess Who
38. John Lennon
39. Journey
40. ZZ Top

41. Bad Company
42. Steve Miller Band
43. The Moody Blues
44. Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship
45. Foreigner
46. Kiss
47. Santana
48. Alice Cooper
49. Van Morrison/Them
50. Jethro Tull

51. Linda Ronstadt
52. The Cars
53. Tommy James & the Shondells
54. Three Dog Night
55. Heart
56. Deep Purple
57. The Police
58. Boston
59. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
60. Genesis

61. Supertramp
62. Black Sabbath
63. The Hollies
64. The Beach Boys
65. The Animals
66. Daryl Hall & John Oates
67. J. Geils Band
68. The Byrds
69. Jackson Browne
70. Grand Funk Railroad

71. James Taylor
72. REO Speedwagon
73. The Band
74. George Harrison
75. Yes
76. Carole King
77. Pat Benatar
78. Paul Revere & the Raiders
79. Roy Orbison
80. Donovan

81. Janis Joplin/Big Brother & the Holding Company
82. Cream
83. The Grass Roots
84. Traffic
85. The Clash
86. The (Young) Rascals
87. Joe Cocker
88. Ted Nugent
89. America
90. Steppenwolf

91. Cat Stevens
92. The Monkees
93. Bachman-Turner Overdrive
94. War
95. Kansas
96. April Wine
97. Kenny Loggins/Loggins & Messina
98. Ramones
99. Ringo Starr
100. Carly Simon

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