Red Hot Chili Peppers: Top 50 Songs

Red Hot Chili Peppers Top 50 Songs left to right: Flea, Anthony Kiedes, John Frusciante, Chad Smith

Rap-styled alternative funk-rock group which formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. Members: Anthony Kiedes (vocals: 1983-present) Michael “Flea” Balzay (bass/trumpet/piano/backing vocals: 1983-present) Chad Smith (drums, percussion: 1988-present) John Frusciante (guitar/keyboards/backing vocals: 1988-92, 1998-2009, 2019-present) Cliff Martinez (drums: 1983-86) Hillel Slovak (guitar/backing vocals: 1984-88). Died of a heroin overdose on 6/25/88 at age 26. Jack Irons (drums: 1983, 1986-88) Zander Schloss (bass: 1992) Arik Marshall (drums: 1992) Jesse Tobias (drums: 1992) Dave Navarro (guitar: 1994-97) Josh Klinghoffer (guitars/keyboards/backing vocals: 2009-2019) Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers. Spotify Podcast: Check out Dave’s Music Database podcast: The Best of the Red Hot Chili Peppers based on this list. It debuts April 26, 2022 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.) DMDB Top 1%: 1. Under the Bridge (1991) #1 US, CB, AU DMDB Top 2%: 2. Dani California (2006) #1 AR, MR, AA, CN DMDB Top 5%: 3. Give It Away (1991) #1 MR 4. Californication (1999) #1 AR, MR 5. By the Way (2002) #1 AR, MR 6. Scar Tissue (1999) #1 AR, MR 7. Otherside (1999) #1 MR DMDB Top 10%: 8. Snow (Hey Oh) (2006) #1 MR 9. Soul to Squeeze (1991) #1 MR 10. My Friends (1995) #1 AR, MR 11. Can’t Stop (2002) #1 MR DMDB Top 20%: 12. Breaking the Girl (1991) 13. Tell Me Baby (2006) #1 MR 14. Aeroplane (1995) 15. The Zephyr Song (2002) #1 AA 16. Dark Necessities (2016) #1 AR, MR, AA 17. Higher Ground (1989) 18. The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie (2011) #1 MR, AA Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 19. Behind the Sun (1987) 20. Suck My Kiss (1991) 21. Around the World (1999) 22. True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes (1984) 23. Fortune Faded (2003) 24. Knock Me Down (1989) 25. Love Rollercoaster (1996) 26. Me & My Friends (1987) 27. Show Me Your Soul (1989) 28. Fight Like a Brave (1987) 29. Road Trippin’ (1999) 30. Parallel Universe (1999) 31. Black Summer (2022) #1 MR 32. Warped (1995) 33. Hump de Bump (2006) 34. Hollywood (Africa) (1985) 35. Dosed (2002) 36. Go Robot (2016) 37. Get Up and Jump (1984) 38. Look Around (2011) 39. Hard to Concentrate (2006) 40. Taste the Pain (1989) 41. If You Want Me to Stay (1985) 42. Fire (1987) 43. Universally Speaking (2002) 44. Backwoods (1987) 45. Desecration Smile (2006) 46. Monarchy of Roses (2011) 47. Catholic School Girls Rule (1985) 48. Junle Man (1985) 49. Goodbye Angels (2016) 50. Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Red Hot Chili Peppers Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Performers” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Songwriters and/or Producers” First posted 3/6/2022; last updated 4/27/2022.

Jack Harlow “First Class” hit #1

First Class Jack Harlow

Writer(s): Jackman Harlow, Jasper Harris, Douglas Ford, Rogét Chahayed, José Velazquez, Micaiah Raheem, Nickie Jon Pabón, Ryan Vojtesak, Stacy Ferguson, Jamal Jones, Will Adams, Elvis Williams, Christopher Bridges (see lyrics here) Released: April 8, 2022 First Charted: April 21, 2022 Peak: 13 BB, 14 BA, 11 DG, 13 ST, 11 RR, 17 A40, 110 RB, 2 UK, 11 CN, 12 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.6 UK, 3.91 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 168.11 video, 853.51 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Rapper Jack Harlow was born in Kentucky in 1998. He released several mixtapes and EPs before his debut album, That’s What They All Say, came out in 2020 and was a top-five, million-selling album. He experienced his first chart success with the album’s single “What’s Poppin’,” which reached #2 on the pop and R&B charts on its way to being certified seven times platinum. In 2021, Harlow reached #1 as a guest artist on Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby.” Th next year, he topped the charts on his own with “First Class,” the second single from his sophomore album, Come Home, the Kids Miss You. It appeared first on TikTok, going viral and gaining 28.8 million views before it was officially released. WK Harlow uses the song to brag about his lifestyle changes since making it big with “What’s Poppin’.” He can now afford to fly his friends and family first class, “treat his lady to the finer things in life, and upsize his mom and dad’s property.” SF The song heavily samples Fergie’s “Glamorous,” a #1 song from 2007. He said the song “was one of the biggest and most important songs of my childhood. It influenced my whole style.” SF NPR’s Reanna Cruz said the song finds Harlow “dabbling in the space between the dorky and affable – perhaps the key to his success. You can’t help but root for him.” NPR “He knows what he’s doing and…he games the Gen-Z algorithm to great effect.” NPR Billboard magazine named “First Class” the #1 R&B/rap song of the year. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Jack Harlow NPR NPR.org (4/14/2022). “Jack Harlow, ‘First Class’” by Reanna Cruz SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 1/7/2024; last updated 10/15/2024.

Dave's Music Database Hall of Fame: Song Inductees (April 2022)

Originally posted 4/22/2022. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the DMDB blog on January 22, 2019, Dave’s Music Database launched its own Hall of Fame. This is the 14th set of song inductees. These are taken from the Dave’s Music Database list of the top 100 Tin Pan Alley songs of all time. Five songs in the top 10 of that list have been previously inducted: “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” “Shine on, Harvest Moon,” “Some of These Days,” and “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.” The other five songs in the top 10 are being inducted as well as the top five highest-ranked songs in Dave’s Music Database which appear on the Tin Pan Alley list.

Ben Bernie with Scrappy Lambert & Billy Hillpot “Ain’t She Sweet” (1927) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

“Ain’t She Sweet” and “Happy Days Are Here Again,” both written by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen, became symbols of the Roaring Twenties, WK a time when “stubbornly determined American resilience and optimism in the face of hard times.” SS Lou Gold and His Orchestra recorded “Ain’t She Sweet” first on January 17, 1927, SH but the most successful recording was made 11 days later SH by Ben Bernie and His Roosevelt Orchestra. PM Read more.

Ray Charles “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

Hoagy Carmichael, who critic Dave Marsh called “the most blues-inspired writer Tin Pan Alley produced,” DM co-wrote the song back in 1930 and was one of the first to record it. MM Over the years, there were multiple recordings and chart versions of the song. However, it is Ray Charles’ soulful version which has become the most beloved and most successful. It was his driver, Tommy Brown, who suggested Charles record the song when he heard his boss crooning the song in the car. DM Read more.

Bing Crosby with George Stoll’s Orchestra “Pennies from Heaven” (1936) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

This was the biggest pop hit from 1936. CPM Bing sang it in the film of the same name and garnered an Academy Award nomination for the song. Presumably, the lyrics are intended to “evoke a sense of optimism in difficult times, assuring the listener that when it rains, ‘There’ll be pennies from heaven for you and me.’” BF However, in the introductory verse, listeners are warned that they may have to atone for their ancestors’ failure to appreciate the better things in life. “Storms may bring us fortune, but with that fortune we must buy what we used to get for free.” BF Read more.

George J. Gaskin “After the Ball” (1893) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

Charles K. Harris saw two lovers get in a fight at a dance and was inspired to write a song in which an old man explains to his niece that he never married after seeing his sweetheart kissing another man at a ball. He finds out years later it was her brother. SS It was the first song to sell a million copies of sheet music, SF eventually racking up five million and becoming the best seller in Tin Pan Alley’s history. WK George J. Gaskin and John Yorke Atlee recorded the song. The former was a #1 for 10 weeks. Read more.

Haydn Quartet “In the Good Old Summertime” (1903) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

Comedian Ren Shields and black-faced minstrel George “Honey Boy” Evans were inspired to write “the signature song for summer” PS by a trip to the beach with singer-actress Blanche Ring. TY2 Evans remarked that he liked “the good old summertime.” Shields said it would make a great song title. He worked up lyrics and Evans improvised a basic melody. RA Ring performed it on Broadway. RA Then J.W. Myer included the song in his vaudeville act RCG and took it to #1, as did the Haydn Quartet and Sousa’s Band. The Haydn Quartet’s version ranked as Billboard’s song of the year in 1903. CPM Read more.

Al Jolson with Prince’s Orchestra “You Made Me Love You (I Didn’t Want to Do It)” (1913) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

For this song, James Monaco, an immigrant from Italy, collaborated with lyricist Joe McCarthy who wrote for Broadway shows in the 1920s and ‘30s. LW It is a “skillfully crafted lyric that perfectly matches its bluesy melody, and suited Jolson’s…capacity for melodrama.” LW This song “was identified with him for the rest of his career.” JA Read more.

Isham Jones “It Had to Be You” (1924) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

“This is one of the high points in Tin Pan Alley era songwriting” RCG and “one of the most enduringly popular ballads of the 1920s.” SS-589 Unlike many of its Great American Songbook counterparts, “this effortless classic” RCG didn’t “put love and lovers on a pedestal.” TM It was a sophisticated song “with grown-up, often witty lyrics that have stood the test of time.” LW The “perennial nightclub favorite” JA charted six times in 1924 alone. Interestingly, the most successful version of the song is an instrumental version by Isham Jones. Read more.

The Mills Brothers “Paper Doll” (1942) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

“Paper Doll”, a song about preferring a paper doll to the far more fickle real-life versions, TY1 was written in 1915 and wasn’t published until 1930. WK The songwriter, Johnny S. Black, died six years before it even charted. The song also marked a revival for the Mills Brothers who had been suffering from declining sales for years. WK It hit #1 in 1943 and went on to sell six million copies and become one of the ten best sellers of the first half of the century. PM Read more.

The Original Dixieland Jazz Band “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball” (1917) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

Shelton Brooks was inspired to write “Ball” by a 1915 social gathering during the Panama Pacific International Exposition he attended in San Francisco. SS Sophie Tucker introduced it on vaudeville. SS In 1917, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded an instrumental version which reached #2 and was named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1972, it was one of ten songs named to the Songwriters Hall of Fame as an historic standard. SS Read more.

Kate Smith “God Bless America” (1939) Inducted April 2022 as “Top Tin Pan Alley Songs”

Irving Berlin originally wrote this song in 1918 while serving in the Army, intending it for a 1918 revue called Yip, Yip, Yaphank. WK However, Berlin shelved the song, considering it inappropriate for the comedic musical. SF Two decades later, Kate Smith, asked Berlin to write something new for her radio show on Armistice Day. TY1 He revived “God Bless America,” TY1 updating the lyrics to make it a peace song SF taking the form of a prayer. WK It became Smith’s signature song. Read more.

National Recording Registry: 2022

National Recording Registry: 2022 Inductions

The National Recording Registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000. The Librarian of Congress appoints members to the National Recording Preservation Board which, since 2002, has selected 25 recordings annually for preservation in the Library of Congress. As the website says, the recordings showcase “the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness.” Most inductees are songs and albums, but there are also radio, news, and sports broadcasts along with other spoken word recordings. Below is a list of the 2022 inductees, announced April 13, 2022. Click on a song or album title to see its DMDB page. Click here to read more about each of them on the National Recording Registry website. You can also read essays on more than 500 of the inductees here, including one by yours truly on Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.” Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast: National Recording Registry 2022 which highlights all of the songs on the list below as well as selections from the album inductees. Premiere: April 19, 2022 at 7pm CST. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database. 1. SONG: James P. Johnson “Harlem Strut” (1921) 2. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Complete Presidential Speeches (1933-1945) 3. SONG: Ernest Tubb “Walking the Floor Over You” (1941) 4. “On a Note of Triumph” (May 8, 1945) 5. SONG: The Soul Stirrers “Jesus Gave Me Water” (1950) 6. ALBUM: Duke Ellington At Newport (1956) 7. ALBUM: Max Roach We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite (1960) 8. SONG: Nat “King” Cole “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1961) 9. ALBUM: The Shirelles Tonight’s the Night (1961) 10. SONG: Andy Williams “Moon River” (1962) 11. ALBUM: Terry Riley In C (1968) 12. SONG: The Disenyland Boys Choir “It’s a Small World After All” (1964) 13. SONG: Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (1966) 14. Hank Aaron’s 715th Career Home Run (April 8, 1974) 15. SONG: Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975) 16. SONG: Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981) 17. ALBUM: Linda Ronstadt Canciones de Mi Padre (1987) 18. ALBUM: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989) 19. ALBUM: A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991) 20. ALBUM: Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) 21. ALBUM: Various Artists Buena Vista Social Club (1997) 22. SONG: Ricky Martin “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (1999) 23. ALBUM: Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (2001) 24. WNYC broadcasts for the day of 9/11 (Sept. 11, 2001) 25. “WTF with Marc Maron” (Guest: Robin Williams) (April 26, 2010) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “National Recording Registry: Albums” Dave’s Music Database: “National Recording Registry: Songs” National Recording Registry (4/13/2022). “National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022” National Recording Registry (complete listing, sortable by title, artist, year of release, year inducted, and genre) Wikipedia.org (complete listing by induction years with links for many of the recordings) First posted 4/15/2022; last updated 4/19/2022.

The Top 100 Rap Albums of All Time

Rap: The Top 100 Albums

More than 25 lists were aggregated to determine the best rap albums of all time. All albums which made at least 2 lists and/or won at least one “album of the year” award were than ranked according to their overall points in Dave’s Music Database (which factors in all-genre best-of lists, chart figures, sales, awards, and album ratings). Check out other best-of-genre/category lists here. 1. Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) 2. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) 3. Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) 4. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) 5. Eminem The Eminem Show (2002) 6. Kendrick Lamar Damn. (2017) 7. OutKast OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003) 8. Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill (1986) 9. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) 10. Kanye West The College Dropout (2004) 11. Kendrick Lamar Good Kid m.A.A.d. City (2012) 12. M.C. Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em (1990) 13. Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) 14. OutKast Stankonia (2000) 15. Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992) 16. Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (1989) 17. Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001) 18. De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) 19. 50 Cent Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003) 20. Eminem Recovery (2010) 21. Drake Views (2016) 22. Fugees The Score (1996) 23. Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits (compilation: 1999-2005, charted 2005) 24. Kanye West Late Registration (2005) 25. DJ Shadow Endtroducing… (1996) 26. Drake Take Care (2011) 27. Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986) 28. Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993) 29. Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (1990) 30. Eric B. & Rakim Paid in Full (1987) 31. A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory (1991) 32. Nas Illmatic (1994) 33. Eminem/various artists 8 Mile (soundtrack, 2002) 34. Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle (1993) 35. The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die (1994) 36. Eminem The Slim Shady LP (1999) 37. Kanye West Graduation (2007) 38. Drake Scorpion (2018) 39. Eminem Encore (2004) 40. Vanilla Ice To the Extreme (1990) 41. Kanye West Yeezus (2013) 42. Madvillain Madvillainy (2004) 43. Lil Wayne Tha Carter III (2008) 44. 50 Cent The Massacre (2005) 45. Beastie Boys Ill Communication (1994) 46. Nelly Nellyville (2002) 47. Jay-Z The Black Album (2003) 48. Nelly Country Grammar (2000) 49. Tupac Shakur (2pac) All Eyez on Me (1996) 50. Cardi B Invasion of Privacy (2018) 51. The Notorious B.I.G. Life after Death (1997) 52. Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019) 53. Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business (2005) 54. Drake If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015) 55. Run the Jewels Run the Jewels 2 (2014) 56. Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) 57. OutKast Aquemini (1998) 58. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday (2010) 59. Post Malone Beerbongs & Bentleys (2018) 60. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch the Throne (2011) 61. DMDB: J. Dilla Donuts (2006) 62. Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. (1984) 63. Arrested Development 3 Years, 5 Months, & 2 Days in the Life of… (1992) 64. Will Smith Big Willie Style (1997) 65. Eminem Relapse (2009) 66. Tupac (2pac) Shakur Me Against the World (1995) 67. Lil Nas X Montero (2021) 68. A Tribe Called Quest People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990) 69. Beastie Boys Check Your Head (1992) 70. The Game The Documentary (2005) 71. Tyler, the Creator Call Me if You Get Lost (2021) 72. Dr. Dre 2001 (1999) 73. Beastie Boys Hello Nasty (1998) 74. Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded (1987) 75. Pop Smoke Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020) 76. Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 (2009) 77. Nicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012) 78. Puff Daddy & the Family No Way Out (1997) 79. Tyler, the Creator Igor (2019) 80. Chance the Rapper Coloring Book (2016) 81. Cypress Hill Cypress Hill (1991) 82. Common Be (2005) 83. T.I. Paper Trail (2008) 84. Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt (1996) 85. Jay-Z Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life (1998) 86. Nelly Suit (2004) 87. LL Cool J Radio (1985) 88. A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders (1993) 89. T.I. King (2006) 90. Kanye West 808’s and Heartbreak (2008) 91. Cypress Hill Black Sunday (1993) 92. J. Cole 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) 93. Kris Kross Totally Krossed Out (1992) 94. Ice Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1999) 95. D12 D12 World (2004) 96. OutKast ATLiens (1996) 97. DMX It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998) 98. Tupac Shakur (as Makaveli) The Don illuminati – The 7 Day Theory (1996) 99. Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever (1997) 100. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis The Heist (2012) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Rap Albums of the Year” Dave’s Music Database: other best-of-genre lists Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Rap/Hip-Hop Songs of All Time” First posted 7/17/2011; last updated 4/19/2022.

National Recording Registry: Albums

National Recording Registry: Album Inductees, 2002-2022

The National Recording Registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000. The Librarian of Congress appoints members to the National Recording Preservation Board which, since 2002, has selected 25 recordings annually for preservation in the Library of Congress. As the website says, the recordings showcase “the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness.” This particular page lists albums which have inducted into the Registry. Click here to see songs which have been inducted into the National Recording Registry. Check out other Hall of Fame-style album awards here. Year of Induction: Performer/Composer/Recorder Album (Year released/years recorded) A 2004: The Allman Brothers At Fillmore East (live, 1971) 2010: The Almanac Singers Talking Union (1941) 2002: Louis Armstrong The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings (box set, recorded 1925-28, released 8/22/2000) 2012: Clarence Ashley et al Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley’s (1960-62) B 2002: Milton Babbitt (composer)/Bethany Beardslee (performer) Philomel: For Soprano (1971) 2018: Johann Sebastian Bach (composer)/Pablo Casals (performer) Cello Suites (6) (classical, composed 1717-23, recorded 1939) 2003: Johann Sebastian Bach (composer)/Glenn Gould (performer) Goldberg Variations (classical, composed 1741, performed 1955) 2003: Johann Sebastian Bach (composer)/Robert Shaw Chorale (performer) Mass in B Minor (classical, composed 1733-1749, recorded 1947) 2014: Joan Baez Joan Baez (1960) 2009: The Band The Band (1969) 2014: Sweet Emma Barrett/Preservation Hall Jazz Band New Orleans’ Sweet Emma Barrett and Her Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1964) 2004: The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966) 2003: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 2007: Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)/Artur Schnabel (performer) Piano Sonatas (32) (classical, composed 1795-1822, recorded 1932-35) 2005: Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)/Modesto High School Band (performer) Egmont Overture (classical, composed 1809-10, recorded 1930) 2003: Ludwig van Beethoven (composer)/Budapest Quartet (performer) String Quartets (16) (classical, composed 1798-1826, performed 1940-50) 2017: Harry Belafonte Calypso (1956) 2014: Stephen Vincent Benét (composer)/Tyrone Power, Judith Anderson, and Raymond Massey (performers)/Charles Laughton (director) John Brown’s Body (poetry reading, composed 1928, performed 1953) 2008: Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim (composers) West Side Story (cast album: 1957) 2012: Big Brother & the Holding Company Cheap Thrills (1968) 2011: William Billings (composer)/The Gregg Smith Singers (performer) The Continental Harmony: The Gregg Smith Singers Perform Music of William Billings (1969) 2006: Eubie Blake The Eighty-Six Years of Eubie Blake (1969) 2013: Art Blakey A Night at Birdland (Volumes 1 & 2 (1954) 2005: Hector Berlioz (composer)/ Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society (performer) La Damanation of Faust (The Damnation of Faust) (classical, composed 1846, performed 1954) 2002: Marc Blitzstein (composer) The Cradle Will Rock (cast: 1938) 2019: Jerry Bock/Sheldon Harnick (composers) Fiddler on the Roof (cast, 1964) 2016: David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) 2018: Lord Benjamin Britten (composer) War Requiem (classical, composed 1962, performed 1963) 2004: James Brown Live at the Apollo Volume 1 (live, 1962) 2020: Jackson Browne Late for the Sky (1974) 2005: Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out (1959) 2022: Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club (1997) C 2010: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Trout Mask Replica (1969) 2015: George Carlin Class Clown (comedy, 1972) 2005: Wendy Carlos Switched-On Bach (1968) 2012: Betty Carter The Audience with Betty Carter (1980) 2005: Elliott Carter (composer)/Louisville Orchestra (performer) Variations for Orchestra (composed 1955, performed 1956) 2003: Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (live, 1968) 1978: Cheap Trick At Budokan (live: recorded 1978, released 1979) 2015: Clifton Chenier Bogalusa Boogie (1976) 2004: Reverend James Cleveland Peace Be Still (1962) 2020: Jimmy Cliff et al The Harder They Come (1972) 2012: Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) 2004: John Coltrane Giant Steps (1960) 2015: John Coltrane A Love Supreme (1965) 2013: Aaron Copland (composer) Appalachian Spring (ballet, composed 1944, performed 1974) 2009: Bill Cosby I Started Out as a Child (comedy, 1964) 2007: Elizabeth Cotten Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes (1959) 2010: George Crumb (composer)/New York Strings Quartet (performer) Black Angels (Thirteen Images from the Dark Land) (1972) 2013: Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco Celia & Johnny (1974) 2019: Colin Currie Percussion Concerto (2008) D 2002: Miles Davis Kind of Blue (1959) 2010: De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) 2014: The Doors The Doors (1967) 2002: Thomas A Dorsey Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey (1973) 2019: Dr. Dre The Chronic (1992) 2002: Bob Dylan The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) E 2016: Eagles Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (compilation: 1971-75, released 1976) 2003: Eastman Wind Ensemble with Frederick Fennell Winds in Hi-Fi (opera, 1958) 2002: Duke Ellington The Blanton-Webster Band (box set: 1939-42, released 1990) 2022: Duke Ellington At Newport (live, 1956) 2009: Bill Evans Trio The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings (live, recorded 1961) F 2010: John Fahey Blind Joe Death (1959) 2003: Fania All-Stars Live at Yankee Stadium (live, 1975) 2005: Firesign Theatre Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers (1970) 2003: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (covers, 1956) 2017: Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) 2016: Renée Fleming Signatures (1997) 2018: Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years (comedy, 1961) G 2003: Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall (live, 1961) 2003: Marvin Gaye What’s Going On (1971) 2003: George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin/Dubose Heyward (composers) Porgy and Bess (opera/musical, composed 1935, cast: 1942) 2012: Philip Glass (composer) Einstein on the Beach (1979) 2003: Benny Goodman The Complete Legendary Carnegie Hall Concert (live, recorded 1938) 2018: Dexter Gordon Go! (1962) 2003: Billy Graham Problems of the American Home (spoken, 1954) 2011: Grateful Dead Barton Hall Concert at Cornell University (live, 1977) 2011: Vince Guaraldi A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) H 2007: Herbie Hancock Head Hunters (1973) 2004: George Friedrich Handel (composer)/Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Philadelphia Orchestra (performers)/Eugene Ormandy (conductor)/Richard Condie (choir director) Messiah (classical, composed 1741, performed 1958) 2013: Isaac Hayes Shaft (soundtrack, 1971) 2008: Jascha Heifetz Acoustic Recordings for Victor Records (1917-24) 2005: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced? (1967) 2014: Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) Holst/Handel/Bach (composers)/Frederick Fennell and the Cleveland Symphonic Winds (performers) Holst: Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, Suite No. 2 in F / Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks / Bach: Fantasia in G (1978) 2009: Mississippi John Hurt Today! (1966) I 2014: Indian Bottom Association Old Regular Baptists: Lined-Out Hymnody from Southeastern Kentucky (1997) 2011: International Sweethearts of Rhythm Hottest Women’s Band of the 1940s (1944-46) 2003: Charles Ives (composer)/John Kirkpatrick (performer) Piano Sonata No. 2 “Concord” (classical, composed and performed 1948) J 2020: Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) 2007: Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) 2018: Jay-Z The Blueprint (2001) 2007: Ella Jenkins You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song (1966) 2020: Flaco Jiménez Partners (1992) 2003: Robert Johnson The Complete Recordings (compilation: 1936-37, released 1990) 2016: Scott Joplin (composer)/Gunther Schuller (arranger) Treemonisha (musical, composed 1911, performed 1976) 2005: Victor Jory (narrator) Tubby the Tuba (children, 1946) K 2005: Jerome Kern (music) & Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) Show Boat (stage debut: 12/27/27, cast recorded 1933) 2022: Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (2001) 2020: Albert King Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) 2005: B.B. King Live at the Regal (live, recorded 1964, released 1965) 2003: Carole King Tapestry (1971) 2008: King’s College Choir (performer)/Boris Ord (director) A Festival of Lessons and Carols as Sung on Christmas Eve in King's College Chapel, Cambridge (1954) 2005: Erich Wolfgang Korngold (composer) The Adventures of Robin Hood (film score, 1938) L 2018: Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual (1983) 2004: Tom Lehrer Songs by Tom Lehrer (1953) 2007: Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe (composers) My Fair Lady (cast recording, 1956) 2013: Mance Lipscomb Texas Sharecropper and Songster (1960) 2004: Frank Loesser (composer) Guys and Dolls (cast recording: 1950) 2012: Israel “Cachao” López/Su Ritmo Caliente Descargas: Cuban Jam Sessions in Miniature (1957) 2011: Love Forever Changes (1967) 2002: Lovey’s Trinidad String Band Recordings for Columbia Records (New York City session) (1912) M 2017: Yo-Yo Ma/Philadelphia Orchestra (performers)Christopher Rouse/Leon Kirchner/Richard Danielpour (composers) Concertos for Violoncello and Orchestra (classical, 1996) 2018: Galt MacDermot (music) with Gerome Ragni & James Rado (lyrics) Hair (cast recording, 1968) 2015: Gustav Mahler (composer)/Vienna Philharmonic (performers)/Bruno Walter (conductor) Symphony No. 9 in D major (classical, composed 1909, performed 1938) 2010: Henry Mancini The Music from Peter Gunn (soundtrack, 1959) 2006: Bob Marley/The Wailers Burnin’ (1973) 2014: Steve Martin A Wild and Crazy Guy (comedy, 1978) 2017: Groucho Marx An Evening with Groucho (comedy, 1972) 2018: Curtis Mayfield Superfly (soundtrack, 1972) 2014: Lincoln Mayorga Lincoln Mayorga and Distinguished Colleagues (1968) 2013: Vaughn Meader The First Family (comedy, 1962) 2015: Metallica Master of Puppets (1986) 2020: Pat Metheny Bright Size Life 2003: Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um (1959) 2007: Joni Mitchell For the Roses (1972) 2003: Thelonious Monk Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (recorded 1947, released 1951) 2016: Wes Montgomery The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960) 2011: Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly I Can Hear It Now (radio news broadcasts, 1933-45) 2003: Modest Mussorgsky (composer)/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (performers)/Rafael Kubelik (conductor) Tableaux d'une Exposition (Pictures at an Exhibition) (classical, composed for piano in 1874, reworked for orchestra in 1922, performed 1951) N 2020: Nas Illmatic (1994) 2009: Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger (1975) 2008: New York Pro Musica under the direction of Noah Greenberg (performers)/students from the school of Beauvais Cathedral (composers) The Play of Daniel: A Twelfth-Century Drama (composed 1227-34, performed 1958) 2006: Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (comedy, 1960) 2004: Nirvana Nevermind (1991) 2005: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972) 2013: Larry Norman Only Visiting This Planet (1972) 2015: Alex North (composer) A Streetcar Named Desire (soundtrack, 1951) 2016: N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton (1989) O 2020: Odetta Sings Ballads & Blues (1957) 2004: Michael Babatunde Olatunji Drums of Passion (1960) 2013: Buck Owens & His Buckaroos Carnegie Hall Concert (live, 1966) P-Q 2010: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (composer)/Roger Wagner Chorale (performer) Missa Papae Marcelli (Pope Marcellus Mass) (classical, composed 1562, performed 1951) 2009: Eddie Palmieri Azucar Pa' Ti (1965) 2011: Parliament Mothership Connection (1975) 2004: Harry Partch (composer)/Gate 5 Ensemble (performer) U.S. Highball (A Musical Account of a Transcontinental Hobo Trip) (1946) 2010: Roger Payne (producer) Songs of the Humpback Whale (nature recordings, 1970) 2012: Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 2014: Cole Porter (composer) Kiss Me, Kate (cast recording, 1949) 2002: Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions (archives, 1954-55) 2012: Leontyne Price A Program of Song (1959) 2011: Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain (1984) 2004: Sergey Prokofiev (composer)/Richard Hale (narrator)/Serge Koussevitzky (conductor)/Boston Symphony Orchestra (performer) Peter and the Wolf (1939) 2016: Richard Pryor Wanted: Live in Concert (comedy, 2016) 2004: Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (1990) 2019: Giacomo Puccini (composer) Tosca (opera, 1900) 2002: Tito Puente Dance Mania (1958) R 2004: Sergei Rachmaninov (composer/pianist)/Philadelphia Orchestra (performer)/Leopold Stowoski (conductor) Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor (classical, composed 1901, performed 1929) 2016: Sergei Rachmaninov (composer)/The Robert Shaw Festival Singers (performers) Vespers (All-Night Vigil) (classical, composed 1915, performed 1990) 2014: Radiohead OK Computer (1997) 2022: Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time (1989) 2012: Ramones Ramones (1976) 2018: Ola Belle Reed Ola Belle Reed (1973) 2017: Steve Reich/Richard Maxfield/Pauline Oliveros (composers) New Sounds in Electronic Music (1967) 2008: Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks 2000 Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (comedy, 1961) 2022: Teddy Riley In C (1968) 2022: Max Roach We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1960) 2016: Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959) 2003: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) Oklahoma! (cast recording, 1944) 2012: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) South Pacific (cast recording, 1949) 2017: Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (composers) The Sound of Music (soundtrack, 1965) 2019: Fred Rogers Mister Rogers Sings 21 Favorite Songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1973) 2016: Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus (1956) 2013: Linda Ronstadt Heart Like a Wheel (1974) 2022: Linda Ronstadt Canciones de Mi Padre (Songs of My Father) (1987) 2017: Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986) S 2010: Mort Sahl At Sunset (1955) 2015: Buffy Sainte-Marie It’s My Way! (1964) 2015: Santana Abraxas (1970) 2015: Robert and Clara Schumann (composers)/Beaux Arts Trio (performer) Complete Piano Trios (classical, composed 1846-51, performed 1972) 2003: Tony Schwartz New York Taxi Driver (spoken, 1959) 2019: Maria Schneider Concert in the Garden (2004) 2016: Pete Seeger We Shall Overcome (live, 1963) 2019: Selena Ven Conmigo (1990) 2014: Sesame Street All-Time Platinum Favorites (children, 1995) 2022: The Shirelles Tonight’s the Night (1961) 2012: Simon & Garfunkel Sounds of Silence (1966) 2006: Paul Simon Graceland (1986) 2002: Frank Sinatra Songs for Young Lovers (1954) 2014: Sly & the Family Stone Stand! (1969) 2016: Charlie Smalls (composer) The Wiz (cast recording, 1975) 2009: Patti Smith Horses (1975) 2013: Stephen Sondheim (composer) Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (cast recording, 1979) 2005: Sonic Youth Daydream Nation (1988) 2019: Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis (1969) 2003: Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975) 2009: The Staple Singers Soul Folk in Action (1968) 2010: Steely Dan Aja (1977) 2011: Richard Strauss (composer)/Chicago Symphony Orchestra (performers)/Fritz Reiner (conductor) Also Sprach Zarathustra (classical, composed 1896, performed 1954) 2020: Richard Strauss (composer)/Jessye Norman (performer) Four Last Songs (classical, composed 1948, performed in 1983) 2002: Igor Stravinsky (composer)/New York Philharmonic (performers) Le Sacre Du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) (ballet, composed 1913, performed 1940) 2016: Barbra Streisand People (1964) 2009: Jule Styne (music) & Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) Gypsy (cast recording, 1959) 2009: Morton Subotnick Silver Apples of the Moon (2009) T 2016: Talking Heads Remain in Light (1980) 2004: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (composer)/Vladimir Horowitz/NBC Symphony Orchestra (performers)/Arturo Toscanini (conductor) Piano Concerto No. 1 (classical, composed 1875, performed 1943) 2012: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky (composer)/Van Cliburn (performer) Piano Concerto No. 1 (classical, composed 1875, performed 1958) 2004: Virgil Thomson (composer) Four Saints in Three Acts (1947) 2014: Joan Tower (composer)/Colorado Symphony Orchestra (performer)/Martin Alsop (conductor) Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman (classical, composed 1986, performed 1999) 2017: Merle Travis Folk Songs of the Hills (1946) 2022: A Tribe Called Quest The Low-End Theory (1991) 2019: Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984) 2004: Tuskegee Institute Choir/Mormon Tabernacle Choir/Philadelphia Orchestra (performers)/Eugene Ormandy (conductor)/Richard P. Condie (choir director)/William L. Dawson (director) Tuskegee Institute Choir Sings Spirituals (1955) U 2013: U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) 2007: United States Marine Band Recordings for the National Cultural Center (1963) V 2005: Edgard Varèse (composer) Poeme Electronique (composed 1958) 2006: Sarah Vaughan Live in Japan (live, 1973) 2006: Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) 2020: Giuseppe Verdi (composer)/Leontyne Price et al (performers) Aida (opera, composed 1871, performed 1962) 2003: Antonio Vivaldi (composer)/Louis Kaufman/Concert Hall String Orchestra (performers) The Four Seasons (classical, composed 1725, performed 1947) 2019: Hildegard von Bingen (composer)/Gothic Voices (performer)/Christopher Page (conductor) A Feather on the Breath of God (1982) W 2003: Richard Wagner (composer)/George Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (performers) Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) (opera, composed 1848-1874, performed 1958-65) 2009: Richard Wagner (composer)/Metropolitan Opera, featuring Kirsten Flagstad and Lauritz Melchior (performers) Tristan Und Isolde (opera, composed 1857-59, performed 1935) 2012: Junior Wells with Buddy Guy Hoodoo Man Blues (1965) 2008: The Who The Who Sings My Generation (1965) 2012: The Wild Tchoupitoulas The Wild Tchoupitoulas (1976) 2004: John Williams (composer) Star Wars (soundtrack, 1977) 2005: Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976) 2022: Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers) (1993) X-Y-Z 2005: Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention We’re Only in It for the Money (3/4/68) Various Artists 2005: various artists (performers)/ Harry Smith (compiler) Anthology of American Folk Music (box set, recorded 1926-32, released 1952) 2019: various artists (performers)/Hiromi Lorraine Sakata (compiler) Collection of Afghan Traditional Music (box, 1973) 2020: various artists (Margo Thomas et al) Free to Be You and Me (1972) 2010: various artists (Nat “King” Cole, Les Paul, Buddy Rich, et al) Jazz at the Philharmonic (live, 1944) 2007: various artists (performers)/Norman Granz (producer) The Jazz Scene (1949) 2007: various artists (performers)/David Lewiston (recorder) Music from the Morning of the World (1966) 2006: various artists (Pixinguinha, Donga, Cartola, Jararaca, Ratinho and José Espinguela)/Leopold Stowowski (supervisor) Native Brazilian Music (1942) 2012: various artists (Bee Gees et al) Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack, 1977) 2018: various artists Schoolhouse Rock!: The Box Set (children, box set: 1996) Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: other Hall of Fame-style album awards Dave’s Music Database: “National Recording Registry: Songs” National Recording Registry (4/13/2022). “National Recording Registry Inducts Music from Alicia Keys, Ricky Martin, Journey and More in 2022” National Recording Registry (complete listing, sortable by title, artist, year of release, year inducted, and genre) Wikipedia.org (complete listing by induction years with links for many of the recordings) First posted 3/23/2019; last updated 4/13/2022.

The Top 100 Groups/Duos of All Time

Groups/Duos: Top 100 All-Time

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 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: “Top 100 Acts of All Time” (groups + individual music makers) First posted 9/10/2011; last updated 4/8/2022.

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.