Top 100 Folk/Folk Rock Acts

Folk/Folk Rock: Top 100 Acts

Folk music is characterized as traditional music that often deals with themes of life's daily struggles. It passed from generation to generation via oral tradition. Typically the composers were unknown and the music was played on traditional, acoustic instruments. A folk revival in the 20th century led to the popularization of the art through socially-conscious singer/songwriters who worked within the folk form and also expanded it in the rock era, especially in the 1960s, with more electric instruments. Another wave occurred in the 21st century with artists who found audiences at adult alternative radio. 17 lists focused on the best folk and/or folk-rock acts of all time were aggregated to create this list. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. Bob Dylan 14 lists: 1. Bob Dylan 2. Simon & Garfunkel 13 lists: 3. Joni Mitchell 4. Joan Baez 5. Pete Seeger 12 lists: 6. Woody Guthrie 10 lists: 7. Neil Young 8. James Taylor 9. Leonard Cohen 10. Peter, Paul, & Mary 9 lists: 11. Gordon Lightfoot 8 lists: 12. Cat Stevens 13. Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter 14. The Kingston Trio 15. Judy Collins 7 lists: 16. The Byrds 17. John Prine 18. Odetta 19. Bon Iver 20. Arlo Guthrie 6 lists: 21. Crosby, Stills & Nash 22. Grateful Dead 23. John Denver 24. The Carter Family 25. Mumford & Sons 26. The Mamas & the Papas 27. Nick Drake 28. Don McLean 29. Donovan 30. Sufjan Stevens 31. Harry Chapin 32. Ani DiFranco 33. Phil Ochs 5 lists: 34. Paul Simon 35. Carole King 36. Harry Belafonte 37. Tracy Chapman 38. Buffalo Springfield 39. The Weavers 40. Jim Croce 41. The Decemberists 42. Fairport Convention 43. Fleet Foxes 44. Joan Armatrading 45. Doc Watson 46. Ramblin' Jack Elliott 4 lists: 47. Johnny Cash 48. Jethro Tull 49. The Band 50. David Crosby 51. Indigo Girls 52. The Lumineers 53. America 54. Richard Thompson 55. Suzanne Vega 56. Lovin’ Spoonful 57. Ben Harper 58. Dan Fogelberg 59. Elliott Smith 60. Bright Eyes 61. Bert Jansch 62. Neutral Milk Hotel 63. Joanna Newsom 64. Townes Van Zandt 65. Billy Bragg 66. Elizabeth Cotten 67. Steeleye Span 68. Janis Ian 69. Buffy Sainte-Marie 3 lists: 70. Van Morrison 71. Tom Waits 72. Jackson Browne 73. Melissa Etheridge 74. Emmylou Harris 75. Violent Femmes 76. Graham Nash 77. Jimmie Rodgers 78. Love 79. Shawn Colvin 80. Jewel 81. Roger McGuinn 82. The Pogues 83. Of Monsters & Men 84. Mississippi John Hurt 85. Tim Buckley 86. Bruce Cockburn 87. Al Stewart 88. Gillian Welch 89. Patty Griffin 90. The Incredible String Band 91. Iron & Wine 92. The Highwaymen 93. Tom Paxton 94. Michelle Shocked 95. Dave Van Ronk 96. Loudon Wainwright III 97. Ian & Sylvia 98. Ewan MacColl 99. Pentangle 2 lists: 100. The Everly Brothers Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top 60 Folk/Folk Rock Albums Dave’s Music Database: Folk/Traditional: Top 100 Traditional/Folk Songs Dave’s Music Database: Top 100 Folk Rock Songs Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre First posted 6/30/2026.

The Top 100 Drummers of All Time

Drummers: Top 100

This list was originally posted on the DMDB Facebook page on August 23, 2010, and then revised on January 22, 2011. 30 best-of lists (see resources at the bottom of the page) were aggregated to create this one. As tends to be the case with music lists, it heavily slants toward rock drummers, so while far from flawless, the aggregate approach to creating this list should assure that this is a more representative list than any other out there. When relevant, groups or performers most associated with the drummers are listed in parentheses. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. Neil Peart, Rush’s “YYZ” 1. Neil Peart (Rush) 2. John “Bonzo” Bonham (Led Zeppelin) 3. Keith Moon (The Who) 4. Ginger Baker (Cream) 5. Ringo Starr (The Beatles) 6. Stewart Copeland (The Police) 7. Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) 8. Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) 9. Bill Bruford (Yes/ King Crimson) 10. Lars Ulrich (Metallica) John Bonham, Led Zeppelin’s Moby Dick” 11. Ian Paice (Deep Purple) 12. Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones) 13. Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa/Jeff Beck) 14. Danny Carey (Tool) 15. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) 16. Roger Taylor (Queen) 17. Buddy Rich 18. Phil Collins (Genesis) 19. Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) 20. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) Keith Moon, The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (isolated drum track) 21. Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) 22. Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer/Asia) 23. Steve Smith (Journey) 24. Travis Barker (Blink-182) 25. Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) 26. Dave Lombardo (Slayer) 27. John Densmore (The Doors) 28. Alan White (Yes) 29. Maureen “Moe” Tucker (Velvet Underground) 30. Topper Headon (The Clash) Ginger Baker, Cream’s “Toad” 31. Jimmy Chamberlin (Smashing Pumpkins) 32. Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) 33. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) 34. Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa/Sting/Jeff Beck /Herbie Hancock/Chick Corea) 35. Larry Mullen, Jr. (U2) 36. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) 37. Aynsley Dunbar (John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers/Jeff Beck Group/Journey) 38. Cozy Powell (Black Sabbath/Rainbow) 39. Gene Krupa 40. Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne/Whitesnake) Buddy Rich vs. the Muppets’ Animal 41. Tim Alexander (Primus) 42. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) 43. Joey Jordison (Slipknot) 44. Bernard Purdie 45. Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) 46. Frank “Tré Cool” Edwin Wright III (Green Day) 47. Steve Gadd (Paul Simon/Steely Dan/Eric Clapton) 48. Art Blakey 49. Michael Shrieve (Santana) 50. Al Jackson, Jr. (Booker T. & the MG’s) Gene Krupa vs. Buddy Rich 51. Billy Cobham (Horace Silver/Miles Davis/Mahavishnu Orchestra) 52. Jaki Liebezeit (Can) 53. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) 54. Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) 55. Max Roach 56. Steven Adler (Guns N’ Roses) 57. Deen Castronovo (Bad English/Journey) 58. Elvin Jones (John Coltrane) 59. Tony Williams 60. William “Benny” Benjamin (Funk Brothers) Max Roach 61. Hal Blaine 62. Simon Phillips (Toto) 63. Klaus Dinger (Neu/LA Dusserldorf) 64. Zigaboo “Ziggy” Modeliste (The Meters) 65. Vinnie Paul (Pantera) 66. Brann Dailor (Mastodon) 67. Rick Allen (Def Leppard) 68. Zak Starkey (The Who/Oasis) 69. Phil Rudd (AC/DC) 70. Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull) World’s Greatest Drummers Salute Ringo Starr 71. Mike Giles (King Crimson) 72. Louie Bellson 73. Jeff Porcaro (Toto) 74. Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa) 75. Don Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) 76. Chris Adler (Lamb of God) 77. Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) 78. Jim “The Reverend” Sullivan (Avenged Sevenfold) 79. John French (Captain Beefheart) 80. Dominic Howard (Muse) Lars Ulrich of Metallica, drum solo 81. Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) 82. Dave Garabaldi (Tower of Power) 83. Anton Fier (Feelies/Pere Ubu/Golden Palominos) 84. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle/Desert Sessions) 85. Jon Theodore (Mars Volta) 86. Stanton Moore (Galactic) 87. Don Henley (Eagles) 88. Tico Torres (Bon Jovi) 89. Levon Helm (The Band) 90. Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown) Phil Collins takes drum quiz 91. Scott Travis (Judas Priest) 92. Stephen Morris (Joy Division/New Order) 93. Earl Palmer 94. Alan “Reni” Wren (The Stone Roses) 95. Roger Hawkins (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section) 96. Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp) 97. B.J. Wilson (Procol Harum) 98. Damon Che Fitzgerald (Don Caballero) 99. Thomas Lang 100. Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs/Winger) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories Amazon.com The Ten Greatest Drummers of All Time. By Julian Apostate. (date?). A personal top ten list with an album selection for each pick. AssociatedContent.com Best Rock Drummers of All Time. By Nick Mayer. (7/7/09). Top ten list with commentary. BBC News Zeppelin voted ‘ideal supergroup’. (7/10/05). Roughly 3500 music fans were polled at Planet Rock Radio for best singer, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. The top 10 of each are listed. CreativeLoafing.com Top 10 Sickest Drummers of All Time. By Ivan Pena. (2/9/10). Top ten list with commentary and video. Digital Dream Door 100 Greatest Rock Drummers. Edited by tommorello. (8/16/08). Top 100 list with no commentary. FanNation.com Top Drummers of All Time. By R.I.P. John Bonham/ Bon Scott’s blog. (2007). Top 20 list with no commentary. Gigwise.com The Greatest Drummers of All Time!. (5/29/08). Top 50 list with commentary. Having a separate page for each drummer is an annoyance. Glam-Racket The Bakers Dozen Greatest Rock Drummers of All Time. By Todd Totale. (3/3/08). Top 13 list with commentary and some video. Includes another 13 on an honorable mention list and 13 on an a dishonorable mention list. HubPages.com My Favorite Drummers. By Constant Walker. (2009). Unranked list with commentary and video. Listology.com Favorite Rock Drummers. By Callanyvegatable. (6/16/2009). Ranked list (8) with no commentary and 7 honorable mentions. Listology.com Top 10 Drummers of All Time. By SgtPepper. (7/15/2010). Top 10 ranked list with no commentary. Listology.com …Favorite Musicians…. By Feif Umgotnn. (4/2/2010). Best-of lists for singers, bands, guitarists, drummers, bassists, and other instrumentalists. 11 drummers on a ranked list as well as 6 honorable mentions. Includes groups most associated with drummer. Mademan.com 10 Best Drummers of All Time. By John Brhel. (4/17/2010). Ranked top 10 list with commentary. MusicRadar.com 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time. By Rhythm Magazine (10/22/2009). Top 50 list with commentary and photos. Annoyingly has a separate page for each drummer. Have to click through all pages to see total list. MyMusicLists.com Greatest Drummers. (2006?). Ranked list of 50+ drummers. Voted and commented on by registered users. PhilBrodieBand.com 100 Greatest Drummers – Jazz, Rock, Skilled. (2006). Three separate ranked lists – one focused on jazz (100), one on rock (100), and a third on most-skilled drummers (50). No commentary. Q Magazine. Best Drummer Ever. (12/24/2010). Originally in print magazine, issue 295. Top 10 ranked list with commentary. Rankopedia.com Best Drummer Ever. (8/9/2010). Voter-based top 25 list with no commentary. RateYourMusic.com 50 Greatest Drummers of All Time. By EVH1622. (year?). Top 50 ranked list with no commentary. Rockband.com The Top 25 Greatest Drummers of All Time. By Slashboi. (1/3/2009). Top 25 ranked list with no commentary. Scaruffi.com Greatest Rock Drummers of All Times. By Piero Scaruffi (1999). Top 28 ranked list with no commentary. Another 100+ honorable mentions. Share Ranks Greatest Rock Drummers of All Time. By pxc0. (2009). Voter-based list with 60+ drummers ranked. Includes voter comments. Squidoo.com The Top 10 Drum Legends and Their Drum Kits. By Andy Phillips (2009?). Top 10 ranked list with commentary. Includes video and photos. StylusMagazine.com 50 Greatest Rock Drummers. By Stylus staff. (7/30/2007). Top 50 list with commentary, photos, and “best of”. The-Top-Tens.com Greatest Drummer of All Time. By AKPickin. (year?). Top 100 voter-based list with comments from voters. Turkku.com Top 20: Drummers. By Jari Leppänen (2010?). Page is focused on top 100 rock albums, but has other lists in the side panel, including a top 20 ranked list for drummers. No commentary. Zuko.com Top 10 Rock Bands, Guitarist, Drummer, Bassist of All Time. By Dr. Von Zuko. (date?). Top ten unranked list with no commentary. First posted 8/23/2010; last updated 6/30/2026.

The Top 25 Doo-Wop Groups of All Time

Doo-Wop: Top 25 Acts

Doo-wop emerged in the 1950s as an integral force in the shaping of early rock and roll. The genre was marked by vocal groups, predominantly male and black. More than a dozen lists were aggregated to come up with this DMDB list of the top 25 doo-wop groups of all time. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. The Platters 1. The Platters 2. The Drifters 3. The Coasters 4. The Flamingos 5. The Clovers 6. The Orioles 7. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers 8. The Spaniels 9. Dion & the Belmonts 10. The Dominoes 11. The Moonglows 12. The Cadillacs 13. The Del-Vikings 14. The Five Satins 15. Little Anthony & the Imperials 16. The Crests 17. The Harptones 18. The Dells 19. Hank Ballard & the Midnighters 20. The Five Royales 21. The Skyliners 22. The Cleftones 23. The Four Seasons 24. The Diamonds 25. The Penguins Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre Dave’s Music Database: The Top 100 Doo-Wop Songs of All Time First posted 3/5/2026; last updated 6/29/2026.

Top 20 Crooners of All Time

Crooners: Top 20

According to Wikipedia, “crooners are singers who sing in a soft, intimate style made possible by the introduction of microphones and amplification.” This technological breakthrough made it possible to pick up quieter sounds and a greater frequency range. Prior to such breakthroughs, singers had to be able to project through a very loud vocal style. Crooners often performed in front of big bands. The style grew to its height in popularity in the 1940s through the late ‘60s. It has, however, continued through modern day artists such as Michael Bublé and Harry Connick, Jr. who sing vocal jazz in a style which has come to be labeled as “traditional pop.” This list was created by aggregating 10 lists focused on the best crooners of all time. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. Frank Sinatra 1. Frank Sinatra 2. Bing Crosby 3. Nat “King” Cole 4. Tony Bennett 5. Dean Martin 6. Perry Como 7. Johnny Mathis 8. Bobby Darin 9. Sammy Davis, Jr. 10. Mel Tormé 11. Michael Bublé 12. Harry Connick, Jr. 13. Matt Monro 14. Andy Williams 15. Charles Aznavour 16. Louis Armstrong 17. Barry Manilow 18. Tom Jones 19. Eddie Fisher 20. Vic Damone Resources/Related Links: Wikipedia: List of Crooners Dave’s Music Database: Top 25 Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz Albums Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories First posted 6/29/2026.

 

The Top 50 Classical Composers

Classical Composers: Top 50

This list was originally presented as a note on the DMDB Facebook page on February 2, 2011. That original post was prompted by Anthony Tommasini, who in January 2011, undertook the two-week task in the New York Times of selecting the top 10 classical music composers in history. That list, and 13 others (see sources below), have been aggregated to create the official Dave’s Music Database list below. As always, the goal is to present an objective list based on others’ opinions. Besides, I’m less informed on classical music than any other genre, so I couldn’t compose a list of my own if I wanted to. My apologies for any misspellings. Note: this list has been updated to aggegate 23 best-of lists focused on classical artists. Roughly the first half of the list is determined by putting all composers who reached at least 8 lists in order based on overall Dave’s Music Database. The remainder of the list is determined by taking all composers who reached between 2 and 7 lists and ranking them based on overall Dave’s Music Database status. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. Ludwig van Beethoven 1. Ludwig van Beethoven 2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 3. Johann Sebastian Bach 4. Igor Stravinsky 5. Gustav Mahler 6. Béla Bartók 7. Frederic Chopin 8. Sergei Rachmaninoff 9. Felix Mendelssohn 10. Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky 11. Dmitri Shostakovich 12. Antonin Dvorák 13. Maurice Ravel 14. Franz Schubert 15. Richard Wagner 16. Joseph Haydn 17. Hector Berlioz 18. Johannes Brahms 19. Robert Schumann 20. Antonio Vivaldi 21. George Friedrich Händel 22. Claude Debussy 23. Giusseppe Verdi 24. George Gershwin 25. John Philip Sousa 26. Franz Liszt 27. Claudio Monteverdi 28. Aaron Copland 29. Giacomo Puccini 30. Edward Elgar 31. Richard Strauss 32. Jean Sibelius 33. Kurt Weill 34. Modest Mussorgsky 35. Sergei Prokofiev 36. Arnold Schoenberg 37. Charles Ives 38. Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina 39. Anton Bruckner 40. Samuel Barber 41. Henry Purcell 42. Georges Bizet 43. Philip Glass 44. Ferde Grofe 45. Jean-Philippe Rameau 46. Ralph Vaughan Williams 47. John Cage 48. Camille Saint-Saëns 49. Pierre Boulez 50. Edvard Grieg Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories Amazon.com: Essential Artists Consists of two lists: one of popular music’s essential artists and another of classical composers. Links take you to shortbios and more links to works by the artist/composer. Classical list has 52 entries, unranked. Answers.com Greatest Classical Composers. By del_icious_manager (date?) A user posted a question asking for people to list 7 of the greatest classical composers and state reasons for choices. The best answer, as chosen by the asker, was from del_icious_manager who listed seven composers chronologically with sentence-longbios/justifications. BiographyOnline.net Greatest Classical Music Composers of All Time. (date?) Top ten ranked list with brief paragraphs on each entry. Cleveland.com Who are the 10 greatest classical-music composers of all time? You decide. By Donald Rosenberg. (1/30/2011) Response to Anthony Tommasini’s top 10 list in the New York Times. Picks seven composers himself, but doesn’t rank them. DigitalDreamDoor.com The 100 Greatest Classical Music Composers. Edited by Guy/Brian. (12/31/2006) Top 100 ranked list. No commentary. eHow.com 10 Most Famous Classical Composers. By Amber D. Walker. (1/3/2010) This article focuses on ten composers with paragraph entries on each. No ranking. HubPages.com Top 5 Classical Composers of All Time. By Isabella Snow. (date?) This article focuses on five composers with paragraph entries on each. No ranking. Jaltcoh.blogspot.com The Top 10 Greatest Classical Composers. By John Althouse Cohen. (1/22/2011) A personal top ten ranking with detailed entries on each composer. Inspired by the New York Times article. Legends of American Music stamp series (1993-1999) This series of stamps started in 1993 covering various genres. Eight classical composers/conductors were introduced in 1997. Listverse.com Top 15 Greatest Composers of All Time. By FlameHorse. (12/17/2009) Top 15 ranked list with detailed entries and video posts. NYTimes.com The Greatest. By Anthony Tommasini. (1/21/2011) The original post which inspired the DMDB list and several of the other entries in this category. He undertook a two-week series to select the top 10 classical musical composers in history. He laid out the list via articles, videos, and blog posts which garnered more than 1500 responses. Squidoo.com The Best Classical Composers of All Time. By ?. (date?) Unranked list of five composers with links to purchase music and other related products. Writer and date unidentified. The-Top-Tens.com Greatest Classical Composers. By ?. (date?) Users post lists here and then others vote on them. This top ten list has expanded to 23 entries as added by users. Original list generator and date of creation unidentified. Very few commentaries. First posted 7/28/2012; last updated 6/29/2026.

College Rock: Top 30 Acts

College Rock: Top 30 Acts

College rock emerged in the 1980s as sort of the birth of alternative rock before that term was widely used. It got its name because of the prevalence of radio stations at college universities that would play left-of-mainstream material. Some of the genres most prominent artists (R.E.M., U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers) went on to become some of the biggest mainstream acts of the 1980s and ‘90s while others maintained more of a niche audience (The Replacements, Pixies, Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth) but have become critically acclaimed bands because of their place in rock and roll history. 11 lists focused on college rock acts were aggegrated to create this list. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. R.E.M. 1. R.E.M. 2. The Smiths 3. The Cure 4. The Replacements 5. U2 6. Pixies 7. Hüsker Dü 8. Red Hot Chili Peppers 9. XTC 10. The Smithereens 11. Sonic Youth 12. 10,000 Maniacs 13. Love & Rockets 14. Camper Van Beethoven 15. Talking Heads 16. The B-52’s 17. Echo & the Bunnymen 18. Midnight Oil 19. Dinosaur Jr. 20. Elvis Costello 21. The Police 22. Tears for Fears 23. INXS 24. Joy Division 25. Pretenders 26. Violent Femmes 27. Siouxsie & the Banshees 28. Psychedelic Furs 29. The Jesus & Mary Chain 30. Big Star Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre Dave’s Music Database: Top 250 New Wave/College Rock Songs First posted 6/29/2026.

The Top 100 Country Acts of All Time

Country: Top 100 Acts

This list was compiled by averaging more than 50 lists of the best country acts of all-time. The top 50 were then re-ordered based on the acts’ overall status in Dave’s Music Database. After that, any act appearing on 9 or more lists was then re-ordered based on overall Dave’s Music Database to come up with 51-100. See other Acts/Music Makers by Genre lists. Johnny Cash Johnny Cash Dolly Parton Willie Nelson Kenny Rogers George Jones Garth Brooks Hank Williams Glen Campbell Eddy Arnold Loretta Lynn Alabama George Strait Alan Jackson Patsy Cline Merle Haggard Shania Twain Conway Twitty Tammy Wynette Kenny Chesney Tim McGraw Reba McEntire Waylon Jennings Buck Owens Carrie Underwood Ernest Tubb The Carter Family Dixie Chicks (aka “The Chicks”) Brooks & Dunn Toby Keith Jimmie Rodgers Kitty Wells Marty Robbins Charley Pride Emmylou Harris Vince Gill Kris Kristofferson Randy Travis Brad Paisley Tanya Tucker Ray Price Hank Williams, Jr. Bob Wills Keith Urban Lefty Frizzell Ricky Skaggs Roger Miller Faith Hill Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs Bill Monroe Dwight Yoakam Elvis Presley Taylor Swift Brenda Lee Jerry Lee Lewis Gene Autry John Denver Morgan Wallen Jim Reeves Kacey Musgraves Webb Pierce Ronnie Milsap Red Foley Roy Acuff Hank Snow Rascal Flatts Luke Combs Bill Anderson Tennessee Ernie Ford Blake Shelton Porter Wagoner Clint Black Charlie Daniels Faron Young Jason Aldean Mel Tillis Crystal Gayle Barbara Mandrell Bobby Bare Luke Bryan Charlie Rich Lynn Anderson Don Williams Tom T. Hall Eddie Rabbitt Hank Thompson Martina McBride Dottie West Connie Smith Don Gibson Chris Stapleton Oak Ridge Boys Dierks Bentley Ferlin Husky Roy Clark Jerry Reed Travis Tritt Trace Adkins Patty Loveless Trisha Yearwood John Anderson Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Acts/Music Makers by Genre lists” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 100 Country Albums of All Time” Dave’s Music Database: “Top 200 Country Songs of All Time” First posted 4/11/2013; last updated 6/29/2026.

Britpop Acts: Top 25

Britpop: Top 25 Acts

Britpop was a genre which emerged in the early ‘90s in the United Kingdom. It grew out of the British indie music scene and was characterized by its guitar-driven pop sound. This list was created by aggregating 17 best-of lists focused on Britpop. The top 10 is comprised of those acts appearing on 9 or more lists. After the top 10, any act appearing on 2 or more lists is ranked based on its overall status in Dave’s Music Database. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre. Oasis 1. Oasis 2. Blur 3. Suede 4. Pulp 5. Supergrass 6. Elastica 7. The Verve 8. Manic Street Preachers 9. The Charlatans 10. Kula Shaker 11. Radiohead 12. The Smiths 13. Coldplay 14. The Stone Roses 15. Muse 16. Noel Gallagher/High Flying Birds 17. Paul Weller 18. Snow Patrol 19. Stereophonics 20. Keane 21. James 22. Happy Mondays 23. Ash 24. Travis 25. Ocean Colour Scene Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Genre Dave’s Music Database: Top 25 Britpop Albums Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Britpop Songs First posted 6/29/2026.

Brill Building Songwriters: Top 20

Brill Building Songwriters: Top 20

The Brill Building is in Manhattan, New York, at 1619 Broadway in the historic Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. In the early 1960s, it was considered the center of the American music industry with 165 music businesses contained there by 1962. The “Brill Building sound” was significant in shaping music after rock and roll’s first wave. It was a throwback to the pre-rock era when the song was more important than the singer. In fact, a specific singer could generally be easily replaced with another singer. Of the famous songwriters who emerged from there, Carole King said, “Every day we squeezed into our respective cubby holes with just enough room for a piano, a bench, and maybe a chair for the lyricist if you were lucky. You’d sit there and write and you could hear someone in the next cubby hole composing a song exactly like yours.” WK See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. Gerry Goffin & Carole King 1. Carole King: Top 50 2. Barry Mann: Top 30 3. Cynthia Weil: Top 30 4. Gerry Goffin: Top 50 5. Jeff Barry 6. Ellie Greenwich 7. Doc Pomus 8. Jerry Leiber: Top 50 9. Mike Stoller: Top 50 10. Mort Shuman 11. Howard Greenfield 12. Neil Sedaka 13. Burt Bacharach 14. Hal David 15. Bobby Darin 16. Gene Pitney 17. Phil Spector 18. Paul Anka 19. Otis Blackwell 20. Laura Nyro Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories WK Wikipedia: Brill Building First posted 6/24/2026.

 

Big Band Leaders: Top 50+

Big Band Leaders: Top 50+

Big band was a popular form of music in the first half of the 20th century. It was essentially a jazz orchestra, typically comprised of ten or more musiicans including saxophonists, trumpeters, trombonists, and a rhythm section which might tconsist of guitar, piano, double bass, and drums. By the mid-1930s, swing music, which had a more supple feel than early jazz, became increasingly popular. On the charts, such bands were generally credited to the bandleaders with featured vocalists noted. This list focuses on those most popular band leaders. It was comprised by aggregating 16 lists focused on the best big band leaders of all time. The list here includes all individuals appearing on 4 or more lists. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. 15 lists: 1. Benny Goodman 2. Count Basie 13 lists: 3. Glenn Miller 4. Duke Ellington 10 lists: 5. Artie Shaw 9 lists: 6. Tommy Dorsey 7. Cab Calloway 8 lists: 8. Louis Armstrong 9. Jimmy Dorsey 10. Harry James 11. Woody Herman 7 lists: 12. Gene Krupa 13. Chick Webb 6 lists: 14. Lionel Hampton 15. 20. Earl Hines 5 lists: 16. Fats Waller 17. Eddy Duchin 18. Kay Kyser 19. Glen Gray 20. Bob Crosby 21. Ozzie Nelson 22. Buddy Rich 23. Fletcher Henderson 24. Jimmie Lunceford 25. Jack Teagarden 26. Charlie Spivak 4 lists: 27. Paul Whiteman 28. Sammy Kaye 29. Isham Jones 30. Freddy Martin 31. Louis Jordan 32. Hal Kemp 33. Ray Noble 34. Russ Morgan 35. Horace Heidt 36. Ted Weems 37. Dizzy Gillespie 38. Stan Kenton 39. Benny Carter 40. Les Brown 41. Frankie Carle 42. Xavier Cugat 43. Bunny Berigan 44. Will Bradley 45. Andy Kirk 46. Red Norvo 47. Claude Thornhill 48. Eddie DeLange 49. Erskine Hawkins 50. Ina Ray Hutton 51. Tony Pastor 52. Jan Savitt Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories Dave’s Music Database: Big Band: Top 100 Songs First posted 6/23/2026.

 

The Top 100 Bassists of All Time

Bassists: Top 100

This list was created by averaging 21 lists (see sources at bottom of page). Groups or performers most associated with the bassist are listed in parentheses. See other lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories. 1. Geddy Lee (Rush) 2. Paul McCartney (The Beatles/Wings) 3. Michael “Flea” Balzary (Red Hot Chili Peppers) 4. John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) 5. Jack Bruce (Cream) 6. John Entwistle (The Who) 7. Les Claypool (Primus) 8. James Jamerson (Funk Brothers) 9. Larry Graham (Sly & the Family Stone/Graham Central Station) 10. Jaco Pastorius 11. Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) 12. Chris Squire (Yes) 13. Tony Levin (King Crimson) 14. Bootsy Collins (Funkadelic) 15. Cliff Burton (Metallica) 16. Louis Johnson (Brothers Johnson) 17. Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) 18. Stanley Clarke 19. Sting (The Police) 20. Donald “Duck” Dunn (Booker T. & the MG’s) 21. John Deacon (Queen) 22. Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead) 23. Bernard Edwards (Chic) 24. Charles Mingus 25. Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck) 26. Mike Watt (The Minutemen) 27. Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna) 28. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) 29. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) 30. Bill Wyman (The Rolling Stones) 31. Marcus Miller (Miles Davis) 32. Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Bob Marley & the Wailers) 33. Adam Clayton (U2) 34. Mike Gordon (Phish) 35. Willie Dixon 36. John Wetton (King Crimson/Uriah Heep/Asia) 37. Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power) 38. John Myung (Dream Theater) 39. Chuck Rainey 40. Mark King (Level 42) 41. George Porter, Jr. (Meters) 42. Bob Babbitt (Funk Brothers) 43. Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave) 44. Peter Hook (New Order) 45. Tim Bogert (Beck, Bogert & Appice/Cactus/Vanilla Fudge) 46. Ryan Martinie (Mudvayne) 47. Duff McKagen (Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver) 48. Robert Truillo (Suicidal Tendencies/Metallica) 49. Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) 50. Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big/Steve Vai) 51. Paul Simonon (The Clash) 52. Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) 53. Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead) 54. Oteill Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band) 55. Jason Newsted (Metallica) 56. Leon Wilkeson (Lynyrd Skynyrd) 57. Billy Cox (Band of Gypsys) 58. Jah Wobble Public Image Ltd.) 59. Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads) 60. Pino Palladino (Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck/The Who) 61. Bill Black (Elvis Presley) 62. John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) 63. Berry Oakley (Allman Brothers Band) 64. Stuart Hamm (Joe Satriani) 65. Andy Rouke (The Smiths) 66. Matt Freeman (Rancid) 67. Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) 68. Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles) 69. David Ellefson (Megadeth) 70. Steve Priest (Sweet) 71. Noel Redding (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) 72. Mike Dirnt (Green Day) 73. Simon Gallup (The Cure) 74. Carol Kaye (Wrecking Crew) 75. Krist Novoselic (Nirvana) 76. Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu (Korn) 77. Roger Glover (Deep Purple) 78. Chris Hillman (The Byrds/Flying Burrito Brothers) 79. Mike Rutherford (Genesis) 80. P-Nut (311) 81. Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) 82. Bill Gould (Faith No More) 83. Rick James 84. Justin Chancellor (Tool) 85. Andy Fraser (Free) 86. Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & the Attractions) 87. Nathan East (Kenny Loggins/Fourplay/Eric Clapton) 88. Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) 89. Bobby Sheehan (Blues Traveler) 90. Kim Deal (Pixies) 91. Gary “Mani” Mounfield (The Stone Roses) 92. John Alderete (Racer X/Mars Volta) 93. Charlie Haden (Ornette Coleman/Pat Metheny) 94. Michael Anthony (Van Halen/Chickenfoot) 95. Cliff Williams (AC/DC) 96. Phil Kingsbury 97. Ray Brown 98. Chris Wolstenholme (Muse) 99. Jerry “Fingers” Jemmott (Lionel Hampton/Herbie Hancock/George Benson) 100. Jeff Berlin Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Lists of Acts/Music Makers by Categories BBC News Zeppelin voted ‘ideal supergroup’. (7/10/05) Roughly 3500 music fans were polled at Planet Rock Radio for best singer, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. The top 10 of each are listed. Buzzle.com Top Greatest Bass Players. By Marlene Alphonse. (3/22/10) Top 10 list with brief commentary plus another 20 listed. Buzzle.com Greatest Bass Players. By Rujuta Borkar. (4/22/10) Seven bassists with commentary plus a list of another 50+. CreativeLoafing.com Top 5 Bass Players of All Time. By Ivan Pena. (2/13/09) A top 5 ranked list with commentary. Another seven bassists are listed with little or no commentary. Crunkish.com Top Ten Bass Players of All Time. (1/15/08) Top ten ranked list with commentary. Delmark.com Ten Quintessential Blues Bassists. By Alana Rocklin. (date?) Top ten ranked list of bassists within the blues genre. Digital Dream Door 100 Greatest Rock Bassists. Edited by Bassfreak. (11/8/05) Ranked top 100 list with no commentary. Links to playlists. EzineArticles.com Top 10 Bass Players You Should Listen To. By Adrian Martin. (date?) Ranked top ten list with commentary. FanNation.com Top Bassists of All Time. (6/12/07) Top 20 ranked list. No commentary. FridayNightLists.Blogspot.com The Top 10 Rock N’ Roll Bassists of All Time. By S.W. Miller. (8/8/08) Top 10 ranked list with commentary. HubPages.com The 10 Greatest Bass Players of All Time. By Illminatus (2009) Top 10 unranked list with commentary. Listology.com Best Bassists of All Time. By dofancmf. (12/31/04) Unranked list of 7 with no commentary. Musicbanter.com 100 Greatest Bass Players in Rock/Pop. Edited by boo boo. (6/28/10) Top 50 ranked list with no commentary, but an essential record is listed for each bassist as well as the primary bands and musicians with whom the bassist worked. MusiciansFriend.com Guitar.com’s Top 100 Greatest Guitarists Who Ever Lived. By Adam St. James. (date?) Ranked top 100 list with commentary. List is focused on guitarists, but lists ten bassists within its ranks. RateYourMusic.com The 10 Best Bass Players of All Time (Anglo). By Mattiias. (date?) Top 10 ranked list with no commentary. Scaruffi.com Greatest Rock Bass Players of All Times. By Piero Scaruffi. (1999) Ranked list of top 27. An unranked list of 50+ more bassists. Share Ranks Greatest Bass Players of All Time. (2009) Voter-based ranked list of more than 200 bassists with brief commentary and voter comments. Squidoo.com Best Bass Players. Moderated by Corey Brown. (date?) Top ten voter-based ranked list. No commentary. The-Top-Tens.com Best Bassists Ever. (date?) Voter-based top 100 list with voters’ comments. Zuko.com Top 10 Rock Bands, Guitarist, Drummer, Bassist of All Time. By Dr. Von Zuko. (date?) Top ten unranked list with no commentary. First posted 7/29/2010; last updated 6/23/2026.