Rolling Stone – The Immortals

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In 2004, Rolling Stone released its list of “The Immortals” – the artists it picked as the 100 greatest of the rock era. The list was updated in 2011.

1. The Beatles
2. Bob Dylan
3. Elvis Presley
4. Rolling Stones
5. Chuck Berry
6. Jimi Hendrix
7. James Brown
8. Little Richard
9. Aretha Franklin
10. Ray Charles

11. Bob Marley
12. Beach Boys
13. Buddy Holly
14. Led Zeppelin
15. Stevie Wonder
16. Sam Cooke
17. Muddy Waters
18. Marvin Gaye
19. Velvet Underground
20. Bo Diddley

21. Otis Redding
22. U2
23. Bruce Springsteen
24. Jerry Lee Lewis
25. Fats Domino
26. Ramones
27. Nirvana
28. Prince
29. The Who
30. The Clash

31. Johnny Cash
32. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
33. Everly Brothers
34. Neil Young
35. Michael Jackson
36. Madonna
37. Roy Orbison
38. John Lennon
39. David Bowie
40. Simon & Garfunkel

41. The Doors
42. Van Morrison
43. Sly & The Family Stone
44. Public Enemy
45. The Byrds
46. Janis Joplin
47. Patti Smith
48. Run-D.M.C.
49. Elton John
50. The Band

51. Howlin' Wolf
52. Allman Brothers Band
53. Eric Clapton
54. Dr. Dre
55. Grateful Dead
56. Parliament / Funkadelic
57. Aerosmith
58. Sex Pistols
59. Louis Jordan
60. Joni Mitchell

61. Tina Turner
62. Etta James
63. Phil Spector
64. The Kinks
65. Al Green
66. Cream
67. The Temptations
68. Jackie Wilson
69. Carl Perkins
70. The Police

71. Frank Zappa
72. AC/DC
73. Radiohead
74. Hank Williams
75. The Eagles
76. The Shirelles
77. Beastie Boys
78. The Stooges
79. The Four Tops
80. Elvis Costello

81. The Drifters
82. Eminem
83. N.W.A.
84. James Taylor
85. Black Sabbath
86. Tupac (2pac) Shakur
87. Gram Parsons
88. Miles Davis
89. The Yardbirds
90. Carlos Santana

91. Ricky Nelson
92. Guns N' Roses
93. Booker T & The MG's
94. Nine Inch Nails
95. Lynyrd Skynrd
96. Martha & The Vandellas
97. Diana Ross & The Supremes
98. Roxy Music
99. Curtis Mayfield
100. Lee "Scratch" Perry

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Resources:

• Listal.com: The Immortals (list with commentary and essential recordings)
• Rockonthenet.com: The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time (list only)
• Rollingstone.com: 100 Greatest Artists (slide show with photo and commentary on each entry; doesn’t match “The Immortals” list – might be updated 2011 version?)

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NME – Greatest Artists of All Time

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New Musical Express, or NME, is a British music magazine. In April 2002, they featured a list of those artists which they said had the biggest impact over the magazine’s first 50 years.

1. The Smiths
2. The Beatles
3. The Stone Roses
4. David Bowie
5. The Sex Pistols
6. Oasis
7. Radiohead
8. Paul Weller
9. U2
10. Public Enemy

11. Bez and Shaun Ryder (of Happy Mondays)
12. The Clash
13. Nirvana
14. Elvis Presley
15. Joy Division
16. Blur
17. The Strokes
18. The Rolling Stones
19. The Verve
20. Bob Marley

21. The Fall
22. Prodigy
23. Lou Reed/Velvet Underground
24. R.E.M.
25. Frankie Goes to Hollywood
26. Dexy’s Midnight Runners
27. Beastie Boys
28. T-Rex
29. The Jesus and Mary Chain
30. The Specials

31. Manic Street Preachers
32. Roxy Music
33. The Pixies
34. Iggy Pop
35. Shane MacGowan (of The Pogues)
36. Primal Scream
37. Frank Sinatra
38. Bob Dylan
39. Blondie
40. Eminem

41. Boy George
42. Madonna
43. Marvin Gaye
44. Pulp
45. Michael Jackson
46. The Charlatans
47. Echo & the Bunnymen
48. The KLF
49. Neil Young
50. PJ Harvey

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Resources:

• rocklistmusic.co.uk: NME’s Greatest Artists of All Time

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