The conversations around ranking the best bands of all time are opinion-based, but we’ve boiled it down so that it’s at least based on the opinions of hundreds of millions of people. We can crowdsource that info based on things like sales, tours, and awards won.
While there might be a consensus this way, we all know the average person couldn’t explain to you the most basic thing about music theory, but they know what they like when they hear it. That means that some of the most-skilled bands out there won’t make the list because they don’t have mass appeal. And that’s part of our equation here. 카지노사이트
The real fun is comparing the list here with our lists like the richest rock stars and the best guitarists of all time and seeing if there’s a pattern that emerges. Do money and skill go hand-in-hand in the music industry, and are bands really driven by lead roles like guitar or vocals? Open those links in the background to find out, but in the meantime let’s jump into the list of the best bands of all time…
10 – Queen
CERTIFIED SALES: 184.0 MILLION
Queen already earned their slot on this list but lately, they’re gaining even more ground. Since 1970 they’ve not stopped touring and creating new music, albeit with new vocalists since Freddy Mercury passed. They’re name may be Queen but they’re the kings of arena rock and pop rock. They’re songs are still over-played today to the point where many of us are about sick of them.
If you’ve been to a sporting event, you’ve undoubtedly heard their anthems chanted by those in attendance to intimidate the opposing team. The work they did for the Flash Gordon and Highlander makes them some of the best soundtracks ever. There was even a biographical movie made about the band recently. That’s a big time.
Trivia Facts: Since 2004, Queen hit the road with new successful tours under the name “Queen+” with vocalists Adam Lambert and Paul Rodgers filling in for Freddy Mercury. There’s a musical based on their songs. They’ve released 15 albums but had 21 tours to support the releases. 안전한카지노사이트
9 – The Doors
CERTIFIED SALES: 50.5 MILLION
The Doors were active from 1965 to 1973, a short eight-year run, but quickly became one of the most influential bands of the counter-culture era and a largely controversial band due to Jim Morrison’s erratic behavior. Every decade has had a revival in interest in the band and new fans added, due to cover songs becoming popular, usage of their songs in hit movies, movies about them, etc.
Their first album The Doors re-entered the Billboard charts 14 years after its initial release as did their greatest hits and “best of” albums. Their legacy will live on this way forever, it seems, as it should. They even created a brand new song in 2012 with Skrillex of all people, called “Breakn’ a Sweat.”
Trivia Facts: The Doors named themselves after Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception. They were the first American band to earn eight consecutive gold records. Morrison was the first rock musician to be arrested on-stage during a live performance. He’s also a leading member of the accursed 27 Club.
8 – Nirvana
CERTIFIED SALES: 56.0 MILLION
Nirvana’s breakout star was undoubtedly Kurt Cobain, and since his passing and the breakup of the band in 1994, Dave Grohl has gone on to be a musical great, playing the drums, bass, and singing vocals for countless bands and collaborations. It was “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that launched them to stardom in 1991.
It didn’t take long for them to win all of the music awards in rapid succession, even being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first year of their eligibility in 2014. It took the strength of their Nevermind album to finally knock Michael Jackson’s Dangerous from the top spot on the Billboard charts.
7 – The Who
CERTIFIED SALES: 27.9 MILLION
If you’re like me, you may be thinking “why, though?” The Who has a huge appeal, with their pop art and mod subculture influences and even more so thanks to their rock opera Tommy and its success. I like any concept album and theirs is great. The tours were enormous and exciting, which helped amplify the hype surrounding them.
It’s not just their music. They contributed to the development of the Marshall stack, the use of the synthesizer in rock, the use of large PA systems, and even down to things like power chords on the guitar. Musicians appreciate them more than fans and cite them regularly as a top influence, and fans have to respect their favorite artists’ opinions.
6 – U2
CERTIFIED SALES: 114.6 MILLION
U2 formed as a crew of friends in secondary school in Dublin, Ireland before any of them had any real proficiencies with music. Within four years they scored a record deal. By their fifth album, they became a global sensation. At the present, they’ve won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, period.
Part of their success is every time they run into controversy or boredom from their fan base, they evolve and revolutionize their sound. They’re huge experimenters, and The Edge really exemplifies this with his guitar pedal array.
5 – Led Zeppelin
CERTIFIED SALES: 142.4 MILLION
Part of reaching a wide audience is having a wide appeal. Led Zeppelin played music in the blues-rock and folk-rock genres but are also thought of as progenitors of heavy metal, too. Possibly the most influential and popular song in rock history is their single Stairway to Heaven. These guys did it big, every time.
The concerts broke records for people in attendance. Their albums rank among the top-selling ever. Each of their nine total albums reached the top 10 and six reached the number-one slot on the charts. They’ve earned all of the music awards available. Their legacy is everlasting among musicians and fans alike.
4 – The Beach Boys
CERTIFIED SALES: 32.7 MILLION
The Beach Boys rode the wave of the California Sound of surf rock and then evolved into more personal themes as their fan base also matured. Their music’s orchestrations and arrangements became so complex that, like the Moody Blues, they couldn’t perform it faithfully live on stage.
Their vocal harmonies were recorded in one take early on and are absolute perfection that few achieve today. They’re one of the few bands that found success before the British Invasion and maintained it during and after that period. These guys were deeply spiritual and if you listen closely you can hear it in the lyrics. 카지노사이트 추천
3 – Pink Floyd
CERTIFIED SALES: 123.8 MILLION
Even with their early releases led by Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd was already making their mark on the British rock scene. Later, when David Gilmour joined the band and took over the creative direction they gained international recognition. Four of their albums topped both the US and UK charts, though only two of their singles ever reached the top 10 in either region.
In a six-decade career, they’ve released 15 albums and toured to support each release. They even composed film scores for some lesser-known movies. Two of their albums, The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon are both in the list of the best-selling albums of all time. Dark music like theirs won’t ever be considered a pop, but they have just as many fans and longer-lasting popularity.
2 – The Rolling Stones
CERTIFIED SALES: 102.7 MILLION
The Rolling Stones are such a big deal that even the members’ solo careers, like that of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, are just as big. They got started in 1962 and were at the forefront of the British Invasion. Of the top 5 highest-grossing tours, four of them belong to this band.
Part of their success is attributed to them staying true to the safe foundational genres like R&B, soul, and rock. They even recently won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Consistency is key when pop music evolves and changes so rapidly, which is why they’re still on top after nearly 60 years.
1 – The Beatles
CERTIFIED SALES: 290.4 MILLION
The Beatles had a short run of only 10 years from 1960 to 1970, but they’re still the best-selling artists of all time by far. If you were to add in their solo albums and side groups, they’ll hold that record forever. They started young and led the British Invasion of pop and rock into the USA, and their fans grew up alongside them, purchasing each album as time went on.
These guys won all the awards, starred in and produced movies, and even hold records like having the most covered song of all time. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting team is the most successful ever. They had pop appeal, and rock appeal, and evolved through the interests of the hippy era… they’re some of the best musicians to ever exist. They’re so good that hipsters think it’s cool to hate them.
Runners Up: Who’s Almost the Best Band of All Time?
What’s the fun with only sticking to a top 10 when we can quickly tack on 5 more who all at least deserve a mention. There are so many top-notch bands out there, so hopefully, if you didn’t see your favorite above then you’ll see them next to or in the honorable mentions further down.