Top Music of the Rock Era

The top 100 songs of the rock era are listed here alphabetically by artist. To qualify, each song had to be released in the rock era, which we define as beginning with the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of August 4, 1958 and ending with the Hot 100 chart for the week of December 5, 1992.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band that became arguably the most successful act of the 20th century. They contributed to music, film, literature, art, and fashion, made a continuous impact on popular culture and the lifestyle of several generations. Their records sales exceed 750 million units worldwide. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts and held the record for most weeks at number one in America for album sales. According to RIAA, they are the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 178 million certified units. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked The Beatles at number one on “The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists”. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty. They have received ten Grammy Awards; an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score; fifteen Ivor Novello Awards; and twenty-three Platinum, forty Gold discs. Rolling Stone magazine has inducted them into both its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 1988) and its Beatles Hall of Fame (in 2004).

Led Zeppelin

Formed in 1968, Led Zeppelin consisted of Robert Plant (vocals), Jimmy Page (guitar), John Bonham (drums), and John Paul Jones (bass). They are widely considered one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Their style blended elements of rock, blues, and folk music. They released nine studio albums over the course of their career, including Led Zeppelin IV, which featured the song “Stairway to Heaven.” The band disbanded in 1980 after the death of Bonham.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd is one of the most influential and popular rock bands of all time. Formed in London in 1965, the group achieved international success with their groundbreaking concept albums, including “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” “Ummagumma,” “Meddle,” “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall.” Pink Floyd’s creative genius, technical innovations and philosophy have inspired generations of musicians and fans.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London. The first stable lineup consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and has been on guitar ever since.

The Stones have released 30 studio albums in the United Kingdom (24 of which charted on the UK Albums Chart) and 23 studio albums in the United States (32 on the Billboard 200). They have numerous extended plays and singles, most of which did not make it onto one of their studio albums. The Rolling Stones have been a major influence on popular music for over five decades. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004 received Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on their “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list jointly with U2 and were included into their “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list as well as ranking number 126 on their 2012 list of “The Immortals: The Greatest Artists Of All Time”.

Queen

Queen is a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Queen’s classic line-up was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals and piano), Brian May (lead guitar and vocals), Roger Taylor (drums and vocals) and John Deacon (bass guitar). Queen’s earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.

The band have released a total of eighteen studio albums, three live albums, eight compilations and five box sets. They have also issued over fifty singles, including fifteen international number ones. Their hits include the US chart toppers “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You” and “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Among other awards and honors, Queen have received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for their song “Somebody to Love”, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors in 2005, won four Brit Awards – Best British Group twice, Best Live Act in 1986 and Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1990 – while being nominated for six Grammys.

AC/DC

AC/DC was an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. The group consisted of brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, who were joined by bassist Mark Evans, drummer Phil Rudd, and vocalist Bon Scott. AC/DC rose to prominence with their 1976 album High Voltage, and their 1979 album Highway to Hell became one of the best-selling albums of all time. The band’s 1980 album Back in Black is the second-best selling album of all time.

AC/DC’s success continued into the early 1990s with their albums The Razors Edge and Ballbreaker. However, Evans was replaced by Cliff Williams inbass player in 1977, and Rudd was replaced by Chris Slade in drums in 1983; both players remained with the band until its dissolution following Scott’s death in 1980.

AC/DC were ranked number 72 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. They have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 71.5 million albums in the United States alone.

Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is often cited as one of the most influential bands of the rock era. Formed in Birmingham, England, in 1968, the group originally consisted of Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums). The band’s dark, atmospheric music and lyrics exerted a profound influence on the development of heavy metal, and their first two albums-Black Sabbath (1970) and Paranoid (1970)-are widely considered classics of the genre. With sales of over 100 million records worldwide, Black Sabbath is one of the best-selling bands of all time.

Metallica

One of the most popular and influential rock bands of the last few decades, Metallica was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles, California. The group’s original lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and bassist Ron McGovney. McGovney was shortly replaced by Cliff Burton, and Mustaine was later replaced by Kirk Hammett.

Metallica’s first album, “Kill ‘Em All,” was released in 1983 to critical acclaim. The album established the band’s signature sound: a blend of Hetfield’s ferocious rhythm guitar playing and Ulrich’s drumming, with Hammett’s virtuoso lead guitar work and Burton’s innovative basslines. The band’s popularity increased with each subsequent release, and by the early 1990s Metallica had become one of the biggest rock bands in the world.

In 1986, Burton was killed in a bus accident while the band was on tour in Europe. Jason Newsted joined as bassist soon after, and Metallica recorded its fourth album, …And Justice for All, in 1988. The following year, the band released its best-selling album to date, “Metallica” (commonly known as “The Black Album”). Featuring a more radio-friendly sound than previous releases, “The Black Album” launched Metallica into superstardom and helped to make them one of the most commercially successful rock bands of all time.

Metallica has continued to be active over the last few decades, releasing several more albums and selling out stadiums and arenas around the world on their various tours. They are widely considered to be one of the most important and influential heavy metal bands of all time.

Nirvana

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest-lasting and best-known being Dave Grohl, who joined the band in 1990. Though the band dissolved in 1994 after the suicide of Cobain, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock and roll culture.

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. The lineup, when first signed to Geffen Records in 1986, consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The current lineup includes Rose, Slash, McKagan, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese, guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer.

The Beatles: The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time. With a sound rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the group were integral to the development of pop music into an art form and to the growth of the counterculture of the 1960s.

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best-known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time.

The Beatles revolutionised pop music and popular culture, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. They were widely recognised as the foremost and most influential group in rock history, with innovative music, a cultural impact that helped define the 1960s and an enormous influence on music that continues to this day.

The Beatles were also a commercial juggernaut, with record sales estimated at over 600 million units worldwide. They have had more number-one albums on the UK Chart than any other artist and held the record for most weeks at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart for almost 20 years. They are the best-selling band in history and have had more number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart than any other artist.

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. The band’s heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors of heavy metal, though their unique style drew from a wide variety of influences, including folk music.

Zeppelin’s fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV (1971), featuring the track “Stairway to Heaven”, is among the most popular and influential works in rock music, and it helped to secure the group’s place in the history of rock. Over the course of their career, Led Zeppelin released nine studio albums that have sold over 111 million copies worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 andcommandeered immense popularity in the 1970s.

Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. Barrett left the band in 1968 and was replaced by David Gilmour.

Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright. Barrett left the band in 1968 and was replaced by David Gilmour.

The Rolling Stones: The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ian Stewart. Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager.

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager.

The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964. The band identified with the rebellious counterculture of the 1960s and helped to shape it musically. During this period they were first introduced on stage as “The Rollin’ Stones”. The band’s logo designed by John Pasche in 1971 featured a mouth with a long tongue extended, an integral part of their stage act and overall image. In 1989, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations; their most recent album is Blue & Lonesome (2016).

The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964. The Rolling Stones were originally classified as a blues rock band by critics; however, their unique style also incorporated influences from R&B, country, pop, rock and roll, psychedelic rock, and even disco. They are one of the best-selling music artists of all time with record sales estimated at more than 200 million units sold worldwide. They have released 30 studio albums (12 UK number one albums), 23 live albums and numerous compilations; their most recent album is Blue & Lonesome (2016).

Queen: Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970. The group originally consisted of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor. Mercury was replaced by Paul Rodgers in 1997. Queen’s early works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles

Queen’s early works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles. The band’s first album, Queen (1973), was a commercial success and reached number one in the UK Albums Chart. It was followed by a series of successful albums: Queen II (1974), Sheer Heart Attack (1974), A Night at the Opera (1975), A Day at the Races (1976) and News of the World (1977). The band reached their commercial peak with “Bohemian Rhapsody” (” Bohemian Rhapsody “), which became one of the best-selling singles of all time.

In 1991, Deacon retired from the group due to health problems. In 1993, Queen released their final album with Mercury, titled Innuendo. Shortly thereafter, he died of AIDS-related bronchopneumonia at age 45. In 1997, May and Taylor announced that Rodgers would be joining the group on an ongoing basis; however, formal credit for Queen’s albums released after this change lists only May, Taylor and Deacon as members. The following year, Queen recorded their first album with Rodgers under the name The Britishrock supergroup Queen + Paul Rodgers.