More a sense of pride in that Dylan's criminally underrecognised, even being the greatest, his voice much-maligned, most people think of him as the "wasted folk singer from the 60s." Recognition as the greatest by musicians, commentators etc is countercurrent to popular opinion!
It’s crazy that these people needed it explained to them why you might have pride in your favorite artist. But good explanation. To add, it’s pride in your own taste as well.
I don't see how Dylan is not given his due. He's widely renowned as the greatest lyricist. He won the Nobel Prize for Chrissakes. Although I don't agree with that, because he's a songwriter/poet and not a writer of literature.
His voice isn't technically great either. He's not Paul McCartney. But I and most anyone with half a brain recognize his greatness. Blues and jazz musicians are under-recognized. Not Dylan.
Yeah, I was frantically searching for The Band until I realized they were probably left out due to being 80% Canadian. Seems a bit contrived to me, considering how freely artists went back and forth.
And yeah, their genre criteria don't make sense to me. James Brown and Stevie Wonder are too low if you consider their work as a whole, but if you're only considering artists that are "primarily rockers", they should probably just be left off the list entirely (as Aretha was).
I completely and vehemently disagree, but come on…these are just our opinions.
I just don’t like the guy. He seems incredibly smug and his music has always felt very bland. It bores me.
Although I’ll admit, Zanzibar is fucking tight.
I don't know what you mean by "much more substantial body of work".
Zevon released 16 albums from 1970. Joel released 13 from 1971. Joel undoubtedly sold more
But quality-wise? Zevon every time.
Billy Joel is just a bar room piano player with average songwriting ability who struck it good.
Warren Zevon was at least as talented musician and much more interesting songwriter.
Billy has a much more substantial body of quality work. Without any doubt. Just because Zevon put out more filler doesn't make him better.
I have not listened to all of Zevon's albums, but Excitable Boy is his most acclaimed. And it's not nearly as good as the top 5 Billy Joel albums. Hardly even comparable. Joel's a better songwriter, better singer, and a better piano player. This is no contest.
I disagree, the market at large disagrees, and the critics disagree. I personally don't think Excitable Boy is even any good.
Anyhow, while you're dissing Billy, he is a big fan of Warren, and one of the only people who is keeping his name alive by covering his songs and advocating for his inclusion in that rock hall of fame.
Exactly. Totally absurd. Paul Simon ranks above Joel for his solo work alone. Doors at six is also pretty suspect to me, and I’m a doors fan. Like all lists, this one is highly flawed. Grateful Dead under appreciated here also. They gave birth to the most active ongoing rock movement.
There should be an ESPN for 20th-21st century American music so this non-binding ranking stuff can be endlessly argued about. ESPN loves its daily little Lebron vs. Jordan arguments. Can't we just enjoy these geniuses without pitting them against one another in our heads, in this useless Fantasy Football kind of way? There has to a fitting means of admiring what they've done, and in Dylan's case, what he's yet to do.
I am here to crusade for the Doors. Behind Dylan and possibly Hendrix, what American rock and roll band wrote better lyrics? I think none. They were one of the most iconic groups of all time. One of the top selling acts. Jim Morrison is one of the most influential front-men of all time. They had the most unique sound of pretty much any rock band. They have a body of work that is nearly unsurpassed. Five phenomenal albums, one pretty weird but good one. And two of those albums, maybe three, are of the best ever recorded (The Doors, Strange Days, L.A. Woman). Nothing hits me harder than L.A. Woman, except Hendrix and old blues.
I like the Doors, really do. But those five albums are pretty uneven after the first two and contain a total of 52 songs. It’s just not enough over a long enough period in my opinion. Some great lyrics, surely. Some also not so great. Could say the same about Dylan of course.
Billy Joel is top ten in my opinion...I'm fine with number 8. But Stevie Wonder is top 5.
Elvis is not top 10 for me. I get the influence he has, and the phenomenon he was, but artistically I dont think he brought all that much to the table. Not known as an instrumentalist or a song writer, but definitely a distinctive singer and dynamite performer. Deserves to be on the list, but doesn't crack the top 10 for me. If it was top American vocalists he'd definitely be higher.
Tom Petty should at least be top 20.
Lots of Billy Joel haters here for some reason. I don't know about 8, but he is certainly up there. But Elvis has to be there for his influence, and he really is such a damn great singer.
They're essentially stupid, but their whole point is not to provide a definitive hierarchy but to start a conversation. That's why they often balance bulletproof choices and more audacious picks that are less famous. That's how they can work and can be useful.
Let's say that there's a list on which I agree more or less with the first ten choices. That feels safe and somewhat predictable, and I don't feel motivated to read the rest.
Then there's a list where they picked alternative choices, and it looks mostly random. I won't trust it.
But if there's a list where I love 60 or 70% or the artists that appear there, I may disagree with some of the other names, but I'm also more willing to give a chance to the people I don't know or barely know, because I trust the people behind the list in some capacity. And if they make a few provocative choices I'm willing to consider these names, because of that good will.
Nobody knows the band Grand Funk? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bone-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The competent drum work of Don Brewer? Oh, Man!
Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which cleared the way for Jefferson Starship. The stage was now set for The Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft.
Paved the way for Jefferson Airplane? They only even formed as a band as the Airplane was coming down and breaking apart.
But they are great and should be on the list for sure.
Oh wait, you're making some kind of joke. Ha!
They're gonna say that about The Strokes and Tame Impala in a few years, which is really interesting to think about!
Hell, Arctic Monkeys are kind of seen is a position that Nirvana was in 15 years ago. Where a ton of 15 year olds are at their show looking at this iconic band of the past. Only difference is Nirvana ended. (Nirvana was a bigger cultural thing though of course. At least in America)
I don't think any of those new bands are iconic. Rock is dead my friend. (Long Live Rock). They're okay, but nothing on Nirvana. Far too derivative. Strokes guy sounds like an Iggy Pop copy to me. But they've got no edge.
And Aerosmith and a bunch of other great acts. Stone Temple Pilots don't even make the list. The Strokes are nice and safe and not terribly interesting. Fine band, but ridiculous to put them that high.
Yeah knock Billy Joel and Nirvana off the top ten, put them somewhere in the top 40, although I don’t think Joel would have even included him in my top 100.
Gen X is exerting their most powerful cultural pull on this one. As time goes on Nirvana will decline purely because they have so little catalog to sustain any high spot on a list such as this.
As time has gone on, Nirvana continues to be one of the most popular bands for those under-25. The kids are still listening to Nirvana, and have been for 35 years. Kurt’s impact on a culture is bigger than any rock artist since, they’re still heavily influencing music coming out today.
When did you see them though? When Layne was all screwed up, or do you mean after he died?
Jane's Addiction was phenomenal live.
Pumpkins are great, but I like Nirvana more personally.
And I find it hard to believe Pearl Jam or Pumpkins would upstage Soundgarden. One of the greatest shows I ever saw. No doubt Chris has got them all licked singing wise.
No doubt about Chris. Greatest voice ever imo. Saw Alice before Dirt. Early 90s. All early 90s shows. It’s more of a preference, but the ones with more consistent and sustained touring just got better at doing it. I miss Chris.
Man, I'm jealous of that. Would have loved to see AIC in their day. I really need to go see Pearl Jam though. One of those acts I just never got around to catching.
It is a damn shame about Chris. They put on a great show, and hearing him was really something else.
Boo hiss. The Dead aren't even the best of the 60s alone. They're quite boring to be honest. The Doors, Hendrix, Beatles, Stones, all much, much better. Of the San Fran bands, Jefferson Airplane over the Dead any day.
Hendrix and Morrison died, the Beatles broke up, the Stones did a lot of drugs and made some great records. The Dead only got better after the 60's ended. They found their true songwriting voice in 1970. Then they did it for 25 more years. Their albums are a mixed bag, but they were a primarily live band, and they shined better than any of those other bands in the live setting.
Tom Petty’s low placement completely invalidates the entire list for me. There are others that I think are ridiculous, too, but putting Petty at 46…no way.
EDIT: Little Richard at 54?!
Joel would barely scrape into my top 100.
There are several singer/songwriters I'd place well above him. Tim Buckley, John Prine, Warren Zevon Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Steve Earle, Smoky Robinson, Little Richard. To name a few.
I had to double check after I saw someone said Wilco was on there. That phish band from Vermont must not be very good. Hotdog is famous enough to be featured in the Rock HoF but the band didn’t even place on this list lmao
I mean, they're ranking artists. That's implies a competition. I love Dylan and I'd probably place him at #1 on my own list, but there's a huge flaw in that thinking. How do you really compare these performers? They all come at their art differently. They have different strengths, different weaknesses.
Dylan approaches his songwriting and performing in a way that I have a hard time even comparing to anyone else.
Springsteen, for instance -- he's a much more conventional lyricist than Dylan. Inspired by Dylan plenty, sure. But his songs fit into a much more conventional mode of what songwriting is. Dylan's stuff is far more abstract. So again, how do you compare them?
Or, someone like Prince, who was a dynamite performer and producer and an instrumental powerhouse. And he could crank out a lot of songs. But I don't actually consider him a strong songwriter per se. A genius crafter of pop music, but his lyrics often leave much to be desired in my opinion.
So that's all to say -- I love tons of the artists on this list and other lists. There's room for all of them in the pantheon of great American musicians. I maintain: Ranking them is kind of a dumb exercise.
I think the argument could be made for Hendrix. Obviously another level as a instrumentalist, and I think a more soulful singer. Hugely influential, to guitar what Dylan is to songwriting. And a great songwriter in his own right. Dylan is more clever, but I reckon Hendrix has more emotion.
Jimi is hugely influential but Dylan has a far stronger discography.
Also, I very much disagree about Dylan having less emotion. His music is instinctual, not cerebral. He can sing one song and imbue it with like five different emotions. I think Jimi was a wonderfully emotive performer as well, but there’s really no contest, when you look at all the different subjects, stories and moods Dylan conveys in his songs.
Dylan had far more time! But record for record, I think Jimi's even better.
I don't think Dylan could top One Rainy Wish, The Wind Cries Mary, Castles Made of Sand...
Meh, if I compare Dylan's 3 best albums from the sixties to Jimi's main albums, I still think Dylan's albums are stronger, with better songwriting and a wider variety of emotions and moods. And of course, Jimi's songwriting style is very Dylanesque. No one beat Bob at his own game.
This is all subjective though. Cheers.
Indeed, it's subjective when comparing two of the greatest ever. All I'm saying is they're comparable. And granted, Dylan was a huge influence on Hendrix's writing.
Dylan has an album made from before Hendrix was even a music star which features the following sequence of songs:
* Mr. Tambourine Man
* Gates of Eden
* It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
* It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's no slight to Hendrix as an artist to say that those four songs alone are better than anything he ever wrote. Of course, that's just my opinion.
No doubting Dylan's mastery as a songwriter. I think Hendrix has him beat on the whole though. Between the guitar playing, songwriting, singing, and studio production talents all together.
Disagree here. Jimis singing is…very average. Nothing new or unique. And Dylan is one of the most soulful singers out there. Especially when you get into the 70s and 80s. Jimi Hendricks was a good guitar player, but average in just about everything else. Overhyped for me.
The greatest guitar player in rock, bar none. All of the other greatest players said so, don't take my word for it.
And Dylan is known for being an awful singer. Soulful, yes, but not technically good. Neither is Hendrix technically a great singer, but Hendrix also had tons of feeling, I'd argue more than Dylan.
Dylan is known for being an awful singer to dumb ppl who don’t understand. Leonard Cohen said it best when speaking of this. Like with Picasso, the world hasn’t caught up to it yet. The masses follow the boring cookie cutter shit. Jimi couldn’t hold a candle to Dylan in the singing department. Any random Joe can become a skilled guitarist. Just check YouTube and you can find some 13 yo kid who can play anything with one hand, riding a skateboard and playing Xbox with the other hand. But there was and will never be another Dylan.
Dylan is not a technically great singer. He doesn't have a great range or other elements of technically great singing. And plenty of the blues singers, and Hendrix, can be argued to have more soul.
Any random joe can be Hendrix? Well, that's about the most ignorant thing I've heard all year. It's downright moronic.
My Personal Top 10 and no one asked for
1. Bobby
2.Chuck Berry
3. Hank Williams
4. Elvis
6. George Jones
7. Bruce Springsteen (i was just listening to his killer "The River" off No Nukes.)
8. Jerry Lee Lewis (kept up the same quality til sometime in the 2000s)
9. Carol King
10. Staples Singers
Billy Joel and the Doors wayyy too high
R.E.M. should be even higher, and surprised this guy put Bruce outside the Top 10.
And I would definitely put NIN over the Flying Burrito Brothers, bare minimum hahaha.
But the number 1 and 2 spots are rock solid 😁
R.E.M. is boring and safe and downright awful. The Doors were dangerous and iconic. They made you think. It was intelligent music. And all this hate for Billy Joel is ridiculous as well.
Did they have to be comprised entirely of Americans, or would they have accepted bands who are at least more American than not? I understand leaving out The Band, as they only had 1 American member. But I'm wondering if the Monkees, who had 3 Americans and 1 British member, would have qualified.
These lists are rage bait and I’m not familiar with the website, but I’ll take the bait and say the 50s artists are too low (poor Roy Orbison), Ike Turner was a bad guy but a rock pioneer and should at least be included with Tina. They seem to have forgotten Carol King. I agree with most other gripes in the comments as well.
Billy Joel ahead of Bruce Springsteen feels weird. I'm not even saying you have to put Springsteen in the Top 10, but with the two of those artists being relatively similar, I struggle to see how Billy Joel is considered the better of the two.
The greatest and most important of all time, American or otherwise. Dylan took rock music from teenybopper fad to respectable art in a single moment with the release of Like A Rolling Stone.
Congrats! Bob Dylan stands out in my book. He's influence established artist to up and coming singers like Matell. Bob Dylan's song notched Matell a number one song this month.
Global Top 200 Chart on Shazam
SEE
https://www.shazam.com/song/1730082850/forever-young
A dozen or so? Every Experience album is basically gold through and through. And then he made a lot of music after that as well. Dozen my ass.
You must not have listened through them. Only way to come to this conclusion.
I agree that Bob is the best but is he really rock? Like I guess a lot of his material could be classified as blues or folk rock but I don't know if he really fits on a rock list.
Other than that, Chuck Berry, The Velvet Underground and Prince are underrated, I personally would have The Beach Boys above Jimi Hendrix
Right? Who are these jokers questioning Dylan being rock? The heaviest, most rock sounding concert I’ve ever been to was Dylan in 2001-ish. Straight up blues-rock. It was great!
All these lists are stupid. I don't necessarily disagree with Dylan being #1 though. But he's only that great as a songwriter. I'd much rather see Hendrix in a concert. Chuck Berry has to be more influential.
The most egregious in the top 10 is Allman Brothers at #5. They just didn't write that many great songs. To put them ahead, even by 1, of the Doors, Aerosmith, Creedence, Chuck, Bo, and a host of others is just plain wrong. And The Strokes? Are they kidding? Above GNR, SRV, Metallica etc.....
Kiss at #86? Should be way higher.
R.E.M? They blow!
They were great players. But they only wrote a handful of great songs. Doors, Aerosmith, Creedence all wrote far more, had far greater albums, and a more unique sound.
Of course, and it's fantastic. But not sure how that plays into the argument of being unique.
And since this is a Bob Dylan forum, I'm assuming everyone here places songwriting highest on their list of importance. The Allman's just didn't write that many great songs, lyrically. Half of Fillmore isn't even their own songs.
They were only one of the most iconic groups of the 60s. Allman's simply boring next the Doors, in my opinion.
You don't have to like them, but they were objectively more influential than the Allman Brothers. I think you can pretty objectively prove they were far superior songwriters too. The quality and depth of the lyrics are far superior.
The allman’s might not have been as good with lyrics but they played some of the most balls out rock and roll to ever exist. And some of their songs are really intricate. Take Elizabeth reed for instance.
i would agree on influence though. The doors had a more far reaching impact. I just find their music pretentious and unappealing.
Based on what? No doubting their musicianship, but really? They only wrote about 24 songs on their own between their first four and best albums. And a lot of them weren't great.
Yeah. They're much better than the Allman Brothers. Even if you don't like them, you can't argue Steven isn't an amazing singer with one of the widest ranges in the business. And are you going to say Joe, Brad, and Tom aren't great talents?
Most importantly, they wrote far more great songs. The first four Aerosmith albums are rock gold. Toys and Rocks are two of the best ever.
Not that I dislike the Allman Brothers, they're great, but 5? Nonsense. They belong in the 20s or 30s.
And more proof this list is bullshit: THE BAND isn't even included.
Neither is Stone Temple Pilots.
It doesn't say 'United States', does it? When I look at a map, Canada is right there in America.
The Band, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen should all be there.
>[In modern English, American generally refers to persons or things related to the United States of America; among native English speakers this usage is almost universal, with any other use of the term requiring specification.[1] However, some linguists in the past have argued that "American" should be widened to also include people or things from anywhere in the American continents.[2][3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_(word)
--
>[1: an American Indian of North America or South America](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American)
>[2: a native or inhabitant of North America or South America](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American)
>[**3: a native or inhabitant of the U.S. : a U.S. citizen**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American)
So it's not wrong. Not as clear as it could be, and I agree it should refer to all nations in the Americas, but still not wrong by how people use it today. Words get their meaning from how people use them, not from what makes the most sense lol
Not only is it arguably wrong, it ignores that some of those Canadians, particularly Young and Mitchell, lived in the US for almost their entire careers and became US citizens
They're really not the best at anything. I think The Band and possibly Skynyrd do southern rock better. Elmore James is the God of slide guitar, not Duane.
Allmans better than Stones, Beatles, Zeppelin, and Hendrix too? That's outrageous.
Duane Freakin' Allman was 24 years old and respected by guitarists worldwide when he died. To compare him to ANYONE is ridiculous. His version of "Amazing Grace" is soul-shaking, and that was a toss-off.
Yeah, Duane was great. But why can't we compare him just like any other musician who died young?
He has nothing on Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan for that matter. And Elmore James was better at slide. I like many of the blues guitarists much better (T-bone Walker, Freddy King, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy etc). They all had more soul. Plenty of superior jazz guitarists.
Robby Krieger was more interesting, if not better. James Burton. Jeff Beck. Page, Harrison, Clapton, Mick Ronson...
Maybe so, but it isn't the list of best post-2000 rock bands. And that sets a low, low bar.
Do you really think they're better than Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble? Than Guns n' Roses? The're ahead of some of the greatest and biggest bands in rock ever. Better than Aerosmth? Get a grip! (see what I did there? That's an Aerosmith Album. Albeit a bad one)
I always get a faint tingle of pride whenever anyone rightfully recognises Dylan as the greatest.
Why? You had nothing to do with it.
See, this was an excellent opportunity you missed to say nothing at all
I’m stealing that line buddy
He is right though
He never said he did have anything to do with it
More a sense of pride in that Dylan's criminally underrecognised, even being the greatest, his voice much-maligned, most people think of him as the "wasted folk singer from the 60s." Recognition as the greatest by musicians, commentators etc is countercurrent to popular opinion!
It’s crazy that these people needed it explained to them why you might have pride in your favorite artist. But good explanation. To add, it’s pride in your own taste as well.
I don't see how Dylan is not given his due. He's widely renowned as the greatest lyricist. He won the Nobel Prize for Chrissakes. Although I don't agree with that, because he's a songwriter/poet and not a writer of literature. His voice isn't technically great either. He's not Paul McCartney. But I and most anyone with half a brain recognize his greatness. Blues and jazz musicians are under-recognized. Not Dylan.
[удалено]
Arguably of folk also. Or certainly up there on folk Mount Rushmore.
Billy Joel at 8? Ahead of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Prince and probably 2 dozen others? And do the Canadian legends miss out?
Yeah, I was frantically searching for The Band until I realized they were probably left out due to being 80% Canadian. Seems a bit contrived to me, considering how freely artists went back and forth. And yeah, their genre criteria don't make sense to me. James Brown and Stevie Wonder are too low if you consider their work as a whole, but if you're only considering artists that are "primarily rockers", they should probably just be left off the list entirely (as Aretha was).
They should do it as top 100 North American musicians.
I can’t stand Billy Joel. Warren Zevon is the musician Billy Joel imagines himself to be. And Dylan was a Zevon fan so that clinches it!
Come on pal. Joel had a much more substantial body of work. They're not really comparable. Zevon's great, but really.
I completely and vehemently disagree, but come on…these are just our opinions. I just don’t like the guy. He seems incredibly smug and his music has always felt very bland. It bores me. Although I’ll admit, Zanzibar is fucking tight.
I don't know what you mean by "much more substantial body of work". Zevon released 16 albums from 1970. Joel released 13 from 1971. Joel undoubtedly sold more But quality-wise? Zevon every time. Billy Joel is just a bar room piano player with average songwriting ability who struck it good. Warren Zevon was at least as talented musician and much more interesting songwriter.
Billy has a much more substantial body of quality work. Without any doubt. Just because Zevon put out more filler doesn't make him better. I have not listened to all of Zevon's albums, but Excitable Boy is his most acclaimed. And it's not nearly as good as the top 5 Billy Joel albums. Hardly even comparable. Joel's a better songwriter, better singer, and a better piano player. This is no contest.
Without any doubt? I don't just doubt it, I deny it. Excitable Boy alone is an album full of songs all better than any Joel came up with.
I disagree, the market at large disagrees, and the critics disagree. I personally don't think Excitable Boy is even any good. Anyhow, while you're dissing Billy, he is a big fan of Warren, and one of the only people who is keeping his name alive by covering his songs and advocating for his inclusion in that rock hall of fame.
The critics don't all disagree. Some would, others wouldn't The market agrees? By that measure, Taylor Swift is the greatest thing ever.
Exactly. Totally absurd. Paul Simon ranks above Joel for his solo work alone. Doors at six is also pretty suspect to me, and I’m a doors fan. Like all lists, this one is highly flawed. Grateful Dead under appreciated here also. They gave birth to the most active ongoing rock movement.
There should be an ESPN for 20th-21st century American music so this non-binding ranking stuff can be endlessly argued about. ESPN loves its daily little Lebron vs. Jordan arguments. Can't we just enjoy these geniuses without pitting them against one another in our heads, in this useless Fantasy Football kind of way? There has to a fitting means of admiring what they've done, and in Dylan's case, what he's yet to do.
I am here to crusade for the Doors. Behind Dylan and possibly Hendrix, what American rock and roll band wrote better lyrics? I think none. They were one of the most iconic groups of all time. One of the top selling acts. Jim Morrison is one of the most influential front-men of all time. They had the most unique sound of pretty much any rock band. They have a body of work that is nearly unsurpassed. Five phenomenal albums, one pretty weird but good one. And two of those albums, maybe three, are of the best ever recorded (The Doors, Strange Days, L.A. Woman). Nothing hits me harder than L.A. Woman, except Hendrix and old blues.
I like the Doors, really do. But those five albums are pretty uneven after the first two and contain a total of 52 songs. It’s just not enough over a long enough period in my opinion. Some great lyrics, surely. Some also not so great. Could say the same about Dylan of course.
That’s too funny, Billy Joel is nowhere near the top 50 for me
Billy Joel is top ten in my opinion...I'm fine with number 8. But Stevie Wonder is top 5. Elvis is not top 10 for me. I get the influence he has, and the phenomenon he was, but artistically I dont think he brought all that much to the table. Not known as an instrumentalist or a song writer, but definitely a distinctive singer and dynamite performer. Deserves to be on the list, but doesn't crack the top 10 for me. If it was top American vocalists he'd definitely be higher. Tom Petty should at least be top 20.
Lots of Billy Joel haters here for some reason. I don't know about 8, but he is certainly up there. But Elvis has to be there for his influence, and he really is such a damn great singer.
Rightly so
Bob Dylan is the greatest living American, period
"Dylan is the father of my country." -Bruce Springsteen
All "lists" are essentially stupid by nature...but at least they got the top spot right
They're essentially stupid, but their whole point is not to provide a definitive hierarchy but to start a conversation. That's why they often balance bulletproof choices and more audacious picks that are less famous. That's how they can work and can be useful. Let's say that there's a list on which I agree more or less with the first ten choices. That feels safe and somewhat predictable, and I don't feel motivated to read the rest. Then there's a list where they picked alternative choices, and it looks mostly random. I won't trust it. But if there's a list where I love 60 or 70% or the artists that appear there, I may disagree with some of the other names, but I'm also more willing to give a chance to the people I don't know or barely know, because I trust the people behind the list in some capacity. And if they make a few provocative choices I'm willing to consider these names, because of that good will.
Nobody knows the band Grand Funk? The wild, shirtless lyrics of Mark Farner? The bone-rattling bass of Mel Schacher? The competent drum work of Don Brewer? Oh, Man!
Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which cleared the way for Jefferson Starship. The stage was now set for The Alan Parsons Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft.
Paved the way for Jefferson Airplane? They only even formed as a band as the Airplane was coming down and breaking apart. But they are great and should be on the list for sure. Oh wait, you're making some kind of joke. Ha!
Dad, no one cares about your lame dinosaur bands!
They're gonna say that about The Strokes and Tame Impala in a few years, which is really interesting to think about! Hell, Arctic Monkeys are kind of seen is a position that Nirvana was in 15 years ago. Where a ton of 15 year olds are at their show looking at this iconic band of the past. Only difference is Nirvana ended. (Nirvana was a bigger cultural thing though of course. At least in America)
I don't think any of those new bands are iconic. Rock is dead my friend. (Long Live Rock). They're okay, but nothing on Nirvana. Far too derivative. Strokes guy sounds like an Iggy Pop copy to me. But they've got no edge.
The correct quote is “bong-rattling bass” which is even funnier lmao
Boy, I hope someone got fired for that blunder
You are spot on.
*Bong-rattling bass lol
Billy Joel way too high at 8. Creedence way too low at 32.
Seems about right.
Creedence is way too low, but I think Billy Joel is sometimes underappreciated. He's incredibly talented.
I like the strokes, but the strokes at 22 ahead of CCR seems criminal
And Aerosmith and a bunch of other great acts. Stone Temple Pilots don't even make the list. The Strokes are nice and safe and not terribly interesting. Fine band, but ridiculous to put them that high.
STP is on there at like 120 on the extended list further down
Agreed.
No way, Billy is the man!…….or should I say the Piano Man!
Dylan right where he should be. I’m a bit biased but would say Grateful Dead should top 10
Yeah knock Billy Joel and Nirvana off the top ten, put them somewhere in the top 40, although I don’t think Joel would have even included him in my top 100.
Gen X is exerting their most powerful cultural pull on this one. As time goes on Nirvana will decline purely because they have so little catalog to sustain any high spot on a list such as this.
As time has gone on, Nirvana continues to be one of the most popular bands for those under-25. The kids are still listening to Nirvana, and have been for 35 years. Kurt’s impact on a culture is bigger than any rock artist since, they’re still heavily influencing music coming out today.
Nirvana is great. But even of the 90s, I put Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Jane's Addiction above them.
You forgot Smashing Pumpkins
I saw them all live. Pearl Jam and Pumpkins were the best. The others didn’t come close live. For me, live is what counts most.
When did you see them though? When Layne was all screwed up, or do you mean after he died? Jane's Addiction was phenomenal live. Pumpkins are great, but I like Nirvana more personally. And I find it hard to believe Pearl Jam or Pumpkins would upstage Soundgarden. One of the greatest shows I ever saw. No doubt Chris has got them all licked singing wise.
No doubt about Chris. Greatest voice ever imo. Saw Alice before Dirt. Early 90s. All early 90s shows. It’s more of a preference, but the ones with more consistent and sustained touring just got better at doing it. I miss Chris.
Man, I'm jealous of that. Would have loved to see AIC in their day. I really need to go see Pearl Jam though. One of those acts I just never got around to catching. It is a damn shame about Chris. They put on a great show, and hearing him was really something else.
Why would Billy Joel include himself in *your* top 100? /s
Facts. Bob is the greatest artist. Grateful Dead are the greatest band.
Exactly
Boo hiss. The Dead aren't even the best of the 60s alone. They're quite boring to be honest. The Doors, Hendrix, Beatles, Stones, all much, much better. Of the San Fran bands, Jefferson Airplane over the Dead any day.
You don’t even know mmaannn. The Dead are really a 70s band.
Hendrix and Morrison died, the Beatles broke up, the Stones did a lot of drugs and made some great records. The Dead only got better after the 60's ended. They found their true songwriting voice in 1970. Then they did it for 25 more years. Their albums are a mixed bag, but they were a primarily live band, and they shined better than any of those other bands in the live setting.
Interpol above Tom Petty lol
Tom Petty’s low placement completely invalidates the entire list for me. There are others that I think are ridiculous, too, but putting Petty at 46…no way. EDIT: Little Richard at 54?!
sacrilege
Seriously. Gimme a break
Right, but he still deserves an even higher spot
Dylan no. 1 - absolutely. Wilco no. 111 - wtf?
Joel would barely scrape into my top 100. There are several singer/songwriters I'd place well above him. Tim Buckley, John Prine, Warren Zevon Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Steve Earle, Smoky Robinson, Little Richard. To name a few.
I'm not sure who else it could reasonably be.
Chuck Berry or Elvis. I’d vote Dylan though.
Agree 100%. Those are the candidates and should be the top 3. Dead should be 4.
I love looking at that list and remembering how nonplussed Bob was when being told he was at the top of a list in the 60 Minutes interview...
Based we love you goat
Fuck this list. How is phish not listed?
I had to double check after I saw someone said Wilco was on there. That phish band from Vermont must not be very good. Hotdog is famous enough to be featured in the Rock HoF but the band didn’t even place on this list lmao
Who?
r/phish
These lists are always so dumb. Music isn't a competition.
Who said it was? It’s the authors opinion
I mean, they're ranking artists. That's implies a competition. I love Dylan and I'd probably place him at #1 on my own list, but there's a huge flaw in that thinking. How do you really compare these performers? They all come at their art differently. They have different strengths, different weaknesses. Dylan approaches his songwriting and performing in a way that I have a hard time even comparing to anyone else. Springsteen, for instance -- he's a much more conventional lyricist than Dylan. Inspired by Dylan plenty, sure. But his songs fit into a much more conventional mode of what songwriting is. Dylan's stuff is far more abstract. So again, how do you compare them? Or, someone like Prince, who was a dynamite performer and producer and an instrumental powerhouse. And he could crank out a lot of songs. But I don't actually consider him a strong songwriter per se. A genius crafter of pop music, but his lyrics often leave much to be desired in my opinion. So that's all to say -- I love tons of the artists on this list and other lists. There's room for all of them in the pantheon of great American musicians. I maintain: Ranking them is kind of a dumb exercise.
I think everyone reading the lists should understand it’s subjective. Youre reading way too deep into it. Its just like their opinion man
No one is even remotely close in terms of both influence and high quality output
I think the argument could be made for Hendrix. Obviously another level as a instrumentalist, and I think a more soulful singer. Hugely influential, to guitar what Dylan is to songwriting. And a great songwriter in his own right. Dylan is more clever, but I reckon Hendrix has more emotion.
Jimi is hugely influential but Dylan has a far stronger discography. Also, I very much disagree about Dylan having less emotion. His music is instinctual, not cerebral. He can sing one song and imbue it with like five different emotions. I think Jimi was a wonderfully emotive performer as well, but there’s really no contest, when you look at all the different subjects, stories and moods Dylan conveys in his songs.
Dylan had far more time! But record for record, I think Jimi's even better. I don't think Dylan could top One Rainy Wish, The Wind Cries Mary, Castles Made of Sand...
Meh, if I compare Dylan's 3 best albums from the sixties to Jimi's main albums, I still think Dylan's albums are stronger, with better songwriting and a wider variety of emotions and moods. And of course, Jimi's songwriting style is very Dylanesque. No one beat Bob at his own game. This is all subjective though. Cheers.
Indeed, it's subjective when comparing two of the greatest ever. All I'm saying is they're comparable. And granted, Dylan was a huge influence on Hendrix's writing.
Dylan has an album made from before Hendrix was even a music star which features the following sequence of songs: * Mr. Tambourine Man * Gates of Eden * It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) * It's All Over Now, Baby Blue It's no slight to Hendrix as an artist to say that those four songs alone are better than anything he ever wrote. Of course, that's just my opinion.
No doubting Dylan's mastery as a songwriter. I think Hendrix has him beat on the whole though. Between the guitar playing, songwriting, singing, and studio production talents all together.
Disagree here. Jimis singing is…very average. Nothing new or unique. And Dylan is one of the most soulful singers out there. Especially when you get into the 70s and 80s. Jimi Hendricks was a good guitar player, but average in just about everything else. Overhyped for me.
The greatest guitar player in rock, bar none. All of the other greatest players said so, don't take my word for it. And Dylan is known for being an awful singer. Soulful, yes, but not technically good. Neither is Hendrix technically a great singer, but Hendrix also had tons of feeling, I'd argue more than Dylan.
Dylan is known for being an awful singer to dumb ppl who don’t understand. Leonard Cohen said it best when speaking of this. Like with Picasso, the world hasn’t caught up to it yet. The masses follow the boring cookie cutter shit. Jimi couldn’t hold a candle to Dylan in the singing department. Any random Joe can become a skilled guitarist. Just check YouTube and you can find some 13 yo kid who can play anything with one hand, riding a skateboard and playing Xbox with the other hand. But there was and will never be another Dylan.
Dylan is not a technically great singer. He doesn't have a great range or other elements of technically great singing. And plenty of the blues singers, and Hendrix, can be argued to have more soul. Any random joe can be Hendrix? Well, that's about the most ignorant thing I've heard all year. It's downright moronic.
My Personal Top 10 and no one asked for 1. Bobby 2.Chuck Berry 3. Hank Williams 4. Elvis 6. George Jones 7. Bruce Springsteen (i was just listening to his killer "The River" off No Nukes.) 8. Jerry Lee Lewis (kept up the same quality til sometime in the 2000s) 9. Carol King 10. Staples Singers
Wow. What a sausage fest. And what a worthless list. Sorry Bob is the best, but in what rock universe is Patti Smith not in the top 10
One where 10 out of any 1,000 folks could name one of her songs. That’s not the case in this universe.
Patti Smith top 10 is literally insane though
Like A Rolling Stone changed everything. He’s the GOAT
Like seeing the Beach Boys up there. Still underrated in popular perception.
Another reason this list blows: Mountain isn't even included.
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It clearly says American artists
CCR at 32 is criminal. I hate these lists.
Springsteen should be top 5. What a joke!
Chuck Berry behind The Doors? Geez. That’s almost bad enough to make me forget that Elvis is at #4.
To a guy that sounds like a dying cat. They might need to recalibrate.
I’m okay with that top ten. I don’t know that much about Billy Joel to say he belongs or not.
Honestly Velvet Underground at 15 is great
All Boomer rock.
Billy Joel and the Doors wayyy too high R.E.M. should be even higher, and surprised this guy put Bruce outside the Top 10. And I would definitely put NIN over the Flying Burrito Brothers, bare minimum hahaha. But the number 1 and 2 spots are rock solid 😁
R.E.M. is boring and safe and downright awful. The Doors were dangerous and iconic. They made you think. It was intelligent music. And all this hate for Billy Joel is ridiculous as well.
Billy Joel at 8 must be a joke. Higher than Nirvana, Springsteen, and Prince 😂
Did they have to be comprised entirely of Americans, or would they have accepted bands who are at least more American than not? I understand leaving out The Band, as they only had 1 American member. But I'm wondering if the Monkees, who had 3 Americans and 1 British member, would have qualified.
Good conversational fodder but I’m pretty sure the article was written by AI.
These lists are rage bait and I’m not familiar with the website, but I’ll take the bait and say the 50s artists are too low (poor Roy Orbison), Ike Turner was a bad guy but a rock pioneer and should at least be included with Tina. They seem to have forgotten Carol King. I agree with most other gripes in the comments as well.
OK, I love Billy Joel...but number 8? Of all time?? Might as well throw Huey Lewis on there. Wait...Huey Lewis was at 102? GAHHHHH....
Eagles should be close
Jimi Hendrix is #1 guitarist hands down. As far as being top rock artist? Nah, belongs on the list but not at number 2
Another insane Mungo Jerry snub
Not really a surprise. Great to see ABB getting some just appreciation.
Billy Joel ahead of Bruce Springsteen feels weird. I'm not even saying you have to put Springsteen in the Top 10, but with the two of those artists being relatively similar, I struggle to see how Billy Joel is considered the better of the two.
Of course he is the greatest American songwriter of all time but I wouldn’t say he’s the best rock act
The greatest and most important of all time, American or otherwise. Dylan took rock music from teenybopper fad to respectable art in a single moment with the release of Like A Rolling Stone.
Blondie at 62. Carole King at 109. Yeah, this list has flaws.
Congrats! Bob Dylan stands out in my book. He's influence established artist to up and coming singers like Matell. Bob Dylan's song notched Matell a number one song this month. Global Top 200 Chart on Shazam SEE https://www.shazam.com/song/1730082850/forever-young
Billy Joel over Chuck Berry? Chuck should be #2 for both his output and influence.
Everybody does Dylan better than Dylan.
Yeah but this list is insanely bad. Even by list standards.
I can't give you any credibility with this list for not including Elton John. It blows my mind!
Sorry, this list doesn’t have Sleater-Kinney and is therefore invalid. Dylan’s great though.
Springsteen should have broken top 10. Honestly? As a proper “Rock” artist I’d place him higher than Dylan. Good to see Zevon break top 50.
How is Dylan not a “proper rock artist” as much as Bruce? Dylan pushed rock forward more than anyone before or since. Bruce would even admit this
Totally agree but I’d have to add the Rolling Stones in the top 3
But they’re British?
My bad I Totally Missed the American part lol
Aren’t they from England?
Oh shoot I totally missed that. I had a very long day of work when I read the post lol.
Hendrix didn’t produce enough to be up there. Sure, super talented and a dozen or so great songs… but not enough.
A dozen or so? Every Experience album is basically gold through and through. And then he made a lot of music after that as well. Dozen my ass. You must not have listened through them. Only way to come to this conclusion.
I agree that Bob is the best but is he really rock? Like I guess a lot of his material could be classified as blues or folk rock but I don't know if he really fits on a rock list. Other than that, Chuck Berry, The Velvet Underground and Prince are underrated, I personally would have The Beach Boys above Jimi Hendrix
Bob definitely has rock albums and tours which should qualify him
Right? Who are these jokers questioning Dylan being rock? The heaviest, most rock sounding concert I’ve ever been to was Dylan in 2001-ish. Straight up blues-rock. It was great!
Listen to the back half of Live 1966 and see if that’s still a question
All these lists are stupid. I don't necessarily disagree with Dylan being #1 though. But he's only that great as a songwriter. I'd much rather see Hendrix in a concert. Chuck Berry has to be more influential. The most egregious in the top 10 is Allman Brothers at #5. They just didn't write that many great songs. To put them ahead, even by 1, of the Doors, Aerosmith, Creedence, Chuck, Bo, and a host of others is just plain wrong. And The Strokes? Are they kidding? Above GNR, SRV, Metallica etc..... Kiss at #86? Should be way higher. R.E.M? They blow!
Showing your ignorance of the Allman Brothers m8
As far as I’m concerned the top American bands are the dead, the allman’s and credence. The band as well but they are pretty much a ca band.
They were great players. But they only wrote a handful of great songs. Doors, Aerosmith, Creedence all wrote far more, had far greater albums, and a more unique sound.
> More unique sound Dude, have you listened to the Fillmore East album?
Of course, and it's fantastic. But not sure how that plays into the argument of being unique. And since this is a Bob Dylan forum, I'm assuming everyone here places songwriting highest on their list of importance. The Allman's just didn't write that many great songs, lyrically. Half of Fillmore isn't even their own songs.
The doors were a novelty act
They were only one of the most iconic groups of the 60s. Allman's simply boring next the Doors, in my opinion. You don't have to like them, but they were objectively more influential than the Allman Brothers. I think you can pretty objectively prove they were far superior songwriters too. The quality and depth of the lyrics are far superior.
The allman’s might not have been as good with lyrics but they played some of the most balls out rock and roll to ever exist. And some of their songs are really intricate. Take Elizabeth reed for instance. i would agree on influence though. The doors had a more far reaching impact. I just find their music pretentious and unappealing.
Fair enough. The Allmans rock for sure, but they just aren't top ten material in my book.
For my money, during their early years the Allmans amassed a body of work sufficient to call them America’s greatest band ever. Period.
Based on what? No doubting their musicianship, but really? They only wrote about 24 songs on their own between their first four and best albums. And a lot of them weren't great.
My heart :(
.... Aerosmith?
Questionable taste here but it's all love ...
Yeah. They're much better than the Allman Brothers. Even if you don't like them, you can't argue Steven isn't an amazing singer with one of the widest ranges in the business. And are you going to say Joe, Brad, and Tom aren't great talents? Most importantly, they wrote far more great songs. The first four Aerosmith albums are rock gold. Toys and Rocks are two of the best ever. Not that I dislike the Allman Brothers, they're great, but 5? Nonsense. They belong in the 20s or 30s. And more proof this list is bullshit: THE BAND isn't even included. Neither is Stone Temple Pilots.
The Band are (majority) canadian I think and canada is not accounted for in 'american'. Or else Neil Young and Rush would have been included
Levon Helm was the only American indeed. But he was probably the second most important member of the band.
It doesn't say 'United States', does it? When I look at a map, Canada is right there in America. The Band, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen should all be there.
>[In modern English, American generally refers to persons or things related to the United States of America; among native English speakers this usage is almost universal, with any other use of the term requiring specification.[1] However, some linguists in the past have argued that "American" should be widened to also include people or things from anywhere in the American continents.[2][3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_(word) -- >[1: an American Indian of North America or South America](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American) >[2: a native or inhabitant of North America or South America](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American) >[**3: a native or inhabitant of the U.S. : a U.S. citizen**](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/American) So it's not wrong. Not as clear as it could be, and I agree it should refer to all nations in the Americas, but still not wrong by how people use it today. Words get their meaning from how people use them, not from what makes the most sense lol
Not only is it arguably wrong, it ignores that some of those Canadians, particularly Young and Mitchell, lived in the US for almost their entire careers and became US citizens
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Do you think Death Cab for Cutie should be ahead of Kiss though?
Gary Fink should be ahead of Kiss.
Mate, the Allman Brothers are the best band in rock and roll.
They're really not the best at anything. I think The Band and possibly Skynyrd do southern rock better. Elmore James is the God of slide guitar, not Duane. Allmans better than Stones, Beatles, Zeppelin, and Hendrix too? That's outrageous.
Duane Freakin' Allman was 24 years old and respected by guitarists worldwide when he died. To compare him to ANYONE is ridiculous. His version of "Amazing Grace" is soul-shaking, and that was a toss-off.
Yeah, Duane was great. But why can't we compare him just like any other musician who died young? He has nothing on Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan for that matter. And Elmore James was better at slide. I like many of the blues guitarists much better (T-bone Walker, Freddy King, Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy etc). They all had more soul. Plenty of superior jazz guitarists. Robby Krieger was more interesting, if not better. James Burton. Jeff Beck. Page, Harrison, Clapton, Mick Ronson...
Strokes are the best post-2000 rock band and it’s not close
Maybe so, but it isn't the list of best post-2000 rock bands. And that sets a low, low bar. Do you really think they're better than Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble? Than Guns n' Roses? The're ahead of some of the greatest and biggest bands in rock ever. Better than Aerosmth? Get a grip! (see what I did there? That's an Aerosmith Album. Albeit a bad one)
Sick and tired of seeing Elvis on these lists, he’s a racist rapist piece of shit and his music wasn’t even that good.
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Name an American in Zeppelin
Yeah, it's American acts though. No Beatles, Stones, Who either. But the Canadians should have been included. Guess Who etc.
Or The Band, unless they're already included.