Billboard Magazine has named “The 50 Best Rock Bands” according to their staff. And while the bands listed are all influential or important in their own right, the order of the list and also of those omitted has obviously drawn online backlash.
The publication’s Top 10 was The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Sly & The Family Stone, Black Sabbath and Nirvana. Metallica ranked 12th, AC/DC came in at No. 13, and Van Halen at No. 21. Other artists to make the cut included Pearl Jam (No. 30), Aerosmith (No. 32), The Ramones (No. 36), Green Day (No. 39), Def Leppard (No. 47) and Red Hot Chili Peppers (No. 50).
Some head-scratching inclusions were Maná (No. 25), Paramore (No. 31), Cafe Tacvba (No. 44) and Sleater Kinney (No. 48). Bands that didn’t get a mention included Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Tool, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Doors, Lynyrd Skynyrd, KISS, Foo Fighters and Bruce Springsteen, to name just a few.
Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello wrote via X: “@billboard magazine’s TOP 50 ROCK BANDS OF ALL TIME or “SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE COUNTRY TO FIGHT ABOUT.” Sound off!” SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk also teased, “Oh trust me … this will be an entire radio show from me very soon …”
Check out the entire list here.
