Rock is music that nurtures a rich past and going down memory lane the world has encountered many rock bands that have been making waves on the rock scene since forever. They feared no one and have pleased the audience with their spectacular sound and aggressive music. Even though many bands have a compelling story to tell, here we have listed the Top 10 Rock Bands who are simply the best of the best. Read below to choose your favorite out of the lot.
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The Beatles:
It’s rather foolish to doubt this name as they are simply irreplaceable and unquestionably the best in the rock scene. The Beatles enjoyed a short run from the 1960s to the 1970s but still secures the top rank for being the best-selling artists of all time. These guys steadily reached fame and have gathered almost all the awards, produced movies and even starred in them, and even maintain the record of having the most covered songs. With their amazing and unique pop and rock appeal and a brilliant songwriting team, the group is the most successful ever. So far this phenomenal band has sold over 183 million records which for obvious reasons, unbeatable. They are truly the greatest band to exist ever.
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The Rolling Stones:
Apart from big a hit band with hit performances, the solo artists of the band are equally hit and big. The band started their musical journey in 1962 and out of the five highest-grossing tours, the band enjoys four of them. A major part of their success is contributed to their exciting rock, soul, and R&B music. For over sixty years, The Rolling Stones is continuing to enjoy their fame as for consistency is the key, and have recently won a Grammy Award for the Best Traditional Blues Album. With the release of their breakout single, Love is Strong, they had effortlessly lamented the fact that a god rock song can never fade away. Unlike other bands who are rumored to have broken up after trivial feuds, this rock-solid band sailed across such issues to have released 30 studio albums, 25 compilations, 23 live albums, 120 singles, and had reportedly embarked on 48 tours so far.
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Pink Floyd:
Even before David Gilmour joined in to give the creative direction to this great rock band, Pink Floyd had already started creating a strong buzz on the British rock scene with their outstanding creations. In the band’s six-decade career, they have released a total of 15 albums and have toured relentlessly to support each music release. Four of their albums went ahead to top both the US and the UK charts and two of their albums namely, The Wall, and The Dark Side of the Moon have secured its name in the best-selling albums lists of all times. The band has even composed film scores for few movies and their dark tasted in music have always earned them a massive list of loyal fan base globally.
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The Beach Boys:
The Beach Boys who enjoyed the wave of fame for their California Sound of surf-rock quickly evolved their themes into something more personal resulting in attracting more mature fans for the group. Progressing with time, their music orchestrations and sonic arrangement went ahead to become more complex to a level that the band couldn’t perform properly and faithfully on live stages. But what sets them apart from others even now are their vocal harmonies that are absolute perfection. The fact that they continue to be one of those few bands who achieved success even before the British Invasion proves that they are truly capable of doing great stuff. Also, this group is truly spiritual which is well reflected in their lyricism. Even though the band shared its portion of ups and downs, they continue to rule the hearts of many.
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Led Zeppelin:
The much loved and critically acclaimed band Led Zeppelin ruled hearts with their traditional rock sound and rose to success during 1976 with their breakout album named Into the Great Wide Open. Having certified sales of approximately 140.6 million, the band played music that ranged from blues-rock to folk-rock genres, with slight hints of hard rock metal too. Their single Stairway to Heaven is possibly the most popular and influential songs to exist in the history of rock. Their every concert gathered massive crowds and broke all records, and their albums score amongst the top-selling ever. Their nine albums reached the top 10 and six reached number one place on the charts. Having received all kinds of awards, it’s safe to say that the legacy which they have built is everlasting.
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U2:
It’s better to start by saying that U2 happens to be one of the best traditional rock bands ever that has recorded some of the best rock music so far. With a certified sales figure of 110.3 million, the rock band which was formed by a bunch of crew friends during secondary school quickly went ahead to sign a record deal within four years, and by the time they released their fifth album, they had already become a global sensation. Till now the band has won 22 Grammy Awards and the reason is very simple. It is said that moments when the band gets bored or drive into some kind of controversy, they chose to revolutionize their sound. It is their wide experimental sounds and the added edge that qualifies them as one of the best to exist.
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The Who:
With their impressive pop sound and mod subculture influences, and more importantly their rock opera inclinations, The Who has gathered huge appeal and maintains a certified sales count of 27.8 million. Their tours have always been quite fascinating and exciting which thereby contributed to the hype their name enjoys. Apart from their enormous sound, the band has made significant contributions to the development of the Marshall stack, the use of large PA systems, to the use of the synthesizer in rock, and even to the power chords being used on guitars. More than fans, they enjoy popularity amongst the musicians for their influences. Additionally, the band also started the use of non-musical sound like feedback, which is now being followed by all.
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Nirvana:
Being one of the best rock bands of the 1990s, Nirvana maintained a strong influence both on the pop scene and the music industry as a whole. Although they enjoyed the limelight for only five years, their transformative element created a huge impact on the music scene. They were the ones to introduce grunge music with their breakthrough album Nevermind and video Smell Like Teen Spirit that fetched the band easy stardom in no time. Moreover, they were the decade’s only second name to have fetched one billion views on YouTube. It was due to them that ripped jeans and flannel became a thing overnight. The band’s name was truly worth the hype as they never failed to live up to their set expectations. They were true music geniuses driven with a strong flair for songwriting and nurtured an unmatched ability to scream on key. With a certified sales figure of 52.3 million, it didn’t take them much time to gather all the music awards and even got included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the first year of their eligibility.
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The Doors:
During their short time run from 1965 to 1973, The Doors quickly became one of the most influential and talked-about bands of the counter-culture era, mainly due to Jim Morrison’s abrupt erratic behavior. With the release of their first album, the band smoothly re-entered the Billboard charts and went ahead to become one of the greatest hits of their career. One of the most fascinating facts about this band is that they were the first American band to have earned eight consecutive gold records that speaks a lot about their worthiness. It was back in 2012 when the band had released a new song titled Breakn a Sweat and continues to maintain a certified sales figure of 48.2 million.
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Queen:
Queen is one of those very few bands that nurtured the ability to outshine themselves with their significant cultural influence and outstanding songwriting abilities that left a societal impact. It is said that the band maintains an unrivaled writing ability the rock history. With a certified sales figure of 147.6 million, the band is gaining more fame and success with time and has been touring and creating new music consistently since 1970. In case you happen to be at a sporting event, be sure to hear out their anthems being played loud. Moreover, there is a biographical movie being made about this terrific band recently. So far, Queen has released 15 albums and has surprisingly embarked on 21 tours to support the releases.