Update: Follow Ranker's official New Rock 2020 playlist on Spotify!
Some of the greatest bands in rock history are from the United States. While the merits of their musical prowess can be fairly disputed between fans, these famous rock bands bring a certain American flair and bravado that other bands from different countries don't have. Almost all of the American bands on this list should be household names among rock fans and there should be few, if any surprises on this list.
A range of American cities are represented here. Bands from Los Angeles are the most populous here with classic rock bands like The Doors and Van Halen, as well as Guns N' Roses, The Beach Boys, Rage Against the Machine, and The Eagles. Due to the popularity of grunge in the early '90s, Seattle is well represented. Famous bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains are included on this list. There are metal bands (Metallica), hard rockers (Aerosmith, Alice Cooper), psych bands (Grateful Dead, Phish), punk outfits (The Ramones, Green Day) and even funk bands (Sly and the Family Stone, Prince) that are on this list. If a band is from America and awesome, it should be here.
Vote for the top American rock bands that you think are the best to come from the 50 states. Pick the band who you consider to be the greatest American rock band of all time. There are plenty of great choices to choose from so you can't really go wrong.
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16,75810,400Creedence Clearwater Revival
Green River, Cosmo's FactoryGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul, Swamp pop, Rock music, Garage rock
Creedence Clearwater Revival (often referred to as Creedence or CCR) was an American rock band... more
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10,4365,205Elvis Presley
Jailhouse Rock, The Sun SessionsGenres (Music): Christian music, Pop music, Rock music, Rockabilly, Country rock
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known mononymously as Elvis, was... more3
14,1678,025Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The Last DJ, Damn the TorpedoesGenres (Music): Blues-rock, New Wave, Classic rock, Heartland rock, Rock music
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (alternately Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) were an American... more4
16,18410,333Aerosmith
Toys in the Attic, PumpGenres (Music): Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music, Heavy metal, Rock and roll
Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1970. The group... more5
17,87711,562Eagles
Hotel California, Eagles Greatest HitsGenres (Music): Country pop, Rock music, Folk rock, Country rock, Soft rock
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley,... more6
9,5154,219Johnny Cash
American V: A Hundred Highways, American IV: The Man Comes AroundGenres (Music): Outlaw country, Christian music, Americana, Rock music, Rockabilly
John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American... more7
12,7994,098Jimi Hendrix
First Rays of the New Rising Sun, Band of GypsysGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Rock music, Experimental rock, Psychedelia, Heavy metal
The greatest rock star of them all.
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18,... more8
14,6629,517Lynyrd Skynyrd
(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd), Second HelpingGenres (Music): Outlaw country, Blues-rock, Boogie rock, Rock music, Country rock
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band best known for popularizing the southern hard-rock... more9
13,7379,483The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds, Surfin' USAGenres (Music): Pop music, Rock music, Psychedelic pop, Traditional pop music, Country rock
The Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band. Formed in 1961, they gained popularity for... more10
13,5969,424Nirvana
Nevermind, In UteroGenres (Music): Rock music, Grunge, Alternative rock, Punk rock, Hardcore punk
Nirvana was an American grunge band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and... more11
5,2292,939Chuck Berry
The Great Twenty-Eight, MaybelleneGenres (Music): Rock music, Rhythm and blues, Rock and roll, Blues
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer and... more12
12,7718,415Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction, G N' R LiesGenres (Music): Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music, Heavy metal, Rock and roll
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, in 1985. The classic lineup... more13
11,0548,029Journey
Escape, FrontiersGenres (Music): Rock music, Jazz fusion, Pop rock, Soft rock, Progressive rock
Journey is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1973, composed of former... more14
13,3879,888Van Halen
Van Halen, 1984Genres (Music): Glam metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Hard rock
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California in 1972. Credited with... more15
15,80911,679The Doors
The Doors, L.A. WomanGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Rock music, Protopunk, Heavy metal, Jazz fusion
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim... more16
7,9605,631Prince and the Revolution
Purple Rain, Around the World in a DayGenres (Music): Rock music, Heavy metal, Rhythm and blues, Pop rock, Experimental music
The Revolution was an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1979 by Prince.... more17
5,5073,381Simon and Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sounds of SilenceGenres (Music): Pop music, Worldbeat, Rock music, Folk music, Folk rock
I Am a Rock, etc.
Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon... more18
9,2666,823Santana
Abraxas, SupernaturalGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Chicano rock, Rock music, Rock en Español, Jazz fusion
Santana is a Latin rock band, founded in San Francisco during the late 1960s by Carlos Santana... more19
13,0109,633Metallica
Master of Puppets, Ride the LightningGenres (Music): Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal, Speed metal, Hard rock
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by... more20
10,8768,259Pearl Jam
Ten, Vs.Genres (Music): Rock music, Grunge, Post-grunge, Alternative rock, Hard rock
Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its... more21
10,6027,945ZZ Top
Tres Hombres, EliminatorGenres (Music): Blues-rock, Boogie rock, Rock music, Electric blues, Heavy metal
ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. The band has, since 1970,... more22
8,2076,209Foo Fighters
Wasting Light, The Colour and the ShapeGenres (Music): Alternative rock, Post-grunge
Foo Fighters is an American rock band, formed in Seattle in 1994. It was founded by Nirvana... more23
4,2432,981Buddy Holly and the Crickets
Buddy, 20 Golden GreatsGenres (Music): Lubbock sound, Rock music, Rockabilly, Pop rock, Rock and roll
Peggy Sue, etc.
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Buddy... more24
8,9426,959Heart
Dreamboat Annie, Little QueenGenres (Music): Pop music, Rock music, Folk rock, Heavy metal, Pop rock
Heart is a rock band that first found success in Canada and later in the United States and... more25
9,0096,877Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
'Live' Bullet, Against the WindGenres (Music): Rock music
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band are an American rock band led by Bob Seger.... more
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