Originally by Ranker MusicList RulesThe best artists of any genre
When VH1 polled fellow artists to name the greatest artists of all time, it seemed like a good idea---but in reality, the list was truly flawed. According to them, Coldplay is better than Pearl Jam, Mariah Carey is only greater than six artists, etc! Not to mention other impactful artists were left off of the list. So I thought that maybe we try the countdown one more time, only this time with the perspective of true music fans...YOU..
This list will begin in no particular order, you will see some names that didn't appear in VH1's version, no artist appears on the countdown twice, and the order is not my personal opinion (I personally think Bob Marley is the greatest artist of all time). If you don't like how the list looks, you have the power to change it. This list includes some of the greatest female vocalists of the past 10 years, great current bands, and many of the best rock bands and artists of all time. Many of them are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - and some will be, eventually.
So many questions will be answered with the voting results on this list. Nirvana or Pearl Jam? 2Pac or Biggie? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston? Is Michael Jackson still the King or is Elvis the true immortal? Is Madonna still the undisputed Queen of Pop? Does anyone rock harder than Hendrix? Are Jay-Z and Beyonce the most powerful couple in music history? It's up to you to decide!
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16,8959,483Ludwig van Beethoven
Opera, Classical musicLudwig van Beethoven ( (listen); German: [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːthoːfn̩] (listen); baptised 17... more
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16,99410,972Jimi Hendrix
Blues-rock, Rock musicJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942 – September 18,... more- 316,09710,662
David Bowie
Rock music, Psychedelic popDavid Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie (,... more - 415,6228,926
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Opera, BalletWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791), baptised as Johannes Chrysostomus... more - 514,8099,893
Bob Dylan
Blues-rock, Rock musicBob Dylan (born May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, poet, and visual... more - 613,2538,177
Johann Sebastian Bach
Classical musicJohann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and... more - 716,24711,114
Elvis Presley
Christian music, Pop musicElvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), also known mononymously as Elvis, was... more ![]()
814,2839,649Johnny Cash
Outlaw country, Christian musicJohn R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American... more- 914,6069,509
John Lennon
Blues-rock, Pop musicJohn Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon, 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an... more - 1014,1739,541
Frank Sinatra
Swing music, Traditional pop musicFrancis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor and... more ![]()
1116,14011,166The Rolling Stones
Blues-rock, Rock musicThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first settled... more- 1215,32310,655
Elton John
Pop music, Rock musicSir Elton Hercules John (born 25 March 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, pianist, and... more - 1314,5559,895
Bob Marley
ReggaeRobert Nesta Marley, (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer and songwriter.... more ![]()
1419,34313,515Led Zeppelin
Blues-rock, Classic rockLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of... more- 1519,98713,932
Michael Jackson
Motown Sound, Rock musicMichael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter,... more - 1613,9559,591
Stevie Wonder
Motown Sound, Psychedelic soulStevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950), better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is... more - 1713,4759,399
The Beach Boys
Pop music, Rock musicThe Beach Boys are an American rock and roll band. Formed in 1961, they gained popularity for... more - 1815,3129,607
Paul McCartney
Pop music, Rock musicSir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter, musician,... more - 1914,1149,897
The Doors
Blues-rock, Rock musicThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim... more ![]()
2021,73115,610The Beatles
Pop music, Rock musicThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising... more- 2114,0579,849
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soulCreedence Clearwater Revival (often referred to as Creedence or CCR) was an American rock band... more - 2212,9588,874
Chuck Berry
Rock music, Rhythm and bluesCharles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer and... more ![]()
2314,97910,550Nirvana
Rock music, GrungeNirvana was an American grunge band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and... more- 2414,80210,607
Prince
Hip hop music, SynthpopPrince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter,... more - 2512,6728,913
Marvin Gaye
Doo-wop, Motown SoundMarvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer,... more
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