The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time

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, 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!

list ordered by

Popular Opinion The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time

1932
0 0

1 13,241 10,308 First L added The Beatles Pop music, Rock music, Pop rock

2 13,134 9,633 First L added Queen Pop music, Rock music, Heavy metal

3 12,278 10,337 First L added Pink Floyd Rock music, Space rock, Experimental rock

4 12,607 9,171 First L added Led Zeppelin Blues-rock, Classic rock, Rock music

5 12,674 9,647 First L added Michael Jackson Motown Sound, Rock music, Electronic music

6 11,119 8,720 First L added The Rolling Stones Blues-rock, Rock music, Protopunk

7 11,081 8,863 First L added Elvis Presley Christian music, Pop music, Rock music

8 10,032 9,013 First L added The Who Popular music, Pop music, Rock music

9 10,907 7,885 First L added Jimi Hendrix Blues-rock, Rock music, Experimental rock

10 10,702 8,263 First L added David Bowie Rock music, Psychedelic pop, Electronic music

11 10,053 8,478 First L added Bob Dylan Blues-rock, Rock music, Folk music

12 10,184 8,677 First L added AC/DC Blues-rock, Boogie rock, Rock music

13 9,857 7,936 Simon and Garfunkel Pop music, Worldbeat, Rock music

14 9,961 7,743 First L added Elton John Pop music, Rock music, Piano rock

15 9,891 7,901 First L added The Doors Blues-rock, Rock music, Protopunk

16 10,055 8,038 First L added Prince Hip hop music, Synthpop, New Wave

17 10,629 7,550 Ludwig van Beethoven Opera, Classical music

18 9,051 7,938 First L added Aretha Franklin Pop music, Rock music, Rhythm and blues

19 9,095 8,568 First L added U2 Rock music, Alternative rock, Punk rock

20 10,351 8,018 First L added Nirvana Rock music, Grunge, Alternative rock

21 9,521 7,653 First L added Fleetwood Mac Blues-rock, Pop music, Rock music

22 8,951 8,035 First L added Bee Gees Adult contemporary music, Blue-eyed soul, Disco

23 9,431 7,676 First L added Black Sabbath Doom metal, Blues-rock, Power metal

24 9,368 7,551 First L added The Beach Boys Pop music, Rock music, Psychedelic pop

25 8,946 7,749 First L added The Police New Wave, 2 Tone, Ska punk

26 10,125 7,500 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Opera, Ballet, Art song

27 9,691 7,756 Eagles Country pop, Rock music, Folk rock

28 9,665 7,705 John Lennon Blues-rock, Pop music, Rock music

29 9,500 6,555 Paul McCartney Pop music, Rock music, Experimental rock

30 8,974 7,918 First L added Rush Progressive metal, Rock music, Heavy metal

31 9,581 7,471 Creedence Clearwater Revival Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul, Swamp pop

32 8,752 7,691 First L added Neil Young Rock music, Experimental rock, Grunge

33 10,162 6,438 First L added Eminem Hip hop music, Horrorcore, Hardcore hip hop

34 9,642 7,499 First L added Johnny Cash Outlaw country, Christian music, Americana

35 8,566 8,018 SethLangley added Dire Straits Celtic rock, Blues-rock, Rock music

36 9,496 7,147 First L added Bob Marley Reggae

37 9,339 7,403 Frank Sinatra Swing music, Traditional pop music, Big band

38 9,297 7,441 Metallica Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal

39 8,747 7,243 First L added Lynyrd Skynyrd Outlaw country, Blues-rock, Boogie rock

40 8,741 7,734 First L added Radiohead Rock music, Electronic music, New Prog

41 10,059 7,582 First L added Madonna Pop music, Rock music, Electronic music

42 8,944 6,853 First L added Red Hot Chili Peppers Classic rock, Jazz-funk, Rock music

43 8,525 7,443 First L added Genesis Rock music, Pop rock, Soft rock

44 9,099 6,462 First L added Stevie Wonder Motown Sound, Psychedelic soul, Pop music

45 8,735 6,958 EricLeguenec added Abba Synthpop, Disco, Pop music

46 8,755 6,862 First L added Bruce Springsteen Americana, Blues-rock, Heartland rock

47 8,673 6,630 First L added Journey Rock music, Jazz fusion, Pop rock

48 8,873 6,495 First L added Guns N' Roses Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music

49 8,919 6,242 First L added Aerosmith Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music

50 8,777 6,663 First L added Billy Joel Blue-eyed soul, Pop music, Rock music

1932 0 0

1
13,241 10,308

First L added The Beatles Pop music, Rock music, Pop rock

2
13,134 9,633

First L added Queen Pop music, Rock music, Heavy metal

3
12,278 10,337

First L added Pink Floyd Rock music, Space rock, Experimental rock

4
12,607 9,171

First L added Led Zeppelin Blues-rock, Classic rock, Rock music

5
12,674 9,647

First L added Michael Jackson Motown Sound, Rock music, Electronic music

6
11,119 8,720

First L added The Rolling Stones Blues-rock, Rock music, Protopunk

7
11,081 8,863

First L added Elvis Presley Christian music, Pop music, Rock music

8
10,032 9,013

First L added The Who Popular music, Pop music, Rock music

9
10,907 7,885

First L added Jimi Hendrix Blues-rock, Rock music, Experimental rock

10
10,702 8,263

First L added David Bowie Rock music, Psychedelic pop, Electronic music

11
10,053 8,478

First L added Bob Dylan Blues-rock, Rock music, Folk music

12
10,184 8,677

First L added AC/DC Blues-rock, Boogie rock, Rock music

13
9,857 7,936

Simon and Garfunkel Pop music, Worldbeat, Rock music

14
9,961 7,743

First L added Elton John Pop music, Rock music, Piano rock

15
9,891 7,901

First L added The Doors Blues-rock, Rock music, Protopunk

16
10,055 8,038

First L added Prince Hip hop music, Synthpop, New Wave

17
10,629 7,550

Ludwig van Beethoven Opera, Classical music

18
9,051 7,938

First L added Aretha Franklin Pop music, Rock music, Rhythm and blues

19
9,095 8,568

First L added U2 Rock music, Alternative rock, Punk rock

20
10,351 8,018

First L added Nirvana Rock music, Grunge, Alternative rock

21
9,521 7,653

First L added Fleetwood Mac Blues-rock, Pop music, Rock music

22
8,951 8,035

First L added Bee Gees Adult contemporary music, Blue-eyed soul, Disco

23
9,431 7,676

First L added Black Sabbath Doom metal, Blues-rock, Power metal

24
9,368 7,551

First L added The Beach Boys Pop music, Rock music, Psychedelic pop

25
8,946 7,749

First L added The Police New Wave, 2 Tone, Ska punk

26
10,125 7,500

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Opera, Ballet, Art song

27
9,691 7,756

Eagles Country pop, Rock music, Folk rock

28
9,665 7,705

John Lennon Blues-rock, Pop music, Rock music

29
9,500 6,555

Paul McCartney Pop music, Rock music, Experimental rock

30
8,974 7,918

First L added Rush Progressive metal, Rock music, Heavy metal

31
9,581 7,471

Creedence Clearwater Revival Blues-rock, Blue-eyed soul, Swamp pop

32
8,752 7,691

First L added Neil Young Rock music, Experimental rock, Grunge

33
10,162 6,438

First L added Eminem Hip hop music, Horrorcore, Hardcore hip hop

34
9,642 7,499

First L added Johnny Cash Outlaw country, Christian music, Americana

35
8,566 8,018

SethLangley added Dire Straits Celtic rock, Blues-rock, Rock music

36
9,496 7,147

First L added Bob Marley Reggae

37
9,339 7,403

Frank Sinatra Swing music, Traditional pop music, Big band

38
9,297 7,441

Metallica Thrash metal, Rock music, Heavy metal

39
8,747 7,243

First L added Lynyrd Skynyrd Outlaw country, Blues-rock, Boogie rock

40
8,741 7,734

First L added Radiohead Rock music, Electronic music, New Prog

41
10,059 7,582

First L added Madonna Pop music, Rock music, Electronic music

42
8,944 6,853

First L added Red Hot Chili Peppers Classic rock, Jazz-funk, Rock music

43
8,525 7,443

First L added Genesis Rock music, Pop rock, Soft rock

44
9,099 6,462

First L added Stevie Wonder Motown Sound, Psychedelic soul, Pop music

45
8,735 6,958

EricLeguenec added Abba Synthpop, Disco, Pop music

46
8,755 6,862

First L added Bruce Springsteen Americana, Blues-rock, Heartland rock

47
8,673 6,630

First L added Journey Rock music, Jazz fusion, Pop rock

48
8,873 6,495

First L added Guns N' Roses Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music

49
8,919 6,242

First L added Aerosmith Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music

50
8,777 6,663

First L added Billy Joel Blue-eyed soul, Pop music, Rock music

1932
0 0