When Bill Haley and the Comets helped launch the rock and roll era with their hit “Rock Around the Clock” in the mid-1950s, few people imagined the profound effect that the raucous music would have on world culture, or that it would endure into the 21st century.
Rock and roll, more than any other music, is the genre of rebellion and change. And in the 1960s and 1970s, when the music form was at its zenith in popularity, bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin that tapped into the issues upending the culture — from drugs to love to war — remain the most popular groups of all time.
Using a number of different metrics, 24/7 Wall St. has identified the 100 most popular rock bands of all time. The selection of these artists is based on measures such as record sales, Billboard performance, Wikipedia page views, Facebook “likes,” and popularity on the online streaming platform Spotify. While there are many great rock performers who are better known as solo artists – such as Prince, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley – 24/7 Wall St. included only bands for this article.
100. The Strokes
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1.5 million
> Most popular album: Is This It
99. Steve Miller Band
> Spotify followers: 0.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25.5 million
> Most popular album: Fly Like an Eagle
98. Nine Inch Nails
> Spotify followers: 1.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 10.5 million
> Most popular album: The Downward Spiral
97. Foster the People
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Most popular album: Torches
96. The Cars
> Spotify followers: 0.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 23.5 million
> Most popular album: The Cars
95. 30 Seconds to Mars
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1.5 million
> Most popular album: A Beautiful Lie
94. Creed
> Spotify followers: 1.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25 million
> Most popular album: Human Clay
93. Scorpions
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 10.5 million
> Most popular album: Love at First Sting
92. The Monkees
> Spotify followers: 0.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 18 million
> Most popular album: The Monkees
91. Ramones
> Spotify followers: 1.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Most popular album: Ramones
90. Jefferson Airplane
> Spotify followers: 0.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 14 million
> Most popular album: Surrealistic Pillow
89. Grateful Dead
> Spotify followers: 0.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 18.5 million
> Most popular album: In the Dark
88. The Black Keys
> Spotify followers: 2.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 5 million
> Most popular album: El Camino
87. Judas Priest
> Spotify followers: 1.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 9.5 million
> Most popular album: Screaming for Vengeance
86. Electric Light Orchestra
> Spotify followers: 1.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 10 million
> Most popular album: Discovery
85. Papa Roach
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: Infest
84. The Offspring
> Spotify followers: 2.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 14.5 million
> Most popular album: Smash
83. 3 Doors Down
> Spotify followers: 1.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 12 million
> Most popular album: The Better Life
82. Motörhead
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: N/A
> Most popular album: Ace of Spades
81. Foreigner
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 37.5 million
> Most popular album: Double Vision
80. Queens of the Stone Age
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: N/A
> Most popular album: …Like Clockwork
79. Megadeth
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6.5 million
> Most popular album: Countdown to Extinction
78. The Cure
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 8.5 million
> Most popular album: Disintegration
77. Soundgarden
> Spotify followers: 1.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 9 million
> Most popular album: Superunknown
76. Rush
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25 million
> Most popular album: Moving Pictures
75. Disturbed
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 11.5 million
> Most popular album: The Sickness
74. Three Days Grace
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6 million
> Most popular album: One-X
73. Pantera
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 7 million
> Most popular album: Vulgar Display of Power
72. Five Finger Death Punch
> Spotify followers: 2.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1
71. Oasis
> Spotify followers: 3.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6 million
> Most popular album: What’s the Story Morning Glory?
70. Rammstein
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1 million
> Most popular album: Sehnsucht
69. Limp Bizkit
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 16.5 million
> Most popular album: Significant Other
68. Rage Against the Machine
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 9 million
> Most popular album: Evil Empire
67. Alice in Chains
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 12.5 million
> Most popular album: Dirt
66. The Animals
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 0.5 million
> Most popular album: The Animals
65. R.E.M.
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 20 million
> Most popular album: Monster
64. The Cranberries
> Spotify followers: 1.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 14.5 million
> Most popular album: No Need to Argue
63. Depeche Mode
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 10.5 million
> Most popular album: Violator
62. Heart
> Spotify followers: 0.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 22.5 million
> Most popular album: Heart
61. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
> Spotify followers: 0.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 31.5 million
> Most popular album: Full Moon Fever
60. Dire Straits
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 15.5 million
> Most popular album: Brothers in Arms
59. Simon and Garfunkel
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 38.5 million
> Most popular album: Bridge Over Troubled Water
58. ZZ Top
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25 million
> Most popular album: Eliminator
57. The Beach Boys
> Spotify followers: 1.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 22.5 million
> Most popular album: Pet Sounds
56. Kings of Leon
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 2.5 million
> Most popular album: Only by the Night
55. The Police
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 22 million
> Most popular album: Synchronicity
54. Deep Purple
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 7.5 million
> Most popular album: Machine Head
53. Santana
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 43.5 million
> Most popular album: Supernatural
52. Journey
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 48 million
> Most popular album: Escape
51. Slipknot
> Spotify followers: 3.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6 million
> Most popular album: Slipknot
50. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
> Spotify followers: 2.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: N/A
> Most popular album: Are You Experienced
49. Kiss
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 21 million
> Most popular album: Destroyer
48. Boston
> Spotify followers: 0.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 31 million
> Most popular album: Boston
47. Def Leppard
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 35.5 million
> Most popular album: Hysteria
46. The Script
> Spotify followers: 4.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: . million
> Most popular album: Science & Faith
45. The Killers
> Spotify followers: 3.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: Hot Fuss
44. Korn
> Spotify followers: 2.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 16.5 million
> Most popular album: Follow the Leader
43. Avenged Sevenfold
> Spotify followers: 2.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Most popular album: City of Evil
42. Muse
> Spotify followers: 4.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 3.5 million
> Most popular album: The Resistance
41. Evanescence
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 9.5 million
> Most popular album: Fallen
40. Marilyn Manson
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: Mechanical Animals
39. Radiohead
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6.5 million
> Most popular album: OK Computer
38. Fall Out Boy
> Spotify followers: 5.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6 million
> Most popular album: From Under the Cork Tree
37. Panic! at the Disco
> Spotify followers: 5.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
36. OneRepublic
> Spotify followers: 5.7 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 2 million
> Most popular album: Native
35. Nickelback
> Spotify followers: 3.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 24 million
> Most popular album: All the Right Reasons
34. Blink-182
> Spotify followers: 4.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 10 million
> Most popular album: Enema of the State
33. Arctic Monkeys
> Spotify followers: 6.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 1.5 million
> Most popular album: AM
32. The Who
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 21 million
> Most popular album: Who’s Next
31. Creedence Clearwater Revival
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 28 million
> Most popular album: Cosmo’s Factory
30. Iron Maiden
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 6.5 million
> Most popular album: Somewhere in Time
29. Gorillaz
> Spotify followers: 3.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 3 million
> Most popular album: Demon Days
28. System of a Down
> Spotify followers: 4.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 7 million
> Most popular album: Toxicity
27. Van Halen
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 56.5 million
> Most popular album: 1984
26. Lynyrd Skynyrd
> Spotify followers: 1.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 28.5 million
> Most popular album: Street Survivors
25. Paramore
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 4.5 million
> Most popular album: Riot!
24. Pearl Jam
> Spotify followers: 3.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 31.5 million
> Most popular album: Ten
23. Foo Fighters
> Spotify followers: 5.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 7 million
> Most popular album: Wasting Light
22. Black Sabbath
> Spotify followers: 3.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 15 million
> Most popular album: Paranoid
21. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
> Spotify followers: 0.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 44.5 million
> Most popular album: Stranger in Town
20. U2
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 52 million
> Most popular album: The Joshua Tree
19. The Doors
> Spotify followers: 3.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 33 million
> Most popular album: The Doors
18. Fleetwood Mac
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 49.5 million
> Most popular album: Rumours
17. Eagles
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 120 million
> Most popular album: Hotel California
16. Bon Jovi
> Spotify followers: 4.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 34.5 million
> Most popular album: Slippery When Wet
15. Aerosmith
> Spotify followers: 5.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 66.5 million
> Most popular album: Toys in the Attic
14. Nirvana
> Spotify followers: 7.3 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25 million
> Most popular album: Nevermind
13. Green Day
> Spotify followers: 7.4 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 24 million
> Most popular album: Dookie
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers
> Spotify followers: 8.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 25 million
> Most popular album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
11. Maroon 5
> Spotify followers: 13.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 12.5 million
> Most popular album: Songs About Jane
10. The Rolling Stones
> Spotify followers: 5.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 66.5 million
> Most popular album: Hot Rocks
9. Guns N’ Roses
> Spotify followers: 8.9 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 44.5 million
> Most popular album: Appetite for Destruction
8. Coldplay
> Spotify followers: 14.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 14.5 million
> Most popular album: A Rush of Blood to the Head
7. Metallica
> Spotify followers: 8.2 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 63 million
> Most popular album: Metallica
6. Queen
> Spotify followers: 9.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 34.5 million
> Most popular album: The Game
5. AC/DC
> Spotify followers: 8.6 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 72 million
> Most popular album: Back in Black
4. Linkin Park
> Spotify followers: 10.1 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 27 million
> Most popular album: Hybrid Theory
3. Pink Floyd
> Spotify followers: 7.0 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 75 million
> Most popular album: The Wall
2. Led Zeppelin
> Spotify followers: 5.8 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 111.5 million
> Most popular album: Led Zeppelin IV
1. The Beatles
> Spotify followers: 9.5 million
> All time U.S. album sales: 178 million
> Most popular album: The Beatles
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