100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock

[CCI]

The 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock was a special program aired by VH1 in 2000. It featured a list of what a panel of experts considered to be the one hundred best acts of hard rock. Here is the list.

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Black Sabbath
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. AC/DC
5. Metallica
6. Nirvana
7. Van Halen
8. The Who
9. Guns N' Roses
10. KISS
11. Aerosmith
12. The Sex Pistols
13. Queen
14. Soundgarden
15. Pink Floyd
16. Cream
17. The Ramones
18. Ozzy Osbourne
19. The Clash
20. Alice Cooper
21. Pearl Jam
22. Deep Purple
23. Judas Priest
24. Iron Maiden
25. Cheap Trick
26. Motörhead
27. Iggy Pop
28. Rush
29. Mötley Crüe
30. Red Hot Chili Peppers
31. Def Leppard
32. The Doors
33. Rage Against the Machine
34. Alice in Chains
35. Jane's Addiction
36. Frank Zappa
37. The Yardbirds
38. MC5
39. Crazy Horse
40. Stone Temple Pilots
41. Ted Nugent
42. The Kinks
43. Nine Inch Nails
44. ZZ Top
45. Pantera
46. Scorpions
47. Rollins Band
48. Janis Joplin
49. The Smashing Pumpkins
50. Slayer
51. Thin Lizzy
52. Faith No More
53. Korn
54. Sonic Youth
55. Blue Öyster Cult
56. White Zombie
57. Heart
58. Anthrax
59. Bad Company
60. The New York Dolls
61. Jethro Tull
62. Ministry
63. Boston
64. Steppenwolf
65. The Cult
66. Joan Jett
67. The Rolling Stones
68. Hüsker Dü
69. Megadeth
70. Living Colour
71. Lynyrd Skynyrd
72. Foo Fighters
73. Twisted Sister
74. Pat Benatar
75. Spinal Tap
76. Bon Jovi
77. Hole
78. Marilyn Manson
79. Ratt
80. Green Day
81. The Pixies
82. Queensrÿche
83. King's X
84. UFO
85. Whitesnake
86. Foreigner
87. King Crimson
88. Tool
89. Lita Ford
90. Rainbow
91. The Misfits
92. The Black Crowes
93. Lenny Kravitz
94. Yes
95. Fugazi
96. Meat Loaf
97. Primus
98. Mountain
99. Bad Brains
100. Quiet Riot

 

[Brutus1]

36. Frank Zappa

Frank is hard rock? Anyone that sings a song called "The Enema Bandit" is probably not in the hard rock category.

 

[The KSB]

Mostly a pretty good list. I don't think I would call Janis Joplin hard rock though.

 

[strohs]

The 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock was a special program aired by VH1 in 2000. It featured a list of what a panel of experts considered to be the one hundred best acts of hard rock. Here is the list.

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Black Sabbath
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. AC/DC
5. Metallica
6. Nirvana
7. Van Halen
8. The Who
9. Guns N' Roses
10. KISS

Not a bad top 10.
I would swap Metallica and AC/DC, and put them both in front of Jimi.
I have never been a fan on Hendrix, actually I cant stand most of his music.
Also, what is KISS doing in the top 10?
There are many more deserving bands than that.

 

[wadc45]

I don't know how you can have a list like that and not include the Deftones...

Some other notables that are missing, at least to me, are Bad Religion, Black Flag, Rancid, Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and The Germs.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Some other notables that are missing, at least to me, are Bad Religion, Black Flag, Rancid, Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and The Germs.

Wad - I didn't know that you had such good taste in music. I don't know if I'd classify those bands as "hard rock", but if the Pistols, Ramones, Clash, and Fugazi are on the list, then your bands should have gotten some consideration as well. The Germs are way underrated.

 

[Southpaw Stone]

I really love Halen and would love to see them above AC/DC. I understand why they are beneath them - Van Hagar, VH III - Ugh! Did anyone on this board ever see Halen in concert when Roth was their frontman? I have an US Festival DVD from 1983 and it is truly amazing.

 

[wadc45]

Wad - I didn't know that you had such good taste in music. I don't know if I'd classify those bands as "hard rock", but if the Pistols, Ramones, Clash, and Fugazi are on the list, then your bands should have gotten some consideration as well. The Germs are way underrated.

Obviously they lumped punk in with hard rock. Fugazi and Bad Brains are ranked WAY too low. The Germs Anthology is a classic. Social Distortion and The Descendents also should at least be in the honorable mention category.

Is Pat Benetar really "hard rock"?

 

[BuckBackHome]

The Doors?

 

[scooter1369]

Lita Ford over Primus and the Misfits? And step below Tool?

crazy.

And since Suicidal Tendensies isn't on there, the list is flawed.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

For anyone interested in SoCal punk, check out the Adolescents - maybe the best band to emerge from that scene. Their sound is more hard rock than thrash, with incredible "surf" style guitars. The Ads eventually morphed into D.I., another cool SoCal band.

 

[BrutusMaximus]

I don't know how you can have a list like that and not include the Deftones...

Maybe in another 10 years.

I understand why they are beneath them - Van Hagar, VH III - Ugh!

I will agree with you on VH III, but Halen was a MUCH more successful band with Sammy. In fact, Sammy is a much much better artist than Dave could ever hope to be. Now mind you, i am not talking about my ass, I love Halen with Dave and Sammy.....but you could see so much more talent with Sammy as the front man. Roth + Halen = better party band. Sammy + Halen = Much more organized and talented band.

Sammy is a great solo artist as well.

Also, what is KISS doing in the top 10?
There are many more deserving bands than that.

Matter of opinion I think there. Have seen KISS in concert twice, and they were 2 of the best shows I have ever seen. Love em or hate em, they are/were a great band.

Now the one that strikes me in the top 10 is Nirvana.......I love Nirvana, they changed me in ways that I cannot describe, but the #6 band of all time? Negative.

Now I may get smacked by the metal heads for this one (I am a metal head myself), Motorhead fucking BLOWS. I HATE that band worse than anything in the world. Lemmy's vocals sound like some guy gargleing draino. #26 best band? Fuck no.

34. Alice in Chains

Another opinion here of course, but they are a way better band than most of the ones in front of em. If Layne doesnt ruin himself with Heroin, they are still pumping out cd's, and proabably alot higher on the list. Might get slapped for this too, but oh well..........MUCH better band than Nirvana :)

The Doors at 32? I could rip this list apart pretty quick. Keep seeing more. In fact this post could end up being the longest ever :)

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Motorhead fucking BLOWS.

I should ding you for that....

 

[BrutusMaximus]

I am expecting some Dings honestly, but oh well, that's what the rep stuff is for :)

Just voiceing my thoughts.

 

[stxbuck]

Cream, Pink Floyd and The Kinks for hard rock-I don't think so.
It is an injustice that Yes and Meat Loaf were put on that list, and Sepultura and Social D were left off.
Good to see that Bad Brains, the Pixies, and Husker Du got some props.
Anyone who puts Boston above The Cult deserves to be sentenced to listen to Boston for 72 hours straight. The Cult are one of the Top 15 metal bands ever,IMO.....