Top 10 Rock Bands of Every Decade

It's so hard to decide, but...

60s: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, CCR, The Band, Jimmy Hendrix, Cream, The Doors, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, Simon & Garfunkle

70s: The Rolling Stones (they’re great enough to rank twice), The Allman Brothers Band, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Cat Stevens, Elton John, ZZ Top, Eagles, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac

80s: Dire Straits, Tom Petty, AC-DC, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Clash, Bob Seger, Peter Gabriel, Metallica

90s: Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Beck, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Oasis, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, R.E.M.

2000s: rock music is a joke

2000 music is mostly a joke I agree.

But what about bands like Audioslave, Fleet Foxes, and The Decemberists? While it might be true i think the 2000's is the weakest decade of music in a very long time, those 3 bands are certainly highlights. And if you haven't checked those artists out, I highly recommend that you do.

The Decemberists are great. (Y)

I always do my best to stand up for the 2000's though - over here, rock and alternative music was dying a death until the cavalry showed up in the form of The White Stripes and The Strokes. So although the middle of the 90's was the time I started getting into music in a major way, it's the early 00's that I look back on with the most affection, at least partly because I still shudder at the memory of the popular "alternative" music of the late 90's like Limp Bizkit and Korn.

60s

The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Beatles, The Band, Love, The Monks, The Sonics, The Doors.

70s

Ramones, The Stooges, David Bowie, Joy Division, The Clash, Television, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Sparks.

80s

Pixies, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Dinosaur Jr, Spacemen 3, The Cure, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins, The Gun Club, Echo & The Bunnymen.

90s

Nirvana, Beck, At The Drive-In, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Spiritualized, Smashing Pumpkins, The Verve, Weezer, Elastica.

00s

The White Stripes, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, The Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age, Arcade Fire, Interpol.

No doubt I'll have forgotten someone...

Past decades have been well represented here by a lot of you guys. Good to see mentions of The Stooges and Os Mutantes.

00s doesnt seem to have as many good ones but as long as Queens of the Stone Age and the White Stripes are making good ol' dirty rock n roll, I think theres promise.

you guys have heard about Them Crooked Vultures right? Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, and Dave Grohl. can you say

you guys have heard about Them Crooked Vultures right? Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, and Dave Grohl. can you say

I was watching some of the Reading festival on TV and they came on as surprise guests. Can't wait to hear more.

No doubt I'll have forgotten someone...

True to form, I forgot The Seeds, Pink Floyd, The Beach Boys, PiL, Jeff Buckley and The Libertines

The Decemberists are great (Y)

I always do my best to stand up for the 2000's though - over here, rock and alternative music was dying a death until the cavalry showed up in the form of The White Stripes and The Strokes. So although the middle of the 90's was the time I started getting into music in a major way, it's the early 00's that I look back on with the most affection, at least partly because I still shudder at the memory of the popular "alternative" music of the late 90's like Limp Bizkit and Korn

The commercialisation of "alternative" was inevitable but no less terrifying for it!

In Argentina in the 80's and 90's we were still catching up on all the banned music from during the military regime years. You'd hear all this rock and pop from the 60's, 70's and early 80's like it was all new! By the late 80's the real 'big' bands were still the Stones (even though personally, despite being my favourite band, they haven't done anything decent since 1981's Tattoo You), AC/DC and Guns & Roses. Infact, they're still probably the biggest bands now!!!

It was only when I went to the UK in the 90's that I heard all these great bands existed like The Smiths, Jesus & Mary Chain, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. It was a whole new world of albums (as opposed to 'Greatest Hits') and CD instead of tape!!!

I guess I'm still catching up. For me, I think the only new artists I found at that time were Beck and The Dandy Warhols.

As for now, the 00's - I love Eagles Of Death Metal, The Lionheart Brothers, The GO! Team, The Fiery Furnaces, MGMT, Pete Molinari, The White Stripes, Wild Beasts plus the above two and I think that makes Joe's requisite '10'!

2000's:

1. Fleet Foxes (Only one full album, but it blows away anything else done in this decade)

2. Rush (Could be #1 since they are my favorite, but doesn't stack up to the Fleet Foxes album)

3. The Tragically Hip (Great band, some amazing music in the 00's)

4. Audioslave (It's too bad these guys broke up, but they put out some amazing music)

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers (Great band, still with great music now)

6. Matthew Good (Solo and with his band, just some outstanding music, and he's canadian)

7. Spock's Beard (Simply amazing Prog Rock, a must check out)

8. Porcupine Tree (Amazing Progressive Rock Band)

9. Radiohead (They deserve to be in here)

10. The Mars Volta (That's all that needs to be said about this band)

Mentions: Led Zeppelin: Yes minus Bonzo on drums, but who could say they didn't want to go to that reunion concert?

The Rolling Stones: They STILL kick ass

ACDC: The music for me is lackluster after all these years, but the live shows are supposedly amazing.

Left Out on Purpose: The Beatles: Cause i can't stand them but everyone still is obsessed with them.

Green Day: I can't stand the music they put out, and everyone gushes over them, it's stupid.

90's:

1. Matthew Good (3 albums in the 90's but they are amazing)

2. Alice In Chains (My favorite Grunge Band)

3. Rush (Same reason as always)

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers (Do they really need a reason to be in this spot?)

5. U2 (I felt the music started to get worse, but still some great tunes)

6. Nirvana (Influential band)

7. Foo Fighters (Cause they rock so much)

8. Guns N' Roses (Amazing rock band)

9. Rage Against The Machine (If you've heard them and liked them then you know why they are here.)

10. Radiohead (More great music)

Left out on purpose: Green Day: As said in the 00's list, i can't stand these guys.

Now for something different. My list of bands to expect big things from in the next decade 2010's:

1. Fleet Foxes (If you've heard the debut album there is just so much potential in these guys, i really hope they don't break up, because they are going to be amazing for years and years.)

2. Matthew Good (I'm really hoping he never stops making music, he just has an amazing sound.)

3. Porcupine Tree (Like Fleet Foxes, a band with endless potential, yes they've been around much longer but I still see them making amazing music for awhile.)

4. The Decemberists (Like all the bands before, these guys need to keep making music, as it's saving what true rock and roll is.)

5. Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl just has a way of making music, hopefully he sticks with this band and they continue rocking on.)

6. Red Hot Chili Peppers (Who knows how much longer these guys will be around, and how many more albums we shall get. But considering their age I still see 2-4 albums in the next decade.)

7. Rush (Yes, my favorite band down at #7, rumors are swirling the next album will be the boys' last album, that is why they are down at #7. But could easily jump to #1 or #2 if more then 1 or 2 albums get put out)

8. Spock's Beard (Another band keeping the Progressive rock alive. These guys are good for music.)

9. Iron Maiden (One of the best metal bands of all time. Who knows how many more albums shall be released? For that fact, they are #9.)

Joke 10. The Rolling Stones (I'm sorry i couldn't resist. These guys have been around for what seems forever. I predict one MAYBE two more tours by these guys before they decide to officially hang it up.)

Real 10. The Flower Kings (Maybe a lesser known band, but they have been around since 1994. Roine Stolt is a little known genuis, and I'm really hoping for some more quality music out of these guys.)

So be on the lookout for these bands!

I'm suprised that I don't see Kansas on one of your lists. I thought they were very famous...

Kansas is a good band, I just don't think they match up as well compared to some of the other bands

50's-Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Elvis Presley, Ritchie Valens, Bobby Darin, Everly Brothers and the Drifters

60's-Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Doors, Beatles, CCR, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Lovin' Spoonful, Mamas and the Papas and the Animals

70's-Ramones, Stooges, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Black Sabbath, Eagles, Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top

80's-Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Black Flag, Misfits, Circus of Power, Dio, Scorpions, Pink Floyd, Queensryche and U2

90's-U2, Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Nine Inch Nails, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Depeche Mode, PJ Harvey, Guns N' Roses, Stone Temple Pilots and Marilyn Manson

00's-U2, Coldplay, Audioslave, Mars Volta, Roots, Killers, Guns N' Roses, TV on the Radio, Red Hot Chili Peppers and System of a Down

60's

01. The Rolling Stones

02. Jimi Hendrix

03. Cream

... ...

70's

1. Black Sabbath

2. The Scorpions

3. Santana

4. Dire Straits - their first two albums are great

5. Van Halen - same reason as D.S.

6. Rainbow - Dio before he went Solo

7. Santana

8. Blue Oyster Cult

9. Kiss

10. Rush

honorable mentions:

The Rolling Stones

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Aerosmith

Deep Purple

Led Zeppelin

Alice Cooper

80's (the heavy metal decade)

01. Iron Maiden

02. Metallica

03. Black Sabbath

04. Judas Priest

05. Motörhead - we are Motorhead and we play fucking Rock N Roll!

06. Dio - R.I.P.

07. Girlschool

08. Candlemass

09. The Scorpions

10. Bon Jovi

honorable mentions:

Danzig - first album 1988

The Rolling Stones

Billy Idol

Aerosmith

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

ZZ Top

Alice Cooper

90's:

01. Guns N' Roses - I will just say: Use Your Illusion II

02. Danzig!

03. Bon Jovi

04. Monster Magnet

05. Bruce Dickinson - his solo works are better than the Maiden stuff with Blaze

06. Megadeth

07. Pantera

08. Foo Fighters - instantly liked them better than Nirvana

09. Metallica - no kidding!

10. Aerosmith

honorable mentions:

Rammstein

The Rolling Stones

Alice Cooper

Nirvana - maybe not the best band, but influential

Rage Against The Machine

00's

01. Muse - they have their highs and lows, but their two best albums are from the 00's

02. Nevermore - for Dead Heart In A Dead World and THis Godless Endeavor

03. Tool - for Lateralus and 10,000 Days

04. Arctic Monkeys!!!

05. Sentenced - Legends

06. Amorphis - in a way continuing the legacy of Sentenced...

07. Dark Tranquillity - superb melodic death metal

08. Rishloo

09. Foo Fighters - still doin it

10. The Sword - hell yeah

honorable mentions:

The Rolling Stones

Baroness

Dream Theater - better than in the previous decade

Disturbed

Kylesa

System Of A Down

Audioslave

Year Long Disaster

In Flames

Red Hot Chili Peppers - the have never been better before that decade

Nickelback

Coheed and Cambria

'50s

1. Chuck Berry

2. Little Richard

3. Elvis Presley

4. Jerry Lee Lewis

5. Buddy Holly

6. B.B. King

7. Muddy Waters

'60s

1. The Beatles

2. Cream

3. Jimi Hendrix

4. The Who

5. The Rolling Stones

6. Creedence Clearwater revival

7. The Doors

8. Iron Butterfly

9. Bob Dylan

10. Led Zeppelin

The Yardbirds

Blind Faith

'70s

1. Led Zeppelin

2. Queen

3. Black Sabbath

4. Los Jaivas

5. Deep Purple

6. Sex Pistols

7. The Clash

8. Judas Priest

9. Pink Floyd

10. Rainbow

Frank Zappa

Kiss

AC/DC

Aerosmith

'80s

1. Metallica

2. Iron Maiden

3. Guns n' Roses

4. Skid Row

5. M

David Bowie

for all

:wub2:

2000s: rock music is a joke

OMG Pierre is a fan of Girlschool too!