Among all musical genres, rock is one of the styles with more followers. Over the decades, music history has spawned some of the best rock bands, so we ‘ve selected the ones we think are the best .
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The 20 best rock bands in history
The following list of the best rock bands in history is by no means universal, nor is it intended to please everyone, so apologies in advance for possible absences and in case anyone disagrees. with the order.
20. Supertramp
Founded in the late sixties by Rick Davies, Supertramp did not initially enjoy the success that someone would expect from what is considered by many music lovers as one of the best rock bands of the last century.
After the replacement of some of the members with whom they had recorded their first album, Supertramp did not achieve recognition until the release of their second and third albums .
We leave you one of his best-known songs, The Logical song:
19. The Beatles
“The 4 of Liverpool”, as they were affectionately baptized, make up one of the best-known rock bands of all time.
The Beatles were a phenomenon capable of achieving what until then (the end of the 60s) few artists had achieved: crowding thousands of people who were anxiously waiting to see them play at their concerts.
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Even today, there is no place where no one has heard any of the Beatles’ songs, such as Come together, a song that has been covered so many times:
18. Pink Floyd
Great Britain is the birthplace of such well-known rock bands as Pink Floyd, one of the sets that has the album that has sold the most copies worldwide : The Wall, which includes the mythical song Another Brick in the Wall:
17. Dire Straits
Dire Straits was a rock group that triumphed at the end of the seventies and whose heyday took place during the eighties, after the release of his album Brothers in Arms.
The guitar riffs of Dire Straits, as well as their unforgettable ‘solos‘, are easily recognizable when we listen to their most played songs, Sultans of Swing or Money for nothing:
16. Black Sabbath
Although they are considered the forerunners of heavy metal, we believe that Black Sabbath also deserve a place in rock history, for having helped create formulas of the genre that are still used today.
Since the late sixties, the group, led by controversial vocalist Ozzy Osbourne (who was replaced by Ronnie James Dio to treat his alcoholism and drug addiction), has been characterized by its dark lyrics and hard guitar rhythms.
15. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Rock is a genre that was also very marked by the rhythm of the chords of the group Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Although his popularity was short-lived, later generations have known his songs thanks to the fact that they have been included in the soundtrack of many movies .
Is there anyone who doesn’t know this song
? 14. Guns ‘n’ Roses
Despite the continuous fights between several of its members, Guns ‘n’ Roses has been one of the most influential rock bands of recent decades , somewhat which was possible after his first album, Appetite for destruction (1987), which includes some of his best-known songs: Paradise City, Sweet Child O’mine or Welcome to the Jungle, a true anthem for lovers of hard rock.
13. Kiss
Their outlandish aesthetics, consisting of painted faces, outlandish clothing based on leather and futuristic or medieval style armor and performances that are not exempt from spectacle, are the ingredients that have led Kiss to be one of the best rock bands of history
Created at the end of the 70’s by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons (guitar and bassist, in addition to the main voices of their songs), they are the only members that have not been replaced at some point in their career.
You can see the Kiss shows in all their splendor with this live show that includes a spectacular introduction by Gene Simmons and his already mythical (and disproportionate) language.
12. Scorpions
The Scorpions are the most important German rock band in Germany, with the most albums sold, both in Europe and in the rest of the world.
For all these reasons, in addition to their experience, Scorpions are one of the groups considered key in the development of subsequent rock bands. Of all his legacy, his power ballads stand out, slow tunes combined with the distortion of his guitars , melancholic ‘solos’ and a progression of the rhythm of the drums, which goes from soft to more aggressive as the song progresses.
In this sense, Still loving you inaugurated this trend for which the Scorpions are remembered.
11.Deep Purple
Another of the longest-running English giants that have marked an era is Deep Purple, one of the rock bands that gathers the most fans around the world.
Still active , and despite the comings and goings of its members, the five purples seem to have no intention of letting it be.
Click to enjoy Smoke on the water, their most famous song:
10. Status Quo
After several transformations (which consisted of both the replacement of some members and different group names), they presented themselves to the world as ‘Status Quo’ in 1968, one of the most important English rock flagships .
9. Aerosmith
Title Holders‘United States rock band with the most gold and platinum records’ , Aerosmith is one of the fundamental groups when it comes to explaining the development of rock, as well as one of the most influential in recent decades.
Enjoy one of his songs with more rhythm, Dude looks like a lady:
8. Iron Maiden
The history of rock has been written thanks to groups like Iron Maiden, something that has a lot of merit if we consider that it is not one of those rock bands that it has enjoyed precisely the diffusion that others did receive through the traditional media.
Far from seeing in it an inconvenience that would prevent them from moving forward, the Iron Maiden compensated for this bump with live concerts that have left those who have witnessed it stupefied.of it.
Iron Maiden have earned the admiration of millions of fans around the globe, as well as the respect of many musical artists.
7. Metallica
The most purists will raise their hands to their heads for having included Metallica in this list, considering that they belong to the metal genre instead of rock . However, and without intending to offend passions or anything like that, it is mandatory for us to grant them a position.
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The 4 members (3 of them, except bassist Robert Trujillo, present since the group’s founding in 1981) continue to this day offering a guitar recital at their concerts without showing signs of wear or fatigue. Let’s hope they last.
The live performances of this American quartet are pure energy, as you will see by watching the video of this song, one of their best known.
6. AC/DC
One of the rock bands with Australian denomination of origin is AC/DC, although they are not going through their best moment, for several reasons: the abandonment of singer Brian Johnson, due to a hearing condition, led to his replacement by Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns ‘n’ Roses. In the same way, the bass player from the beginning of the band, also said goodbye last year; not to mention the death of rhythm guitarist (although he had been retired for years), Malcolm Young.
In spite of everything, the group was 100% until recently, as you can see in the following video:
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californians Red Hot Chili Peppers (abbreviated ‘RCHP’), have been able to combine the most rock and roll rhythms with elements of funk, pop and hip-hop . For all this, and for being a standard rock band of the 80’s (and still active), the quartet is unique in its kind.
even having sufferedthe loss of his most beloved guitarist in 2011, John Frusciante , something that hurt and many of the most staunch fans; his current replacement, Josh Klinghoffer, is living up to all the expectations placed on him.
Attention to the bass solo that the friend Flea marks before the RHCP make the public vibrate with Around the world:
4. The Doors
Eight intense years are the ones that The Doors’ journey lasted as one of the great references of psychedelic rock from the mid-60s and early 70s, thanks to the lyrics of their songs, illustrative of a convulsive and changing stage driven by the hippie movement.
A pity the premature death of its charismatic singer, Jim Morrison, one of the prominent members of the infamous “Club de los 27”, in reference to the age he had when he died.
Fortunately, we can continue to enjoy one of the best voices on the music scene of all time listening to this Riders on the Storm.
3. Led Zeppelin
Taking advantage of the fact that 2018 will mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of Led Zeppelin , and although we do not discover the gunpowder when considering that Led Zeppelin has been one of the best rock groups in all of history (in case there was still anyone in any doubt about it), our humble tribute to these colossi is to give them bronze on our list.
2. Queen
Let’s kneel before the Queen of contemporary rock, a legend in musical history. Queen deserves to be on the podium of our list in a privileged position, without any discussion.
The 70s and 80s would not have been the same if there had not been such a musical jewel as this enormous British group, a merit largely achieved by its singer, the late Freddy Mercury, considered one of the best voices ever heard.
We envy anyone who could enjoy such a show live.
1. The Rolling Stones
We have met ‘The Queen’, now let’s meet (more
) ‘The Kings of rock’: their Satanic Majesties, the Rolling Stones.
The oldest and most influential rock band, fame that has been earned for their millions of records sold, their legions of fans around the globe, their ability to hang the “sold out” sign in just minutes and to fill stadiums to the top with people willing to enjoy the vigor exuded by Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and, of course, the incombustible Mick Jagger.
We close the list with an entire anthem of the Stones live: Gimme shelter.
Long live the Stones.
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