Defining classic rock

Classic rock is the global lingua franca of electric guitar music—mostly 1960s through 1980s catalogue that still defines what "rock radio" means. This ranking spans British and American pillars beyond any single national list.

The 50 greatest classic rock bands

  1. Led Zeppelin (1968–1980)
  2. Pink Floyd (1965–1995)
  3. The Rolling Stones (1962–present)
  4. Queen (1970–1991)
  5. The Who (1964–present)
  6. AC/DC (1973–present)
  7. Aerosmith (1970–present)
  8. Deep Purple (1968–present)
  9. Black Sabbath (1968–2017)
  10. Fleetwood Mac (1967–present)
  11. Eagles (1971–1980)
  12. Guns N' Roses (1985–present)
  13. Van Halen (1972–2020)
  14. Journey (1973–present)
  15. Foreigner (1976–present)
  16. Boston (1976–present)
  17. ZZ Top (1969–present)
  18. Scorpions (1965–present)
  19. Def Leppard (1977–present)
  20. U2 (1976–present)
  21. Metallica (1981–present)
  22. Rush (1968–2018)
  23. Bon Jovi (1983–present)
  24. Kiss (1973–present)
  25. Whitesnake (1978–present)
  26. Kansas (1970–present)
  27. Steely Dan (1972–present)
  28. The Beatles (1960–1970)
  29. David Bowie (1969–2016)
  30. Iron Maiden (1975–present)
  31. Judas Priest (1969–present)
  32. Nirvana (1987–1994)
  33. Pearl Jam (1990–present)
  34. Foo Fighters (1994–present)
  35. Red Hot Chili Peppers (1983–present)
  36. Green Day (1986–present)
  37. R.E.M. (1980–2011)
  38. The Smashing Pumpkins (1988–present)
  39. Creedence Clearwater Revival (1967–1972)
  40. Lynyrd Skynyrd (1964–present)
  41. The Allman Brothers Band (1969–2014)
  42. Chicago (1967–present)
  43. Heart (1973–present)
  44. Cheap Trick (1973–present)
  45. Styx (1972–present)
  46. Toto (1977–present)
  47. Dire Straits (1977–1995)
  48. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976–2017)
  49. Bruce Springsteen (1972–present)
  50. The Police (1977–1986)

See also our 30 Greatest British Rock Bands for the UK-focused companion ranking.

Stream classic rock at full quality

New Clear Radio treats this repertoire as living music, not museum pieces—programmed with dynamics intact at up to 320kbps on the classic rock stream.