Billboard has unveiled its ultimate list of the best rock bands of all time, but while the staff carefully considered each group’s merits as musical pioneers and cultural changemakers, not everyone is bound to be rocking with our choices.
Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define. Some people prefer the in-your-face vocals and flashiness of groups such as Queen or The Rolling Stones, while others are more attracted to the groovy psychedelic influences of Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. There are some fans who won’t even consider a piece of music to be “rock” unless it demonstrates the head-banging, heavy-metal edge of ensembles such as Metallica or Black Sabbath, whereas other rock fans lean more toward the softer, grungier side of the landscape occupied by Nirvana and Pearl Jam, or the polished, universally beloved hits of The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac.
But while so many different sub-genres and styles fall under the leather-studded umbrella of rock music, most music fans can probably agree that the category’s variation and versatility are part of what makes it so great. There was a time when rock was considered the “devil’s music,” a counterculture in which teens had to hide their precious vinyls from their parents and sneak out to see their favorite bands perform. Now, it’s one of the most popular and influential genres of all time — thanks in large part to the bands on Billboard‘s ranking.
With that, we want to know: Which rock band do you think is the greatest of all time? Tell us by voting in the poll below.
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