Special Report

The Most Famous Band Formed the Year You Were Born

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

About seven decades ago, a rock and roll group called The Beatles was formed in Liverpool, England. They would go on to make 27 separate No. 1 singles and become the top selling band of all time.

Musical ensembles have been around since there was music. But it was not until amplifiers were introduced and recording technology rapidly improved in the early to mid-20th century that rock and pop bands became the cultural touchstones they are today. Solo artists like Elvis Presley paved the way in the 1950s, but The Beatles truly kicked off a global obsession with rock and roll and pop music.

Every year since The Beatles were formed in 1957, at least one massively popular band — and usually many — came together. Based on measures of popularity, including records sales, Wikipedia page views, billboard charts, and more, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the most famous band formed every year from 1957 through 2010.

Click here to see the most popular bands of all time.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

Giancarlo Liguori / Shutterstock.com

1957
> Artist: The Beatles
> U.S. certified album sales: 178 million
> Top charting track: Hey Jude
> Active: 1950s – 1960s

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Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

1958
> Artist: Bee Gees
> U.S. certified album sales: 27 million
> Top charting track: How Deep Is Your Love
> Active: 1960s – 2000s

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1959
> Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival
> U.S. certified album sales: 28 million
> Top charting track: Bad Moon Rising
> Active: 1960s – 1970s

Zoran Veselinovic / Wikimedia Commons

1960
> Artist: The Temptations
> U.S. certified album sales: 12.5 million
> Top charting track: I Can’t Get Next to You
> Active: 1960s – 2010s

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Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1961
> Artist: The Beach Boys
> U.S. certified album sales: 22.5 million
> Top charting track: Kokomo
> Active: 1960s – 2010s

Øderud / Wikimedia Commons

1962
> Artist: The Rolling Stones
> U.S. certified album sales: 66.5 million
> Top charting track: Miss You
> Active: 1960s – 2010s

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Nationaal Archief

1963
> Artist: Simon & Garfunkel
> U.S. certified album sales: 38.5 million
> Top charting track: Bridge Over Troubled Water
> Active: 1960s – 2000s

Andrew King / Wikimedia Commons

1964
> Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd
> U.S. certified album sales: 28.5 million
> Top charting track: Sweet Home Alabama
> Active: 1960s – 2010s

Dave Bushe / Wikimedia Commons

1965
> Artist: Pink Floyd
> U.S. certified album sales: 75 million
> Top charting track: Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)
> Active: 1960s – 2010s

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Entertainment International / Wikimedia Commons

1966
> Artist: The Monkees
> U.S. certified album sales: 18 million
> Top charting track: I’m a Believer
> Active: 1960s – 2000s

Joe Bielawa / Wikimedia Commons

1967
> Artist: Fleetwood Mac
> U.S. certified album sales: 49.5 million
> Top charting track: Dreams
> Active: 1960s – 2000s

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Heinrich Klaffs / Wikimedia Commons

1968
> Artist: Led Zeppelin
> U.S. certified album sales: 111.5 million
> Top charting track: Whole Lotta Love
> Active: 1960s – 2000s

Craig ONeal / Wikimedia Commons

1969
> Artist: ZZ Top
> U.S. certified album sales: 25 million
> Top charting track: Legs
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

daigooliva / Wikimedia Commons

1970
> Artist: Aerosmith
> U.S. certified album sales: 66.5 million
> Top charting track: I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

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Rachel Kramer / Wikimedia Commons

1971
> Artist: Eagles
> U.S. certified album sales: 101 million
> Top charting track: Best of My Love
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

bella lago / Best of Both Worlds

1972
> Artist: Van Halen
> U.S. certified album sales: 56.5 million
> Top charting track: Jump
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

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Egghead06 / Wikimedia Commons

1973
> Artist: AC/DC
> U.S. certified album sales: 72 million
> Top charting track: Moneytalks
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1974
> Artist: Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
> U.S. certified album sales: 44.5 million
> Top charting track: Shame on the Moon
> Active: 1970s

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

1975
> Artist: Boston
> U.S. certified album sales: 31 million
> Top charting track: Amanda
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

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Helge Øverås / Wikimedia Commons

1976
> Artist: U2
> U.S. certified album sales: 52 million
> Top charting track: With or Without You
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

Weatherman90 / Wikimedia Commons

1977
> Artist: Def Leppard
> U.S. certified album sales: 35 million
> Top charting track: Love Bites
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

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Jelena Ivanović, EXIT Photo Team / Wikimedia Commons

1978
> Artist: Duran Duran
> U.S. certified album sales: 12 million
> Top charting track: The Reflex
> Active: 1970s – 2010s

Nicholastbroussard / Wikimedia Commons

1979
> Artist: Beastie Boys
> U.S. certified album sales: 23 million
> Top charting track: (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

Yves Lorson / Flickr

1980
> Artist: R.E.M.
> U.S. certified album sales: 20 million
> Top charting track: Losing My Religion
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

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Kreepin Deth / Wikimedia Commons

1981
> Artist: Metallica
> U.S. certified album sales: 63 million
> Top charting track: Until It Sleeps
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

mrmatt / Flickr

1982
> Artist: The Smiths
> U.S. certified album sales: 1.5 million
> Top charting track: Strangeways, Here We Come
> Active: 1980s

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Rosana Prada / Wikimedia Commons

1983
> Artist: Bon Jovi
> U.S. certified album sales: 34.5 million
> Top charting track: You Give Love a Bad Name
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

Alan Light / Wikimedia Commons

1984
> Artist: New Kids on the Block
> U.S. certified album sales: 16.5 million
> Top charting track: I’ll Be Loving You (Forever)
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

Ed Vill / Wikimedia Commons

1985
> Artist: Guns N’ Roses
> U.S. certified album sales: 44.5 million
> Top charting track: Sweet Child O’ Mine
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

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Lorie Shaull / Wikimedia Commons

1986
> Artist: No Doubt
> U.S. certified album sales: 15 million
> Top charting track: Underneath It All
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

Rex Aran Emrick / Wikimedia Commons

1987
> Artist: Alice in Chains
> U.S. certified album sales: 12.5 million
> Top charting track: Check My Brain
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

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Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons

1988
> Artist: Brooks & Dunn
> U.S. certified album sales: 27.5 million
> Top charting track: Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

Wasted Time R/ Wikimedia Commons

1989
> Artist: Dixie Chicks
> U.S. certified album sales: 30.5 million
> Top charting track: Not Ready to Make Nice
> Active: 1980s – 2010s

perfectrx / Flickr

1990
> Artist: Pearl Jam
> U.S. certified album sales: 31.5 million
> Top charting track: Last Kiss
> Active: 1990s – 2010s

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Moses / Wikimedia Commons

1991
> Artist: Dave Matthews Band
> U.S. certified album sales: 33.5 million
> Top charting track: American Baby
> Active: 1990s – 2010s

Kerry Key / Wikimedia Commons

1992
> Artist: blink-182
> U.S. certified album sales: 9.5 million
> Top charting track: All the Small Things
> Active: 1990s – 2010s

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Joel Telling / Wikimedia Commons

1993
> Artist: Backstreet Boys
> U.S. certified album sales: 37 million
> Top charting track: Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)
> Active: 1990s-2010s

Carlos Varela / Flickr

1994
> Artist: Limp Bizkit
> U.S. certified album sales: 16.5 million
> Top charting track: Rollin’
> Active: 1990s-2010s

Joe Shlabotnik - Flickr

1995
> Artist: *NSYNC
> U.S. certified album sales: 28 million
> Top charting track: It’s Gonna Be Me
> Active: 1990s-2010s

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Sry85 / Wikimedia Commons

1996
> Artist: Matchbox Twenty
> U.S. certified album sales: 19 million
> Top charting track: Bent
> Active: 1990s-2010s

savagegarden.com

1997
> Artist: Savage Garden
> U.S. certified album sales: 10 million
> Top charting track: Truly Madly Deeply
> Active: 1990s-2000s

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Roger Woolman / Wikimedia Commons

1998
> Artist: The Strokes
> U.S. certified album sales: 1.5 million
> Top charting track: Juicebox
> Active: 1990s-2010s

Bob James / Wikimedia Commons

1999
> Artist: Rascal Flatts
> U.S. certified album sales: 18.5 million
> Top charting track: Hero
> Active: 1990s-2010s

Jim Baldwin / Wikimedia Commons

2000
> Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
> U.S. certified album sales: 500,000
> Top charting track: Maps
> Active: 2000s-2010s

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hsaudreylynne / Wikimedia Commons

2001
> Artist: Fall Out Boy
> U.S. certified album sales: 6 million
> Top charting track: This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
> Active: 2000s-2010s

Bertrand / Wikimedia Commons

2002
> Artist: MGMT
> U.S. certified album sales: 500,000
> Top charting track: Kids
> Active: 2000s-2010s

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ruiwen / Wikimedia Commons

2003
> Artist: Pussycat Dolls
> U.S. certified album sales: 2 million
> Top charting track: Don’t Cha
> Active: 2000s-2010s

Sarah Zucca / Wikimedia Commons

2004
> Artist: Panic! at the Disco
> U.S. certified album sales: 4 million
> Top charting track: I Write Sins Not Tragedies
> Active: 2000s-2010s

Christopher Simon / Wikimedia Commons

2005
> Artist: Jonas Brothers
> U.S. certified album sales: 2 million
> Top charting track: Burnin’ Up
> Active: 2000s-2010s

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danieljordahl / Wikimedia Commons

2006
> Artist: Bon Iver
> U.S. certified album sales: 1 million
> Top charting track: Skinny Love
> Active: 2000s-2010s

Andrea Sartorati / Wikimedia Commons

2007
> Artist: Mumford & Sons
> U.S. certified album sales: 5.5 million
> Top charting track: I Will Wait
> Active: 2000s – 2010s

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Sachyn Mital / Wikimedia Commons

2008
> Artist: The Lumineers
> U.S. certified album sales: 1.5 million
> Top charting track: Ho Hey
> Active: 2000s-2010s

digboston / Wikimedia Commons

2009
> Artist: Twenty One Pilots
> U.S. certified album sales: 4 million
> Top charting track: Stressed Out
> Active: 2000s -2010s

Fiona McKinlay / Wikimedia Commons

2010
> Artist: One Direction
> U.S. certified album sales: 7 million
> Top charting track: Best Song Ever
> Active: 2010s

Some bands on this list were formed long before their years of fame. It can take time a long time for bands to make a name for themselves. Fleetwood Mac is an extreme case, but the band in its original form started in 1967. It would take roughly a decade and substantial personnel changes before the band would release Rumors and become a multi-platinum selling rock icon.

In the 1960s and 70s, rock and roll exploded worldwide. As a result, there is an abundance of bands formed at that time that didn’t make the list because they were pushed out by even bigger bands. Besides Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Genesis, and Steve Miller Band were formed in 1967. Queen, The Doobie Brothers, and Bob Marley & The Wailers all got their start in 1970, but in our index Aerosmith is rated most famous.

More recently, the truly famous bands thin out somewhat. The 2000s include bands that have lots of records, such as the Pussycat Dolls (2003), the Jonas Brothers (2005), and The Lumineers (2008). But just as it took Fleetwood Mac a decade to find greatness, it may be a long time before we know which of these newer bands should be slotted in for those years.

To determine the most famous band formed the year you were born, 24/7 Wall St. created an index, using such measures as RIAA certified album sales, Wikipedia page views, awards, and other ranked list of popular bands. The year a band is formed can be difficult to pinpoint for a number of reasons, so to be consistent, we used the band formation years listed by MusicBrainz, an extensive music database created and curated by industry experts. The top charting album listed with each band is based on the song that charted the highest, with ties broken based on the number of weeks a song spent on the charts. Certified album sales is based on the Recording Industry Association of America’s list of certified gold and platinum albums. Counts included only album sales, and not singles. Years active figures are from music database Allmusic, and includes the start and end decade a band performed or recorded together, even if the band was broken up or on hiatus for some portion of that range.

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