While types of music such as hip hop and pop have become increasingly fashionable in recent years, rock music remains hugely popular. Since the 1950s, music fans have been drawn to the genre’s energy and rebellious identity, keeping it alive from one generation to the next.
Rock music has always been an innovative genre, with pioneering groups like The Beatles and The Beach Boys setting a precedent with their musical experimentations. This has resulted in seemingly endless subgenres such as heavy metal, power pop, and psychedelic rock. More modern sounds — especially those borrowed from electronic music — have pushed rock music even further into new territory. Today there are rock bands that appeal to fans with all different sorts of preferences. These are the most popular bands of the last ten years.
Music consumption and artist appreciation today are far different than what they used to be. While some rock fans may still listen to vinyl records and hang posters of their favorite bands, most use streaming services like Spotify to listen to their favorite artists and social media to follow them.
Using several different metrics, 24/7 Tempo has identified the 100 most popular rock bands of all time. The selection of these artists was based on measures such as Wikipedia page views, Facebook “likes,” and popularity on the online streaming platform Spotify. While there may be great rock performers born in years past who are better known as solo artists – such as Prince, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley – 24/7 Tempo included only bands for this article. These are the most famous musicians born each year.
Some of the most popular bands are newer or at least currently active. These artists utilize social media to build and engage with their fanbase. Yet more classic acts from the 1960s and 1970s are still hugely popular, indicating that the most iconic bands will endure for as long as people listen to rock.
Click here to see the 100 most popular rock bands of all time.
To determine the most popular rock bands of all time, 24/7 Tempo generated an index based on the popularity of a band’s Wikipedia page, popularity on Spotify, popularity on Facebook, and Ranker user votes as of September 23, 2019. Each component of the index was given equal weight except for Ranker user votes, which was weighted twice as heavily because of the significant nature of fan opinion.
Wikipedia page views were calculated for the past two years, from September 23, 2017 to September 23, 2019. Popularity on Spotify was based on the number of followers on Spotify. User votes came from a list on crowdsourced ranking platform Ranker that ranked the best rock bands of all time. To be included on our list, a band had to appear on this Ranker list.
A band’s best-selling album is based on Recording Industry Association of America data for U.S. album sales. In cases where a band had multiple albums that sold the same number of copies, the album that performed best on the Billboard 200 chart was selected.
100. Rise Against
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> Facebook likes: 4.1 million
> Best selling album: Appeal to Reason
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99. Shinedown
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 2.8 million
> Best selling album: The Sound of Madness
98. The Clash
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Facebook likes: 4.0 million
> Best selling album: Combat Rock
97. The Smiths
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> Facebook likes: 3.9 million
> Best selling album: Strangeways, Here We Come
96. Weezer
> Spotify followers: 1.8 million
> Facebook likes: 3.3 million
> Best selling album: Weezer
95. Stone Temple Pilots
> Spotify followers: 1.8 million
> Facebook likes: 2.4 million
> Best selling album: Core
94. 3 Doors Down
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> Facebook likes: 6.0 million
> Best selling album: The Better Life
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93. Queens of the Stone Age
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> Facebook likes: 3.0 million
> Best selling album: …Like Clockwork
92. Steely Dan
> Spotify followers: 0.9 million
> Facebook likes: 1.0 million
> Best selling album: Aja
91. Mötley Crüe
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 4.2 million
> Best selling album: Dr. Feelgood
90. Sum 41
> Spotify followers: 2.2 million
> Facebook likes: 4.2 million
> Best selling album: All Killer No Filler
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89. Judas Priest
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Facebook likes: 4.4 million
> Best selling album: Screaming for Vengeance
88. Motörhead
> Spotify followers: 1.9 million
> Facebook likes: 2.7 million
> Best selling album: Ace of Spades
87. The Strokes
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Facebook likes: 4.2 million
> Best selling album: Is This It
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86. Slayer
> Spotify followers: 1.8 million
> Facebook likes: 4.8 million
> Best selling album: Divine Intervention
85. Scorpions
> Spotify followers: 2.7 million
> Facebook likes: 6.7 million
> Best selling album: Love at First Sting
84. Rush
> Spotify followers: 1.2 million
> Facebook likes: 2.9 million
> Best selling album: Moving Pictures
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83. Slipknot
> Spotify followers: 4.9 million
> Facebook likes: 17.6 million
> Best selling album: Slipknot
82. The Kinks
> Spotify followers: 1.3 million
> Facebook likes: 1.3 million
> Best selling album: Low Budget
81. Breaking Benjamin
> Spotify followers: 2.6 million
> Facebook likes: 5.7 million
> Best selling album: Phobia
80. Bullet for My Valentine
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Facebook likes: 8.2 million
> Best selling album: The Poison
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79. 30 Seconds to Mars
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> Facebook likes: 9.8 million
> Best selling album: A Beautiful Lie
78. Journey
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> Facebook likes: 5.7 million
> Best selling album: Escape
77. Foster the People
> Spotify followers: 2.7 million
> Facebook likes: 4.4 million
> Best selling album: Torches
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76. Ramones
> Spotify followers: 1.5 million
> Facebook likes: 5.6 million
> Best selling album: The Ramones
75. Simon and Garfunkel
> Spotify followers: 2.2 million
> Facebook likes: 3.2 million
> Best selling album: Bridge Over Troubled Water
74. The Smashing Pumpkins
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> Facebook likes: 3.9 million
> Best selling album: Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
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73. Electric Light Orchestra
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Facebook likes: 1.6 million
> Best selling album: Discovery
72. The Offspring
> Spotify followers: 3.1 million
> Facebook likes: 6.0 million
> Best selling album: Smash
71. Disturbed
> Spotify followers: 3.3 million
> Facebook likes: 10.9 million
> Best selling album: The Sickness
70. Megadeth
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> Facebook likes: 7.9 million
> Best selling album: Countdown to Extinction
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69. The Cure
> Spotify followers: 2.2 million
> Facebook likes: 6.4 million
> Best selling album: Disintegration
68. Limp Bizkit
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Facebook likes: 4.7 million
> Best selling album: Significant Other
67. Heart
> Spotify followers: 1.1 million
> Facebook likes: 2.2 million
> Best selling album: Heart
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66. Pantera
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> Facebook likes: 8.7 million
> Best selling album: Vulgar Display of Power
65. The Beach Boys
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 1.9 million
> Best selling album: Pet Sounds
64. The Police
> Spotify followers: 3.0 million
> Facebook likes: 5.5 million
> Best selling album: Synchronicity
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63. Soundgarden
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 2.8 million
> Best selling album: Superunknown
62. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
> Spotify followers: 1.1 million
> Facebook likes: 3.3 million
> Best selling album: Full Moon Fever
61. R.E.M.
> Spotify followers: 2.0 million
> Facebook likes: 4.5 million
> Best selling album: Monster
60. Three Days Grace
> Spotify followers: 3.2 million
> Facebook likes: 7.5 million
> Best selling album: One-X
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59. ZZ Top
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 4.8 million
> Best selling album: Eliminator
58. Rage Against the Machine
> Spotify followers: 3.0 million
> Facebook likes: 4.4 million
> Best selling album: Evil Empire
57. Alice in Chains
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> Facebook likes: 4.9 million
> Best selling album: Dirt
56. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> Facebook likes: 8.5 million
> Best selling album: Are You Experienced
55. Def Leppard
> Spotify followers: 2.1 million
> Facebook likes: 5.3 million
> Best selling album: Hysteria
54. Depeche Mode
> Spotify followers: 2.5 million
> Facebook likes: 7.1 million
> Best selling album: Violator
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53. Boston
> Spotify followers: 1.2 million
> Facebook likes: 2.2 million
> Best selling album: Boston
52. Oasis
> Spotify followers: 4.4 million
> Facebook likes: 8.8 million
> Best selling album: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
51. Five Finger Death Punch
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> Facebook likes: 4.9 million
> Best selling album: The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1
50. The Cranberries
> Spotify followers: 1.7 million
> Facebook likes: 4.0 million
> Best selling album: No Need to Argue
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49. Cream
> Spotify followers: 1.1 million
> Facebook likes: 0.7 million
> Best selling album: Disraeli Gears
48. Chicago
> Spotify followers: 1.4 million
> Facebook likes: 1.3 million
> Best selling album: Chicago 17
47. Kiss
> Spotify followers: 3.9 million
> Facebook likes: 12.4 million
> Best selling album: Destroyer
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46. Rammstein
> Spotify followers: 3.4 million
> Facebook likes: 8.8 million
> Best selling album: Sehnsucht
45. Kings of Leon
> Spotify followers: 4.0 million
> Facebook likes: 11.1 million
> Best selling album: Only by the Night
44. Dire Straits
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Facebook likes: 3.3 million
> Best selling album: Brothers in Arms
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43. Korn
> Spotify followers: 3.3 million
> Facebook likes: 12.5 million
> Best selling album: Follow the Leader
42. Nickelback
> Spotify followers: 3.8 million
> Facebook likes: 17.5 million
> Best selling album: All the Right Reasons
41. Deep Purple
> Spotify followers: 2.7 million
> Facebook likes: 1.6 million
> Best selling album: Machine Head
40. Van Halen
> Spotify followers: 2.7 million
> Facebook likes: 5.6 million
> Best selling album: 1984
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39. Eagles
> Spotify followers: 3.7 million
> Facebook likes: 6.5 million
> Best selling album: Hotel California
38. Avenged Sevenfold
> Spotify followers: 3.5 million
> Facebook likes: 16.6 million
> Best selling album: City of Evil
37. The Killers
> Spotify followers: 4.8 million
> Facebook likes: 9.2 million
> Best selling album: Hot Fuss
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36. Muse
> Spotify followers: 5.2 million
> Facebook likes: 16.4 million
> Best selling album: The Resistance
35. Evanescence
> Spotify followers: 2.4 million
> Facebook likes: 21.5 million
> Best selling album: Fallen
34. U2
> Spotify followers: 5.6 million
> Facebook likes: 16.9 million
> Best selling album: The Joshua Tree
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33. Blink-182
> Spotify followers: 5.3 million
> Facebook likes: 10.0 million
> Best selling album: Enema of the State
32. Marilyn Manson
> Spotify followers: 2.2 million
> Facebook likes: 6.7 million
> Best selling album: Mechanical Animals
31. Radiohead
> Spotify followers: 4.5 million
> Facebook likes: 11.4 million
> Best selling album: OK Computer
30. Fall Out Boy
> Spotify followers: 7.1 million
> Facebook likes: 9.1 million
> Best selling album: From Under the Cork Tree
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29. The Who
> Spotify followers: 2.8 million
> Facebook likes: 5.7 million
> Best selling album: Who’s Next
28. System of a Down
> Spotify followers: 5.4 million
> Facebook likes: 19.3 million
> Best selling album: Toxicity
27. Creedence Clearwater Revival
> Spotify followers: 2.9 million
> Facebook likes: 4.5 million
> Best selling album: Cosmo’s Factory
26. Arctic Monkeys
> Spotify followers: 8.4 million
> Facebook likes: 7.2 million
> Best selling album: AM
25. Gorillaz
> Spotify followers: 4.7 million
> Facebook likes: 9.8 million
> Best selling album: Demon Days
24. Pearl Jam
> Spotify followers: 5.0 million
> Facebook likes: 10.4 million
> Best selling album: Ten
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23. Lynyrd Skynyrd
> Spotify followers: 2.3 million
> Facebook likes: 5.5 million
> Best selling album: Street Survivors
22. Iron Maiden
> Spotify followers: 4.6 million
> Facebook likes: 13.4 million
> Best selling album: Somewhere in Time
21. Paramore
> Spotify followers: 4.6 million
> Facebook likes: 25.0 million
> Best selling album: Riot!
20. The Doors
> Spotify followers: 4.3 million
> Facebook likes: 16.3 million
> Best selling album: The Doors
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19. Fleetwood Mac
> Spotify followers: 3.7 million
> Facebook likes: 4.8 million
> Best selling album: Rumours
18. Foo Fighters
> Spotify followers: 6.8 million
> Facebook likes: 11.7 million
> Best selling album: Wasting Light
17. Black Sabbath
> Spotify followers: 3.9 million
> Facebook likes: 11.7 million
> Best selling album: Paranoid
16. Aerosmith
> Spotify followers: 7.2 million
> Facebook likes: 16.0 million
> Best selling album: Toys in the Attic
15. Bon Jovi
> Spotify followers: 6.5 million
> Facebook likes: 25.0 million
> Best selling album: Slippery When Wet
14. Green Day
> Spotify followers: 9.5 million
> Facebook likes: 30.2 million
> Best selling album: Dookie
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13. Nirvana
> Spotify followers: 9.5 million
> Facebook likes: 26.6 million
> Best selling album: Nevermind
12. The Rolling Stones
> Spotify followers: 7.4 million
> Facebook likes: 19.3 million
> Best selling album: Hot Rocks
11. Red Hot Chili Peppers
> Spotify followers: 11.5 million
> Facebook likes: 27.1 million
> Best selling album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
10. Metallica
> Spotify followers: 11.8 million
> Facebook likes: 36.1 million
> Best selling album: Metallica
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9. Coldplay
> Spotify followers: 22.0 million
> Facebook likes: 38.1 million
> Best selling album: A Rush of Blood to the Head
8. Maroon 5
> Spotify followers: 20.0 million
> Facebook likes: 37.5 million
> Best selling album: Songs About Jane
7. Guns N’ Roses
> Spotify followers: 13.8 million
> Facebook likes: 29.7 million
> Best selling album: Appetite for Destruction
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6. AC/DC
> Spotify followers: 12.7 million
> Facebook likes: 29.1 million
> Best selling album: Back in Black
5. Linkin Park
> Spotify followers: 13.5 million
> Facebook likes: 60.0 million
> Best selling album: Hybrid Theory
4. Pink Floyd
> Spotify followers: 10.3 million
> Facebook likes: 28.1 million
> Best selling album: The Wall
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3. Led Zeppelin
> Spotify followers: 7.9 million
> Facebook likes: 13.3 million
> Best selling album: Led Zeppelin IV
2. The Beatles
> Spotify followers: 13.5 million
> Facebook likes: 40.2 million
> Best selling album: The Beatles
1. Queen
> Spotify followers: 19.7 million
> Facebook likes: 28.7 million
> Best selling album: The Game
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