What is the greatest American-born rock band of all time? It sounds like an easy enough question, but my goodness, it is anything but that.
Podcast host Jack Wagner recently tweeted about the thought experiment, and the post caused ripples of debate in our Slack newsroom. So we decided to make a list.
This was a deliberately hard exercise for so many reasons, though, and it’s not just because most of the great bands you’re thinking about (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, AC/DC, Queen, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, U2, Oasis, Sex Pistols, Joy Division) are actually not bands from the United States. There were other hurdles we needed to jump through, too.
How exactly does one define greatness? Is it your personal favorite band, or is it based on accomplishments and influence? We all had our own definitions so we had to trust our gut here.
How does one define an American band? We disqualified Fleetwood Mac because Mick Fleetwood and the late Christine McVie are British; CSNY did not make the list because Neil Young is Canadian and Graham Nash is English; The Band didn’t count because several members (including the late, great Robbie Robertson) are Canadian; The Jimi Hendrix Experience had an American frontman but the rest of the band was English. You get the idea.
How do we define a rock and roll and roll band? Not only is it hard to define rock and roll (Do funk bands like Parliament count? What about R&B groups like Earth Wind & Fire?) but it is also tough to know what even counts as a band. So many of the greatest musicians who immediately came to mind (e.g. Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Prince, Joan Jett, Patti Smith) were primarily known as solo artists. This was tough to evaluate but our writers tended to favor bands with a more traditional rock and roll instrumentation.
Here was our methodology: Our staff was allowed to vote for any domestic rock band. They were asked to rank each band from No. 1 overall to No. 10 overall. Bands that got first-place votes received ten points while bands that got tenth-place votes earned one.
We calculated the results and bring them to you, the reader. This article says the results are definitive, and it is definitively our list. But really, it is actually imperfect, and mostly, this was simply the closest we could get to agreeing.
Other bands that received votes from multiple staffers include Journey, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hall and Oates, The Grateful Dead, Simon & Garfunkel, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Strokes.
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14
Blink-182
When you think about pop-punk or post-hardcore or power-punk (or whatever you want to call that genre of music that was so popular between 1998 and 2013), you think of Blink-182.
Critics tried to ignore these three troublemakers from California for most of their prime. But they are the voice of a genre, influenced countless bands that followed them, and are beloved by a generation of fans – the ones who wore Vans sneakers and Famous Stars & Straps shirts in high school, who loved watching Jackass and playing the Tony Hawk video games, and the ones who either had a piercing or tried spiking their hair at least once in their youth.
Blink-182 is adored by the misfits and the mainstream. Their eight albums have sold more than 15 million copies combined and they’ve topped the Billboard charts with hits from “All the Small Things” to “Edging” – the latter of which came out in 2022. Through three decades and multiple breakups, Blink continues to persevere in the culture and rock. Are they immature? Yes. Are their lyrics – sometimes laced with too many curse words – still incredibly catchy? Also yes. Do Tom and Mark have perhaps the greatest drummer ever in Travis Barker playing behind them? You could make the argument – just listen to “Natives” for proof.
Blink has made songs that make its listeners want to jump and dance (“Man Overboard”), cry (“Adam’s Song”), and tap their steering wheel while singing (“The Rock Show”). And while some folks have tried to put them in a singular box, the band has tunes that are heavy (“Stay Together For The Kids”), soft (“Always”), somewhere in-between (“After Midnight”), playful (“First Date“) and silly (“What’s My Age Again?”). When the history of punk rock is discussed, Blink-182 deserves more than just a mention.
—Mitchell Northam
RELATED: Orioles announcer Kevin Brown perfectly sang like Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge during a blowout loss
13
Metallica
One of the most instantly recognizable rock bands to ever exist, Metallica continues to this day to bridge the gap between head-thrashing heavy metal and widely accessible rock music. The band has been going hard since 1983’s Kill ‘Em All, and you could make a Mount Rushmore of rock songs just from Metallica’s most beloved songs. Watch this: “Enter Sandman”, “Master of Puppets”, “One”, “For Whom the Bells Toll”. That’s all you need! Frontman James Hetfield’s charging vocals help set the tone as you plummet into a wild roller coaster of punishing sounds and unforgiving lyrics. Metallica just flat-out rocks.
— Cory Woodroof
RELATED: Metallica went on ‘Fallon’ and rocked out ‘Enter Sandman’ with classroom instruments
12
R.E.M.
When having this argument over the years, I always say the same thing: Don’t forget about R.E.M. Call them alternative, call them “college rock,” whatever. They have a prolific catalog that spans decades, with hit after hit and a sound that has resonated right into the 21st century. Plus, like others on this list, no two albums sound completely the same.
— Charles Curtis
11
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival is one of the most influential bands of the rock and roll genre. CCR drew on styles from every corner of the country and blended each with John Fogerty’s crooning vocals. Their music became the soundtrack to an anti-war movement while helping define its generation. I could’ve just written out their list of hits and covers to make the point for me.
— Blake Schuster
10
The Eagles
The Eagles are the quintessential American rock band. One of the best overall bands to emerge during the 1970s, The Eagles’ impact is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that their greatest hits are the No. 1 selling album of all time in the United States. “Hotel California” is among the best songs ever written, and while he won’t appear near the top of most all-time rankings, Joe Walsh is a highly underrated guitarist.
— Tyler Nettuno
9
The Doors
The Doors have a strong claim as America’s greatest response to the British Invasion of the mid-1960s. One of the most notable bands of the psychedelic rock movement, its prime was cut short by the untimely death of frontman Jim Morrison in 1971. In spite of that, The Doors were one of the most commercially successful bands of the 1960s (and all-time, for that matter) with hits like “Riders on the Storm” and “Light My Fire”.
— Tyler Nettuno
8
The Velvet Underground
The New York Times once wrote that The Velvet Underground is “arguably the most influential American rock band” and if that is how you define greatness, the 1960s NYC darlings are also one of the most underrated. While they were not a band known for hits, they were weirdos who epitomized cool. Originally managed by visual artist Andy Warhol, this group thrived in obscurity and the avant-garde and essentially created the very idea of alternative rock.
Lou Reed is the mastermind and frontman of the group. As a songwriter, no one could ever write about sex, drugs and rock and roll quite like he could. He created stripped-down, lo-fi masterpieces as well as anyone ever (“Pale Blue Eyes”, “Sunday Morning”, “Candy Says”) and these tracks are beautiful and timeless. But some of their music straight-up rocked (“Sweet Jane”, “I’m Waiting For The Man”, “Rock and Roll”, “Oh Sweet Nothin’”) as well. They are not going to get mistaken for the most talented musicians of all time but if you listen to them often enough, they’ll make you want to start your own band.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
7
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
For countless fans around the world, attending a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band concert is like a religious experience. Springsteen will play for hours in sold-out stadiums and the energy is unmatched. His charisma and comfort on the stage will beat out nearly any other performer, but at the end of the day, his songwriting stands out as elite.
There truly may not be a better storyteller on the planet than The Boss, and the New Jersey rock star writes songs explicitly well about the American experience. Even despite his fame and his accolades, with a genuine embodiment of the Americana culture, he manages to capture the hearts and of the oft-disillusioned working class in a way unrivaled by any other musician near his scale. You may know him for his hits like (the wildly misunderstood) “Born in the U.S.A.”, “Born To Run” or “Dancing in the Dark”. But it is his ballads and anthems like “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”, “Jungleland” and “Racing in the Streets” that forever puts Springsteen in a league of his own.
Springsteen is an ace frontman but E Street Band is more than just a rotating cast of musicians in the background. They are the glue that keeps this group one of the most relevant for decades on end. Even though we have since lost the late saxophonist Clarence Clemons (who was known quite affectionately as The Big Man) and keyboardist Danny Federici, it’s a talented and reliable group that joins Springsteen on stage. Steven Van Zandt, also known for his work as an actor on The Sopranos, is an excellent guitarist. Max Weinberg, who was the band leader for Conan O’Brien, is a wonderful drummer. Roy Bittan does phenomenal work on the piano. The horns section adds such an important dimension. You’ve got to see them all perform so you can say that you’ve just seen the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, hard-rocking, earth-shocking, booty-shaking, love-making, Viagra-taking, history-making, legendary E Street Band!
— Bryan Kalbrosky
RELATED: Bruce Springsteen filmmaker Thom Zimny goes behind the scenes of ‘No Nukes’ concert film
6
Steely Dan
Scoff all you want. If you are scoffing, it means that you don’t realize how much Donald Fagen and Walter Becker — along with some of the best session musicians in the world, with cameos from Michael McDonald — influenced rock with their acerbic lyrics, cast of complex characters and jazz-soaked chord progressions. What’s been amazing is to be a Dan fan like myself and to see everyone else in 2023 catch up to the truth: They’re a first-ballot Hall of Fame American-born rock band.
—Charles Curtis
5
Talking Heads
This ain’t no party. This ain’t no disco. But no one paints a picture quite like Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. He and his bandmates met when they were freshmen in art school (and it shows!) and moved to New York City as part of the punk scene in the 1970s. But they eventually created an expansive universe that is best exemplified by the cult classic concert film Stop Making Sense (1984), which blends fantastic songwriting with all of the creative, quirky aesthetic decisions that will make you fall in love with this group.
“Naive Melody (This Must Be The Place)” is one of the greatest songs ever written and it is just hauntingly beautiful. But their range (“Psycho Killer”, “Take Me To The River”, “Burning Down The House“, “Once in a Lifetime“) deserves the most celebration. With the help of longtime producer Brian Eno, the group incorporated world music and funky rhythms and made danceable songs that rarely met the confines of any genre. Talking Heads has become a highly influential band, inspiring groups like LCD Soundsystem and Vampire Weekend in the next generation.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
4
Foo Fighters
I’m not sure that the Foo Fighters are the greatest American rock band ever. Certainly, there are acts that are more talented. There are definitely bands that I personally like more, including the Drive-By Truckers.
But is there a rock band that’s been as consistent, as reliable, and as agreeable by music fans at-large as the Foo Fighters over the last three decades? Probably not. If news broke tomorrow that the Foo Fighters were playing the Super Bowl halftime show, a few people might be super happy, and a few others might be really upset, but most of us will be like, “Yeah, that’s cool. That makes sense,” and then move on with the rest of our days. Because the Foo Fighters always make sense, and they often kick ass.
If you were to meet someone who said they hated the Foo Fighters, chances are that person will also hate a lot of other things that are universally loved, and chances are that person is not fun to hang out with. For nearly 30 years, the band led by Dave Grohl – who has long seemed like someone you would love to have a beer with – has been pumping out non-controversial heavy-footed rock hits, from “Monkey Wrench” to “Everlong”.
They’ve rocked Wembley Stadium and the White House lawn. They were on David Letterman’s final late-night show. They covered Prince and have been covered by Prince. They make music that is versatile enough to appear on the reality TV show Love Island and also serves as awesome entrance music for a closer in baseball (shoutout to Jim Johnson and the 2012 Orioles). You’ve heard their songs in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and on video games like Madden. They’re in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and just recently dropped their 11th album, which I’m sure is good because the Foo Fighters are always – at the very least – good. As music and culture have changed since 1995, the Foo Fighters have always been there, jamming out in the background and creating songs bound to get stuck in your head and make you move your feet. Being able to count on that for this long should mean something.
— Mitchell Northam
RELATED: Taylor Hawkins’ teenage son played an emotional ‘My Hero’ tribute with Foo Fighters
3
Nirvana
Widely credited as the band that killed 1980s hair metal, Nirvana did much more than usher in a new wave of grunge rock. Led by the late Kurt Cobain and featuring Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums, Nirvana set an entire tone for a generation in the 1990s. The bubbling angst that swept through the youth during that decade had no better soundtrack than Cobain singing brutally honest, darkly cathartic anthems about American culture, love, isolation and society at large. One could make a strong argument that the band’s Nevermind (featuring all-time songs “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “In Bloom” and “Come as You Are”) is the defining album of the 1990s for music in general. They were singular, profound and perfect — one of the best American rock bands we’ll ever get.
— Cory Woodroof
RELATED: ‘Montage of Heck’ is a messy, unflinching, brilliant look at the life of Kurt Cobain
2
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Few artists on this list could match the stacked catalog of the late Mr. Petty and his beloved Heartbreakers. Among their greatest hits alone are timeless American classics, referenced in so many shows and films. “Free Fallin’“. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance“. “American Girl“. “Learning To Fly“. You cannot grow up in America and NOT be exposed to Petty. It’s inevitable because their music is a cultural capstone. And I cannot think of a band that describes and encapsulates life in the West any better.
— Robert Zeglinski
RELATED: Re-live Tom Petty’s 2008 Super Bowl halftime performance
1
The Beach Boys
There’s really no contest here. The Beach Boys were megastars with their super tight harmonies and songs that captured the young American zeitgeist. Then? Brian Wilson and his brilliant mind took the band and the rock scene to a new stratosphere with Pet Sounds, an album so brilliant and different that it changed everything (those lads from Liverpool took notice and responded with Revolver, their best album). No. 1, without a doubt.
— Charles Curtis
