What are the greatest musical bands ever?

Over the years, consumers have been blessed with tons of musical greatness. If you like rock, you can likely appreciate pop, rap, jazz, and other genres. Thankfully, some of the top bands have produced many great songs. Whether you’re trying to boost your performance, relax, or get over a bout of depression, music can help. It can put your mind at ease, help you prepare for the day, and add to your romantic life. When you decide to listen to music, you’re likely listening to some of the greatest musical bands ever. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and The Rolling Stones rank near the top of the list. Below, you’ll learn more about some of these acts.

The Beatles

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about The Beatles, and perhaps listen to their songs regularly. The rock band was formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. It originally included John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney. The group was active from 1960 to 1970 and is regarded as the most influential band of all time. The Beatles hold the record for the best-selling music act of all time as it’s estimated they’ve sold more than 600 million units worldwide. Their music is still widely heard on classic radio around the world.

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses is widely considered one of the best rock and roll bands ever. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1985 and still performs today, albeit three of its five original members. During the early days, it included Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Izzy Stradlin, but friction caused Rose to be the sole original member since the mid-90s. Rose reunited with Slash and McKagan in 2016 for the Not In This Lifetime Tour and has been performing with that lineup ever since. It’s been rumored the band is even working on new music together, although nothing’s been released as of press time.

The group’s debut album, Appetite for Destruction, was released in 1987 and quickly became one of the top albums of all time thanks to “Paradise City,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome To the Jungle.” The album sold more than 30 million copies around the world with 18 million in the US alone. The group’s preceding albums never matched the success of “Appetite,” but they’ve still made a big impact on the music industry.’

Nirvana

Nirvana is credited with launching the grunge/alternative movement that wiped out the 80’s “hair metal” movement that was dominating at the time. The band was formed in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic before quickly adding Dave Grohl. The group started as a small addition to the Seattle grunge scene. Its first album, Bleach, was released in 1989 with the independent record label Sub Pop. However, the band became worldwide superstars when Nevermind was released on DGC Records in 1991.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” was undoubtedly the group’s most notable song and is a radio staple. Following frontman Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, the band went their separate ways with Grohl creating the Foo Fighters a short time later. Throughout the years, several compilations, a box set and reissues were released to commemorate the band’s short-lived career.

The Who

Whether you’re playing live poker, video games, or relaxing, you’ll likely be drawn to The Who’s music. The band was formed in 1964 in London and featured Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, and Roger Daltrey. The Who produced a lot of great songs, including “My Generation,” “I Can See for Miles,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Baba O’Reilly,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (which former President George W Bush popularized when he misquoted a saying during his Presidency).

The Who helped revolutionize the rock genre and make it what it is today. While Moon and Entwhistle have passed, Townshend and Daltrey continue performing regularly as The Who.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com