Top 100 Artists Of All Time list is a major source of controversy on the internet right now. Music fans around the globe can not agree on the list revealed by the TV network. One of the main problems with the list reportedly is the lack of female presence in the top end: Madonna is the only one who made the top 20.
Others consider that Hip-Hop artists are overly represented: 7 of them made the list including Jay-Z at #47 and LL Cool J # 92.
R&B artists like Usher and R. Kelly were completely left out despite their impressive catalogs of hits. Fans of Elvis Presley were displeased to find out that he was only listed # 8.
Here is VH1: Top 100 Artists Of All Time list, you can judge for yourself. Please let us know what you think of it.
100 Alicia Keys
99 Hall & Oates
98 Depeche Mode
97 Pretenders
96 Journey
95 OutKast
94 Mariah Carey
93 Pearl Jam
92 LL Cool J
91 Green Day
90 Elvis Costello
89 Beastie Boys
88 Bee Gees
87 George Michael
86 N.W.A.
85 The Band
84 Curtis Mayfield
83 Earth, Wind and Fire
82 Steely Dan
81 ABBA
80 Mary J. Blige
79 Eminem
78 Judas Priest
77 Lynyrd Skynyrd
76 Run-D.M.C.
75 Rush
74 The Cure
73 Van Morrison
72 Janis Joplin
71 R.E.M.
70 Def Leppard
69 Tupac Shakur
68 Otis Redding
67 Coldplay
66 Justin Timberlake
65 The Doors
64 Talking Heads
63 Notorious B.I.G.
62 Genesis
61 Cream
60 Whitney Houston
59 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
58 Cheap Trick
57 Iggy & The Stooges
56 KISS
55 Peter Gabriel
54 Public Enemy
53 Little Richard
52 Beyoncé
51 Billy Joel
50 Sade
49 Parliament-Funkadelic
48 Rage Against The Machine
47 Jay-Z
46 Ramones
45 Al Green
44 Joni Mitchell
43 Ray Charles
42 Metallica
41 Van Halen
40 The Police
39 The Kinks
38 Sly & The Family Stone
37 Fleetwood Mac
36 Paul McCartney
35 Johnny Cash
34 Tina Turner
33 Guns N’ Roses
32 Black Sabbath
31 John Lennon
30 Aerosmith
29 Radiohead
28 Elton John
27 Aretha Franklin
26 Neil Young
25 Chuck Berry
24 The Velvet Underground
23 AC/DC
22 The Clash
21 Bruce Springsteen
20 Marvin Gaye
19 U2
18 Pink Floyd
17 Queen
16 Madonna
15 The Beach Boys
14 Nirvana
13 The Who
12 David Bowie
11 Bob Marley
10 Stevie Wonder
09 James Brown
08 Elvis Presley
07 Prince
06 Jimi Hendrix
05 Rolling Stones
04 Led Zeppelin
03 Bob Dylan
02 Michael Jackson
01 The Beatles
Michael Jackson the late King of Pop music was expected to end up in the top 5, and he did just that with the likes of Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones.
A very funny list: No Meat Loaf, Abba at 81 ? Elton John at 28 ? Johnny Cash at 35 ? Somebody's personal's list I guess !
Prince, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin higher than Elvis ?!? Like I said: Funny list !
vh1 is very irrelavant to me because they have been biased towards elvis for a very long time they been pro michael jackson and other fruity artists
This Poll is similar to those run by The Rolling Stone Magazine. One only has to look at those eligible to vote:
Over the 200 musicians including Alicia Keys, Ozzy Osbourne, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Iggy Pop, Nas, Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Geddy Lee (Rush), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Michael Diamond (Beastie Boys), Daryl Hall, John Oates, Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Gene Simmons (KISS), Adam Levine (Maroon Five), 50 Cent, Nelly Furtado, Mandy Moore, Carrie Underwood, Adam Clayton (U2) and many more voted on who they believe deserves this highly coveted title.
All I have to say is, "Have a legitimate countdown using ACTUAL statistics that matter in the world of music, (ie. record sales or no. of hits etc.) and THEN see who is by FAR #1, w/o even a close runner up!! I think we already know!!
vh1 WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Who was eligible for this list? Where is Sinatra? Where are the Four Seasons? How about Garth Brooks, George Strait, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, The Platters, Diana Ross and the Supremes? I could see some of these people not being on the list if they limited it to just rock and roll; but the list contains such non-rockers as Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash along with hip-hop artists rappers and blues singers. In my opinion the top five across all forms of popular music should be Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson (I never cared for him, but you can't ignore his body of work or impact on music) Frank Sinatra and The Rolling Stones (even though I can't stand them). The biggest jokes on this list are Dylan at #3 (way too high for him), Joni Mitchell (really???), KISS (56th??? more like 956th), Justin Timberlake (how about including Davy Jones of the Monkees then too!) and an absolute abomination...Abba at 81 (they should be tucked away between KC and The Sunshine Band and the Village People just outside the top 1000).
Not to be taken seriously, surely!
VH1 and Rolling Stone both Morons who don't have a clue about music!!! The Beatles? If it wasn't for Elvis there would be no Beatles!!! If your a hippie or an "intellectual" songwriter your in, what a joke!! Elvis was, is, and always will be number one! Check out your facts Vh1 and Rolling Stone before you put your idiotic poles out, like any one really agrees with it!! Long Live the Entertainer of the Century! Elvis forever#1 TCB!!
Very childish post GeoElvis. Lets face it, the days of Elvis being an automatic #1 in every poll are done. The voters are younger now, with many influenced more the Beatles & Dylan than by Elvis. Elvis was not really relevant after the 60's, (was any young person into jumpsuits & Vegas?) but his impact was so huge in the 50's & early 60's that he still commands respect & lands in the top 10. I'd say that's pretty good for guy who hasn't been around in a while and who's last top ten hit was in 1972. Most folks I know, some who even like Elvis, like The Beatles more. What I find most annoying about this poll is Madonna higher than Aretha for a female artist and Beyonce even being listed. So the poll is ridiculous. By the way did u really expect Sinatra & Dino to show up on a VH1 poll? Cmon. I have no problem with Dylan & The Stones being so high. Most favorite album lists always contain Blond On Blond & Exile On Main St in the top 10. Elvis albums never show in album polls so be glad he is in the top 10. I think he polled very well.
In my humble opinion there were only 2 acts who changed the face of popular music forever. And those were the Beatles and of course Elvis. And Elvis influenced the Beatles and made way for them and all others that followed. But, alltough it would be nice, seeing Elvis on top of such lists, i for my part put on an Elvis LP with a smile on my face and while doing that, i'm glad that i know who was is and will alway be the number one!!!
Michael Jackson higher than Elvis.What a joke.He was not even in the same league as Elvis.I can understand The Beatles being no 1.When Elvis took to the stage in the early 70s,I don't think any other artist could do what Elvis was capaple of.No one looked so good,no one sounded so good and no one moved as good.
Wow, that really is a comical list as everyone knows Elvis was and is the single greatest musical event of the twentieth century. Not really even a debate on that. Cant really take serious silly polls and lists such as this one.
Well, it is an interesting list. I am not going to argue about The Beatles, they deserved to hold the first place with the impact they had last century. Of course I think Elvis should be rated higher, but as I understand it, it is a list about the top hundred artists. It is not a list about the most influential ones. Sometimes I feel that we overrate Elvis´ influence in popular music. Yes, maybe there would have been no Beatles if it wasn´t for Elvis but it´s such an irrelevant question to ask. I think that those kind of statements is mostly polite, they don´t necessarily mean anything. Yes, The Beatles were influenced by Elvis, he inspired them, but it wasn´t because of Elvis that they were successful. You can´t expect that Elvis should top a list like this just because he inspired other artists. Elvis did a lot of great music, but he also did some bad music, he was not perfect.
I think in any poll like this it should be Elvis or Beatles or Beatles or Elvis as number 1 & 2. They were the 2 biggest musical acts of all time and either way it is OK with me. To say Elvis should be an automatic #1 because he influenced The Beatles is silly. A lot of other artists like Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, & Little Richard also influenced The Beatles. And what about the artists that influenced Elvis like Arthur Crudup, Dean Martin, Ray Charles, & Hank Williams. Should they be higher than Elvis? See how silly that is?
dgirl, I agree with you 100% on 1 and 2. It should be The Beatles then Elvis or Elvis then The Beatles. I am obviously a bigger Elvis fan (love the Beatles too) so I put him at one; but I could not argue if someone puts the Beatles at #1. You also make a good point on why rankings can't be based on who influenced whom. Otherwise, Rudy Vallee would have to be #1 or at least in the top 10.
SteveV, I don't expect Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra to be on a VH1 poll; but that is the problem. They throw a few bones to some 50's artists (people who got their start in the 50's, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash) and act like the other 90+ acts since 1964 are better than all the artists that got their start before then. They are the ones calling it a list of the top 100 of ALL TIME. To not have Sinatra, Bing Crosby or Diana Ross and The Supremes on a list of top 100 artists of all time is criminal and down right ignorant. That is why I asked what qualifies an artist for this list? If they are only going to count rock, blues, rap, hip-hop artists, that is their prerogative. If that is the case why is Johnny Cash, predominately country singer, on the list? The country music fans I know (and I know quite a few) wouldn't even rank Johnny Cash the #1 country artist of all time.
Deano1 - that is why the list is silly and really not worth the time to care about. The biggest girl group of all time is not on there. How can that be? Sinatra not on there. 4 Seasons who charted constantly with The Beatles & Beach Boys not on there. The list is a sham. Elvis/Beatles should always be in the top 2 spots (either way, I don't care), but I am afraid Elvis' will fall further in the future. Our radio station WCBS-FM just had its annual top song countdown. Up until around 2003/4 Elvis had several songs in the top 10 and always had the most songs listed overall. His highest charting this year was # 28 and was no where near what The Beatles had for number of entries. Its a sign of the times we must get used to. Listeners/voters are younger each year.
My question is: After all these people on the list have been dead for 33 years, will they be remembered like Elvis is today? ... of course not !
Elvis at # 8 is ok with me. He's the top act from the 50's in this poll. The posts are so childish on this site. One's favorite artist is subjective. So who's to say Elvis is better than this artist or that artist. To me he's better than Michael Jackson but that's just my opinion. Conversely the Michael Jackson fan will think he's better. Let's face facts as time marches on Elvis will drop farther behind. Don't be whiners it just these polls are dominated by younger people who are into younger & different type's of music. What's the difference if Elvis is # 1 or 100? The only thing that should matter is the enjoyment you get from listening to him.
No Buddy Holly, that says it all.