What are the top 30 best selling rock bands?

Answer 1

1. The Beatles

Essential Album: Revolver

With record sales estimated at more than a billion worldwide, no other band had a greater influence on the course of rock music.

2. Pink Floyd

Essential Album: Wish You Were Here

At the vanguard of the Progressive Rock movement, they have sold more than 200-million albums since 1967. One of the first bands to use light shows and fireworks in their live performances.

3. The Who

Essential Album: Who's Next

One of the first, most successful, and longest lasting power trios, The Who were innovative both musically and technically.

4. Rolling Stones

Essential Album: Sticky Fingers

The original "bad boys" of rock, the Stones are among the most durable bands, recording and touring with few breaks since they began in 1961.

5. Led Zeppelin

Essential Album: Led Zeppelin IV

Their "Stairway To Heaven" is believed to have received more radio airplay than any other song in history, even though it was never released as a single.

6. Eagles

Essential Album: Their Greatest Hits

Another of rock's longest-lasting acts, their 1976 greatest hits album is the biggest selling album of all time.

7. Grateful Dead

Essential Album: Anthem Of The Sun

One of San Francisco's first "flower power" bands, their fan following is nearly as strong today as it was when the group disbanded in 1995.

8. Jefferson Airplane

Essential Album: After Bathing At Baxter's

Pioneers of the Psychedelic Rock genre, they were in the vanguard of the counter-culture of the '60s and '70s.

9. The Doors

Essential Album: The Doors

In spite of a short life and limited discography, they became one of rock's most popular and influential groups.

10. Moody Blues

Essential Album: Days Of Future Passed

With the exception of a few years in the mid-70s, this Progressive/Psychedelic group has toured and recorded since 1964.

11. Fleetwood Mac

Essential Album: Rumours

After numerous personnel and musical style changes, their 1977 Rumours album is still among the top ten best selling albums ever.

12. AC/DC

Essential Album: Back In Black

This pioneering Hard Rock/Heavy Metal group has sold an estimated 100-million albums worldwide.

13. Boston

Essential Album: Boston

When their first album was released in 1976, it was the highest grossing debut album ever seen up until that time.

14. Cream

Essential Album: Wheels Of Fire

The group existed for less than three years but staked its place as one of the first and most enduringly popular of rock's power trios.

15. Def Leppard

Essential Album: Hysteria

Futuristic instrumentation and vocal harmonies have kept them near the top of the all-time best selling album lists for a quarter of a century.

16. The Byrds

Essential Album: The Byrds' Greatest Hits

Among the pioneers of Folk Rock, their popularity in the mid-60s rivaled that of the Beatles.

17. Aerosmith

Essential Album: Toys In The Attic

Originally written off as Rolling Stones imitators, the group has consistently produced multi-million-selling albums for 30+ years.

18. Santana

Essential Album: Abraxas

This groundbreaking Latin Rock group timed the release of its first album to coincide with a highly successful performance at Woodstock in 1969.

19. Blood Sweat & Tears

Essential Album: Blood Sweat & Tears

Virtually a small orchestra, this group established a milestone in rock history with its large horn section and jazz-blues orientation.

20. Van Halen

Essential Album: 1984

One of the most innovative and influential Heavy Metal groups of the late '70s, the group continues to perform some 30+ years after its inception.

21. ZZ Top

Essential Album: The Best Of ZZ Top

The self-proclaimed "little ol' band from Texas" was one of the earliest influences in Southern Rock, and continues so, three decades later.

22. Genesis

Essential Album: Platinum Collection

With worldwide albums sales of about 150-million since 1969, Genesis was instrumental in keeping Progressive Rock in the mainstream.

23. Allman Brothers

Essential Album: Eat A Peach

The success of their unique fusion of Hard Rock, Blues, Jazz, and Classical Music has secured this group's immortality.

24. Journey

Essential Album: Greatest Hits

Journey's jazz-flavored sound has been a fixture in the rock scene since 1973.

25. Traffic

Essential Album: John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic had far greater success with albums than with singles, and thrived in spite of numerous personnel changes and long breaks.

26. Jethro Tull

Essential Album: Very Best Of Jethro Tull

Tull developed and maintained a sound that was completely unlike any other band's, with the use of the flute as a lead instrument, and with a heavy classical music influence.

27. Foreigner

Essential Album: Complete Greatest Hits

A group of back-up players got together in 1976 and formed a group that became a longtime Arena Rock and radio airplay favorite.

28. The Kinks

Essential Album: Ultimate Collection

They maintained their popularity through the 60s and 70s by adjusting their lyric themes and musical styles as times, and public tastes, changed.

29. Blue Oyster Cult

Essential Album: The Essential Blue Oyster Cult

Formed in the mid 60s, this Metal/Psych Rock band had a long string of successful albums throughout the '70s and '80s.

30. Buffalo Springfield

Essential Album: Retrospective

The group existed for less than two years, but was considered a significant force in mid 60s rock, and launched the careers of members Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Jim Messina, and Richie Furay.