The Biggest Band in Rock

A question I recently pondered is one that is usually considered more in a historical sense:  who is the biggest rock band right now?  I expanded this to include solo artists as well.  I considered artists of a variety of genres within rock, but I generally left off artists that are not considered rock artists and artists that are debatable whether they are rock (for instance, I left off Lorde and Lana Del Rey since I would probably associate them more with pop than rock, even though both would make this list otherwise).

Here are the criteria I considered for this:

• Commercial success
• Touring success
• Ability to headline a festival
• Dedication of fanbase
• Critical Acclaim
• Success domestically and internationally
• A style accessible to many people (i.e. blues rock/pop rock having an advantage over progressive rock)

 I have grouped the artists into two groups:  the frontrunners and those who have a strong case.  I also included sections for reuniting groups and retiring artists, both of which creates elevated fanfare, and a section for the classics, who I considered artists that have consistent popularity but are more known for older music.  There is also a section to give a shoutout to artists who I think could be big over the next 5-10 years.

The Frontrunners

These 9 artists are the acts that I think have the strongest case for biggest artist in rock. 

Pearl Jam

They are approaching 30 years since the release of Ten and they are still one of the biggest rock bands in the world.  Their albums always are a hit, their songs are often a hit, and they can headline any stadium or festival of their choice.

Foo Fighters

They have found substantial commercial success since their debut album in 1995 and are the rare post-grunge band who has found continued success.  They are a band that typically are headlining major festivals.

Twenty One Pilots

Love them or hate them, they have found immense success between Blurryface and Trench playing music that often is a little weirder than most popular music.  They were a headliner at Lollapalooza in 2019.

Imagine Dragons

The pop rock group has become one of the most hated groups online, but they have found immense worldwide commercial success.  They have a top 30 hit from every album, 4 top 10 hits, and all 4 albums hitting top 2 in the US.

Metallica

The rare metal band with massive commercial success, Metallica has been successful across multiple decades no matter what they release.  Their last album to not top the charts was …And Justice for All in 1988, and they can sell out any venue.

Jack White

Anything White touches at this point is a massive commercial success, and he has headlined several festivals.  He might not bear the same weight with his name that the other artists above him do, but he is still one of the biggest names in rock today.

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The 2010’s was a bit polarizing with their studio releases, but they still found commercial success with both albums and singles.  However, guitarist John Frusciante just rejoined the band; he played on their most acclaimed work.

Bruce Springsteen

The Boss has been massive since the 70’s; while he might not have the same success he had with singles that he saw in the 80’s, his tours are massive, his albums sell well, and anything he touches is critically acclaimed.  He released 2 albums in the past 2 years.

Dave Matthews Band

Most people don’t think of DMB in this tier and I cannot understand this mindset.  They have 6 straight number 1 albums (matching Metallica’s run) and perform sell-out shows pretty much anywhere in the country.  That said, they aren’t as big outside the US, so it is difficult to rank them any higher.

 

The Strong Cases

While not in the same class as the frontrunners, above, these artists at least deserve a mention as they have a shot to reach this upper echelon.

Coldplay

There was a point where the British group was in the running for biggest band, but now their case might not be as strong due to a seemingly change in attitude about them.  The fact that they’re not performing festivals might not help.

Radiohead

Radiohead might be one of the most critically acclaimed bands of my lifetime and are well-known and respected in alternative music.  That said, some probably their music as a little too niche or stuck-up for their liking.

Panic! at the Disco

Now that they’ve fully shifted to pop rock, they have achieved worldwide commercial success and broke out of the potential one-hit wonder mold.  I expect they will have success with this style for at least a couple more albums.

The Black Keys

The world was their oyster after releasing El Camino…then they released Turn Blue and went on a hiatus, causing several to not think of them.  Let’s Rock appeared to be them getting back into the spotlight, but they aren’t back to where they were quite yet.

The 1975

The pop rock group’s newest album was polarizing but was still a smash hit.  They were set to have a big tour in 2020 which was cancelled.  One more album and they could have a stronger case.

The Killers

It feels like this band should not be ranked this high, but they have commercial success, have headlined multiple festivals, and were set to headline day one of Woodstock 50 over several big-name artists.  It is possible they rise to the next echelon.

Alabama Shakes

They are currently on a hiatus for Brittany Howard’s solo career, but if they reform and keep up the same momentum they found and Howard’s solo career has experienced, they will be one of the biggest bands in rock.

Bon Iver

While the indie folk group progressively gets more experimental, their fanbase seems to remain committed to them.  It’s not surprising to see them booked for festivals as a headliner, and I expect their status will continue to grow despite the experimentation.

U2

At the beginning of the last decade, they had a case to be the biggest band in the world, but after two albums receiving mixed reviews and a controversial release strategy, they have dropped an echelon.

Mumford and Sons

Critics have never been particularly kind to the group, but they developed a strong fanbase as an indie folk group before shifting away from the genre.  While they have shown glimpses of the genre and remained popular, we’ll see how long it remains.

Arctic Monkeys

The group might have hurt their chances a little bit with the release of Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, but that also is a bit of a power move as it was a massive commercial success.  If they go back to the sound on AM, they might be in the next echelon.

Green Day

They have found immense commercial success, but their status likely took a major hit after their last album was released.  While they’re a popular live band, they were already largely riding on the success of 2 albums.

The Raconteurs

Their presence on this list is largely due to Jack White, which is what he can do to a band.  They only have one major hit song in “Steady As She Goes”, but they still are bigger names at festivals, have hit albums, and have received acclaim.

Fall Out Boy

They have consistently found commercial success, especially after rebranding as a pop rock group, but they seem to have isolated their old fanbase and are more polarizing now.  That said, there is still a strong case for them.

Arcade Fire

While they haven’t been quite as big as they were after shocking the world and winning a Grammy for The Suburbs, they still have a following and found success touring.  They are one of the bigger indie bands but will struggle to be the biggest band in the world.

Blink-182

The release of California seemed to usher a return to form for the pop punk band, but Nine didn’t appear to have the same charm or impact.  I think they might be a bit too polarizing to be in the next echelon.

The Strokes

It feels like they shouldn’t be ranked so high here, but they are commercially successful and have headlined several major festivals, including Lollapalooza and Coachella.  Some sects would group them near the top, but I wouldn’t rank them higher than here.

Vampire Weekend

They are one of the biggest indie bands right now, but they’re not quite at the level of headlining major festivals that some other artists in this echelon are.  That said, I believe they are on pace to be bumped to the next echelon within the next couple albums.

Gorillaz

The virtual band has found worldwide success on both their albums and singles.  They are biggest in the UK, which makes sense given most of their collaborators are big there, and might not be quite big enough in the US to justify them in a higher echelon.

Muse

The British band was one of the biggest bands in the world…then released Simulation Theory.  That said, they still have a large worldwide following and one odd album didn’t ruin their careers; they can still make a jump back.

Avenged Sevenfold

They might be one of the more commercially friendly metal groups and have been one of the more successful ones, but crossover success is difficult to come by from the genre.

Florence + the Machine

They have had success with both albums and singles, so it is worthy to consider the indie/alternative group in here.  That said, their music is a bit too odd to be in the top echelon and they might not have the same name recognition as other bands.

The Lumineers

The indie folk group doesn’t seem to have the same headliner power as other groups, but they consistently have commercial success and have a solid following.  That said, I’m not sure how much they can or will grow from here.

Tool

The metal band has a massive following, as evident by the fact that Fear Inoculum knocked Taylor Swift off the number 1 spot and “Schism” hit the top 100.  Ultimately, they are too weird to be loved by those outside their fanbase.

Ghost

They hard rock/metal band has found worldwide success and are starting to reach a point where they are among the most popular groups in the genre.  That said, it’s tough imagining am openly Satanist band as the biggest in the world.

Beck

He is an iconic figure in rock and alternative, but his run of top 10 albums ended at 6.  Maybe the #40 album was a fluke, but I didn’t sense that there was quite as much excitement over the singles as with previous albums.

Slipknot

They are one of the biggest metal bands out there and have 3 straight number 1 albums.  That said, is it really possible that a mask-wearing nu metal group would ever be the biggest rock band in the world?

The Reunited Groups

These groups are reuniting, so there will likely be increased fanfare compared to usual for them.

• AC/DC
• Note:  while AC/DC didn’t break up, Brian Johnson just came out of retirement
• Mötley Crüe
• Rage Against the Machine
• My Chemical Romance

The Retiring Artists

These artists have indicated that they will be retiring in the coming years but create much fanfare whenever they perform.

• Elton John
• Kiss

The Classics

These artists have been around for a long time and either have rode the success of select releases or don’t release music frequently but are still iconic names that would sell out venues.

• Aerosmith
• Bon Jovi
• Eagles
• Guns N’ Roses
• Ozzy Osbourne
• Paul McCartney
• The Rolling Stones
• System of a Down
• The Who

Ones to Watch

These are the artists who I think could emerge as the biggest artists in rock over the next 5-10 years.

• The 1975
• They will be trendsetters in pop rock over the next decade or two.
• AJR
• After smaller hits, “Bang” was big.  I expect some other hits to come.
• Alabama Shakes (or Brittany Howard)
• If Howard focuses on her solo career, she’ll be a star.  Otherwise, the band will be huge.
• BabyMetal
• As K-Pop/J-Pop continues to be massive, BabyMetal is no longer a novelty act.
• Bring Me the Horizon
• I think it depends on the style; if they are more pop based, they’ll continue to grow.
• CHVRCHES
• This group should be one of the biggest fixtures in electropop for the next few years.
• Fever 333
• Think of what RATM was like in the 90’s.  Now put that idea today and you get them.
• Gary Clark Jr.
• He’s found consistent commercial, critical and touring success as his profile grows.
• Ghost
• The US has been more accepting of them, so they might be the next big hard rock band.
• Greta Van Fleet
• Some consider them a knockoff Led Zeppelin.  Once they get their style, they’ll be big.
• Haim
• They have a following and now got a Grammy nod for Album of the Year.
• Hozier
• His second album was a massive hit, showing that he is not a one-hit wonder.
• The Lumineers
• I’m not sure how big they’ll be, but they should be consistent.
• Of Monsters and Men
• They found success after changing their style, so I think their success is sustainable.
• Phoebe Bridgers
• She had an acclaimed second album that garnered a lot of attention.
• Royal Blood
• They are big in the UK but have a steady following with several rock hits.
• The Struts
• The glam rock group would be perfect for the 80’s but are gaining traction from touring.
• Twenty One Pilots
• One of the biggest bands right now, expect the success to continue for years to come.
• Vampire Weekend
• They’re one of the biggest indie bands right now, which seems sustainable for them.
• Vance Joy
• His second album hitting number 10 shows that he is not a one-hit wonder.

Verdict

Ultimately, I think it is a two-artist race between Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters.  I think Twenty One Pilots are likely another album away from being in the competition with them, but will be the top band in the world soon.  Imagine Dragons is massive but is disliked by too many people to be ranked high.  Metallica has a case but probably can’t pull it off as a metal band, Jack White probably isn’t quite as well-known as the others, and Red Hot Chili Peppers are divisive enough to prevent them from topping the list.  Ultimately, I would rank Pearl Jam just ahead of Foo Fighters, but if I could book any rock artist for a festival, those two would be the first two I would shoot for.

 

Who do you think is the biggest rock artist?  Do you think some are misranked or left off?  Let me know in the comments!