Classic Rock Magazine

Lists On This Page (Not Linked)

Top 30 Best Albums of the 90s
Top 10 Best Songs Ever & Runners-up
10 Songs That Changed the Face of Rock
Rock’s 30 Best Concept Albums
Top 50 Live Albums
50 Greatest Drummers in Rock
100 Greatest Rock Albums Ever
50 Greatest Rock movies (2008)
49 Best Soundtrack Albums (2008)
50 Best Live Acts Of All Time (2008)

Classic Rock - Best Of 2007
 
30 Best Albums of the 90s (January 2000)

1. Nirvana – Nevermind
2. Metallica – Metallica [Black Album]
3. Temple of the Dog – Temple of the Dog
4. Pearl Jam – Ten
5. Black Crowes- Southern Harmony & the Musical Companion
6. REM – Automatic for the People
7. Soundgarden – Superunknown
8. Radiohead – the Bends
9. Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
10. Morissette, Alanis – Jagged Little Pill
11. Buckley, Jeff – Grace
12. Alice in Chains – Dirt
13. Crowded House – Woodface
14. Screaming Trees – Dust
15. U2 – Achtung Baby
16. Young, Neil – Ragged Glory
17. Red Hot Chili Peppers – BloodSugarSexMagik
18. Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall
19. Live – Distance to Here
20. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
21. Crow, Sheryl – Sheryl Crow
22. Verve, the – Urban Hymns
23. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine
24. Weller, Paul – Stanley Road
25. Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies/Sap
26. Petty, Tom – Wildflowers
27. Live – Throwing Copper
28. Kyuss – Sky Valley
29. Marillion – Brave
30. Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker

Ten Best... Songs Ever! Readers Poll (October 1999)

1. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
2. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
3. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
4. Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
5. All Right Now - Free
6. Suppers Ready - Genesis
7. Hotel California - The Eagles
8. Don’t Believe A Word - Thin Lizzy
9. Rock Bottom - UFO
10. Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf

Bubbling Under...

11. Ace Of Spades - Motörhead
12. 2112 - Rush
13. Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC
14. Feel Like Making Love - Bad Company
15. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
16. More Than A Feeling - Boston
17. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
18. Paranoid - Black Sabbath
19. Stargazer - Rainbow
20. Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden
21. Layla - Derek & The Dominos
22. Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
23. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
24. Carpet Crawl - Genesis
25. Boys Are Back In Town - Thin Lizzy
26. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
27. Mr Big - Free
28. Wondrous Stories - Yes
29. Don’t Stop Believing - Journey
30. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin
31. Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden
32. Won’t Get Fooled Again - The Who
33. Enter Sandman - Metallica
34. Dream On - Aerosmith
35. Tarkus - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
36. Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas
37. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath
38. Xanadu - Rush
39. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
40. Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses
41. Wishing Well - Free
42. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
43. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
44. Time - Pink Floyd
45. In The Court Of The Crimson King - King Crimson
46. Highway Song - Blackfoot
47. Heat Of The Moment - Asia
48. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
49. Lights Out - UFO
50. Cold As Ice – Foreigner

10 Songs That Changed The Face Of Rock (March 2000)

1. Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
2. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience
3. Helter Skelter - Beatles
4. Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
5. Supper's Ready - Genesis
6. Hotel California - Eagles
7. Walk This Way - Run DMC with Steve Tyler and Joe Perry
8. Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns N’ Roses
9. One - Metallica
10. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Rock's 30 Greatest Concept Albums (March 2003)

1. Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
2. Operation: Mindcrime - Queensrÿche
3. Tommy - The Who
4. Misplaced Childhood - Marillion
5. Antichrist Superstar - Marilyn Manson
6. Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
7. Tales From The Topographic Oceans - Yes
8. Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
9. 2112 - Rush
10. The Wall - Pink Floyd
11. Thick As A Brick - Jethro Tull
12. Quadrophenia - The Who
13. Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails
14. Duke - Genesis
15. Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory - Dream Theater
16. Tales Of Mystery And Imagination - Alan Parsons Project
17. OK Computer - Radiohead
18. Village Green Preservation Society - Kinks
19. Hemispheres - Rush
20. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
21. Final Cut - Pink Floyd
22. S.F. Sorrow - Pretty Things
23. Brave - Marillion
24. Radio K.A.O.S. - Roger Waters
25. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth - Rick Wakeman
26. Obsolete - Fear Factory
27. Three Friends - Gentle Giant
28. Kilroy Was Here - Styx
29. Snow - Spock's Beard
30. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son - Iron Maiden

50 Greatest Live Albums Ever (2003)

1. Thin Lizzy - Live And Dangerous
2. AC/DC - If You Want Blood, You've Got It
3. Cheap Trick - At Budokan
4. Led Zeppelin - How the West Was Won
5. Who - Live at Leeds
6. UFO - Strangers in the Night
7. Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out
8. Kiss - Alive!
9. Rush - Exit ... Stage Left
10. Motörhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
11. Allman Brothers Band - Live at Fillmore East
12. Kiss - Alive II
13. BlackFoot - Highway Song Live
14. Iron Maiden - Live After Death
15. Clash - From Here To Eternity: Live
16. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East - Live In Japan
17. Rush - All the World's a Stage
18. Yes - Yessongs
19. Black Sabbath - Live Evil
20. Hanoi Rocks - All Those Wasted Years
21. Aerosmith - Live Bootleg
22. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends
23. Black Sabbath - Live At Last
24. Status Quo - Live
25. Queen - Live Killers
26. Lynyrd Skynyrd - One More From the Road
27. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive!
28. Bob Seger - Live Bullet
29. Led Zeppelin - Song Remains the Same
30. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York
31. Blue Öyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening
32. Genesis - Seconds Out
33. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
34. Slayer - Decade of Aggression
35. Alice in Chains - MTV Unplugged
36. Humble Pie - Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore
37. Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo
38. Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Plays Monterey
39. Doors - Absolutely Live
40. Jimmy Page & the Black Crowes - Live at the Greek
41. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
42. Bruce Springsteen - Live 1975-1985
43. Genesis - Live
44. Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Live
45. Yes - Yesshows
46. Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - Live
47. Saxon - Eagle Has Landed
48. Judas Priest - Priest... Live!
49. Kinks - One for the Road
50. Cream - Wheels of Fire

50 Greatest Drummers in Rock (June 2005)

Drummer, then in square brackets the band(s) they’re most associated with, followed by Defining Moment. This is either a track, in which case I’ve just given the title; an album (LP) or trademark, in lower case lettering.

1. John Bonham [Led Zeppelin] – Moby Dick
2. Dave Grohl [Nirvana/Queens of the Stone Age/etc] – Nevermind (LP)
3. Keith Moon [The Who] – Kids are Alright (film)
4. Neil Peart [Rush] – live solo spot on 2004 tour
5. Chad Smith [Red Hot Chili Peppers] – Higher Ground
6. Dave Lombardo [Slayer] – Angel of Death
7. Mitch Mitchell [Jimi Hendrix Experience] – Fire
8. Ian Paice [Deep Purple] – Child in Time
9. Cozy Powell [Rainbow/Black Sabbath/etc] – 1812 Overture live solo
10. Charlie Watts [Rolling Stones] – Sympathy for the Devil
11. Nicko McBrain [Iron Maiden] – Mission from ‘Arry
12. Ginger Baker [Cream/Blind Faith/etc] – Toad live
13. Joey Jordison [Slipknot] – live performance with Metallica in 2004
14. Phil Collins [Genesis] – Lamb Lies Down on Broadway LP
15. Carl Palmer [ELP/Asia] – Fanfare for the Common Man
16. Bill Bruford [Yes/King Crimson] – anything from 25 years with King Crimson
17. Mike Portnoy [Dream Theater] – When Dream & Day Unite
18. Stewart Copeland [Police] – Don’t Stand So Close to Me
19. Tommy Lee [Mötley Crüe/Methods of Mayhem] – high flying solo, literally
20. Bill Ward [Black Sabbath] – War Pigs
21. Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor [Motörhead] – Overkill (long version)
22. Ringo Starr [Beatles] – Come Together
23. Taylor Hawkins [Foo Fighters] – All My Life
24. Jeff Porcaro [Toto] – unusual garden-related death!
25. Vinnie Colaiuta [Frank Zappa/solo] – Vinnie Colairuta LP
26. Lars Ulrich [Metallica] – being the man who pushed Metallica into the major league
27. Phil Rudd [AC/DC] – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
28. Scott Asheton [Stooges] – I Wanna Be Your Dog
29. Joey Kramer [Aerosmith] – Sweet Emotion
30. Simon Kirke [Free/Bad Company] – Bad Company (song)
31. Jimmy Chamberlin [Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan] – Siamese Dreams LP
32. Travis Barker [Blink 182/Box Car Racer/etc] – Box Car Racer LP
33. Terry Bozzio [Frank Zappa/etc] – Black Page
34. Matt Cameron [Soundgarden/Pearl Jam] – Spoonman
35. Rat Scabies [Damned] – Machine Gun Etiquette LP
36. Thunderstick [Samson/Thunderstick] – his cage!
37. Roger Taylor [Queen] – Radio Ga Ga
38. Brian Downey [Thin Lizzy] – Live & Dangerous LP
39. Igor Cavalera [Sepultura] – Mass Hypnosis
40. Carmine Appice [Vanilla Fudge/Cactus/etc] – You Keep Me Hangin’ On
41. Brad Wilk [Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave] – Killing in the Name
42. Nick Mason [Pink Floyd] – Summer of ‘68
43. Billy Cobham [Mahavishnu Orch/Miles Davis/solo] – Spectrum solo LP
44. Cindy Blackman [Lenny Kravitz] – on stage
45. Tico Torres [Bon Jovi] – King of the Mountain
46. Tommy Aldridge [Black Oak Arkansas/Whitesnake/Ozzy] – live solo, with bare hands
47. Vinnie Paul [Pantera/Damageplan] – Cowboys From Hell LP
48. Denny Carmassi [Montrose/Heart/etc] – Rock Candy
49. Daniel Erlandson [Arch Enemy] – Burning Bridges LP
50. Topper Headon [Clash] – I Fought the Law

 
100 Greatest Rock Albums Ever (December 2001)

1. Led Zeppelin – IV
2. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
3. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
4. AC/DC – Back in Black
5. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
6. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
7. Metallica – Metallica (Black Album)
8. Nirvana – Nevermind
9. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
10. Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland
11. Radiohead – OK Computer
12. Def Leppard – Hysteria
13. Van Halen – Van Halen
14. Eagles – Hotel California
15. Beck, Jeff – Truth
16. Marillion – Misplaced Childhood
17. Pearl Jam – Ten
18. Deep Purple – Machine Head
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – BloodSugarSexMagik
20. Black Sabbath – Master of Reality
21. Who – Who’s Next
22. Journey – Escape
23. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd
24. Pink Floyd – The Wall
25. Queen – A Night at the Opera
26. Prince – Purple Rain
27. Whitesnake – 1987
28. Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation
29. Rainbow – Long Live Rock & Roll
30. Jethro Tull – Aqualung
31. Yes – Fragile
32. Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker
33. Cult – Sonic Temple
34. Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking
35. Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
36. Soundgarden – Superunknown
37. Free – Fire & Water
38. Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
39. Rush – Moving Pictures
40. Genesis – Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
41. Cream – Disraeli Gears
42. Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime
43. Deep Purple – Burn
44. Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss
45. Osbourne, Ozzy – Blizzard of Oz
46. Motörhead – Ace of Spades
47. Cheap Trick – In Color
48. Foreigner – 4
49. Korn – Korn
50. Alice in Chains – Dirt
51. King’s X – Out of the Silent Planet
52. Warrior Soul – Last Decade, Dead Century
53. Bad Company – Bad Company
54. Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
55. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine
56. Thunder – Back Street Symphony
57. Bon Jovi – New Jersey
58. Living Colour – Vivid
59. Van Halen – 1984
60. Def Leppard – Pyromania
61. AC/DC – Highway to Hell
62. Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged In
63. UFO – Force It
64. Faith No More – Real Thing
65. Petty, Tom - And the Heartbreakers
66. Queens of the Stone Age – Rated R
67. Metallica – Master of Puppets
68. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
69. Slipknot – Iowa
70. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
71. Machine Head – Burn My Eyes
72. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
73. Aerosmith – Pump
74. Scorpions – Blackout
75. Wildhearts – Earth Vs the…
76. Dio – Holy Diver
77. Boston – Boston
78. Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast
79. ZZ Top – Eliminator
80. Black Crowes – Southern Harmony & the Musical Companion
81. Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell
82. Nugent, Ted – Cat Scratch Fever
83. Marillion – Clutching at Straws
84. Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies
85. Styx – Pieces of Eight
86. Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?
87. Tool – Undertow
88. Angel – Sinful
89. Heart – Heart (1985)
90. Manic Street Preachers – Generation Terrorists
91. Rush – 2112
92. Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
93. Uriah Heep – Demons & Wizards
94. Judas Priest – British Steel
95. Asia - Asia
96. Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus
97. Mötley Crüe – Dr Feelgood
98. Idol, Billy – Rebel Yell
99. Adams, Bryan – Reckless
100. Kiss – Destroyer

 
Hollywood Rocks: 50 Greatest Rock Movies (October 2007)

1. Don’t Look Back [Bob Dylan]
2. Almost Famous
3. Last Waltz [Band]
4. Born to Boogie [Marc Bolan]
5. Let it Be [Beatles]
6. Kids Are Alright [Who]
7. Easy Rider
8. Filth & the Fury [Sex Pistols]
9. Great Rock ‘n’ Swindle [Sex Pistols]
10. Gimme Shelter [Rolling Stones]
11. Detroit Rock City
12. Velvet Goldmine
13. Backbeat
14. FM
15. More [Pink Floyd]
16. Doors (1991)
17. Performance [Mick Jagger]
18. Woodstock
19. Heavy Metal (1981)
20. Wild Zero
21. Down & Out with the Dolls [Paper Dolls]
22. Phantom of the Paradise
23. Quadrophenia
24. The Wall [Pink Floyd]
25. Decline of Western Civilization Part II: Metal Years
26. Song Remains the Same [Led Zeppelin]
27. Wayne’s World
28. Tapeheads
29. Empire Records
30. Airheads
31. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School
32. Still Crazy (1998)
33. Heavy Metal Parking Lot
34. Rock Star (1998)
35. Eat the Document [Bob Dylan]
36. Johnny Suede
37. Get Crazy (1983)
38. Stunt Rock
39. Desperate Teenage Lovedolls
40. Tommy [Who]
41. Stardust (1974)
42. Slade in Flame
43. Some Kind of Monster [Metallica]
44. Roadie [Meat Loaf]
45. Cry Baby (1990)
46. Up in Smoke [Cheech & Chong]
47. Down on Us (1984)
48. It’s a Complex World
49. Imagine: John Lennon (1988)
50. This is Spinal Tap
 
49 Best Soundtrack Albums (October 2007)

Readers were invited to vote for the 50th entry.

1. Various Artists - Dazed & Confused
2. Pink Floyd - The Wall
3. Various Artists - Tommy
4. Various Artists - Almost Famous
5. Led Zeppelin - Song Remains the Same
6. Who - Kids Are Alright
7. Band & Various Artists - Last Waltz
8. Various Artists - Fast Times at Ridgemont High
9. Various Artists - Detroit Rock City
10. Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
11. Various Artists - Less Than Zero
12. Simon & Garfunkel - The Graduate
13. AC/DC - Who Made Who [Maximum Overdrive]
14. Sex Pistols - Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle
15. Various Artists - Singles
16. Various Artists - Jackass: The Movie
17. Various Artists - Heavy Metal
18. Slade - In Flame
19. Various Artists - Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
20. Various Artists - Woodstock
21. Various Artists - Easy Rider
22. Various Artists - Last Action Hero
23. Various Artists - Sahara
24. Ramones & Various Artists - Rock ‘n’ Roll High School
25. Various Artists - Grosse Point Blank
26. Various Artists - Royal Tenenbaums
27. Spinal Tap - This is...
28. Queen - A Kind of Magic [Highlander]
29. Reznor, - Trent Natural Born Killers
30. Who - Quadrophenia
31. Prince & the Revolution Purple Rain
32. Various Artists - Rushmore
33. Various Artists - Say Anything
34. Various Artists - Wayne’s World
35. Various Artists - Big Lebowski
36. Various Artists - Pulp Fiction
37. Pink Floyd - More
38. Various Artists - A Knight’s Tale
39. Various Artists - Judgement Night
40. Various Artists - From Dusk Till Dawn
41. Various Artists - Basketball Diaries
42. Nietzche, Jack with Ry Cooder & Various Artists - Performance
43. Various Artists - Blow
44. Various Artists - Romeo + Juliet
45. Various Artists - Hype! Surviving the Northwest Music Explosion
46. Various Artists - Lost Boys
47. Various Artists - The Crow
48. Various Artists - Spawn
49. Various Artists - Life Aquatic

50 Best Live Acts of All Time (April 2008)

1. Led Zeppelin
2. Who
3. AC/DC
4. Hendrix, Jimi
5. Pink Floyd
6. Queen
7. Iron Maiden
8. Rolling Stones
9. Kiss
10. Beatles
11. Aerosmith
12. Van Halen
13. Guns N’ Roses
14. Radiohead
15. Rage Against The Machine
16. Cream
17. Bruce Springsteen
18. Clash
19. Thin Lizzy
20. UFO
21. Yes
22. Police
23. Slayer
24. Rammstein
25. Motörhead
26. U2
27. Soundgarden
28. Ramones
29. Bowie, David
30. Fugazi
31. McCartney, Paul
32. REM
33. Status Quo
34. Nirvana
35. Rainbow
36. Rush
37. Fleetwood Mac
38. Marillion
39. Motley Crüe
40. Metallica
41. Beck, Jeff
42. Deep Purple
43. Alice Cooper
44. Genesis
45. Sensational Alex Harvey band
46. Dio
47. Grateful Dead
48. Heart
49. Muse
50. Gallagher, Rory