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Top 250 Musical Acts of All Time

Enter the name of the artist/musical act who performed the listed song. Your comments and suggestions for changes/addition/deletions in order to improve this quiz are appreciated!
Source: The author's opinion, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction list, and Rolling Stone Magazine Surveys, among others.
Some artists require their exact name as the answer because two or more people the same last name.
Changes and updates were made to the quiz on July 31, 2023.
Quiz by jsbchicago
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Last updated: August 1, 2023
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First submittedJuly 14, 2023
Times taken706
Average score41.6%
Rating4.17
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Hint
Answer
Light My Fire
The Doors
Iris
Goo Goo Dolls
Paint it Black
The Rolling Stones
House of the Rising Sun
The Animals
Summertime Blues
Eddie Cochran
Train in Vain
The Clash
A Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum
Creep
Radiohead
Reelin' in the Years
Steely Dan
Born on the Bayou
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Kiss From a Rose
Seal
Faith
George Michael
Laughter in the Rain
Neil Sedaka
Soul Man
Sam and Dave
Our Lips Are Sealed
The Go-Go's
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Pat Benatar
Walk on the Wild Side
Lou Reed
The Boys of Summer
Don Henley
Midnight Train to Georgia
Glady Knight and the Pips
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding
Welcome to the Jungle
Guns n' Roses
Ladies Night
Kool and the Gang
People Get Ready
The Impressions
No Diggity
Dr. Dre
Life's Been Good
Joe Walsh
Touch of Grey
Grateful Dead
Son of a Preacher Man
Dusty Springfield
Green Onions
Booker T and the MGs
Johnny B. Goode
Chuck Berry
What's Love Got to Do With It
Tina Turner
Breakdown
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Because the Night
Patti Smith
Blue Suede Shoes
Carl Perkins
Dancing Queen
ABBA
Brick House
Commodores
Better Man
Pearl Jam
Come Sail Away
Styx
Empire State of Mind
Jay-Z
Hollywood Nights
Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
Heart of Glass
Blondie
Tonight, Tonight
Smashing Pumpkins
Live and Let Die
Paul McCartney & Wings
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena
Jan and Dean
Shooting Star
Bad Company
Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison
Any Way You Want It
Journey
Ring of Fire
Johnny Cash
Long Train Runnin'
The Doobie Brothers
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher
Jackie Wilson
Fly Like an Eagle
Steve Miller Band
Louie Louie
The Kingsmen
Someday, Someway
Marshall Crenshaw
I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston
Mrs. Robinson
Simon and Garfunkel
What a Wonderful World
Louis Armstrong
Misunderstanding
Genesis
Wichita Lineman
Glen Campbell
Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Shirelles
Your Song
Elton John
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
Joan Baez
September
Earth, Wind and Fire
Crazy
Patsy Cline
I Gotta Feeling
Black Eyed Peas
Sharp Dressed Man
ZZ Top
Livin' on a Prayer
Bon Jovi
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
California Dreamin'
The Mama's and the Papa's
Flash Light
Parliament - Funkadelic
No More Mr. Nice Guy
Alice Cooper
Travelin' Man
Ricky Nelson
The Power of Love
Huey Lewis and the News
Under the Boardwalk
Drifters
Under the Bridge
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Reflex
Duran Duran
Love Shack
The B-52's
Sara Smile
Hall and Oates
Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley & His Comets
Danger Zone
Kenny Loggins
One Love
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Learn to Fly
Foo Fighters
Crazy On You
Heart
I'll Be There
The Jackson 5
Ain't That a Shame
Fats Domino
Dancing in the Streets
Martha and the Vandellas
You are the First, the Last, My Everything
Barry White
You're No Good
Linda Ronstadt
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
This Masquerade
George Benson
Love is the Drug
Roxy Music
In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins
Free Ride
The Edgar Winter Group
Dream On
Aerosmith
Takin' Care of Business
Bachnan-Turner Overdrive
Heart of Gold
Neil Young
The Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby and the Range
I Just Want to Be Your Everything
Andy Gibb
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brothers
The Hollies
End of the Line
The Traveling Wilburys
Me and Bobby McGee
Janis Joplin
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
White Rabbit
Jefferson Airplane
Under the Boardwalk
The Drifters
Tom Sawyer
Rush
American Woman
The Guess Who
Ramblin Man
The Allman Brothers Band
Smoke on the Water
Deep Purple
Sweet Home Alabama
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tracks of My Tears
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Brass in Pocket
The Pretenders
I'll Never Love This Way Again
Dionne Warwick
Karma Chameleon
Culture Club
Song Sung Blue
Neil Diamond
Nothing From Nothing
Billy Preston
Hound Dog
Elvis Presley
Losing My Religion
R.E.M.
Iron Man
Black Sabbath
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Def Leppard
Doctor My Eyes
Jackson Browne
Wonderful Tonight
Eric Clapton
Like a Virgin
Madonna
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
George Harrison
Blinded by the Light
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Fight for the Right
Beastie Boys
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Joe Jackson
Mustang Sally
Wilson Pickett
Hint
Answer
Carry On Wayward Son
Kansas
Alison
Elvis Costello
Low Rider
War
Take Me Home, Country Roads
John Denver
Vincent
Don McLean
Eight Miles High
The Byrds
Just What I Needed
The Cars
Daydream Believer
The Monkees
Tequila Sunrise
Eagles
Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffett
With or Without You
U2
More Than a Feeling
Boston
A Change is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke
Closer
Nine Inch Nails
Hold the Line
Toto
Rock and Roll All Nite
KISS
For the Love of Money
The O'Jays
You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'
The Righteous Brothers
When a Man Loves a Woman
Percy Sledge
King of Rock
Run-DMC
Take the Long Way Home
Supertramp
You Can Call Me Al
Paul Simon
Authority Song
John Mellencamp
Just My Imagination
The Temptations
Roxanne
The Police
Great Balls of Fire
Jerry Lee Lewis
Lose Yourself
Eminem
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
The Four Seasons
Good Vibrations
The Beach Boys
Viva La Vida
Coldplay
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
Hello It's Me
Todd Rundgren
Jessie's Girl
Rick Springfield
Baby, I Love Your Way
Peter Frampton
Good Riddance
Green Day
Joy to the World
Three Dog Night
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Stooges
Summer in the City
The Lovin' Spoonful
Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers
For What It's Worth
Buffalo Springfield
Shelter from the Storm
Bob Dylan
Without You
Harry Nilsson
Good Lovin'
The Rascals
Allison Road
Gin Blossoms
Peace Train
Cat Stevens
Layla
Derek and the Dominos
Peggy Sue
Buddy Holly and the Crickets
Short People
Randy Newman
The Twist
Chubby Checker
Purple Haze
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
She's Not There
The Zombies
Mr. Blue Sky
Electric Light Orchestra
Black Magic Woman
Carlos Santana
Roundabout
Yes
Thunder Road
Bruce Springsteen
Tutti Frutti
Little Richard
Hot Blooded
Foreigner
We’re an American Band
Grand Funk Railroad
Piano Man
Billy Joel
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
The Four Tops
White Room
Cream
Everyday People
Sly & the Family Stone
Eye in the Sky
The Alan Parsons Project
Beginnings
Chicago
I Want You to Want Me
Cheap Trick
You Are So Beautiful
Joe Cocker
The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden
Fire and Rain
James Taylor
In Between Days
The Cure
Don't Speak
No Doubt
American Woman/No Sugar Tonight
The Guess Who
Sultans of Swing
Dire Straits
(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman
Aretha Franklin
A Song for You
Leon Russell
Teach Your Children
Crosby, Stills & Nash
You're So Vain
Carly Simon
Jump
Van Halen
Last Dance
Donna Summer
Stop! In the Name of Love
Diana Ross and the Supremes
Sir Duke
Stevie Wonder
Won't Get Fooled Again
The Who
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac
Dancin' Fool
Frank Zappa
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
James Brown
You're My Best Friend
Queen
Beat It
Michael Jackson
Enter Sandman
Metallica
It's Too Late
Carole King
Crazy Train
Ozzy Osbourne
Only the Lonely
Roy Orbison
Theme from Shaft
Issac Hayes
Let's Dance
David Bowie
Fight the Power
Public Enemy
Thick as a Brick
Jethro Tull
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
John Lennon
Bye Bye Love
Everly Brothers
Let's Go Crazy
Prince
Stayin' Alive
Bee Gees
Sledgehammer
Peter Gabriel
It Don't Come Easy
Ringo Starr
Jolene
Dolly Parton
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Meatloaf
Rolling in the Deep
Adele
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Tempted
Squeeze
Be My Baby
The Ronettes
Up On Cripple Creek
The Band
Psycho Killer
Talking Heads
Anarchy in the U.K.
Sex Pistols
You Really Got Me
The Kinks
I Wanna Be Sedated
Ramones
Free Man in Paris
Joni Mitchell
Whole Lotta Love
Led Zeppelin
Maggie May
Rod Stewart
The Rubberband Man
The Spinners
I Feel For You
Chaka Khan
A Horse With No Name
America
What'd I Say
Ray Charles
I Saw Her Standing There
The Beatles
On the Road Again
Willie Nelson
If You Could Read My Mind
Gordon Lightfoot
Englishman in New York
Sting
Black Magic Woman
Santana
+3
Level 72
Jan 4, 2024
Of all the quizzes like this one, based on personal preference of the author, this is by a country mile, the best one I’ve seen. This is clearly a person of impeccable taste and I tip my hat to you..,

PS. Interesting that you have The Animals at number 4, since the drummer from the band now runs my local guitar/music shop. He’s a lovely bloke, deaf as post but does a very good guitar set-up. I may have to show him this now!

+2
Level 68
Jan 13, 2024
Couple of comments to make.

This isn't one of the worst lists I've ever seen, I would recommend some song changes to be more mainstream for people to guess. For example, Elton John, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Meat Loaf and others (I won't complain much but just a comment). Second of all, there are a couple typos I noticed like Bachman Turner Overdrive and Meat Loaf (should be spaced out).

Also is this list organized from top to bottom? So the Doors would be the top and Santana at the bottom?

If I had to suggest any artists:

Velvet Underground (Replace Lou Reed), 2Pac, Notorious BIG, Miles Davis, Nas, Leonard Cohen, Mariah Carey, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Woody Guthrie, Frank Sinatra, Nick Cave, Rakim, John Coltrane, Taylor Swift, The Smiths, Beck, Oasis, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, The Strokes, Sugerhill Gang, Wu-Tang Clan, NWA, Kanye West, King Crimson, The Replacements, White Stripes, Kate Bush, SOAD.

Just suggestions to consider, up to you but ones I'd do. :)

+2
Level 60
Jan 13, 2024
This is a fabulous list for any middle-aged American accountants pining for their university days, but for anyone with slightly less narrow musical interests, many of the choices are incomprehensible. It doesn't help that you've picked obscure songs for famous artists, and obscure artists for famous songs.
+1
Level 85
Jan 13, 2024
Definitely a boomer or early Gen X list
+1
Level 52
Mar 19, 2024
Under the Boardwalk (The Drifters) and Black Magic Woman (Santana) were both added twice.