Best Hard Rock Bands

328 bands

Rank	Band / Formed / Genres	Albums
1	Deep Purple 1968, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Blues Rock	Machine Head (1972) #14 In Rock (1970) #95 Made in Japan (1972) [Live] #174
2	Led Zeppelin 1968, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock	Led Zeppelin IV (1971) #11 Led Zeppelin (1969) #70 How the West Was Won (2003) [Live] #138
3	Black Sabbath 1969, United Kingdom Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Doom Metal	Paranoid (1970) #13 Heaven and Hell (1980) #20 Black Sabbath (1970) #42
4	Queen 1970, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Art Rock, Pop Rock	A Night at the Opera (1975) #67 Queen II (1974) #319 Made in Heaven (1995) #343
5	AC/DC 1973, Australia Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Rock & Roll	Back in Black (1980) #59 Highway to Hell (1979) #419 The Razor's Edge (1990) #905
6	Ozzy Osbourne United Kingdom Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	Blizzard of Ozz (1980) #41 Tribute: Randy Rhoads (1987) [Live] #87 Diary of a Madman (1981) #521
7	Guns N' Roses 1985, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal	Appetite for Destruction (1987) #29 Use Your Illusion II (1991) #114 Use Your Illusion I (1991) #342
8	Rush 1968, Canada Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, Pop Rock	Moving Pictures (1981) #48 2112 (1976) #189 Hemispheres (1978) #338
9	Judas Priest 1970, United Kingdom Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	Painkiller (1990) #2 Defenders of the Faith (1984) #16 Screaming for Vengeance (1982) #55
10	Rainbow 1975, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, AOR	Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (1975) #82 Rising (1976) #96 Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (1978) #122
11	Scorpions 1964, Germany Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Pop Rock	Love at First Sting (1984) #225 Blackout (1982) #233 Moment of Glory (2000) #295
12	Bon Jovi 1983, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Pop Rock	Slippery When Wet (1986) #283 Keep the Faith (1992) #499 New Jersey (1988) #625
13	Whitesnake 1977, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Blues Rock, AOR	Whitesnake [aka 1987] (1987) #38 Slip of the Tongue (1989) #387 Live in the Heart of the City (1980) [Live] #719
14	Alice Cooper United States Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Psychedelic Rock	Trash (1989) #730 Killer (1972) #962 Greatest Hits (1974) [Compilation]
15	Aerosmith 1970, United States Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Pop Rock	Pump (1989) #510 Toys in the Attic (1975) #753 Get a Grip (1993) #777
16	Skid Row 1986, United States Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Glam Metal	Slave to the Grind (1991) #186 Skid Row (1989) #251 Subhuman Race (1995) #2534
17	Mötley Crüe 1981, United States Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	Dr. Feelgood (1989) #237 Shout at the Devil (1983) #1138 Girls, Girls, Girls (1987) #1561
18	Def Leppard 1977, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Pop Rock, AOR, Glam Metal, NWOBHM	Hysteria (1987) #128 Pyromania (1983) #636 Adrenalize (1992) #1435
19	Van Halen 1974, United States Hard Rock, Pop Rock, Glam Metal	1984 (1984) #284 Van Halen (1978) #501 5150 (1986) #553
20	Kiss 1973, United States Hard Rock, Glam Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal	Creatures of the Night (1982) #1247 Destroyer (1976) #1534 Alive! (1975) [Live] #1535
21	Mr. Big 1988, United States Hard Rock, Pop Rock, Glam Metal	Lean Into It (1991) #454 What If… (2011) #1281 Bump Ahead (1993) #1411
22	Extreme 1985, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Funk Metal	II Pornograffitti (1990) #106 III Sides to Every Story (1992) #223 Extreme (1989) #1596
23	Uriah Heep 1969, United Kingdom Hard Rock, Progressive Rock	Demons and Wizards (1972) #917 The Magician's Birthday (1972) #1139 Uriah Heep Live (1973) [Live] #1429
24	Motörhead 1975, United Kingdom Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	Ace of Spades (1980) #109 Overkill (1979) #567 Inferno (2004) #2263
25	Gary Moore United Kingdom Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Metal	Still Got the Blues (1990) #205 Wild Frontier (1987) #450 Victims of the Future (1983) #706
26	Stryper 1983, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, Christian Rock	To Hell with the Devil (1986) #341 In God We Trust (1988) #1805 Against the Law (1990) #2568
27	N.EX.T 1992, Korea Progressive Metal, Hard Rock, Pop Rock	The Return of N.EX.T Part 1 - The Being (1994) #134 Lazenca: A Space Rock Opera (1997) #262 The Return of N.EX.T Part 2 - World (1995) #475
28	Journey 1973, United States Hard Rock, AOR, Pop Rock	Escape (1981) #602 Frontiers (1983) #1155 Greatest Hits Live (1998) [Live] #1628
29	Metallica 1981, United States Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal	Ride the Lightning (1984) #6 Master of Puppets (1986) #21 ...And Justice for All (1988) #69
30	Europe 1981, Sweden Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal, AOR	The Final Countdown (1986) #639 Prisoners in Paradise (1991) #1255 Secret Society (2006) #2379
31	UFO 1969, United Kingdom Hard Rock, AOR, Space Rock	Phenomenon (1974) #1253 Strangers in the Night (1979) [Live] #1315 Force It (1975) #1443
32	Megadeth 1983, United States Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal	Rust in Peace (1990) #1 Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986) #15 Countdown to Extinction (1992) #140
33	Thin Lizzy 1969, Ireland Hard Rock, Heavy Metal	Thunder and Lightning (1983) #966 Jailbreak (1976) #1452 Live and Dangerous (1978) [Live] #1605
34	Firehouse 1989, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR	Firehouse (1990) #439 Hold Your Fire (1992) #1100 Good Acoustics (1996) #2879
35	Joe Satriani United States Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Progressive Rock	Surfing With the Alien (1987) #665 The Extremist (1992) #1197 Flying in a Blue Dream (1989) #2253
36	Fair Warning 1990, Germany Hard Rock, AOR	Go! (1997) #531 4 (2000) #1982 Sundancer (2013) #2597
37	Poison 1983, United States Glam Metal, Hard Rock	Flesh and Blood (1990) #802 Open Up and Say...Ahh! (1988) #1523 Power to the People (2000) [Live]
38	Steve Vai United States Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock	Passion and Warfare (1990) #482 Alien Love Secrets (1995) [EP] #906 Fire Garden (1996) #3395
39	Ratt 1981, United States Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal	Detonator (1990) #1453 Out of the Cellar (1984) #1834 Infestation (2010) #2362
40	H.E.A.T 2007, Sweden Hard Rock, AOR	H.E.A.T II (2020) #182 Tearing Down the Walls (2014) #2188 Address the Nation (2012) #2363
41	Kansas 1972, United States Progressive Rock, Hard Rock, AOR	Leftoverture (1976) #369 Point of Know Return (1977) #451 Song for America (1974) #1357
42	The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1966, United Kingdom Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Acid Rock	Electric Ladyland (1968) #151 Are You Experienced? (1967) #272 Axis: Bold As Love (1967) #2025
43	Cinderella 1982, United States Glam Metal, Hard Rock, Blues Rock	Long Cold Winter (1988) #598 Night Songs (1986) #2018 Heartbreak Station (1990) #3442
44	L.A. Guns 1982, United States Glam Metal, Hard Rock	L.A. Guns (1988) #1037 Hollywood Vampires (1991) #1965 Cocked & Loaded (1989) #2134
45	White Lion 1983, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, AOR	All You Need Is Rock 'N' Roll (The Complete Albums 1985-1991) (2020) [Boxed set] Mane Attraction (1991) #1149 The Best of White Lion (1992) [Compilation]
46	Steelheart 1983, United States Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Heavy Metal	Steelheart (1990) #645 Tangled in Reins (1992) #1633 Rock'n Milan (2018) [Live]
47	Blue Öyster Cult 1970, United States Hard Rock, Pop Rock, Heavy Metal	Agents of Fortune (1976) #2140 Fire of Unknown Origin (1981) #2972 On Your Feet or on Your Knees (1975) [Live]
48	Pink Cream 69 1987, Germany Hard Rock, Power Metal, Heavy Metal	Ceremonial (2013) #1321 In10Sity (2007) #1477 Endangered (2001)
49	The Poodles 2005, Sweden Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, AOR	Performocracy (2011) #744 Clash of the Elements (2009) #1530 Metal Will Stand Tall (2006) #1945
50	Budgie 1967, United Kingdom Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Hard Rock	Never Turn Your Back on a Friend (1973) #576 In for the Kill (1974) #2684 An Ecstasy of Fumbling: the Definitive Anthology (1996) [Compilation]

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Best Alternative Metal Bands	Best Atmospheric Black Metal Bands	Best Atmospheric Sludge Metal Bands
Best Avant-garde Metal Bands	Best Black Metal Bands	Best Brutal Death Metal Bands
Best Crossover Thrash Bands	Best Death Doom Metal Bands	Best Death Metal Bands
Best Deathcore Bands	Best Deathgrind Bands	Best Depressive Black Metal Bands
Best Djent Bands	Best Doom Metal Bands	Best Drone Metal Bands
Best Folk Metal Bands	Best Funeral Doom Metal Bands	Best Glam Metal Bands
Best Goregrind Bands	Best Gothic Metal Bands	Best Grindcore Bands
Best Groove Metal Bands	▶ Best Hard Rock Bands	Best Heavy Metal Bands
Best Industrial Metal Bands	Best Mathcore Bands	Best Melodic Black Metal Bands
Best Melodic Death Metal Bands	Best Melodic Metalcore Bands	Best Metalcore Bands
Best Neoclassical Metal Bands	Best Nu Metal Bands	Best Power Metal Bands
Best Progressive Metal Bands	Best Sludge Metal Bands	Best Speed Metal Bands
Best Stoner Metal Bands	Best Symphonic Black Metal Bands	Best Symphonic Metal Bands
Best Technical Death Metal Bands	Best Technical Thrash Metal Bands	Best Thrash Metal Bands
Best Trance Metal Bands	Best Trancecore Bands	Best Viking Metal Bands
Best War Metal Bands