Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists is a historical editorial ranking, not a running league table. Its artists range from the pioneers of rock and soul to later pop, hip-hop and alternative acts. This page compares their major Grammy recognition and their success on the UK and US singles charts, while retaining the original sales and awards material for reference. The comparisons reveal different kinds of achievement: a high editorial rank does not require many chart-topping singles, and Grammy success does not always follow commercial popularity. Updated chart leaders are distinguished from the older source-page figures in the comprehensive table below.
The ranking remains the published 2010 list. The Grammy comparisons cover Album, Record and Song of the Year; they exclude Best New Artist.
Statistics
- Main Grammy awards
- Main Grammy nominations
- UK number-one singles
- US Hot 100 number-one singles — selected artists
- UK versus US chart success
- Grammy nominations: wins and other outcomes
- Solo artists and producers versus groups and duos
- Artist origins across the ranking
- Share of UK number ones among the verified cohort
1. Main Grammy awards
U2 leads this historical comparison with six awards across the three categories. Its recognition spans The Joshua Tree and the band’s later recordings, showing that critical recognition can extend beyond an act’s earliest commercial peak.
Eric Clapton’s five illustrates the importance of a concentrated breakthrough: Unplugged and Tears in Heaven brought several major awards in one ceremony. The comparison also places Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Simon & Garfunkel among the leading acts.
Source: original World in Stats dataset, retrieved 12 October 2026. Its observation year is unspecified; figures are retained for reference and have not been independently audited.
2. Main Grammy nominations
The earlier nomination list brings hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z and Eminem alongside rock and soul performers. Nominations capture recognition across a wider range of recordings than wins alone.
The gap between a nomination and an award is substantial for several acts. This is a historical comparison of the page’s original counts: later credits, especially songwriting and production contributions on other artists’ recordings, can alter an artist’s totals.
Source: original World in Stats dataset, retrieved 12 October 2026. Its observation year is unspecified; figures are retained for reference and have not been independently audited.
3. UK number-one singles
Elvis Presley remains ahead of the Beatles among these artists on the UK singles chart. The Beatles’ Now and Then raised their total to eighteen in 2023, decades after the group’s original recordings dominated the charts.
Madonna leads the women in this selected comparison, while Eminem’s Houdini brought him to eleven. Elton John’s later collaborations lifted his total to ten, showing how established artists can reach new audiences long after their first hits.
Sources: Official Charts artist profiles and its most-number-ones summary, checked 12 October 2026. Selected verified leaders from the Rolling Stone list; other artists’ older counts remain in the table.
4. US Hot 100 number-one singles — selected artists
The Beatles lead this selected Hot 100 comparison with twenty number-one singles. Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Supremes also achieved repeated success at the summit, spanning different eras of American pop.
Elvis Presley has seven Hot 100 number ones. The chart began in August 1958, after many of his signature early hits, so this figure should not be confused with the original page’s broader eighteen-hit total. Group and solo careers are kept separate.
Source: Billboard-authored 2026 Hot 100 leaders summary, syndicated by Radio 88.8; selected artists only. Hot 100 period begins 4 August 1958; featured credits are included.
5. UK versus US chart success
The Beatles combine high UK and US totals, while Madonna and Michael Jackson sit close to an even balance. The Rolling Stones have eight number ones in each territory.
Elton John’s ten UK and nine US chart-toppers are also closely matched. Elvis appears further towards the UK axis because this US comparison excludes the pre-Hot 100 charts; that difference reflects the counting window as well as the music’s reception.
Sources and credit rules as in charts 3–4. Six artists with verified figures in both territories; the plot is not the complete 100-artist dataset.
6. Grammy nominations: wins and other outcomes
Stacking winning and non-winning nominations makes the original awards comparison easier to read. U2 and Eric Clapton have a relatively large gold segment, while other artists accumulated many nominations without a win in these three categories.
The grey segment represents nominations that did not become wins in the earlier figures. It does not describe the quality of an artist’s music or their success across the Grammy Awards’ many genre categories.
Source: original World in Stats dataset, retrieved 12 October 2026. Its observation year is unspecified; figures are retained for reference and have not been independently audited.
7. Solo artists and producers versus groups and duos
The list mixes individual performers and producers with bands, vocal groups and duos. These entries do not represent equal numbers of people: one band occupies a single ranking position just as one solo artist does.
This division helps explain why individual Grammy credits and group credits need separate treatment. Members’ solo achievements are not automatically added to the entry for their band.
Source: the named 100-artist list; editorial classification in the supporting table. Phil Spector is counted as an individual producer. Santana and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are counted as groups.
8. Artist origins across the ranking
American acts dominate the list’s rank bands, alongside a substantial British contribution. This reflects the ranking’s focus on the English-language rock, soul, pop and hip-hop traditions.
Canada, Ireland and Australia contribute fewer entries, but their acts include prominent songwriters and bands. Origin means a solo artist’s country of birth or a group’s place of formation; it is distinct from citizenship, ancestry and the nationality of every member.
Source: named list and artist biographies; origin coding is supplied for all 100 entries in the table. The Band is coded Canada; Northern Irish Van Morrison is coded United Kingdom; Santana is coded United States by formation.
9. Share of UK number ones among the verified cohort
The five leading artists contribute a large share of the UK number-one credits in this eleven-act cohort. Elvis and the Beatles account for the largest slices, followed by Madonna, Eminem and Elton John.
The denominator is the sum of artist credits, not the number of unique songs: a collaboration can count for more than one artist. This chart describes the selected cohort rather than all UK chart-toppers or all one hundred Rolling Stone entries.
Source: chart 3. Denominator: 111 number-one artist credits across eleven verified acts. Slice colours distinguish artists and do not denote genre or nationality.
Elvis Presley helped define the sound and image of early rock and roll, combining rhythm and blues, country and pop influences. His twenty-one UK number-one singles place him ahead of the other artists compared here. In the United States, many of his breakthrough recordings appeared before the Billboard Hot 100 began in August 1958, which explains why his seven Hot 100 chart-toppers understate his broader early chart dominance. Reissues also brought his music back to the UK summit decades later. His enduring popularity shows how a recording catalogue can continue reaching new listeners long after an artist’s original career ends.
Artist data — all 100 entries
One table supports the composition, rank-band, awards and singles comparisons. Scroll sideways for all columns and vertically for all artists. With sortable add-on v1.1 active, click a heading to sort. Blank verified cells mean not rechecked, not zero. Earlier sales are reproduced in millions as originally supplied; they are not comparable audited worldwide sales. Historical racial labels are preserved verbatim for reference and are not used in the new charts.
| Rank | Artist | Act type | Origin | Race classification | Main Grammy wins | Main Grammy nominations | All Grammy wins (nominations) | Certified sales, millions | US no. 1s (including pre-Hot 100 charts) | UK no. 1s | UK no. 1s (updated) | US Hot 100 no. 1s (updated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Beatles | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 2 | 10 | 14(29) | 272 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 |
| 2 | Bob Dylan | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 1 | 4 | 10(38) | 45.4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Elvis Presley | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 2 | 2(4) | 224.5 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 7 |
| 4 | The Rolling Stones | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 1 | 4(14) | 99.1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 5 | Chuck Berry | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 1 | ||
| 6 | Jimi Hendrix | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | James Brown | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 3(8) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | Little Richard | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Aretha Franklin | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 18(44) | 25.5 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 10 | Ray Charles | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 2 | 6 | 17(37) | N/A | 3 | 1 | ||
| 11 | Bob Marley | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41.3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | Beach Boys | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | 30.7 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 13 | Buddy Holly | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 1 | 2 | ||
| 14 | Led Zeppelin | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(3) | 140 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Stevie Wonder | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 3 | 8 | 25(74) | 35.2 | 10 | 2 | 10 | |
| 16 | Sam Cooke | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(6) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 17 | Muddy Waters | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 6(11) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | Marvin Gaye | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 2(12) | N/A | 3 | 1 | ||
| 19 | Velvet Underground | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Bo Diddley | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Otis Redding | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 2(5) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 22 | U2 | Group / duo | Ireland | White/European | 6 | 11 | 22(46) | 109.3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | |
| 23 | Bruce Springsteen | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 1 | 8 | 20(50) | 103.2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Jerry Lee Lewis | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(3) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Fats Domino | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | The Ramones | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Prince | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 3 | 7(38) | 65.1 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 28 | The Clash | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | N/A | 0 | 1 | ||
| 29 | The Who | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 27.6 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Nirvana | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(6) | 47.3 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Johnny Cash | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 2 | 13(35) | 31.1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles | Group / duo | United States | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 0 | 0 | |||
| 33 | Everly Brothers | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | N/A | 4 | |||
| 34 | Neil Young | Solo artist / producer | Canada | White/European | 0 | 3 | 2(27) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Michael Jackson | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 3 | 8 | 13(38) | 230.6 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 13 |
| 36 | Madonna | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 3 | 7(28) | 172.9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| 37 | Roy Orbison | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 1 | 5(9) | N/A | 2 | 3 | ||
| 38 | John Lennon | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 1 | 2 | 1(4) | N/A | 4 | 3 | ||
| 39 | David Bowie | Solo artist / producer | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 1 | 5(19) | 34.8 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |
| 40 | Simon & Garfunkel | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 3 | 4 | 7(11) | 59.6 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 41 | The Doors | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48.1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 42 | Van Morrison | Solo artist / producer | United Kingdom | White/European & White/European | 0 | 0 | 2(7) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Sly & The Family Stone | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 3 | 0 | ||
| 44 | Public Enemy | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(6) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 45 | The Byrds | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 2 | 1 | ||
| 46 | Janis Joplin | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 47 | Patti Smith | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 48 | Run-DMC | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 0 | 1 | ||
| 49 | Elton John | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 7 | 5(34) | 183.7 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| 50 | The Band | Group / duo | Canada | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 51 | Pink Floyd | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 1 | 1(4) | 120.3 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 52 | Queen | Group / duo | United Kingdom | East Indian and White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | 135.8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
| 53 | The Allman Brothers Band | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(8) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 54 | Howlin' Wolf | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 55 | Eric Clapton | Solo artist / producer | United Kingdom | White/European | 5 | 6 | 17(37) | 70.3 | 1 | |||
| 56 | Dr. Dre | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 4 | 6(26) | N/A | 3 | 0 | ||
| 57 | Grateful Dead | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 58 | Parliament / Funkadelic | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 59 | Aerosmith | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 4(14) | 85.3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 60 | Sex Pistols | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 61 | Metallica | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 8(18) | 95.8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 62 | Joni Mitchell | Solo artist / producer | Canada | White/European | 1 | 3 | 8(16) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 63 | Tina Turner | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 2 | 3 | 8(25) | 33.8 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 64 | Phil Spector | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 1 | 3 | 1(3) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 65 | The Kinks | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 66 | Al Green | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 11(21) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 67 | Cream | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 68 | The Temptations | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 4(9) | N/A | 4 | 0 | ||
| 69 | Jackie Wilson | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 70 | The Police | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 2 | 5(8) | 39.6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | |
| 71 | Frank Zappa | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 2(9) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 72 | AC/DC | Group / duo | Australia | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(7) | 115 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 73 | Radiohead | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 3 | 3(18) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 74 | Hank Williams | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | |||
| 75 | The Eagles | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 1 | 4 | 6(18) | 149.5 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 76 | The Shirelles | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 2 | 0 | ||
| 77 | Beastie Boys | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 3(10) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 78 | The Stooges | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 79 | The Four Tops | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 2 | 1 | ||
| 80 | Elvis Costello | Solo artist / producer | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(14) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 81 | The Drifters | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 82 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 1 | ||
| 83 | Eminem | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 9 | 15(44) | 224.3 | 5 | 9 | 11 | |
| 84 | James Taylor | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 5 | 5(18) | N/A | 1 | 0 | ||
| 85 | Black Sabbath | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 2(4) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 86 | 2Pac | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(6) | N/A | 2 | 1 | ||
| 87 | Gram Parsons | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 88 | Jay-Z | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 10 | 22(77) | 103.7 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 89 | The Yardbirds | Group / duo | United Kingdom | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 90 | Santana | Group / duo | United States | Mestizo | 2 | 2 | 10(14) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 91 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 2 | 3(18) | 34.7 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 92 | Guns N' Roses | Group / duo | United States | White/European and Mixed | 0 | 0 | 0(3) | 76 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 93 | Booker T & The MG's | Group / duo | United States | White/European and Black/African | 0 | 0 | 1(4) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 94 | Nine Inch Nails | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 2(10) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 95 | Lynyrd Skynyrd | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 96 | The Supremes | Group / duo | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | N/A | 12 | 1 | 12 | |
| 97 | R.E.M. | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 3 | 3(13) | 42.8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 98 | Curtis Mayfield | Solo artist / producer | United States | Black/African | 0 | 0 | 0(8) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 99 | Carl Perkins | Solo artist / producer | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 1(2) | N/A | 0 | 0 | ||
| 100 | Talking Heads | Group / duo | United States | White/European | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | N/A | 0 | 0 |
Other pages about music, arts and entertainment
Sources
- Original page and earlier data
- Rolling Stone: 100 Greatest Artists (2010)
- MusicBrainz: indexed 2010 list and artist metadata
- Official Charts: artists with the most number-one singles
- Official Charts: Beatles profile
- Official Charts: Elton John profile
- Billboard-authored Hot 100 leaders summary, syndicated by Radio 88.8
- Recording Academy: artist awards and credit definitions
- Wikipedia: original supplementary source retained
Source checks: 12 October 2026. Rolling Stone’s full article was inaccessible to the checker; list membership follows the original page and the MusicBrainz index. Earlier figures have an unspecified observation year. Race, sales and Grammy figures have not all been independently verified. Origin and act-type coding are editorial and should be reviewed alongside artist biographies before publication.