Rock (Very) Steady With VH1's 'Greatest Artists of All Time'

If you're going to organize a slew of beloved musical artists, list them in order of "greatness" right up to the very "greatest," it stands to reason that the overall result would evoke a reaction along the lines of..."GREAT!" Or at least contain a few exciting surprises. So how did VH1's creaky, predictable
ranking of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time,' being counted down in series of specials premiering tomorrow night, end up being such a snooze?
Music fans are having countless issues with the list. For one thing, guess how many men landed in the top 20? Nineteen. (Actually a lot more, if you count all the males in top-ranking bands.) There's just one female in the mix of greats in those top 20 spots.
Not that Madonna (No. 16) is undeserving of praise. But is a Rock History 101 coursepack -- heavily focused on all the usual (aging or deceased) suspects like Hendrix, Presley, U2, Bowie, and led by the five top finalists Zeppelin, the Stones, Michael Jackson, Dylan and the Beatles -- really the most compelling way to wind up the summer with fresh primetime programming?
Based on the list, the show doesn't promise many surprises. But there are a few! Have a look.
- Sade (No. 50) ranked higher than Billy Joel (No. 51), Public Enemy (No. 54), The Doors (No. 65), and Mary J. Blige (No. 80).
- George Michael (No. 87) ranked higher than the Beastie Boys (No. 89), Pearl Jam (No. 93), Mariah Carey (No. 94), and OutKast (No. 95).
- Janis Joplin came in way down at No. 72.
- Eminem is No. 79. (What rhymes with "F***in' 79"? Pretty sure he'll tell us.)
- And when it comes to bands vs. solo artists from those bands, Peter Gabriel (No. 55) ranked higher than Genesis (No. 62), while John Lennon (No. 31) and Paul McCartney (No. 36) ranked lower than the Beatles (who made the Top 5, a grouping that won't be precisely ranked until the broadcast of the show). Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake ranked at No. 66, while N*Sync was mysteriously absent from the list.
Have you seen VH1's 'Greatest Artists'
list? Do you believe it's even possible to select 100 musical artists across different eras and rank them by greatness? PopEater wants your take, so sound off below!
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ARE YOU PEOPLE RETARDED ????
ERIC CLAPTON
ALLMAN BROTHERS
SANTANA
THIN LIZZY
WHO VOTES ON THIS ????
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Those are some of my faves- got a problem with that??
No doubt. This list is just retarded. They even left out Tom Petty, the Eagles, Steve Miller band, REO, ELO, Rush,STYX...and so many other rock and roll greats.
They must be retarded...also No EAGLES, Simon and Garfunkel ...Elton John ranked way too low! He owned the 70' and 80's......SADE is ranked AHEAD of Billy Joel?????wtf
Thin Lizzy?? C'mon dude... get a grip. They had ONE hit: "The Boys Are Back in Town". That does not put them into the "greatest of all time" category by a long stretch.
They must have just thrown a list together...i mean Bon Jovi isn't even on it and they are the Number One Tour for 2010 and 2008. They brought in the most money for both of those tours and been around for 25 years....now that's a "Greatest Artist of all Time"
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Hello! Where is Blondie? Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Members Blondie should definitely be in the Top 20. VH1 - Idiots!!
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HELLO...............The Eagles? Who are you people....:(
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"- Voting was conducted by Shugoll Research. The list was determined by a poll of musicians and music experts. Over 200 artists voted including Alicia Keys, Diddy, Ozzy Osbourne and Carrie Underwood, as well as members of U2, the Police, Metallica and Aerosmith."
Um, if you would have read the entire thing, you would have stumbled upon this paragraph.
Bob Dylan,Has to be the overall greatest chamelion/ ("song and Dance Man")..LoL... overall entertainer that ever stepped up to a Mike....I have never seen the man in person...Thanks to Utube though I have been entertained by him from his youth on the johnny Cash show to his recent singing at the White house...My favorites are..cold iron bounds...beyond here lies nothing...nocking on heavens door...WoW, to many to mention...Thanks Mr Dylan....For a lifetime....Brad Barry
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Hank Williams. Robert Johnson.
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Elvis was not more talented than Stevie, Freddie Mercury, Marvin Gaye and countless others. Americans are love love with that Hillbilly.
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And why not? By the way he was not a hillbilly. He was a Redneck. Learn your geography. Hillbilly implies from the hills. He was not!! He may not be number one but he should be in the top 2. You think just like these du mb writers. Chances are you think madonna should be number one.
The EAGLES aren't on this list? Are you kidding me? I'm not even a big Eagles fan, but they are better than at least thirty of the acts listed here and probably belong in the top twenty. Is this a joke? Journey? Billy Joel? Justin Timberlake? And no Eagles? HUH?
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And that is why i never watch V.H.1 but their opinion doesnt count any more than yours or mine.
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I am not really an Eagles fan, but I agree with those wondering why they are not listed. Also, Journey only #96? And what about many of the great Motown acts, and where is the number one female artist of all time (record sales), Celine Dion? It is an impossible task, but some of the names shown in the list, belong in the second 100..........not the top 100.
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I'm sorry, but I don't care to see Mary J. Blige on the list of top 100 anything. Her voice is great, yeah, but that's no excuse. The Eagles aren't on here, as many have noted. And Mary J. is? The "Flava of Love" network obviously got this one wrong. And where is Cyndi Lauper and Tracy Chapman? One wrote "Time After Time" and the other wrote "Fast Car"!!!! Really, VH1?
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ELVIS, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Aretha, Celine, Four Seasons, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Doors, Dave Clark Five, The Stones etc. But of all, Elvis was the beginning, the King.
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i thought they messed up bad with the 100 greatest hip hop songs, but this has gone too far! how in the hell is mariah carey below beyonce?! how is pink floyd below nirvana"? what in the world is going on?
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