Trafficking in big ideas and big sounds, a band that operated on a grander scale than any other from the '80s and attracted legions of devoted fans.
38. Wu-Tang Clan
Sprawling group of hip-hop revolutionaries who brought to the rap mainstream their sparse, dark funk and bracingly violent martial-arts imagery.
37. Beck
One of the most inventive, eclectic figures of the alternative era, the epitome of post-modern chic in an era obsessed with junk culture.
36. My Morning Jacket
Revered Kentucky combo that stands halfway between indie rock and alt-country, combining twangy, rural sounds with a thick rock onslaught.
35. Pavement
Their fractured songwriting and defiant low fidelity made them the most influential, distinctive band in the alternative underground of the '90s.
34. The Replacements
Willfully messy and driven toward self-sabotage, they became one of the best and most influential rock & roll bands of the '80s.
33. Jack White/The White Stripes
Detroit duo that walked the line between blues-rock primitivism and arty minimalism, unexpectedly becoming kings of garage rock in the 2000s. A blues-rock auteur who rose to fame with White Stripes and pursued an eccentric solo career.
32. The Clash
The best and most accomplished punk band, critically important provocateurs influenced by reggae, rockabilly, and blues.
31. Stevie Wonder
A teenage soul sensation in the '60s who racked up smash after smash, then explored adventurous, risky territory on his pioneering '70s albums.
30. Nine Inch Nails
Industrial dance music's most popular band, led by Trent Reznor and his gift for cathartic songwriting and pulverizing productions.
