Artist Index How to use Artist INDEX

Van Halen　

With their 1978 eponymous debut, Van Halen simultaneously rewrote the rules of rock guitar and hard rock in general. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen redefined what the electric guitar could do, ..more

Vampire Weekend　

Describing their sound as Upper West Side Soweto, New York City’s Vampire Weekend mix preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Ezra Koenig, Chris Bai ..more

Velvet Underground　

Few rock groups can claim to have broken so much new territory, and maintain such consistent brilliance on record, as the Velvet Underground during their brief lifespan. It was the group’s lot t ..more

W.E.T.　

Wishbone Ash　

During the early- and mid-’70s, Wishbone Ash were among England’s most popular hard rock acts. The group’s roots dated to the summer of 1966, when drummer Steve Upton formed a band called E ..more

Van Morrison　

Equal parts blue-eyed soul shouter and wild-eyed poet-sorcerer, Van Morrison is among popular music’s true innovators, a restless seeker whose incantatory vocals and alchemical fusion of R＆B, jazz, ..more

Van Der Graaf Generator　

An eye-opening trip to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury during the summer of 1967 inspired British-born drummer Chris Judge Smith to compose a list of possible names for the rock group he wished t ..more

Voivod　

Voivod (singer Denis Snake Belanger, guitarist Denis Piggy d’Amour, drummer Michel Away Langevin, and bassist Jean-Yves Blacky Theriault) were one of the first thrash bands f ..more

Ultravox　

Rejecting the abrasive guitars of their punk-era contemporaries in favor of lushly romantic synthesizers, Ultravox emerged as one of the primary influences on the British electro-pop movement of th ..more

Wilco　

Wilco rose from the ashes of the seminal roots rock band Uncle Tupelo, which disbanded in 1994. While Jay Farrar, one of the group’s two singer/songwriters, went on to form Son Volt, his e ..more

Weezer　

As one of the most popular groups to emerge in the post-grunge alternative rock aftermath, Weezer received equal amounts of criticism and praise for their hook-heavy guitar pop. Drawing fr ..more

Willy Moon　

New Zealand-born singer/musician/producer Willy Moon boasted a distinctive sound and look, mixing elements of ’50s rock and contemporary hip-hop in his music and a retro, dressed-to-the-nines wardr ..more

Vicious Rumors　

Vicious Rumors were formed in 1980 in Santa Rosa, CA, by guitarist Geoff Thorpe. Filling out the original lineup were vocalist Mark Tate, guitarist Jim Cassero, bassist Jeff Barnacle, a ..more

Willie Nelson　

As a songwriter and a performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock ＆ roll country music. Although he didn’t become a star until the mid-’70s, Nelson spent the ’60s writing son ..more

Within Temptation　

Goth metal stars Within Temptation marry the guitar-driven force of hard rock with the sweep and grandeur of symphonic music, and the results have made them one of the most popular bands ever ..more

Witchcraft　

The Swedish retro-doom-psych-folk band known as Witchcraft was started in 2000 by vocalist/guitarist Magnus Pelander, whose original intent was to record a single in tribute to Pen ..more

The Vaccines　

Wavves　

Named for his fear of the ocean, Wavves, the skuzzy project of San Diego slacker Nathan Williams, is a blend of distorted no-fi and refined sunshiny melodies. Charmingly messy, most of his lyric ..more

Venom　

A seminal influence on the evolution of thrash and black metal, Venom formed during the late ’70s in Newcastle, England. Originally a five-piece group called Oberon, they eventually trimmed t ..more

Virgins