REO Speedwagon　

Three bands were the undisputed arena rock kings of the early ’80s -- Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon -- yet all weren’t overnight success stories (in fact, each group began pursuing dif ..more

R.E.M.　

R.E.M. marked the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, Radio Free Europe, was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American und ..more

a-ha　

Arctic Monkeys　

By distilling the sounds of Franz Ferdinand, the Clash, the Strokes, and the Libertines into a hybrid of swaggering indie rock and danceable neo-punk, Arctic Monkeys became one of ..more

Avril Lavigne　

Avril Lavigne first appeared in summer 2002, touting an addictive debut single (the spunky pop/rock gem Complicated) and a skatepunk image that purposely clashed with the polished glamour of m ..more

Anderson / Bruford / Wakeman / Howe　

The group Yes has had a long and complicated history. By 1989, there were two different factions, one led by bassist Chris Squire that owned the rights to the name Yes, and this one, featur ..more

Anthrax　

Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax were responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitar ..more

Albert King　

Albert King is truly a King of the Blues, although he doesn’t hold that title (B.B. does). Along with B.B. and Freddie King, Albert King is one of the major influences on blues ..more

Alcest　

Formed in 1999 by French black metal multi-instrumentalist Neige (who also worked with Peste Noire, Mortifera, and Amesoeurs), Alcest was originally conceived as a solo project. It woul ..more

Alcatrazz　

Alcatrazz was originally formed as a vehicle for vocalist Graham Bonnet, but became famous for introducing budding guitar heroes instead, namely Swedish phenom Yngwie J. Malmsteen and ex-Fr ..more

Alison Moyet　

Alison Moyet, a British pop singer with a remarkably bluesy voice, began her professional career with synth pop duo Yazoo (Yaz in the U.S.) in the early ’80s. In 1983, Moyet began a solo c ..more

Alice Cooper　

Originally, there was a band called Alice Cooper led by a singer named Vincent Damon Furnier. Under his direction, Alice Cooper pioneered a grandly theatrical and violent brand of heavy metal ..more

Alice In Chains　

Ariana Grande　

A television star turned pop diva, Ariana Grande emerged in the mid-2010s as an heir to the throne of Mariah Carey. Blessed with powerful vocals that belied her petite frame, Grande had great ..more

The Alan Parsons Project　

Engineer/producer Alan Parsons and his colleague, songwriter and lyricist Eric Woolfson, formed the Alan Parsons Project in 1975. Throughout their career, the Alan Parsons Project recorded concept alb ..more

Amorphis　

Lead guitarist Esa Holopainen and drummer Jan Rechberger formed the band Amorphis in Finland in 1990. To complete their lineup they recruited vocalist/guitarist Tomi Koivusaari and bassist ..more

America　

A light folk-rock act of the early ’70s, America had several Top Ten hits, including the number ones A Horse with No Name and Sister Golden Hair. Vocalists/guitarists Dewey Bunnell, ..more

Apocalyptica　

The Helsinki, Finland quartet Apocalyptica were initially comprised of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Max Lilja, Antero Manninen, and Paavo Lotjonen; formed in 1993, the g ..more

ABBA　

The most commercially successful pop group of the 1970s, the origins of the Swedish superstars ABBA dated back to 1966, when keyboardist and vocalist Benny Andersson, a onetime member of the ..more

Adele　

When the U.K. press began dubbing Adele the next Amy Winehouse in late 2007, the hype didn’t touch upon the singer/songwriter influence found in the Londoner’s music. Influenced by Roberta F ..more