Slash　

As the lead guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, Slash established himself as one of hard rock’s finest and most soulful soloists during the late ’80s, technically adept yet always firmly grounded in th ..more

Slayer　

Slayer were one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics dealt with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of ..more

Smashing Pumpkins　

Of all the major alternative rock bands of the early ’90s, the Smashing Pumpkins were the group least influenced by traditional underground rock. Lead guitarist/songwriter Billy Corgan fas ..more

The Smile　

The Smiths　

The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the ’80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the ’9 ..more

Snow Patrol　

After failing to secure an international audience for nearly ten years, Snow Patrol broke into the mainstream with 2003’s Final Straw, a mega-selling album that showcased the band’s fondness for ..more

SODOM　

This German black metal band’s early lineup consisted of Tom Angelripper (bass/vocals), Aggressor (guitar/vocals), and Chris Witchhunter Dudek (drums). They were heavily influenced by thras ..more

Soft Machine　

Soft Machine were never a commercial enterprise and indeed still remain unknown even to many listeners who came of age during the late ’60s and early ’70s, when the group was at its peak. In their ..more

Sonic Youth　

Sonic Youth were one of the most unlikely success stories of underground American rock in the ’80s. Where contemporaries R.E.M. and Husker Du were fairly conventional in terms of song structu ..more

Sparks　

St.Vincent　

St. Vincent became one of the unexpected success stories of indie rock with the release of her second album, Actor, in 2009; the literate, emotionally intricate songs and rich, beautifully craft ..more

Stackridge　

Stackridge, one of the most singular rock bands to grow in soil sown and enriched by the British Invasion of the ’60s, coalesced in late 1969. Andy Davis and Jim Crun Walter were playing to ..more

Status Quo　

Status Quo are one of Britain’s longest-lived bands, staying together for over six decades. During much of that time, the band was only successful in the U.K., where it racked up a string of Top Te ..more

Steely Dan　

Most rock ＆ roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the ..more

Steve Hackett　

Steve Hackett is best known as the guitarist with Genesis during their best years as both a progressive and commercial band, across ten albums of their history. His arrival in the group’s lineup ..more

Steve Marriott　

The frontman for British hitmakers the Small Faces and Humble Pie, singer/guitarist Steve Marriott was born January 30, 1947 in London; a successful child actor, he played the role of the Art ..more

Steve Vai　

Six-string wizard Steve Vai, along with his one-time teacher Joe Satriani, set the standard for rock guitar virtuosity in the ’80s. Born on June 6, 1960, and raised in Carle Place, New York, V ..more

Stevie Ray Vaughan　

With his astonishingly accomplished guitar playing, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the ’80s. Vaughan drew equally from bluesmen like Albert King, Otis Rush, and Muddy ..more

Sting　

The Strokes　

Equally inspired by classic tunesmiths like Buddy Holly and John Lennon and the street-smart attitude and angular riffs of fellow New Yorkers Television and the Velvet Underground, the S ..more