James　

As one of the first groups to be dubbed the next Smiths, James became an institution on the British alternative music scene during the ’80s and ’90s with their pleasant folk-pop. Early in thei ..more

John Mayer　

After making his introduction as a sensitive, acoustic-styled songwriter on 2001’s Room for Squares, John Mayer steadily widened his approach over the subsequent years, encompassing everything f ..more

Jack Bruce　

Although some may be tempted to call multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Jack Bruce a rock ＆ roll musician, blues and jazz were what this innovative musician really loved. As a result, ..more

John Cale　

While John Cale is one of the most famous and, in his own way, influential underground rock musicians, he is also one of the hardest to pin down stylistically. Much has been made of his schooling i ..more

Jim O'Rourke　

American post-classical composer Jim O’Rourke has been a key component in the increasing overlap of the American and European experimental music avant-garde, working in everything from jazz and roc ..more

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts　

Jesus And Mary Chain　

Like the Velvet Underground, their most obvious influence, the chart success of the Jesus and Mary Chain was virtually nonexistent, but their artistic impact was incalculable; quite simply, the ..more

Johnny Marr　

Jimmy Page　

Unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history is Jimmy Page. Just about every rock guitarist from the late ’60s/earl ..more

Jerry Garcia　

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jerry Garcia was best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead, the rock band for which he served as de facto leader for 30 years, from 1965 until his de ..more

Jon Anderson　

Born John Roy Anderson on October 25, 1944, in Lancashire, England, Jon Anderson would grow up to become one of the most recognizable voices in progressive rock. He began his musical career by j ..more

James Gang　

With the emergence of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience during the late ’60s, the path was cleared for other hard-rockin’ trios. Arguably, the finest to emerge from the subsequent American ..more

Julia Holter　

Los Angeles-based composer/multi-instrumentalist Julia Holter blurs the boundaries between indie music, modern composition, and electronic music in her own work as well as her collaborations, which ..more

John Entwistle　

John Alec Entwistle (b. October 9, 1944, d. June 27, 2002) is probably the most influential bassist in rock music. Before Entwistle came along as a member of the Who, bassists seldom stood ..more

J Mascis　

Best known as the remote frontman of the influential indie trio Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis has also been an occasional producer and film composer. Born December 10, 1965 in Amherst, Massachusetts, h ..more

Jessica Pratt　

West Coast-based singer/songwriter Jessica Pratt emerged from the ether with a distinctive introverted folk style on her 2012 self-titled debut. The album consisted of mostly low-key recordings of ..more

Judee Sill　

A singer/songwriter with deeply religious overtones and a penchant for the occult, Judee Sill is one of rock’s more interesting and lesser-known stories. The daughter of old Hollywood money, S ..more

Jackie Deshannon　

Jackie De Shannon　

Singer and songwriter Jackie DeShannon has quite a musical legacy. Her early singles crafted doo wop to intelligent lyrics. She toured with the Beatles in 1964 and more than held her own. She wr ..more

John Lennon / Paul McCartney