I'm going to go with either The Beatles, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Journey, or Bad Company. All have had (or are still) an explosive impact on modern day rock 'n' roll. They have all also have had great success in their prime time with dozens of outstanding songs and chart toppers.
Pink Floyd is my personal favourite. From their inventive sound-scapes, to their hard rockin' solo passages, there is nothing they couldn't do musically while in their prime!
Of course, there will always be a close second, which for me, is The Who. They were the most high-octane band in live performance, while still staying true to the art in their music, quality stuff.
It depends really. I love a lot of punk. Not pop punk or any of that rubbish, like oldschool punk, Gallows & Ghost of a thousand are good. Sex pistols too.
Ah, I feel stupid for forgetting The Who! Pete Townshend's riffs and solos are priceless. Moon the Loon's drumming is also something I'll always remember in those songs, like Eminence Front and Pinball Wizard.
Ah man, I don't really think I can answer this question, mainly because I go through moods where I listen to one style of rock to another.
I'll just give some bands:
1. Rush 2. Allman Brothers 3. Stevie Ray 4. Pearl Jam 5. Lynyrd Skynyrd 6. Tom Petty 7. Neil Young 8. America 9. Coheed and Cambria 10. Silversun Pickups 11. Faith No More 12. Charlie Daniels 13. Jimmy Eat World 14. Rage Against the Machine 15. Muse 16. Alice in Chains 17. Incubus 18. Chevelle 19. Bob Seger 20. Modest Mouse
[quote=lockstr]Linkin park songs rly speak to yah[/quote] I'm sorry, I don't know about the other people here, but I do not consider Linking Park a rock band. It's a mix of Rap and Pop. Most people call that hiphop, but linking park is something entirely different.
Yeah, that's a great song, but too bad that Moonie wasn't alive to play on it.
Really? I overlooked that...Kenney Jones (or Zak Starkey?) was the drummer for the "It's Hard" album, I think. And after listening to both songs you can really tell a difference between the two. It seems that Kenney (or Starkey?) doesn't have the "fire" Keith had. Thanks for pointing that out Chaotix.