Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Songs & Artists

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Billboard released the top 100 chart last week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart earlier in the year. Below you will find a link to the YouTube playlist I made for it.

Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Sogns

Position Song Name - Artist Peak Weeks Peak Date

100. Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen 1 17 1984
99. Cryin' Like A Bitch! - Godsmack 1 31 2010
98. Shine - Collective Soul 1 26 1994
97. Midnight Blue - Lou Gramm 1 14 1987
96. When Legends Rise - Godsmack 1 27 2018
95. Death By Rock And Roll - The Pretty Reckless 1 23 2020
94. Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz 1 28 1993
93. Remember When - Bad Wolves 1 29 2019 29
92. Daughter - Pearl Jam 1 26 1993
91. I Am Machine - Three Days Grace 1 28 2015
90. What's This Life For - Creed 1 39 1999
89. Hero Of The Day - Metallica 1 33 1996
88. Doubleback - ZZ Top 1 13 1990
87. Absolute Zero - Stone Sour 2 32 2012
86. Heaven Knows - The Pretty Reckless 1 33 2014
85. The Sound Of Silence - Disturbed 1 29 2016
84. Inside Out - Five Finger Death Punch 1 23 2020
83. A Girl Like You - The Smithereens 2 21 1989
82. Shepherd Of Fire - Avenged Sevenfold 1 28 2014
81. Little One - Highly Suspect 2 30 2017
80. My Head's In Mississippi - ZZ Top 1 17 1990
79. I Love Rock 'N' Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 1 26 1982
78. Heaven Knows - Robert Plant 1 12 1988
77. Another Way To Die - Disturbed 1 30 2010
76. Are You Ready - Disturbed 1 24 2018
75. The Boys of Summer - Don Henley 1 16 1984
74. Dreamline - Rush 1 20 1991
73. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams - Green Day 1 38 2004
72. Not Again - Staind 1 31 2011
71. Footsteps - Pop Evil 1 33 2015
70. Lightning Crashes - Live 1 26 1995
69. Higher Love - Steve Winwood 1 14 1986
68. A Little Bit Off - Five Finger Death Punch 1 27 2020
67. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier 1 20 1982
66. Until It Sleeps - Metallica 1 26 1996
65. Failure - Breaking Benjamin 1 28 2015
64. Tired - Stone Sour 1 37 2014
63. Awake - Godsmack 1 53 2001
62. Stages - ZZ Top 1 16 1986
61. Jump - Van Halen 1 13 1984
60. I Stand Alone - Godsmack 1 43 2002
59. 16 - Highly Suspect 1 24 2019
58. Save Me - Shinedown 1 38 2005
57. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits 1 20 1985
56. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey 1 25 1983
55. Like A Stone - Audioslave 1 39 2003
54. December - Collective Soul 1 26 1995
53. My Own Prison - Creed 2 44 1997
52. Pretending - Eric Clapton 1 14 1989
51. Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three 1 35 1996
50. Inside The Fire - Disturbed 1 38 2008
49. Plush - Stone Temple Pilots 1 31 1993Nickelback
48. Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz 1 47 1998
47. Heavy - Collective Soul 1 33 1999
46. The Devil's Bleeding Crown - Volbeat 1 26 2018
45. I Want To Make The World Turn Around - The Steve Miller Band 1 14 1986
44. Rock And A Hard Place - The Rolling Stones 1 19 1989
43. Psycho - Puddle Of Mudd 1 49 2008
42. Country Song - Seether 1 52 2005
41. Animal I Have Become - Three Days Grace 1 48 2006
40. Through Glass - Stone Sour 1 40 2006
39. Fall To Pieces - Velvet Revolver 1 43 2004
38. Bulletproof - Godsmack 1 31 2018
37. Hemorrhage (In My Hands) - Fuel 2 56 2000
36. I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin 1 44 2009
35. Blue On Black - The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band 1 42 1998
34. Remedy - Seether 1 52 2005
33. So Cold - Breaking Benjamin 2 64 2002
32. Hard To Handle - The Black Crowes 1 21 1990
31. If You Could Only See - Tonic 1 37 1997
30. Rx (Medicate) - Theory Of A Deadman 1 30 2017
29. Blurry - Puddle Of Mudd 1 42 2012
28. Bully - Shinedown 1 28 2012
27. Tunnel Of Love - Bruce Springsteen 1 17 1987
26. Remedy - The Black Crowes 1 20 1992
25. Pain - Three Days Grace 1 42 2006
24. Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones 1 32 1981
23. Figured You Out - Nickelback 1 39 2004
22. Say You'll Haunt Me - Stone Sour 1 40 2006
21. My Name Is Human - Highly Suspect 1 31 2016
20. So Far Away - Staind 1 42 2003
19. Hail To The King - Avenged Sevenfold 1 27 2013
18. Silent Running - Mike + The Mechanics 1 17 1985
17. Second Chance - Shinedown 1 45 2008
16. Face To The Floor - Chevelle 1 34 2011
15. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down 1 51 2000
14. S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun) - The Glorious Sons 1 39 2019
13. Top Of The World - Van Halen 1 51 1991
12. When I'm Gone - 3 Doors Down 1 40 2002
11. It's Been Awhile - Staind 1 42 2001
10. Fake It - Seether 1 47 2007
9. Angel Of Harlem - U2 1 30 1990
8. Chalk Outline - Three Days Grace 1 36 2012
7. Break - Three Days Grace 1 37 2009
6. Loser - 3 Doors Down 1 53 2000
5. Higher - Creed 1 51 1999
4. How You Remind Me - Nickelback 1 48 2001
3. Mysterious Ways - U2 1 30 1991
2. Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots 1 33 1994
1. Touch, Peel And Stand - Days Of The New 1 46 1997

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEcBlp3n8g9pfsEQ3gUUmef3y1xZbfDLl

[imbondz]

Never heard of the #1 song and I listen to a ton of music. That got more airplay than any other song on the list? Seems weird.

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^It was #1 16 weeks in the chart, which was a record at the time it was released. You had to listen to the radio of the format to listen to it, because I don't think they played it elsewhere.

[thirddegree50123]

TP&S is a 90's classic. Rediscovered it a couple years ago. Having recently reviewed a lot of the old charts I'm not at all surprised to see it at #1. Figured Collective Soul would have a larger presence here. They have several songs on the list but the highest is only #47. Pretty great list overall. Sad to think about the state of rock music at the moment though

[phieaglesfan712]

Jun 10, 2021 12:56:57 GMT -5 imbondz said:

Never heard of the #1 song and I listen to a ton of music. That got more airplay than any other song on the list? Seems weird.

I agree. I never heard of Touch, Peel & Stand, but Interstate Love Song is a classic, and would have been a better #1 song to represent this list.

(Side note: STP is a great band, and ILS doesn't even rank as my favorite song from them. Plush is my favorite song from the 1990s.)

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Jun 10, 2021 16:41:08 GMT -5 thirddegree50123 said:

TP&S is a 90's classic. Rediscovered it a couple years ago. Having recently reviewed a lot of the old charts I'm not at all surprised to see it at #1. Figured Collective Soul would have a larger presence here. They have several songs on the list but the highest is only #47. Pretty great list overall. Sad to think about the state of rock music at the moment though

Collective Soul is at #42 in Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists. They had 7 #1s, 12 top 10s and 20 songs in the chart.

Also, I'm glad that I'm not the only one familiar with Touch, Peel & Stand.

[Henry Suárez]

Jun 10, 2021 13:05:47 GMT -5 Baby Yoda Hot100Fan said:

^It was #1 16 weeks in the chart, which was a record at the time it was released. You had to listen to the radio of the format to listen to it, because I don't think they played it elsewhere.

Nope, it was also a big alternative hit.

TP&S was one of the biggest active/mainstream rock hits of that decade, back in 1997/1998 you can check Modern rock/Mainstream rock radio playlist archives and it was played a lot: worldradiohistory.com/RandR_Magazine_Page_Range_Guide.htm

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, Days of the New is one of those acts that Billboard has no Artist page for. Touch, Peel and Stand only managed to peak at #6 in the Modern Rock Tracks chart, which preceded the current Alternative Airplay chart and only managed to be #24 in the 1998 Year-End.

[HolidayGuy]

Looking at some of the '80s hits to make the top 100, some don't scream mainstream rock- think "Higher Love." But, that was the era. Also interesting- for all the flack Nickelback gets, the band's fared pretty well at rock radio.

Also note the lack of females. I would think Pat Benatar would be one of, if not the, highest-ranking female act beyond the top 50. Also, Heart (female-fronted band). On the songs list I see Joan Jett * the Blackhearts- I don't think any others feature females?

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^Yeah. This is definitely of one of the more male dominated radio genres, given no that no female led or all-female bands made the top 50 artist chart. Also, songs rarely feature other artists. Pat Benatar and Heart each managed a #1 on the chart.

[renfield75]

This list says a lot about the state of rock in the 21st century. Most of the pre-2002 or so songs are well known hits that crossed over to the mainstream. After the mid 2000s you would only know these songs or artists if you specifically listened to rock radio at that time. Like who are Highly Suspect and Pop Evil? Rock is much more niche now than it was 20+ years ago, and this list really drives that point home.

[tanooki]

Jun 12, 2021 18:20:32 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

Looking at some of the '80s hits to make the top 100, some don't scream mainstream rock- think "Higher Love." But, that was the era. Also interesting- for all the flack Nickelback gets, the band's fared pretty well at rock radio.

Also note the lack of females. I would think Pat Benatar would be one of, if not the, highest-ranking female act beyond the top 50. Also, Heart (female-fronted band). On the songs list I see Joan Jett * the Blackhearts- I don't think any others feature females?

The Pretty Reckless has a female lead singer but I think that's it

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^Well put. Not to mention that the line mainstream and alternative rock have blurred more and more with time. U2 was among the early ones. Ironically, mainstream rock became more niche while alternative has become more mainstream and has had more successful crossovers.

[WolfSpear]

Sorry to bump but could someone provide the Top Artists list that accompanied this?

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

^Here you go:

Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists

1 Shinedown
2 Godsmack
3 Three Days Grace
4 Van Halen
5 Disturbed
6 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
7 Five Finger Death Punch
8 Seether
9 Foo Fighters
10 Metallica
11 Aerosmith
12 U2
13 Papa Roach
14 John Mellencamp
15 Nickelback
16 Pearl Jam
17 Breaking Benjamin
18 The Rolling Stones
19 Rush
20 Stone Temple Pilots
21 Linkin Park
22 Chevelle
23 Alice In Chains
24 Pop Evil
25 Robert Plant
26 Avenged Sevenfold
27 Ozzy Osbourne
28 ZZ Top
29 Volbeat
30 Korn
31 The Black Crowes
32 Bruce Springsteen
33 Green Day
34 Creed
35 Red Hot Chili Peppers
36 R.E.M.
37 Staind
38 Eric Clapton
39 Def Leppard
40 3 Doors Down
41 Theory Of A Deadman
42 Collective Soul
43 Stone Sour
44 Don Henley
45 AC/DC
46 Puddle Of Mudd
47 Bryan Adams
48 Steve Winwood
49 Soundgarden
50 Genesis