There are many different genres of music, and rock is just one of them. There are a lot of rock bands out there, and these are just five of the best. To determine this list, an article was looked at and then narrowed down to the following.
Metallica
First, Metallica started in 1981 and is a heavy metal band. These are just a few of their songs: “Nothing Else Matters,” “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman.” “Master of Puppets” was in an episode of “Stranger Things” in season four.
“Master of Puppets” is in the album with the same name. This album came out in 1986. “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman” are both songs that appear on their album, titled “Metallica,” which came out in 1991.
Additionally, Metallica was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. The band members who were inducted were Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich.
Metallica’s song, “Until It Sleeps,” was their top song on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached its peak at number 10. It remained on this chart for 20 weeks.
Pink Floyd
Another great rock band is Pink Floyd. This band started in 1965. Some of Pink Floyd’s songs include “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2),” “Comfortably Numb” and “Money.”
“Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” and “Comfortably Numb” are on the album, “The Wall,” which came out in 1979. “Money” is on the album, “The Dark Side of the Moon,” which came out in 1973.
Furthermore, Pink Floyd is another band that, as of 1996, became part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The band members who were inducted were David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters and Syd Barrett.
On the Billboard Hot 100, Pink Floyd’s song, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2),” sat at number one for four weeks but remained on the chart for a total of 25 weeks. “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” was their top song on this chart.
Aerosmith
Up next: Aerosmith. This rock band began in 1970. These are some of their songs: “Sweet Emotion,” “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” “Dream On,” “Walk This Way” and “Crazy.”
“Dream On” is on their 1973 album, “Aerosmith.” “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way” are on their album, “Toys in the Attic,” which came out in 1975. “Crazy” is on their album, “Get a Grip,” which came out in 1993. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” is on “Armageddon – The Album” which consists of songs by different artists and is not an Aerosmith album. This album came out in 1998.
Additionally, Aerosmith received the honor of becoming a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. The band members who were inducted were Steven Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford.
On the Billboard Hot 100, Aerosmith’s song, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” reached number one for four weeks but was on this chart for a total of 20 weeks. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” was their top song on this chart.
AC/DC
AC/DC is another famous rock band; this one started in 1973. Some of their songs include “Thunderstruck,” “Highway to Hell,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “T.N.T.” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.” Their song, “Thunderstruck,” was in the movie “Daddy’s Home 2.”
“T.N.T.” is on their album, “High Voltage,” which came out in 1976. “Highway to Hell” has the same name as its album that came out in 1979. “You Shook Me All Night Long” is on their 1980 album, “Back in Black.” “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” is on their album of the same name which came out in 1976. “Thunderstruck” is on their 1990 album, “The Razors Edge.”
Additionally, AC/DC holds a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They became a part of it in 2003. The band members inducted were Phil Rudd, Angus Young, Bon Scott, Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams and Malcolm Young.
AC/DC’s song, “Moneytalks,” became their top song on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached its peak at number 23. “Moneytalks” remained on this chart for 16 weeks.
Bon Jovi
Finally, Bon Jovi is a rock band that started in 1983. These are some of their songs: “Wanted Dead Or Alive,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “It’s My Life,” “I’ll Be There For You,” “Runaway” and “You Give Love a Bad Name.”
“Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead Or Alive” and “You Give Love a Bad Name” are all on their 1986 album, “Slippery When Wet.” “Runaway” is on their album, “Bon Jovi,” which came out in 1984. “I’ll Be There For You” is on their 1988 album, “New Jersey.” “It’s My Life” is on their album, “Crush,” from 2000.
Furthermore, as of 2018, Bon Jovi is also a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The band members who were inducted were Alec John Such, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Tico Torres.
On the Billboard Hot 100, four of Bon Jovi’s songs got number one. Their song, “You Give Love A Bad Name,” was number one for one week but was on this chart for a total of 24 weeks. “I’ll Be There For You” was also number one for one week but was on this chart for a total of 22 weeks. “Livin’ On A Prayer” was number one for four weeks but was on this chart for a total of 22 weeks. Lastly, their song, “Bad Medicine,” was number one for two weeks but was on this chart for a total of 20 weeks.
A NCC student’s view
Emma Brown, ’26, loves rock music. She specifically loves rock music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Brown has been to many rock concerts, her first being Paul McCartney. She also has seen Tesla, REO Speedwagon, Def Leppard, Black Sabbath and Hootie & the Blowfish.
In addition to those, the five bands listed in this article are bands that she also likes.
“AC/DC has a bunch of really amazing songs, I would be listening to their songs and I would tell myself, ‘Oh wow, I actually really like this type of music.’ (With) Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, I am the exact same way,” Brown said.
Our very own rock station
In fact, NCC has its own pure rock station called WONC. It’s a student-run rock station. You can listen to WONC on the radio at 89.1FM or listen live on their website.
Emma Wadley, ’25, is a student-worker at WONC who chimed in on how rock music helps boost her experience at the station.
“Music has always been a big thing in my family, and rock is no exception. I like broadening my music taste, so I’m thankful that WONC helps with that,” Wadley said.
In essence, take a listen to these five rock bands and discover some more along the way. Maybe even learn how to play one of these songs.
