Posted April 21st, 2005
It is a fundamental lesson in the history of rock & roll and its continuing power to inspire and transform. The Immortals is a tribute to those who created rock & roll, written by their peers and heirs, those who have learned from their innovations, struggles and legacies.
This year, rock & roll turns fifty, and this is the first of three special issues Rolling Stone is publishing to mark the occasion. Scholars have debated the precise birth date for as long as the music has been around. We chose July 5th, 1954 — the day Elvis Presley recorded “That’s All Right” at Sun Studio in Memphis. On that date, the nineteen-year-old truck driver not only made his first and most important single. He created a new world — initiating a way of life and expression — that, even at fifty, is still evolving. There is no better standard for rock & roll immortality.
The Immortals began last year with the creation of a panel of fifty-five top musicians, historians, industry executives and critics, selected by the editors of Rolling Stone. Voters were asked to pick, in order of preference, the twenty artists they deemed to be the most significant and influential of rock’s first fifty years, those whose work continues to have an impact today. More than 125 artists were named. The ballots were tabulated according to a weighted point system that was overseen by the international accounting firm Ernst & Young.
Rolling Stone then asked a blue-ribbon collection of singers, musicians and producers to explore and describe the importance and impact of these immortals: on the writers’ own work and personal lives; on history and society at large; and on generations to come. The stories and opinions, the incisive analyses and open admissions of love and influence, are as exciting and unpredictable as rock & roll itself. Van Morrison repays a lifetime of soulful debt to Ray Charles. Robbie Robertson describes Bob Dylan typing out his lyrics as they made Blonde on Blonde. Steven Van Zandt salutes the original R&B genius of the Rolling Stones and their undiminished prowess forty years later. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers pays homage to the raw power and fiercely independent spirit of Neil Young. And Little Richard proves to be the world’s greatest expert on — who else? — Little Richard.
He also makes an important distinction between success and immortality. “I wish a lot of things had been different,” Richard writes. “I don’t think I ever got what I really deserved.” The Immortals is a commemoration of a half-century of excitement, ambition and hit records. These are the musicians and bands who gave us everything they had, regardless of the rewards, often against insurmountable odds. Here, Rolling Stone and the artists who carry on their work try to give them back a little of what they so richly deserve.
01) The Beatles by Elvis Costello
02) Bob Dylan by Robbie Robertson
03) Elvis Presley by Bono
04) The Rolling Stones by Steven Van Zandt
05) Chuck Berry by Joe Perry
06) Jimi Hendrix by John Mayer
07) James Brown by Rick Rubin
08) Little Richard by Little Richard
09) Aretha Franklin by Jerry Wexler
10) Ray Charles by Van Morrison
11) Bob Marley by Wyclef Jean
12) The Beach Boys by Lindsey Buckingham
13) Buddy Holly by John Mellencamp
14) Led Zeppelin by Dave Grohl
15) Stevie Wonder by Elton John
16) Sam Cooke by Art Garfunkel
17) Muddy Watters by Billy Gibbons
18) Marvin Gaye by Smokey Robinson
19) The Velvet Underground by Julian Casablancas
20) Bo Diddley by Iggy Pop
21) Otis Redding by Steve Cropper
22) U2 by Chris Martin
23) Bruce Springsteen by Jackson Browne
24) Jerry Lee Lewis by Moby
25) Fats Domino by Dr. John
26) The Ramones by Lenny Kaye
27) Nirvana by Vernon Reid
28) Prince by Ahmir Thompson
29) The Who by Eddie Vedder
30) The Clash by The Edge
31) Johnny Cash by Kris Kristofferson
32) Smokey Robinson and the Miracles by Bob Seger
33) The Everly Brothers by Paul Simon
34) Neil Young by Flea
35) Michael Jackson by Antonio “LA” Reid
36) Madonna by Britney Spears
37) Roy Orbison by K.D. Lang
38) John Lennon by Lenny Kravitz
39) David Bowie by Lou Reed
40) Simon and Garfunkel by James Taylor
41) The Doors by Marilyn Manson
42) Van Morrison by Peter Wolf
43) Sly and the Family Stone by Don Was
44) Public Enemy by Adam Yauch
45) The Byrds by Tom Petty
46) Janis Joplin by Rosanne Cash
47) Patti Smith by Shirley Manson
48) Run-DMC by Chuck D
49) Elton John by Billy Joel
50) The Band by Lucinda Williams
51) Howlin’ Wolf by Buddy Guy
52) The Allman Brothers Band by Billy Gibbons
53) Eric Clapton by Little Steven
54) Dr. Dre by Kanye West
55) Grateful Dead by Warren Haynes
56) Parliament/Funkadelic by Ice Cube
57) Aerosmith by Slash
58) Sex Pistols by Billie Joe Armstrong
59) Louis Jordan by Ahmet Ertegun
60) Joni Mitchell by Jewel
61) Tina Turner by Janet Jackson
62) Etta James by Bonnie Raitt
63) Phil Spector by Jerry Wexler
64) The Kinks by Peter Buck
65) Al Green by Justin Timberlake
66) Cream by Roger Waters
67) The Temptations by Rod Stewart
68) Jackie Wilson by Peter Wolf
69) Carl Perkins by Tom Petty
70) The Police by Brandon Flowers
71) Frank Zappa by Trey Anastasio
72) AC/DC by Rick Rubin
73) Radiohead by Dave Matthews
74) Hank Williams by Beck
75) The Eagles by Sheryl Crow
76) The Shirelles by Paul Shaffer
77) Beastie Boys by Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
78) The Stooges by Thurston Moore
79) The Four Tops by Smokey Robinson
80) Elvis Costello by Liz Phair
81) The Drifters by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
82) Eminem by Elton John
83) N.W.A. by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson
84) James Taylor by Art Garfunkel
85) Black Sabbath by Dave Navarro
86) Tupac Shakur by 50 Cent
87) Gram Parsons by Keith Richards
88) Miles Davis by Mos Def
89) The Yardbirds by Steven Tyler
90) Carlos Santana by Henry Garza
91) Ricky Nelson by John Fogerty
92) Guns n’ Roses by Joe Perry
93) Booker T. and the MG’s by Isaac Hayes
94) Nine Inch Nails by David Bowie
95) Lynyrd Skynyrd by Al Kooper
96) Martha and the Vandellas by Fred Schneider
97) Diana Ross and the Supremes by Antonio “LA” Reid
98) Roxy Music by John Taylor
99) Curtis Mayfield by Boz Scaggs
100) Lee “Scratch” Perry by Adam Horovitz
