New list coming soon. The top 5 new Rock artists of each year. In order to qualify in a year the artist has to have had his first release in that year. The artists will be ranked based upon initial popularity, lasting popularity, impact and influence of ONLY the records that were released in that year.

If an artist happened to have just one single released in his first year (such as Hendrix "Hey Joe" in 1966) that's the way it goes, and they are only eligible in that year.

The different parts of the criteria are NOT weighed equally, and "impact" for me is not "peer recognition" but more of like "initial influence" as opposed to later influence.

In any case, I am going to do the lists for 1979 and back and someone else will be doing the later years (probably Brett Alan).

Here's what I have so far. Looking for comments about anything I may have missed, or whatever else anyone spots. This is still a work in progress. The list will eventually look like the "Top Ten Albums Of Each Year" Pages.

1946
1 - Ravens
2 - Jack McVea
3 - Lowell Fulson
4 - Amos Milburn
5 - Sonny Thompson

1947
1 - Roy Brown
2 - Paul Gayten
3 - Sticks McGhee
4 - Big Three Trio
5 - Smiley Lewis

1948
1 - Orioles
2 - Big Jay McNeely
3 - Ray-O-Vacs
4 - Dave Bartholomew
5 - Mabel Smith (Big Maybelle)

1949
1 - Larry Darnell
2 - Ruth Brown
3 - Professor Longhair
4 - Robins
5 - Jewel King

1950
1 - Fats Domino
2 - Dominoes
3 - Four Buddies
4 - Griffin Brothers
5 - Archibald

1951
1 - Jackie Brenston
2 - Five Keys
3 - Rosco Gordon
4 - Swallows
5 - Cardinals

1952
1 - Lloyd Price
2 - Johnny Ace
3 - Lula Reed
4 - Shirley & Lee
5 - Royals

1953
1 - Faye Adams
2 - Drifters
3 - Crows
4 - Spiders
5 - Spaniels

1954
1 - Penguins
2 - Roy Hamilton
3 - Elvis Presley
4 - Chords
5 - Diablos

1955
1 - Chuck Berry
2 - Bo Diddley
3 - Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers
4 - Etta James
5 - Nutmegs

1956
1 - Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps
2 - Five Satins
3 - Del-Vikings
4 - James Brown and the Famous Flames
5 - Coasters

1957
1 - Ricky Nelson
2 - Sam Cooke
3 - Danny and the Juniors
4 - Larry Williams
5 - Chantels

1958
1 - Ritchie Valens
2 - Jerry Butler and the Impressions
3 - Frankie Ford
4 - Skyliners
5 - Shirelles

1959
1 - Fleetwoods
2 - Barrett Strong
3 - Freddy Cannon
4 - Ronnie Hawkins
5 - Irma Thomas

1960
1 - Gary US Bonds
2 - Carla Thomas
3 - Mary Wells
4 - (Ike &) Tina Turner
5 - Maxine Brown

1961
1 - Del Shannon
2 - Marcels
3 - Marvelettes
4 - Jive Five
5 - Gene Chandler

1962
1 - Four Seasons
2 - Little Eva
3 - Booker T. & the MG's
4 - Peter, Paul & Mary
5 - Beatles

1963
1 - Lesley Gore
2 - Tymes
3 - Darlene Love
4 - Kingsmen
5 - Searchers

1964
1 - Animals
2 - Kinks
3 - Shangri-Las
4 - Zombies
5 - Yardbirds

1965
1 - Lovin' Spoonful
2 - Mamas & Papas
3 - Vogues
4 - McCoys
5 - Donovan

1966
1 - Monkees
2 - Percy Sledge
3 - Spencer Davis Group
4 - Buffalo Springfield
5 - Cream

1967
1 - Doors
2 - Box Tops
3 - Procol Harum
4 - Traffic
5 - Pink Floyd

1968
1 - Steppenwolf
2 - Iron Butterfly
3 - The Band
4 - Three Dog Night
5 - Blue Cheer

1969
1 - Led Zeppelin
2 - Crosby, Stills & Nash
3 - Santana
4 - King Crimson
5 - Chicago Transit Authority


1970
1 - Black Sabbath
2 - Emerson, Lake and Palmer
3 - Main Ingrediant
4 - White Plains
5 - Partridge Family

1971
1 - Bill Withers
2 - Undisputed Truth
3 - America
4 - Persuaders
5 - The 8th Day

1972
1 - Eagles
2 - Steely Dan
3 - Raspberries
4 - Jackson Browne
5 - Gary Glitter

1973
1 - Bruce Springsteen
2 - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
3 - Aerosmith
4 - Marshall Tucker Band
5 - New York Dolls

1974
1 - Bad Company
2 - B.T. Express
3 - Blackbyrds
4 - Graham Central Station
5 - Ace

1975
1 - Natalie Cole
2 - Silver Bird Convention
3 - Outlaws
4 - Pete Wingfield
5 -Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers

1976
1 - Boston
2 - Heart
3 - Ramones
4 - Sex Pistols
5 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

1977
1 - Elvis Costello
2 - Foreigner
3 - The Clash
4 - Talking Heads
5 - George Thorogood and the Destroyers

1978
1 - Van Halen
2 - Cars
3 - Dire Straits
4 - B-52s
5 - Squeeze

1979
1. The Knack
2. Christopher Cross
3. Sugarhill Gang
4. Pretenders
5. Madness

I've got a rough draft of the 80s, but have some spots that are missing. 1980 in particular is brutal--all the notable debut albums of that year (The Pretenders, Iron Maiden) were by artists who already had singles or something out before. Who am I missing?

I've noted those artists who get in without a full album. A couple times I've asked whether we consider someone rock.

BTW, Bruce, you may want to consider "Only You"/"Situation" by Yaz(oo) for the Debut Singles list. Not huge in initial popularity, but both sides have held up well with "Situation" being a huge dance record that grew in airplay over the years.


1980

SOS Band
Zapp
Sheena Easton (a few singles)
Treacherous Three (a few singles)

1981

REM (just one single)
The Time
The Replacements

1982

Yaz (aka Yazoo)
Culture Club

1983

Metallica
Run-DMC (just one single)
Stevie Ray Vaughn
The Smiths (two singles)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood (just one single)

1984

Sade (if you consider them rock)
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Art Of Noise

1985

LL Cool J
Simply Red
Dream Academy

1986

Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Poison
Timex Social Club/Club Nouveau
Eric B & Rakim (just one single)
Dwight Yoakam (if we consider him rock)
Robbie Nevil

1987

Public Enemy
Richard Marx
Rick Astley
Tiffany
Debbie Gibson

1988

Paula Abdul
Big Daddy Kane
Tracy Chapman
Slick Rick
Jeff Healey Band
Vanessa Williams

1989

Technotronic
Warrant
Nine Inch Nails
Skid Row
Young MC

(Garth Brooks would easily be number one if we were to consider him rock)

Is that definitely how the single first came out?

Because it was also issued in 1982 with "Situation" backed with a dub version of "Situation."

I remember when it first came out, it (Situation) was humongous in the club I was DJing in at the time, in Jersey City. It was also #1 for 4 weeks on the BB Disco chart.

"Only You" never did much here, but it was huge in the UK, although "Situation" did not chart there the first time around.

I'm gonna take the blues stuff of of there:

51. John Lee Hooker - Boogie Chillen - 1948
58. Slim Harpo - I'm A King Bee / Got Love If You Want It - 1957
59. Elmore James - Dust My Broom - 1951
60. Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years / Moaning At Midnight - 1951

All great records, but not really rock.

There's got to be some more modern debut singles that need to be added.

I was thinking U2 was a lock for 1980, but I see that had an EP in 1979?

Nirvana's first single, "Love Buzz" b/w "Big Cheese" came out in 1988. I know Bruce's rules and i'm bringing this up before anyone else does because, simply, I don't find that cover of "Love Buzz" particularly influential nor acclaimed enough in 1988 to make that year's list.

I'd say that so far the strongest first year artists are these:

1952 Lloyd Price
Biggest Rock record of the year and two other top 5 R&B hits

1955 Chuck Berry
Two huge hits (Maybellene & Thirty Days) and a third flip side hit (Wee Wee Hours)

1955 Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley / I'm A Man / Diddley Daddy / Pretty Thing / Bring It To Jerome

1962 - Four Seasons
Two #1 singles and a top ten album

1967 - Doors
Four classic singles and two classic top ten albums

1969 - Led Zeppelin
Two classic albums and a top ten single

Gene Chandler had more national hits than the Jive Five.

Not on records released in 1961 he didn't. The Dukays releases don't count towards him.

Okay, it's gonna be #90 in place of "Mississippi Queen."

I just found out that Mountain had an earlier single, in 1969.

FUCK YES The Doors at #1 for '67.
Let them stay there for eternity.

And yet no Who for 1965, but yes Pink Floyd for 1967? Bollocks.

The Who are in 1964. They don't start over again merely because they changed their name. The group had its famous four man lineup already as the High Numbers.....SORRY....That one single is not enough to make the 1964 list, and they are not eligible for the 1965 list.

The Detours changed their name to The Who in February 1964, taking the suggestion of Townshend's roommate Richard Barnes, and, with the arrival of Moon that year, the line-up was complete. However, for a short period in summer 1964, under the management of mod Peter Meaden, they changed their name to The High Numbers, releasing "Zoot Suit/I'm the Face", a single aimed at appealing to mod fans. The single failed to chart, and the band reverted to The Who.

That's bullshit. The Who's first release is "I Can't Explain" in January of 1965.

And James Brown is on the list for 1956? For what? Because of "Please, Please, Please"?

So you're saying that every time someone changes their name, they are now considered a new artist all over again?

Is Chicago a new artist in 1970 since they used to be the Chicago Transit Authority in 1969?

How about Paul Simon...is he a new artist with his first release as "Paul Simon" even though he released several records many year earlier as Jerry Landis?

What about CCR, who had the same members but were known as the Golliwogs in the mid-60s?


The Detours changed their name to The Who in February 1964, taking the suggestion of Townshend's roommate Richard Barnes, and, with the arrival of Moon that year, the line-up was complete. However, for a short period in summer 1964, under the management of mod Peter Meaden, they changed their name to The High Numbers, releasing "Zoot Suit/I'm the Face", a single aimed at appealing to mod fans. The single failed to chart, and the band reverted to The Who.