25. Lou Reed Essential Album: Sally Can't Dance Considered the Godfather of Punk, he has also influenced alternative rock with 30 solo albums, following a successful stint with Velvet Underground.
24. Joe Cocker Essential Album: Mad Dogs And Englishmen He scored his first hit and performed at Woodstock in 1969. After 25 albums and a battle with drugs and alcohol, he continues to actively tour and record.
23. Elvis Costello Essential Album: This Year's Model He moved through punk and new wave before establishing a unique style and persona that has thrived for nearly 30 years.
22. Tom Petty Essential Album: Damn The Torpedoes An immediate hit in Britain in 1976, this 10-time Grammy nominee caught on in the U.S. in 1977 and, both alone and with his band, the Heartbreakers, he has had chart success with every one of his 15 albums.
21. John Mellencamp Essential Album: Words and Music He's used four different stage names during his career, but has been a consistent performer since the release of his first album (as Johnny Cougar) in 1976.
20. Peter Frampton Essential Album: Best Of Peter Frampton He is one of those fairly rare rockers who are better known as solo artists than as former members of a well known band. He broke through in 1976 with one of the most successful live albums ever.
19. Ted Nugent Essential Album: Ultimate Ted Nugent After establishing a solid fan base with the Amboy Dukes in the last '60s, he embarked on a solo career that resulted in sales of more than 35-million albums, while his personal life and politics have been a frequent source of controversy.
18. Frank Zappa Essential Album: Over-Nite Sensation His work reflected a wide range of musical styles, but he is best known for his unique ability to weave humor and satire into his music. His discography includes nearly 100 albums, including a dozen that have been released since his death in 1993.
17. Robert Plant Essential Album: No Quarter He defined the musical style of Led Zeppelin as its lead vocalist, and has pursued a successful solo career for the quarter century since the group disbanded.
16. Bob Seger Essentail Album: Night Moves He has successfully mastered both hard rock and medium tempo ballads, and has influenced dozens of other successful artists since his debut album in 1969.
15. Eddie Money Essential Album: The Best Of Eddie Money He set out to become a police officer, but ended up as a rock star. He had chart success with his first album in 1977 and went on to become a successful large venue live performer.
14. Pat Benatar Essential Album: Crimes Of Passion Her "tough girl" persona and opera-trained voice resulted in Grammies for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for four consecutive years.
13. Alice Cooper Essential Album: Greatest Hits He was influenced musically by the British Invasion in the '60s, but added his own unique live performance antics, costumes, and makeup, creating the shock Rock genre in the process.
12. Peter Gabriel Essential Album: So After a successful career with Genesis, he carved out an equally successful solo career, and has been at the forefront of promoting the digital delivery of music.
11. David Bowie Essential Album: Heroes His record of success over a career of more than 35 years is attributable to his unique ability to constantly adapt his musical style and stage persona in response to changing cultural trends.
10. Janis Joplin Essential Album: Pearl Her powerful, raspy voice was different from any other female rock artist's. Her explosive style, onstage and off, created a unique persona, but also resulted in her death from a drug overdose at age 27.
09. Jimi Hendrix Essential Album: Electric Ladyland Considered by many to be rock's best electric guitarist, the reach of his influence was exponentially greater than the length of his short career, which ended with his death at the age of 27.
08. Bob Dylan Essential Album: Blonde On Blondep A successful performer in his own right, he is regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of the rock generation, penning dozens of songs that have been substantial hits for those who have recorded them.
07. Rod Stewart Essential Album: The Very Best Of Rod Stewart He has parlayed a unique voice and style into album sales topping 100-million in a career that has spanned more than 40 years.
06. George Harrison Essential Album: All Things Must Pass As a Beatle, a solo artist, and a film producer, he quietly left an indelible mark on the rock music scene. He is 21st on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time.
05. Eric Clapton Essential Album: Eric Clapton His command of the guitar is legendary, and his role in groundbreaking groups like Cream, The Yardbirds, and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers has made him the only person to earn three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
04. Bruce Springsteen Essential Album: Born In The USA Since his breakthough album in 1974, "The Boss" has established himself as the voice of the working class. His album Born In The USA is among the top 20 best selling albums of all time.
03. John Lennon Essential Album: Working Class Hero - The Definitive Lennon His influence on rock music ranged from writing some of the most popular songs of the era, to introducing social and political messages into rock lyrics.
02. Elton John Essential Album: Greatest Hits 1970-2002 Like the Energizer® bunny (which actually brings to mind some of his early career costumes) he just keeps going and going after 35+ years, 43 albums, and over 200-million albums sold.
01. Paul McCartney Essential Album: All The Best In the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful composer of the 20th Century, the success of his solo career has rivaled that he enjoyed as a member of the Beatles.
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