1. Led Zeppelin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfR_HWMzgyc No band will engender the worshipful reverence that has been bequeathed upon Led Zeppelin. It seems that their titanic stature has almost grown since their 1980 breakup immediately following the death of John Bonham. Zeppelin practically invented every trope and cliché in metal and rock n' roll, with their booze-and-sex-fuelled tours, occult references, thunderous guitar riffs, and hyper-masculine lyrics and affect. As large as Zeppelin mythology looms, the four members of Led Zeppelin were such insanely talented musicians and performers that their music is still much more legendary than their debauchery. It is nearly impossible to imagine the band without the unique contributions of each member - the alternating elegance and unabashed insanity of Jimmy Page's guitar, the ecstatic, sexual howls of Robert Plant, the precision and versatility of John Paul Jones and the sheer power of John Bonham, perhaps the greatest rock drummer of his or any era. Small wonder that upon the death of Bonham, the remaining members felt they "Could not continue as they were". As deeply individual as each member's style was, the band's blues-rooted brand of rock represented a unique watershed between the blues and roots music of the first half of the century and the screaming metal that would follow. Unfortunately, most of Zeppelin's followers haven't a fraction of their musical intelligence or raw talent, and this makes the loss all the greater. At least we can console ourselves with their great existing catalogue and a few wild live records. The mythic status of the greatest rock band of all time seems likely to only grow as new generations continue to discover where hard rock really came from.