Each Category is somewhat in order.

BRITISH INVASION  1964-1968

1. The Beatles
2. The Kinks
3. The Yardbirds
4. The Animals
5. The Who
6. The Rolling Stones
7. Fleetwood Mac (original group with Peter Green)
8. The Searchers
9. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (with Eric Clapton and Peter Green)
10. Savoy Brown
11. The Zombies
12. The Hollies
13. Gerry & the Pacemakers
14. Dave Clark 5
15. The Shadows

AMERICAN 1960”s

1. Love
2. The Byrds
3. Buffalo Springfield
4. The Turtles
5. The Doors
6. The Band
7. Butterfield Blues Band
8. The Beach Boys
9. The Rascals
10. Lov’in Spoonful
11. Beau Brummels
12. The Youngbloods
13. Spirit
14. Kaleidascope
15. The Music Machine
16. The Blue Things
17. The McCoys
18. Paul Revere and the Raiders
19. Vanilla Fudge
20. The Blues Project
21. Blood, Sweat and Tears Original group

SF GROUPS 1960’s

1. Jefferson Airplane
2. Quicksilver Messenger Service
3. Grateful Dead
4. It’s a Beautiful Day
5. Sopwith Camel

PROGRESSIVE ROCK all years

1. King Crimson
2. Mothers of Invention
3. Jimi Hendrix Experience
4. Renaissance
5. Led Zeppelin
6. Pink Floyd
7. Marillion
8. Rush
9. Jethro Tull
10. Stick Men
11. Soft Machine
12. Moody Blues
13. Procol Harum
14. Lifesigns
15. Black Sabbath
16. Tool
17. Yes

 1970’s UNTIL NOW

1. The Church
2. The Waterboys
3. Allman Brothers Band
4. U2
5. Eagles
6. Joe Bonamassa
7. REM
8. Pearl Jam
9. Bruce Springsteen
10. Fleetwood Mac
11. The Jayhawks
12. Dire Straights
13. Gov’t Mule
14. Derek Trucks Band
15. Bob Seger
16. Sonic Youth
17. Santana
18. Mermen
19. The Police
20. Nirvana
21. Chicago the early stuff
22. Cranberries
23. Heart

CELTIC ROCK and FOLK

1. Fairport Convention
2. RunRig
3. Steeleye Span
4. Pentangle
5. Tempest
6. Dead Can Dance
7. The Unthanks
8. Clannad

 

SINGER/SONGWRITERS/FOLK   Writers of many or most of their songs

1. Phil Ochs
2. Bob Dylan
3. Leonard Cohen
4. Joni Mitchell
5. Van Morrison
6. Tim Buckley
7. Jackson Brown
8. Brian Wilson
9. Bruce Springsteen
10. Bob Seger
11. Robin Williamson
12. Richie Havens
13. Don Henley
14. Sandy Denny
15. Dougie MacLean
16. Gene Clark
17. Christy Moore

ALL TIME TOPS   based on how often I listen

1. King Crimson
2. The Church
3. Fairport Convention
4. Richard Thompson
5. Porcupine Tree
6. Kinks
7. Traffic
8. Cream
9. Waterboys
10. Beatles
11. Jefferson Airplane
12. Neil Young
13. Love
14. Jimi Hendrix Experience
15. Mothers of Invention
16. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
17. Phil Ochs
18. Van Morrison
19. Rolling Stones
20. The Animals

BEST LEAD GUITARISTS in Rock and Blues

1. Peter Green
2. Jeff Beck
3. Jimi Hendrix
4. Warren Haynes
5. Adrian Belew
6. Frank Zappa
7. Derek Trucks
8. Rory Gallagher
9. Eric Clapton (Cream and Mayall era only)
10. Jerry Garcia
11. Carlos Santana
12. Kim Simmonds
13. Neil Young
14. Robert Fripp
15. Mark Knofler
16. John Cipillina
17. Joe Bonamassa
18. George Harrison
19. David Gilmour
20. Hank Marvin

BEST BASS PLAYERS in Rock and Blues

1. Jack Bruce
2. Tony Levin
3. Jack Cassady
4. Phil Lesh
5. John Entwhistle
6. John Wetton
7. Danny Thompson
8. Paul Samwell-Smith
9. Steve Kilbey
10. Geddy Lee
11. Dave Pegg

BEST DRUMMERS in Rock and Blues

1. Ginger Baker
2. Bill Bruford
3. Keith Moon
4. Gavin Harrison
5. Neil Peart
6. Marco Minnemann
7. Mick Fleetwood
8. Jim Capaldi
9. Ringo Starr

BEST VOCALISTS in Rock and Blues

Male

1. John Lennon
2. Steve Kilbey
3. Steven Wilson
4. Richard Thompson
5. Tim Buckley
6. Tom Petty
7. Neil Young
8. Mike Scott
9. Arthur Lee
10. Van Morrison
11. Bruce Springsteen
12. Greg Allman
13. Jim Morrison
14. Gary Brooker
15. Steve Winwood
16. Bob Marley
17. Bob Seger
18. Gene Clark
19. Bono
20. Sting
21. Marty Balin
22. Howard Kaylan
23. Jesse Colin Young
24. Roger McGuinn

BEST VOCALISTS in Rock, Blues, and Folk

Female

1. Joni Mitchell
2. Sandy Denny
3. Buffy Saint-Marie
4. Linda Ronstadt
5. Grace Slick
6. Janis Joplin
7. Carly Simon
8. Jacqui McShee
9. Maddy Prior
10. Dolores O’Riordan
11. Annie Haslam
12. Linda Thompson

Female  Primarily Pop

1. Dusty Springfield
2. Leslie Gore
3. Petula Clark

BEST SONGWRITERS in Rock, Blues and Folk

1. Richard Thompson
2. Steve Kilbey
3. John Lennon
4. Bob Dylan
5. Joni Mitchell
6. Mike Scott
7. Steven Wilson
8. Robert Fripp
9. Arthur Lee
10. Cat Stevens
11. George Harrison
12. Bono
13. Van Morrison
14. Sandy Denny
15. Sting
16. Bob Marley
17. Jim Capaldi
18. Jim Croce

KEYBOARDS

Since I prefer guitar, Bass and Drums, I am sure I am missing some good ones here!

1. Steve Winwood
2. John Paul Jones
3. Ray Manzarak
4. Richard Barbieri
5. Matthew Fisher
6. Alan Price
7. Leon Russell
8. Manfred Mann
9. Ron Argent
10. Gregg Allman
11. John

 

JAZZ 

This is certainly not intended to be comprehensive, just what I know and like. There is much that I am not aware of.

TENOR SAX

1. John Coltrane
2. CharlieParker
3. Sonny Rollins
4. Pharoah Sanders
5. Charles Lloyd

GUITAR

1. John Mclaughlin
2. Pat Metheny
3. John Scofield
4. Michael Stern
5. Bill Frissell

 

DRUMS

1. Rasheed Ali
2. Elvin Jones

PIANO

1. Mccoy Tyner

MORE JAZZ LISTINGS TO COME