The Immortals is the essential story of rock & roll, of the men, women and bands at the heart of the revolution, as told by those whose lives they changed and who now change ours. It is, of course, a tale too big for one issue. The Immortals debuted in 2004 as part of ROLLING STONE's yearlong activities marking the fiftieth birthday of rock & roll (we chose Elvis Presley's debut recording session at Sun Studio in July 1954 as Day One). An expert panel of musicians, industry figures and critics, selected by the editors of ROLLING STONE, was asked to pick, in order of preference, the twenty most significant artists of rock's first fifty years. The votes were tabulated according to a weighted point system overseen by the accounting firm Ernst & Young. A list of the first fifty innovators featured in RS 946 can be found here and photos of all 100 artists here. But the fifty who follow are as pivotal in their achievements and enduring in their inspiration. Rock & roll is now a music with a rich past. But at its best, it is still the sound of forward motion. As you read the Immortals, remember: This is what we have to live up to.
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
(From RS 972, April 21, 2005)