Formed in 1996 in California and centered around vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who is the band’s constant member through numerous personnel shifts, QotSA has a riff-oriented, heavy rock style. They have produced one certified platinum album, ‘Songs for the Deaf,’ and four others certified gold.
One of the best-known facts about this band is the number of musicians who have played with the band. At present, there have been twelve current and former band members and four touring members.
Recommended Listening: Their most famous album is ‘Songs for the Deaf,’ and many consider their best song “A Song for the Deaf.”
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine released an eponymous album in 1992 to commercial and critical success. The album is listed at number 368 on Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums of all time. Rage's music expresses revolutionary political views and uses rap, metal, and rock to create an antagonistic, in-your-face sound.
Despite only four studio albums, everyone has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The band split in 2000 after creative differences but regrouped in 2007. The band has been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Recommended Listening: Make sure their first album, 'Rage Against the Machine', gets a spin.
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is often lumped in with grunge acts, but the band incorporated many heavy metal elements. It was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s, selling over thirty million records worldwide, with eighteen top 10 songs and eleven Grammy nominations.
Plagued with inactivity since 1996 due to vocalist Layne Staley's substance abuse, the band has reunited several times and released a new album, 'Black Gives Way to Blue,' in 2009. They've released two more albums since. Recommended Listening: We recommend the first three albums, 'Facelift,' 'Dirt,' and 'Alice in Chains. At least listen to “Man in the Box” from 'Facelift.'
Cheap Trick
Coming out of Illinois in 1973, Cheap Trick found mainstream success with their second album, 'Cheap Trick at Budokan.' A hard rock outfit, Cheap Trick has had nineteen albums since forming: two certified gold and four more certified platinum.
How many times has Cheap Trick performed live? Over five thousand times. They've sold over twenty million albums and made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Recommended Listening: 'Cheap Trick at Budokan' ranked number 426 in Rolling Stone magazine's “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and is in the book '1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die.'
The Cars
The Cars emerged from the new wave scene in 1976 and were at the forefront of merging guitar-oriented rock with synthesizer-driven pop. The Cars have a unique style recognizable after even the briefest moments.
The Cars snagged the “Best New Artist” award from the Rolling Stone reader's poll in 1978 and won “Video of the Year” at the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. They got into the R&R Hall of Fame in 2018. Recommended Listening: 'The Cars' is a six-time platinum album. Songs to seek out include “Just What I needed,” “Drive,” “Moving in Stereo,” “All Mixed Up,” and “Good Times Roll.”