I struggled with this all day. No way I can pick 10. There are too many types of music to listen too. Since the themes seems to be rock and it's predecessors, I tried to mix up a few styles in that focus to keep my mind from exploding with names. I bet if you asked me an hour from now I'd make changes but here goes.
1 Collective Soul
For sheer musical talent and ability to diversify within their own style.
2 GreenDay
For their extremely addictive mix of simple, energetic punk but often with much more complex musicality.
3 Pink Floyd Again, again a sheer musical talent that practically invented their own style of music.
4 Stevie Ray Vaughn
An epic artist that simply makes you feel good.
5 AC/DC
Call it what you will, but when you just plain need it, it's pure energy.
6 The Dave Matthews Band
Self Explanatory
7 Rush
Although I now officially hate Neil Peart for effortlessly being immeasurably better than I will ever be.
8 Loreena McKennitt
OK, not rock but I'd feel guilty leaving her out. I love Celtic music and her voice is the closest to you can hear to angels singing without actually dying. "The Mummers Dance" still hypnotizes me.
9 The John Butler Trio
Nice Pick Zero. I didn't expect anyone else to catch it. I'm always impressed by artists not afraid to mix and match genres in new ways.
10 BB King
I know there are more talented blues artists but after seeing him put on a better show sitting down than most can do standing up, he holds an honorable spot on my top ten that will be hard to knock out of place.
I penciled out winners in over a dozen or more other categories because I'm totally bored at work today. Everything from classical to World to Nu Metal. It became too long a list to post here without destroying the top 10 theme.
