It’s time to start the first round of voting in what may be the strongest region of the tournament, the Chris Cornell Region. You will have 48 hours to make your selection before voting closes. I’ll give a brief rundown of each band and include my vote in a spoiler alert.
1 Led Zeppelin- Led by two of the biggest names in rock, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Zeppelin took the top spot in this region. They have sold over 300 million albums worldwide and have had record breaking crowds at their concerts.
16 Allman Brothers- Coming out of Georgia, the Allman Brothers have been influential in southern rock. They are often referred to as one of the first great jam bands.
2 Rolling Stones- The Stones are led by the famous Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Part of the British invasion, they have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and had three of the highest grossing tours of all time.
15 Chuck Berry- Considered one of the pioneers of rock and roll, Berry is one of the most influential artist of all time. He incorporated electronic effects to mimic the sound of bottleneck blues to get his distinctive guitar sound.
3 AC/DC- Selling more than 200 million albums worldwide, AC/DC has become a staple in sports stadiums across the world with songs such as “Hells Bells” and “Thunderstruck.” They were founded by the Young brothers, Malcom and Angus who always wears a tie and shorts on stage.
14 Cream- Widely regarded as the first supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Cream left their mark on music by helping to popularize the use of the wah-wah pedal.
4 Nirvana- Nirvana is considered to be one of the most influential bands in the genre even though they only released three albums. Selling over 75 million albums worldwide, they were led by Kirk Cobain and the drumming of Dave Grohl.
13 KISS- Well known for their face paint and stage outfits, Kiss has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Kiss innovated the concert game by being one of the first bands to sell branded non music merchandise on their tours.
5 Guns N' Roses- GNR has sold over 100 million albums worldwide helped by their hugely successful debut album “Appetite for Destruction.” Lead guitarist Slash is known for always wearing his trademark top hat.
12 Van Halen- Known for the infighting just as much as their music, Van Halen is one of only five rock bands that have had two studio albums sell more than 10 million copies in the US.
6 Jimi Hendrix- Known for being one of the most influential guitarist of all time, Jimi utilized overdriven amplifiers with high volume in his music. He performed one of the most memorable live songs when he played the national anthem at Woodstock.
11 Stone Temple Pilots- Selling more than 40 million albums worldwide, STP became one of the most successful rock bands of the 90’s. Led by the distinctive voice of Scott Weiland, STP was able to chart 16 top ten hits.
7 Foo Fighters- Formed by Dave Grohl, a former member of Nirvana, the Foo have become one of the biggest names in rock music today. They are known for melding melodic elements with heavier ones.
10 Pearl Jam- Selling over 60 million albums worldwide, Pearl Jam is one of the biggest names in grunge. Their debut album “Ten” was an instant classic and they are considered one of the leaders of grunge.
8 Aerosmith- Led by Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, Aerosmith is rooted in blues based hard rock. Selling over 150 million albums worldwide, they have become one of rocks biggest names.
9 Soundgarden- They are known as a pioneer of the grunge movement and were led by one of the greatest voices in rock music, Chris Cornell. Praised for their technical musical ability, they have given us top singles such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman.”
1 Led Zeppelin- Led by two of the biggest names in rock, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Zeppelin took the top spot in this region. They have sold over 300 million albums worldwide and have had record breaking crowds at their concerts.
16 Allman Brothers- Coming out of Georgia, the Allman Brothers have been influential in southern rock. They are often referred to as one of the first great jam bands.
Can’t get much better than some good southern rock, but Page and Plant are too good of a duo to lose this matchup. My vote goes to Led Zeppelin.
2 Rolling Stones- The Stones are led by the famous Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Part of the British invasion, they have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and had three of the highest grossing tours of all time.
15 Chuck Berry- Considered one of the pioneers of rock and roll, Berry is one of the most influential artist of all time. He incorporated electronic effects to mimic the sound of bottleneck blues to get his distinctive guitar sound.
Super tough matchup here, but I just can’t go against the guy who started the whole thing. I might not be Johnny, but I’m going to be good and vote for Chuck Berry.
3 AC/DC- Selling more than 200 million albums worldwide, AC/DC has become a staple in sports stadiums across the world with songs such as “Hells Bells” and “Thunderstruck.” They were founded by the Young brothers, Malcom and Angus who always wears a tie and shorts on stage.
14 Cream- Widely regarded as the first supergroup featuring Eric Clapton, Cream left their mark on music by helping to popularize the use of the wah-wah pedal.
Cream is a great band, but AC/DC’s catalog is too much to handle. AC/DC wins this round.
4 Nirvana- Nirvana is considered to be one of the most influential bands in the genre even though they only released three albums. Selling over 75 million albums worldwide, they were led by Kirk Cobain and the drumming of Dave Grohl.
13 KISS- Well known for their face paint and stage outfits, Kiss has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Kiss innovated the concert game by being one of the first bands to sell branded non music merchandise on their tours.
If you’ve ever heard “Nevermind” there is no need to explain why I’m picking Nirvana. If you haven’t heard “Nevermind,” stop what you are doing and listen to it.
5 Guns N' Roses- GNR has sold over 100 million albums worldwide helped by their hugely successful debut album “Appetite for Destruction.” Lead guitarist Slash is known for always wearing his trademark top hat.
12 Van Halen- Known for the infighting just as much as their music, Van Halen is one of only five rock bands that have had two studio albums sell more than 10 million copies in the US.
Who’s cooler than Slash? My sweet children are telling me to vote for GNR.
6 Jimi Hendrix- Known for being one of the most influential guitarist of all time, Jimi utilized overdriven amplifiers with high volume in his music. He performed one of the most memorable live songs when he played the national anthem at Woodstock.
11 Stone Temple Pilots- Selling more than 40 million albums worldwide, STP became one of the most successful rock bands of the 90’s. Led by the distinctive voice of Scott Weiland, STP was able to chart 16 top ten hits.
Tough matchup hear, but Jimi is Jimi. You can’t vote against a man that made the national anthem cool.
7 Foo Fighters- Formed by Dave Grohl, a former member of Nirvana, the Foo have become one of the biggest names in rock music today. They are known for melding melodic elements with heavier ones.
10 Pearl Jam- Selling over 60 million albums worldwide, Pearl Jam is one of the biggest names in grunge. Their debut album “Ten” was an instant classic and they are considered one of the leaders of grunge.
Pearl Jam is undeniable, but big me is going with the Foo in this matchup.
8 Aerosmith- Led by Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, Aerosmith is rooted in blues based hard rock. Selling over 150 million albums worldwide, they have become one of rocks biggest names.
9 Soundgarden- They are known as a pioneer of the grunge movement and were led by one of the greatest voices in rock music, Chris Cornell. Praised for their technical musical ability, they have given us top singles such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman.”
Chris Cornell’s song writing and excellent voice are too much for Aerosmith to overcome in this matchup. Soundgarden wins this one.
