Since it seems like a bandwagon now to make a top ten list, I'm making my own for hard rock bands from the good old US of A. This isn't the order of how much I like the band, just how influential and successful the bands were or still are. The biggest factors are: how true the band stayed to their fans, originality, and how influential they are. I know, you're opinion is different, but, this is mine.

10. The Black Crowes-Called "The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World" by the United Kingdoms music newspaper Melody Maker, not many can argue. With power house albums like The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion and Shake Your Money Maker, they just have to make a list like this.

9. The Red Hot Chili Peppers-Sure, their 80's records were bombs, but still, they got a major launch in the 90's, which totally covered up the embarrasing records they released in the early-mid eighties, they eventually got the hang of writing good music after their '89 cover of Higher Grounds. Creators of Funk Metal, maybe even alternavtive, they still are going strong after a near 30 year career.

8. Lynard Skynard-Most of the past members are dead, including Ronnie Van Zant, their former vocalist...as sad as it is they still have set a landmark in music history, and they're immortalized in the Rock and Roll hall of fame where they need to be. Contrary to popular belief, Van Zant and Neil Young were actually good friends, and Young wrote what was supposed to be the next Skynard album, but the plane crash happened and Young recorded it in honor of Van Zant(A little fact for you)

7. The Doors-Jim Morrison was a nut job...but he was good at being one. Maybe these guys were the first alternative band, no one knows. They did everything write, stage pressance, lyrics, and music. This band is nothing short of genious.

6. Soundgarden-Neil Young is credited as the Godfather of grunge...but Chris Cornell is the papa of it. They may not have sold miollions right off, but they eventually got to the multi platinum status right before their breakup in '97. It's kinda good when a band breaks up before they get that middle age syndrom and suck. =/

5. Kiss-We can ignore the selling out, making a joke of heavy metal and taking off the face paint right? Well, if you can then the have to be here. Eventually they traded their Kiss clocks and comic books back in for performing real music again, so that makes up for it.

4. Metallica-A million year old band, I know, but they still crank out good music, I don't care whatyou say. They never sold out, and they always try keeping themselves fresh and alive, even though they've had 50 million bass guitarists. They defined what is heavy metal, and for that they must be praised.

3. Van Halen-Millions world wide, one of the greatest guitarists to walk the planet, and some of the greatest lyrics to ever hit a sheet of paper. Maybe the only American member of the band is David Lee Roth, but still, at one time there were 2 Americans in it...

2. Aerosmith- The highest selling American hard rock group ever. Another band as old as the earth itself, and after making a few cameo appearences in the book of Genesis(It's right there, "Then God created the heavans and the earth, and then Aerosmith").They're alos the only hard rock band to appear at the 1 American Hot 100 song spot. Actually, there are too many accomplishments to name here, we'll leave it at that.

1. Pearl Jam-This bnand is legendary, and have been compared to the Beatles by many critics. Even though they started in the age of the sellouts, they themselves never have sold out, and they don't pump out 50 million music videos, they rely on their own talent(which is alot) for their record sales. Even with slumped record sales though, they still sell out large stadiums and have enough money to buy their own planet. They accomplished all that by staying true to their fans and themelves, something that should truely be honored.