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The Immortals

The 100 greatest artists of all time

The second edition of the Immortals features fifty of
the greatest rock & roll artists of all time,
celebrated by fifty of the most important rock & roll
artists of our time. These legends and the stars
paying homage to them here come from every walk of
rock & roll life -- singers, songwriters, musicians,
record makers -- and together they reflect the roots
and long branches of a music now entering its second
half-century. These vividly told histories and
recollections take you deep into blues, rockabilly,
soul, funk, punk, heavy metal, reggae, garage rock and
rap. You are there, at the birth of genius and in
moments of intense, personal revelation.

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.
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.

80) Elvis Costello by Liz Phair

( only the texts' for 51 to 60 are online )