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The Groove

The greatest proto-punk artists of all time

16 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

The Velvet Underground

United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1964–1996 · art rock
5.600
Why this number?
The full board
2 The Stooges United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1967– · garage rock 2.987
3 Nico Germany flagGermany · 1938–1988 · art rock 1.925
4 Lou Reed United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1942–2013 · rock 1.769
5 The Mothers of Invention United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1964–1975 · rock 1.552
6 Patti Smith United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1946– · art rock 1.342
7 David Bowie United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdom · 1947–2016 · rock 1.249
8 New York Dolls United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1971–2011 · glam rock 1.120
9 The Who United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdom · 1964– · rock 0.982
10 Frank Zappa United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1940–1993 · rock 0.600
11 Captain Beefheart United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1941–2010 · art rock 0.600
12 Alice Cooper United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1964–1975 · hard rock 0.554
13 Iggy and The Stooges United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1972– · garage rock 0.509
14 The Doors United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1965–1973 · rock 0.429
15 Todd Rundgren United States of America flagUnited States of America · 1948– · experimental 0.274
16 Roxy Music United Kingdom flagUnited Kingdom · 1971– · art rock 0.200