The list is definitive.

Wholly and completely.

This was called for.

It was long overdue.

The 50 Greatest Bands of All Time in popular music. Our choices, but our choices are inpenetrable - not able to be penetrated. There is no room for argument. We have not forgotten anything, or anyone. Each band in the annals of history has been considered for this list. We have forgotten no one.

Bands were selected for this list based on a few simple criteria. The first criterion was simply that artists would have to be in a band and in a band that plays its own instruments and music. The second criterion is that a band must have released two studio albums. However, there are times when we (those who made the list) have made specific additions or concessions with the selection of the list. These concessions were made in the name of the greater good of the list. It was our decision and we stand by it. Firmly.

This list, like other lists, should serve to incite discussion over a coffee table or some other piece of household furniture. It is nothing to get upset over. It is to enjoy.

-- The Michigan Daily Arts Editors

1The Beatles - Would any other artist truly belong atop this list? The answer is a resounding, "No." The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Velvet Underground - all these bands find themselves leagues behind the Beatles' songcrafting and influence. The Liverpudlians created the traditional concept of the album, and through that creation, inspired every musician who has picked up an instrument afterwards. Thirty-five years later, each Beatles song retains both relevance and greatness.

2 The Rolling Stones - Pepsi or Coke, boxers or briefs, "Empire" or "Jedi"? Some debates are never settled. Southern England's answer to The Beatles is dirtier, more dangerous, and definitely more drugged out. They made being ugly into a fashion statement, and their more heavily blues influenced rock 'n' roll is still as relevant today as it was when the foot-stomping chords of "Satisfaction" blared out of every teenager's radio in 1965, angering parents everywhere and hooking kids for life.

3 The Beach Boys - Not all Beach Boys songs are about girls, cars or surfing. While the image of the southern California group conjures up simplistic songs with beautiful harmonies, the later efforts of the group provided some of the most interesting and complex music of the era. When Brian Wilson stopped touring with the group to concentrate on producing and dropping acid, The Beach Boys created their most accomplished work, none more impressive than 1966's Pet Sounds, quite possibly the best album ever crafted.

4 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - With only three amazing albums in four short years, Jimi Hendrix re-invented electric guitar and managed to create heavy metal in the process. His (literally) fiery entrance on to the American scene at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 let people know that rock was inexorably changed. Although he was actually painfully self-conscious about his singing voice, Hendrix had a exciting and dynamic stage presence that just made music look damn fun.

5 The Velvet Underground - The Velvets charted only one of their four legitimate albums on the Billboard 200 (the fifth album involved none of the original Velvets) Velvet Underground & Nico charted at 199. Despite near non-existent album sales during their time as a band, the Velvet Underground garnered a small fan-base which continued to expand after the group's demise. If traced through time the Velvet Underground's harsh, brooding and sometimes menacing brand of proto-punk mainlined itself into today's indie rock.

6. Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention - There is no mistaking Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. Avant-garde at its finest, Zappa and his entourage of musical misfits entwined social commentary, satirical lyrics, experimentation and jazz-influenced jam sessions into their vast catalogue of material. More than thirty years later, their music is as fresh and inventive as it was when originally released. After landmark albums such as Absolutely Free and We're Only in It for the Money, Zappa went on to do equally gratifying solo work, including a guest appearance on "Ren & Stimpy" as The Pope.

7. Nirvana - Thankfully, Kurt Cobain died before he blew it. If you consider Bleach to be a demo recorded by a mostly different band, then Nirvana released two great albums. Sure, Butch Vig's plastic production of Nevermind slightly hinders an otherwise stellar "debut" (see above) record, and Steve Albini's trademark treatment of In Utero grates against some people, but the band's energy and anger tear through regardless.