Top 50(Rough Draft, no order)
 

Here are my candidates(No order), with the following criteria.
Note: This is intended to be a community effort so I am fully open to suggestions. Especially with rap and hip-hop.

Talent: Instrumental and songwriting ability.
Innovation: Introduction of new techniques orr methods.
Diversity: Having a large range of genres under their belt.
Showmanship: Live shows/music videos
The Beatles
Pink Floyd
The Who
Eric Clapton
Simon and Garfunkel
Paul Simon
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stevie Wonder
The Rolling Stones
Rush
Van Halen
*Jimi Hendrix
Steely Dan
Queen
Neutral Milk Hotel
Genesis
Yes
Led Zeppelin
King Crimson
Ray Charles
Supertramp
The Doors
Cream
Bob Dylan
The Police
The Beach Boys
Nirvana
The Clash
Biggie
The Eagles
Michael Jackson
Aerosmith
Radiohead
Marvin ***e
Bob Marley
Neil Young
Bowie
Chuck Berry
Johnny Cash
Aretha Franklin
Black Sabbath
Metallica
Prince
James Brown
The Byrds
Tupac
B.B. King
The Allman Brothers Band
Robert Johnson
Jackson Browne
Sublime
Madonna
Elvis Costello
The Grateful Dead
Frank Zappa
Public Enemy
Massive Attack
Hawkind
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

I like Boston (well their first album anyway), but top 50 is pushing it.

Gotcha

Also I hope Death Cab for Cutie are only in their as a joke. Replace them with Frank Zappa.

Thats an order.

Hell, no. Hey, I said personal preference was part of it. I'll add Frank Zappa though.

Aerosmith? I really rate their early stuff (ROCKS/TOYS IN THE ATTIC) but they borrowed so much from The Stones and any band that produces the godawful Cryin' deserves to drop down any list.

Massive Attack-add them now!
Public Enemy-ditto
Hawkwind-ditto

^ Urban's gonna love you.

I'd choose Aretha Franklin over all on that list put together.

I'm serious.

Bar Bowie.

I put Aretha Franklin. Right away Jackhammer. Remember I'm just putting down canidates, this isn't supposed to be exactly 50.

And The Stones borrowed from everybody. Who cares?

The Stones borrowed yes , but they still sound like the Stones.

Aerosmith borrowed ... and they sound like the Stones.

Although i've never actually heard Aerosmith do a Stones cover even though they've done several Beatles covers. Too close to home maybe?

The Stones sound like a blues cover band. They're just a run of the mill blue eyed soul band as far as I'm concerned.

Aerosmith borrowed a lot more from The Yardbirds and Zep than they did from the Stones anyway. Add on to that the fact that Aerosmith has a frontman that actually sings. I don't really get why they are compared so much other than that they both cover a generic blues rock style and share an obsession for whores and heroin, or is it because both bands have singers with oversized mouths and guitarists who should have been dead 30 years ago?

Nobody is probably going to agree with me...but seriously. Anyone who has listened to The Fall of Troy, or seen them on youtube or anything...knows that they completely dominate all of the categories.
"Talent: Tim, Thom, and Andrew are all amazing. Thomas especially.
Innovation: It doesnt sound like anything else out there right now.
Diversity: You just have to listen for that one.
Showmanship: They put on the most amazing live shows ive ever seen, the pure energy this band gives off.
YouTube - Excreations
So i think everyone needs to seriously consider having them in the top 50. The Mars Volta definetly deserves a spot as well. But my argument right now is for The Fall of Troy.

I second the Fall of Troy, i've seen them more times then I can can't, though if I tried I could figure it out its between 5-10 they're amazing live and yeah basically all Scott's reasons are spot on.

I'm going to try and do a top 50 since I have so much time to kill i'll post it when I finish.

I submit to popular opinion.

If I was compiling a list of top 50 bands that have vocalists that sound like Donald Duck then The Fall of Troy would top it for sure.

I like how random the vocals with FOT is. One minute he's singing very soft melodic parts, the next he is squealing like Brian Johnson.

I can understand why you don't like them, but they are a very unique and odd band. No one has really tried to blend prog with post-hardcore before, at least not successfully.

The music is fine

I just hate the vocals

If i were compiling a list of top 50 quotes that are completely wrong and retarded, I would put your post in it for sure.

I'd have a hard time sorting out just 50 out of over a thousand Urban posts for a "most completely wrong quotes" list.

Normally im down with what i see from Urb..this one just hit me flush in the heart!

Back on topic please.

This is on topics, its an argument for whether a band should make the list or not.

Awwww.... are you hurting?