A Definitive Ranking of The British Invasion’s 4 Biggest Bands

Ranking the best of the best when it comes to British Invasion bands isn’t an easy feat. The list can vary widely from person to person, making it a tall order to rank them definitively. Nevertheless, I’m going to give it a go. This is just one rock fan’s opinion, and there are many out there. Below, revisit four undoubtedly era-defining bands, put in order from the groups riding coattails to those who had the most influence in the movement.

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[RELATED: 4 Bands From the First Wave of the British Invasion Who Were Still Scoring Hits in the 80s]

The Animals

The Animals hopped on the boat to America in the first wave of The British Invasion, albeit after The Beatles. This group, though distinctive in its own way, failed to topple the track record of many of its peers.

Nevertheless, you have to give credit where it’s due. The Animals did blues right, not merely borrowing the sounds of Americana, but using them to perfect appeal. They managed to earn the definitive version of “House Of The Rising Sun,” which has been covered to death over the years. They can’t take the top spot because they aren’t as trailblazing as other bands, but their influence is still endlessly felt today.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones come in next, armed with the gritty rock offerings that set them apart from their Beatles counterparts. The Stones were a powerful force in the British Invasion movement, but didn’t have the exact same polished perfection as many of the others in the Mod crowd did. They also didn’t earn as many hits in the 60s as the final two inclusions on this list.

Despite not taking the top spot on paper, The Stones did get the last laugh by enduring for decades while their peers have not.

The Dave Clark Five

The Dave Clark Five aren’t as well-known as The Stones these days, but at the time, they threatened even The Beatles with their string of top-selling hits. The band racked up 17 top-40 hits in the U.S. between 1964 and 1967. Though not as revolutionary as The Beatles’, their sound was equally enticing to fellow bands during the British Invasion heyday. Often overlooked, this group deserves more praise for its influence on this movement.

The Beatles

Given that The Stones needed a leg up from The Beatles to make it in America with their cover of “I Wanna Be Your Man,” we have to give the top spot to the Fab Four. There are very few arguments that place The Beatles anywhere but at the top. They were endlessly era-defining and continue to have a strong influence on music today. This band made The British Invasion a full-scale movement rather than a short-lived trend.

Influence in the movement aside, The Beatles could’ve earned this top spot even if they weren’t trailblazers. The band was brave enough to constantly switch up their sound. Moreover, they revolutionized studio techniques. Even after the band broke up, their influence as solo artists continued to grow. Though it’s perhaps an obvious choice for the top spot, you have to give it to The Beatles, no matter how you look at it.

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