Top 40 British artists of all time revealed

The top 40 British artists have been revealed ahead of the Brits 2017.

With Adele, Calvin Harris, One Direction and Stormzy up for nomination among others, a survey has revealed a definitive top 40 of all time, with The Beatles topping the list followed by Queen, David Bowie, Elton John and the Rolling Stones.

The survey, conducted by streaming music service Deezer, landed Adele in sixth place with George Michael and The Who close behind.

Rock band Pink Floyd only just made it into the top ten in ninth place, with Brit rockers Oasis coming in in 15th and Led Zeppelin a measly 18th.

Deezer’s Music Editor Dom Wallace said: “Even though the British music industry is in rude health – as proven by Adele’s presence at sixth on the list – most of the top 10 best artists in history have come from decades gone by.

“In fact, you have to look further down the top 40 to find more artists who started recording this millennium, like Amy Winehouse and Ed Sheeran.

“This shows that the British appetite for the classics is as strong as ever, and the enduring appeal of the Beatles in particular, who have been topping these kinds of polls for close to five decades.”

THE TOP 40 BRITISH ARTISTS OF ALL TIME

1. The Beatles
2. Queen
3. David Bowie
4. Elton John
5. Rolling Stones
6. Adele
7. George Michael
8. The Who
9. Pink Floyd
10. Eric Clapton
11. The Bee Gees
12. Status Quo
13. Rod Stewart
14. Phil Collins
15. Oasis
16. Amy Winehouse
17. Coldplay
18. Led Zeppelin
19. Cliff Richard
20. Paul McCartney
21. Dire Straits
22. Ed Sheeran
23. Take That
24. Robbie Williams
25. Black Sabbath
26. The Police
27. Coldplay
28. Eurythmics
29. T-Rex
30. Spice Girls
31. Duran Duran
32. Radiohead
33. Blur
34. The Verve
35. James Blunt
36. Dido
37. Travis
38. Keane
39. Leona Lewis
40. The Kinks