Michigan is home to Motown, one of the most legendary record labels of all time.
It’s famed for Detroit Rock City, a musical wonderland that gave the world legendary acts in every genre. Soul superstars Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder, and dozens of others, were born in the Great Lakes State. So were pop, rock and rap acts ranging from the MC5 to Iggy Pop to Madonna to Lizzo and so much more.
So BetMichigan.com took a pause from reviewing Michigan online Blackjack sites to wonder: Who are the top rock bands that draw the most interest among Michiganders?
Here are the results, followed by an explanation of how we arrived at the rankings:
BetMichigan.com – your source for the best Michigan casino promotions – used Parade magazine’s Best Rock Bands of All Time list to give us a list of 100 groups. We then used Google Trends to determine the most searched rock bands in the state of Michigan among that list. After completing the trends over 12 months (from Aug. 10, 2022, to Aug. 10, 2023), we ranked the state’s favorite rock bands based on search volume.
That search interest is weighed on a scale of 1 to 100 based on search volume compared to other topics.
More than 50 years after the band broke up, The Beatles are the most searched-for band in Michigan, according to our research. The four lads from Liverpool are still the most popular and influential rock band in history and still hold the record for the most No. 1 singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 20. The Beatles scored 29 points in our measurement of search volume compared to other topics, well ahead of anyone else on our list.
In second place on our list is Metallica (21 points), the thrash metal icons who are still going strong more than 40 years into their careers. This year Metallica released its latest album, “72 Seasons,” almost exactly four decades after the group’s debut record, “Kill ‘Em All.” On the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, the California band has had 12 No.1 singles – and, unusually for a heavy metal band, Metallica also has had eight top-40 singles on the Hot 100.
In third place with 15 points is Fleetwood Mac, which started as a British-based blues group in the late 1960s but saw its commercial fortunes soar after adding American singer-songwriters Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham in time for its self-titled 1975 record (which, like “The Beatles” LP, is often referred to as “The White Album” by the band’s fans). Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 release, “Rumours,” is one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling rock albums of all time. Mac fans are still mourning the loss of Christine McVie, the singer/songwriter/keyboardist who died on Nov. 30, 2022, at age 79.
Outside of the top three, the list of Michigan’s favorite rock bands becomes a lot muddier, with ties throughout the chart for various positions.
Old-school standardbearers Queen and the newest group on the list, pop/punk stars Blink-182, tied for fourth at 14 points.
Two singers who would be considered solo artists, but in fact headed up long-running bands, were deadlocked for sixth place with 13 points each. Bruce Springsteen (and the E Street Band) and the late David Bowie share that honor.
Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, two 1970s mainstays hailing from Great Britain, tied for eighth place with 12 points each. The No. 10 spot also resulted in a draw (actually giving us 11 bands on this list), as The Rolling Stones and AC/DC earned 11 points apiece.
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Author
Joss has over a decade of experience in the US online gambling market. His analysis and writing cover every aspect of the business. After a career as an Army officer, he spent time in business, then took up online poker. Joss lives in Peru with his family. Joss is globally considered one of the leading voices in the gambling industry, especially North American sports betting.
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