The Greatest American Rock Band Bracket!
First Round, Punk/Hard Rock Division

Bon Jovi (8) vs. the Stooges (9)

Arena rock chartbusters versus the proto-punk progenitors
Bon Jovi:
"Bon Jovi wound up transcending the big-haired '80s, withstanding changes in style and sound to become one of the biggest American rock bands of their time. Another way they differed from other MTV favorites of the late '80s lies in how Bon Jovi cannily and subtly changed their sound to fit the time. First, the group slowly lessened their reliance on arena rock guitars, emphasizing melody and ballads without rejecting hard rock. They incorporated elements of soft rock and country, moves that helped the band sustain their popularity into the 21st century. "
--Allmusic.com

Popularity
  • Over 120 million records sold worldwide
  • Two Gold, eight Platinum, one Diamond album
  • Four #1 singles
  • One Grammy Award
  • 21 million Spotify streams

Influence:
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2018
  • Songwriters Hall of Fame,  2009
  • Ranked #76 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"
The Stooges:
"During the psychedelic haze of the late '60s, the grimy, noisy, and relentlessly bleak rock & roll of the Stooges was conspicuously out of place. Taking their cue from the over-amplified pounding of British blues, the primal raunch of American garage rock, and the psychedelic rock, the Stooges were raw, immediate, and vulgar; in essence, the Stooges were the first rock & roll band completely stripped of the swinging beat that epitomized R&B and early rock & roll. The group's legacy grew over the next two decades as legions of underground bands used their sludgy grind as a foundation for a variety of indie rock styles."
--AllMusic.com

Popularity
  • Over 160,000 records sold worldwide
  • 1 million Spotify streams

Influence:
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2010​
  • Ranked #78 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Artists"

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