art rock artists

At a glance

87 published art rock artists; 975 studio albums have verified cover art.

When they started

Debut decade from each artist's earliest dated release. Most debuts fell in the 1970s (32 artists).

Where they come from

Countries with the most art rock artists. United Kingdom leads with 43.

• United Kingdom 43
• United States 17
• Canada 5
• Russia 3
• Brazil 2
• Finland 2
• New Zealand 2
• Romania 2

Often paired with

Genres that share artists with art rock. The most shared is progressive rock, with 35 artists in both.

• progressive rock 35
• rock music 24
• psychedelic rock 22
• alternative rock 18
• experimental rock 17
• pop rock 14
• folk rock 13
• new wave 13

Covers from art rock

975 studio albums have verified cover art. The 12 shown come from the most famous artists.

Leaders

Queen has the most release groups (400); David Bowie the longest career (61 years); Peter Gabriel the most awards (78).

More art rock artists

Showing 1–75 of 75 artists

Tool

United States · Group · 1990–present

psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, alternative metal, progressive metal

6.7M listeners · 59 wikis · Tier 3

Kansas

United States · Group · 1970–present

hard rock, progressive rock, art rock, album-oriented rock

12.6M listeners · 38 wikis · Tier 1

Simple Minds

Scotland · Group · 1977–present

art rock, post-punk, synth-pop, new wave, arena rock

9.9M listeners · 41 wikis · Tier 3

alt-J

United Kingdom · Group · 2008–present

art rock, indie rock, indie pop, folktronica

8.8M listeners · 32 wikis · Tier 3

10cc

United Kingdom · Group · 1972–present

rock music, soft rock, art rock, art pop, progressive pop

8M listeners · 33 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Legião Urbana

Brazil · Group · 1982–1996

rock music, pop rock, art rock, alternative rock, post-punk

7.1M listeners · 11 wikis · Tier 3

Phoenix

Romania · Group · 1962–present

hard rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, heavy metal music, world music

6.2M listeners · 11 wikis · Tier 3

John Cale

United Kingdom · Person · born 1942

rock music, folk rock, experimental rock, pop rock, art rock, alternative rock, classical music, avant-garde music, proto-punk, spoken word, drone music

84 wikis · Tier 2

Lou Reed

United States · Person · born 1942

rock music, folk rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, glam rock, art rock, alternative rock, blue-eyed soul, proto-punk, noise rock, spoken word, drone music

79 wikis · Tier 2

Roger Waters

United Kingdom · Person · born 1943

blues rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, opera

79 wikis · Tier 2

Patti Smith

United States · Person · born 1946

rock music, art rock, post-punk, proto-punk

77 wikis · Tier 2

David Gilmour

United Kingdom · Person · born 1946

rock music, blues rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, ambient music

76 wikis · Tier 2

Joni Mitchell

Canada · Person · born 1943

pop music, folk rock, jazz, folk music, art rock, world music, folk jazz

75 wikis · Tier 2

The Velvet Underground

United States · Group · 1965–1972

rock music, blues rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, art rock, alternative rock, art pop, avant-garde music, proto-punk, noise rock, drone music, noise music, avant-punk

74 wikis · Tier 2

Peter Gabriel

United Kingdom · Person · born 1950

rock music, experimental rock, pop rock, progressive rock, art rock, art pop, new wave, worldbeat

73 wikis · Tier 2

Nikolai Noskov

Russia · Person · born 1956

pop music, hard rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, traditional folk music, funk, rhythm and blues, glam rock, progressive rock, art rock, alternative rock, dance-rock, electro, synth-pop, new wave, funk rock, blue-eyed soul, glam metal, folk-pop, trip hop, symphonic rock, romance, bard song

78 wikis · Tier 2

Thom Yorke

United Kingdom · Person · born 1968

rock music, electronic music, art rock, alternative rock, electronica, intelligent dance music, glitch

65 wikis · Tier 2

Brian Eno

United Kingdom · Person · born 1948

electronic music, art rock, art pop, ambient music, drone music

64 wikis · Tier 2

Yes

United Kingdom · Group · 1968–present

progressive rock, art rock, symphonic rock

63 wikis · Tier 2

Richard Wright

United Kingdom · Person · born 1943

rock music, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, electronic music, jazz, progressive rock, art rock, reggae

56 wikis · Tier 2

Tori Amos

United States · Person · born 1963

art rock, alternative rock, classical music, baroque pop

64 wikis · Tier 2

Jethro Tull

United Kingdom · Group · 1967–present

hard rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, electronic music, progressive rock, art rock, electronic rock

56 wikis · Tier 3

King Crimson

United Kingdom · Group · 1968–present

psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, jazz rock

55 wikis · Tier 3

Procol Harum

United Kingdom · Group · 1967–2022

psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, baroque pop, symphonic rock

45 wikis · Tier 2

Keith Moon

United Kingdom · Person · born 1946

rock music, hard rock, art rock, power pop

43 wikis · Tier 2

Jonny Greenwood

United Kingdom · Person · born 1971

electronic music, art rock, alternative rock, indie rock, electronica, intelligent dance music

42 wikis · Tier 3

Roxy Music

United Kingdom · Group · 1971–2011

glam rock, art rock, new wave, proto-punk, New Romantic

42 wikis · Tier 2

John Entwistle

United Kingdom · Person · born 1944

rock music, hard rock, art rock, power pop

39 wikis · Tier 2

The Moody Blues

United Kingdom · Group · 1964–2021

psychedelic rock, rhythm and blues, progressive rock, art rock

48 wikis · Tier 2

Ed O'Brien

United Kingdom · Person · born 1968

art rock, alternative rock, indie rock, electronica

38 wikis · Tier 3

Damon Albarn

United Kingdom · Person · born 1968

art rock, hip-hop, alternative rock, world music, alternative hip-hop, indie rock, Britpop, dub music, worldbeat

47 wikis · Tier 3

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

United Kingdom · Group · 1970–2010

psychedelic rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, art rock, jazz rock, symphonic rock

45 wikis · Tier 2

Captain Beefheart

United States · Person · born 1941

blues rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, art rock, alternative rock, proto-punk, spoken word, outsider music, free jazz

44 wikis · Tier 2

Greg Lake

United Kingdom · Person · born 1947

hard rock, folk rock, progressive rock, art rock, opera

39 wikis · Tier 2

Can

Germany · Group · 1968–present

progressive rock, art rock, Krautrock

37 wikis · Tier 3

Maureen Tucker

United States · Person · born 1944

rock and roll, folk rock, experimental rock, art rock, avant-garde music, proto-punk

27 wikis · Tier 3

Devo

United States · Group · 1972–present

art rock, new wave

27 wikis · Tier 3

The Alan Parsons Project

United Kingdom · Group · 1975–1990

progressive rock, art rock

36 wikis · Tier 2

St. Vincent

United States · Person · born 1982

art rock, indie pop, baroque pop, avant-garde music

36 wikis · Tier 3

Marillion

United Kingdom · Group · 1979–present

progressive rock, art rock, neo-prog

35 wikis · Tier 3

Jónsi

Iceland · Person · born 1975

art rock, alternative rock, ambient music, indie pop, baroque pop, post-rock, post-metal

35 wikis · Tier 3

Roy Wood

United Kingdom · Person · born 1946

pop rock, glam rock, art rock, jazz fusion, symphonic rock

25 wikis · Tier 3

Yoko Kanno

Japan · Person · born 1964

pop music, blues, jazz, art rock, classical music, ambient music, J-pop, new age music

32 wikis · Tier 3

Eddie Jobson

United Kingdom · Person · born 1955

experimental rock, progressive rock, art rock

21 wikis · Tier 3

Group

The Decemberists

United States · Group · 2000–present

art rock

28 wikis · Tier 3

Aquarium

Russia · Group · 1972–present

rock music, rock and roll, blues rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, art rock, new wave, reggae, jazz fusion, indie rock, neofolk, bard rock

28 wikis · Tier 3

Sparks

United States · Group · 1971–present

psychedelic rock, disco, pop rock, glam rock, art rock, alternative rock, synth-pop, electropop, new wave, electronica, proto-punk, synth-punk

28 wikis · Tier 3

Focus

Netherlands · Group · 1969–present

progressive rock, art rock

27 wikis · Tier 3

Jerry Harrison

United States · Person · born 1949

art rock, post-punk, new wave, garage rock, proto-punk

18 wikis · Tier 3

Andy Mackay

United Kingdom · Person · born 1946

pop music, rhythm and blues, glam rock, art rock, operatic pop

18 wikis · Tier 3

Daniel Lanois

Canada · Person · born 1951

rock music, blues rock, folk rock, experimental rock, blues, pop rock, folk music, art rock, alternative rock, new wave, ambient music, acoustic music

25 wikis · Tier 3

Luis Alberto Spinetta

Argentina · Person · born 1950

rock music, blues rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, art rock, jazz rock, tango rock

25 wikis · Tier 3

Neil Finn

New Zealand · Person · born 1958

rock music, pop music, art rock, new wave

23 wikis · Tier 3

Daniel Balavoine

France · Person · born 1952

rock music, pop music, progressive rock, art rock, synth-pop, electronic rock, world music, avant-pop

23 wikis · Tier 3

Polyphia

United States · Group · 2010–present

progressive rock, art rock, instrumental rock, progressive metal, math rock

19 wikis · Tier 3

Broken Social Scene

Canada · Group · 1999–present

art rock

19 wikis · Tier 3

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

United States · Group · 1994–present

art rock

17 wikis · Tier 3

Linda

Russia · Person · born 1973

pop music, folk rock, psychedelic rock, art rock, grunge, indie rock, new age music, trip hop, experimental music, gothic rock, trip rock

17 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Henry Cow

United Kingdom · Group · 1968–present

experimental rock, progressive rock, art rock, avant-garde jazz, Canterbury scene

15 wikis · Tier 3

Split Enz

New Zealand · Group · 1972–present

pop rock, progressive rock, art rock, art pop, new wave, progressive pop, zolo

15 wikis · Tier 3

Dredg

United States · Group · 1993–present

art rock, alternative rock

15 wikis · Tier 3

Wigwam

Finland · Group · 1969–present

rock music, hard rock, progressive rock, art rock

14 wikis · Tier 3

Cardiacs

United Kingdom · Group · 1977–2008

experimental rock, art rock, post-punk, psychedelic pop, avant-garde music

10 wikis · Tier 3

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

United States · Group · 1999–present

progressive rock, art rock

9 wikis · Tier 3

Islands

Canada · Group · 2005–present

art rock, indie rock, indie pop

8 wikis · Tier 3

Hidria Spacefolk

Finland · Group · 1999–present

progressive rock, art rock, space rock

6 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Apostle of Hustle

Canada · Group · 2001–present

art rock

6 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Life Without Buildings

Group · 1999–present

art rock, post-punk, new wave, indie rock, math rock

5 wikis · Tier 3

Group

FromUz

Uzbekistan · Group · 2004–present

art rock

4 wikis · Tier 3

Tim Smith

United Kingdom · Person · born 1961

art rock

4 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Exodus

Poland · Group · 1976–1985

art rock

4 wikis · Tier 3

Group

Fellini

Brazil · Group · 1984–present

art rock

3 wikis · Tier 3

Kellermensch

Denmark · Group · 2006–present

art rock

3 wikis · Tier 3

Edison's Children

United Kingdom · Group · 2011–present

rock music, progressive rock, art rock, neo-prog, dark ambient, soundtrack, science fiction music

2 wikis · Tier 3

Group

The Kryptonite Sparks

Romania · Group · 2009–present

folk music, art rock, indie rock, post-rock

2 wikis · Tier 3