My Top Favorite Current Musical Acts and Artists by Genre

I've been working for a while now on narrowing down the number of musical acts and artists I follow, and, while the following is not an exhaustive list, it is a fairly comprehensive summary of where my focus is settling. Under each of fifteen musical "genres," I've listed my top twelve favorite current acts and artists. By "current" I refer to those who are still producing music in the present, though some of them are likely nearing the end of their careers. Beyond the acts and artists included here, there are probably another three or four dozen that I remain interested in and pay attention to. But for the purposes of this post, I was determined to limit myself to a dozen entries within each category. Some might quibble with my categorization, but it is my own.

I share this list, not only for the sake of disciplining myself and establishing a measure of public accountability for my goals, but also because I believe there's something of interest and enjoyment for almost anyone within these various musical categories, regardless of your own tastes in music. In any case, it is one of my greatest pleasures in life to share the things I love with my family & friends. So, see what you think, and maybe you'll discover something new.


Modern Mainline Country

Tim McGraw
Kenny Chesney
Keith Urban
Carrie Underwood
Brad Paisley
Lady Antebellum
Jason Aldean
Darius Rucker
Blake Shelton
Kacey Musgraves
Ashley McBryde
Dierks Bentley


Red Dirt, Retro, and (Neo-)Traditional Country

Cody Jinks
Trace Adkins
George Strait
Ronnie Dunn / Brooks & Dunn
Wade Bowen
Tyler Childers
Chris Stapleton
Casey Donahew (Band)
Cory Morrow
Cody Johnson
Randy Rogers (Band)
Vince Gill


Alternative & Edgy Country

Eric Church
Zac Brown Band
Sturgill Simpson
Miranda Lambert
Uncle Kracker
The Steel Woods
Brothers Osborne
Little Big Town
Paul Cauthen
Margo Price
Aubrie Sellers
Alex Williams


Folk & Americana

Lori McKenna
Brandi Carlile / The Highwomen
Allison Moorer
The Secret Sisters
Flatland Cavalry
Brandy Clark
The Waifs
Alison Krauss (and Union Station)
Dori Freeman
The Devil Makes Three
Mandolin Orange
Mipso


Alternative & Progressive Folk

Parker Millsap
The Avett Brothers
The Decemberists
Mumford & Sons
The Head and the Heart
Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
Amanda Shires / The Highwomen
Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters
The Lumineers / Neyla Pekarek
The Dustbowl Revival
Belle & Sebastian
Shovels & Rope


Heartland-Americana Pop-Rock

Will Hoge
Jason Isbell
Kid Rock
Sister Hazel
Jimmy Barnes
American Aquarium / BJ Barham
Green River Ordinance
The Band of Heathens
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Jamestown Revival
Reckless Kelly
Turnpike Troubadours


Singer-Songwriter Pop

Mat Kearney
Taylor Swift
Gavin DeGraw
Jason Mraz
Five For Fighting
John Mayer
Dawes
Ben Rector
Sara Bareilles
Passenger
Dan Layus / Augustana
Amos Lee


Alternative ~ Pop-Rock

Train
Daughtry
Rob Thomas / Matchbox Twenty
Plain White T’s
Imagine Dragons
Rick Springfield
The Script
Grace Potter
American Authors
Better Than Ezra / Kevin Griffin
Weird Al Yankovic
OneRepublic


Classic Rock

Black Country Communion
Brian Fallon / Gaslight Anthem
Black Star Riders
Rival Sons
Tesla
Greta Van Fleet
Thunder
Inglorious
Whitesnake
Sammy Hagar / Chickenfoot / Van Halen
Beth Hart
Wolfmother / Andrew Stockdale


Modern Rock

Shinedown
Bon Jovi
Ten
Linkin Park
3 Doors Down
Revolution Saints / Night Ranger
Three Days Grace
Saint Asonia
Eclipse
Skillet
Takida
Scott Stapp / Creed


Hard Rock ~ Heavy Metal

Alter Bridge / Tremonti / Myles Kennedy
Ozzy Osbourne
Black Stone Cherry
Volbeat
Sabaton
Scorpions
Saxon / Biff Byford
AC/DC
Jorn
Liliac
Gotthard
Pretty Maids


Progressive Rock & Metal

Theocracy
Dream Theater
Amaranthe
Redemption
Avantasia
Angra
Of Mice & Men
Sons of Apollo
Queensryche
Avenged Sevenfold
Within Temptation
Delain


Metal

Megadeth
Judas Priest
Black Veil Brides
All That Remains
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Dragonforce
Killswitch Engage / Times of Grace
Primal Fear / Magnus Karlsson
Disturbed
Accept
Cyhra


Ambiguous Alternatives

U2
Switchfoot
Andy Black
Lifehouse
Breaking Benjamin
The Goo Goo Dolls
The Black Keys / Dan Auerbach
Good Charlotte
Mayday Parade
Sleeping with Sirens
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Need-to-Breathe / Wilder Woods


Guitarists

Joe Bonamassa
Slash / Myles Kennedy / Guns ‘n’ Roses
Joe Satriani — Chickenfoot
Paul Gilbert — Mr. Big
Michael Schenker
Gus G — Firewind
Zakk Wylde — Black Label Society
Tedeschi Trucks Band / Susan Tedeschi / Derek Trucks
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Jack White — The Raconteurs / The Dead Weather
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Diana Rein