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The Beatles -

The most successful and influential band of all time was once a five-piece, with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass and original drummer Pete Best providing the back beat. Sutcliffe left in 1961; the following year, Best was replaced by Ringo Starr. Together, John, Paul, George, and Ringo became the Fab Four, and music history was made.

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U2 -

Irish rock band U2 were formed in Dublin in 1976. The lineup of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion) has remained unchanged since 1978 when Richard Evans, brother of the Edge, left the band and The Hype—the original name of U2—adopted their current name and became a legendary four-piece ensemble.

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Queen -

Queen reigned supreme throughout the 1970s and first half of the 1980s. A four-piece from the beginning, Queen were one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. After Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, Brian May and Roger Taylor continued as Queen+ with Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert sharing lead vocalist duties. Bassist John Deacon retired from music in 1997.

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The Doors -

The Doors—vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore—remained a four-piece band until Morrison's death in 1971. Formed in Los Angeles in 1965, the Doors were one of the most controversial and influential rock acts of the 1960s.

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Pink Floyd -

The original 1965 Pink Floyd lineup featured Syd Barrett on lead vocals. The band briefly became a five-piece after David Gilmore was drafted in as Barrett's mental health deteriorated: he left in 1968. Pink Floyd⁠—Gilmore, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright⁠—went on to became a leading band of the progressive rock era.

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ABBA -

Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, collectively known as ABBA, dominated the popular music scene of the mid-1970s and early '80s. The band split up in 1982 but reunited in 2016. In 2021, ABBA released their first new album in 40 years. 

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Led Zeppelin -

Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin pioneered the hard rock and heavy metal sound. The band— vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham—remained the same until Bonham's untimely death in 1980. After his demise, the surviving members disbanded the group out of respect for their late bandmate.

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Coldplay -

As Coldplay, vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion, have been together since 1996. The British band remains one of the biggest and best-selling music acts of the 21st century.

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The Who -

Another iconic English rock band formed in the 1960s, the Who remained as a four-piece until drummer Keith Moon's early demise at age 32 in 1978. Surviving members Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, and John Entwistle continued essentially as a trio until Entwistle's death in 2002. The Who today is, quite literally, half of what it used to be, with Daltrey and Townshend touring backed by session musicians.

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Sex Pistols -

Few bands have stirred up as much controversary as the Sex Pistols. Yet this English punk rock band, originally comprising vocalist Johnny Rotten (John Lydon), guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock, are regarded as one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. Matlock was replaced by Sid Vicious in 1977, but by the following year the band had imploded. The original four Sex Pistols reunited in 1996 for a tour, and have since sporadically performed together at a number of music festivals.

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Black Sabbath -

Black Sabbath emerged out of England in 1968 with the lineup of Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne. Regarded as the pioneers of heavy metal, this classic lineup survived until Osbourne, the self-proclaimed "Prince of Darkness," was kicked out of the band in 1979 for excessive substance abuse.

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Kiss -

Formed in New York City in 1973 by Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Gene Simmons, Kiss have remained active ever since, though the band has gone through several lineup changes.

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The Ramones -

Cited by music critics as the first true punk rock group, the Ramones blazed a trail out of New York City in 1974 and influenced numerous other bands throughout their 22-year history. The Ramones disbanded in 1996; by 2014, all four of the band's original members had died—lead singer Joey Ramone (1951–2001), bassist Dee Dee Ramone (1951–2002), guitarist Johnny Ramone (1948–2004), and drummer Tommy Ramone (1949–2014).

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Creedence Clearwater Revival -

Having first played together as far back as 1959, Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, Doug Clifford, ad John Fogerty eventually became Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968. Known for singer John Fogerty's powerful and distinctive voice, CCR enjoyed four years of chart-topping success before disbanding acrimoniously in 1972. They never reformed.

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The Clash -

One of the most celebrated post-punk new wave bands of the era, the Clash comprised lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon for most of their recording career. Formed in London in 1976, the band started to disintegrate in 1982. The death of Joe Strummer in 2002 ended any chance of a reunion.

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Talking Heads -

Formed in 1975 and active until 1991, Talking Heads successfully fused punk, art rock, funk, and world music to become one of the most original and innovative bands of their time. The four members, Scottish-born David Byrne (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass), and Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar) were all former art school students who became involved in the 1970's New York punk scene.

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The Four Seasons -

The original Four Seasons—Frankie Vali, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, and Nick Massi—emerged out of New Jersey in 1960 and are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time. In the mid-1970s, the band became a five-piece known as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and enjoyed a successful resurgence as a recording and performing act.

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Kraftwerk -

The quartet known as Kraftwerk are widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music. Formed in Düsseldorf in 1970, Kraftwerk's most iconic lineup—Ralf Hutter, Florian Schneider, Wolfgang Flür, and Karl Bartos—were responsible for the band's most commercially successful period, from 1974 to 1981.

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The Kinks -

English band the Kinks were known for reflecting British culture and lifestyle through a string of witty and sharply observed musical compositions that topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Formed in 1963, band members Ray Davies, Pete Quaife, Mick Avory, and Dave Davies worked together until 1969, when Quaife stepped down. The Kinks in various lineups remained active until 1996.

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Fanny -

Probably the least known band on this list, American band Fanny nonetheless were one of the first all-female rock groups to achieve critical and commercial success, later influencing bands such as the Go-Go's and the Bangles. Formed in 1969, Fanny comprised guitarist June Millington, keyboard player Nickey Barclay, bassist Jean Millington, and drummer Alice de Buhr. The group disbanded in 1975, never having gained the global popularity they deserved.

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The Mamas & the Papas -

Developing a sound that epitomized the counterculture of 1960s California, the Mamas & the Papas were a folk rock quartet comprising John Phillips, Cass Elliot, Michelle Phillips, and Denny Doherty. The band recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, releasing in that short period five studio albums and 17 singles.

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Blur -

English band Blur brought themselves into sharp focus in 1988. By the early 1990s they were helping to popularize the Britpop genre, the catchy guitar pop sound that Blur and rivals Oasis, plus other bands like Suede and Pulp, exported around the world. Blur⁠—Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Dave Rowntree, and Alex James⁠—are regarded as especially gifted writers and instrumentalists, and while infighting and differences in musical direction ultimately led to the band fracturing, Blur remain, at least on paper, a working four-piece.

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The Four Tops -

A vocal quartet from Detroit, the Four Tops helped to define the city's famous Motown sound. Amazingly, the lineup of Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton remained the same for over four decades, the foursome performing from 1953 until 1997. 

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Booker T. & the M.G.'s -

Formed in 1962, American instrumental band Booker T. & the M.G.'s was one of the first racially integrated rock groups. The band's huge 1962 hit single 'Green Onions' was recorded and performed by the original four-piece: Booker T. Jones on the organ, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, drummer Al Jackson, and guitarist Steve Cropper.

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Van Halen -

Van Halen's best-known lineup, from 1974 to 1985, consisted of Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, and Michael Anthony. The group, always a four-piece, disbanded in 2020 after the death of Eddie Van Halen.

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Metallica -

Heavy metal heroes Metallica have always performed as a four-piece, though with different lineups since the band's founding in Los Angeles in 1981. Vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich remain the founding members, pictured here with longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Cliff Burton.

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The Smiths -

As the Smiths, Morrisey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke, and Mike Joyce were one of the foremost acts to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The usual "artistic differences" led to the group disbanding in 1987, but not before producing some of the most important music of the post-punk era.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers -

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are currently Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Fruschiante, and Chad Smith. But they formed in Los Angeles in 1983 as Kiedis and Flea with guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons. RHCP, however, have always been a four-man outfit.

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The Monkees -

Conceived as a pop group to star in their own television comedy series, the Monkees were a huge hit on the small screen. But members Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones demanded, and eventually won, more control over the music-making process. The band, lambasted by many for not playing their instruments, silenced their critics by going out on the road and performing live. The Monkees disbanded in 1970, but in the 1980s embarked on a series of reunion tours, though not all featuring all four members of the original band. Micky Dolenz is the sole surviving member of the group.

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Television -

An early fixture on the New York City punk scene and a regular act at the legendary CBGB music club, Television, founded by Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Billy Ficca, and Richard Hell, still perform today but as a different lineup.

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Pantera -

Heavy metal band Pantera rocked onto the scene out of Texas in 1981. The group's best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers (drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell), along with bassist Rex Brown, and lead vocalist Phil Anselmo. Pantera are regularly cited as one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history.  

Sources: (Biography) (The New York Times) (RIFF)

See also: Heavy metal heroes—music's pioneering headbangers

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