Veteran Music Journalist Publishes Book of ‘Rock & Roll Lists’

A veteran music journalist who shares a name with—but is not—the former bassist of the Rolling Stones has published Bill Wyman’s Rock & Roll Lists, which, according to its subtitle, includes “Every Song by The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, The Clash and Every Artist in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — Ranked from Worst to Best.”

The 904-page book was released electronically on July 9, 2026, and is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here. A paperback version is in the works and should be ready soon, reports the author.

Says Wyman, “The lists were done for New York magazine and sometimes just the magazine’s Vulture web site. I did Zeppelin, Jackson, the Beatles, the Clash and Pink Floyd for them, along with the overview of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Nirvana and Eagles are new to the book.” The Beatles list, he adds, “was one of the magazine’s best read stories of the year. It’s 22,000 words. The Rock Hall List is 43,000…[and] is based on a lot of reporting over the years.”

According to the book’s Amazon blurb, “Wyman doesn’t just rank the songs. He uncovers forgotten stories, reveals surprising financial and personal details, and places the music in the context of its era. The result is a fascinating journey through hundreds of songs and decades of rock history—packed with sharp insights, unexpected discoveries, and plenty of fodder for arguments.

“Written with Wyman’s trademark wit, skepticism, and sparkling prose, these essays are as entertaining as they are informative,” it continues. “As you settle old debates, discover overlooked gems, or simply lose yourself in the history of popular music, you’ll find yourself reading ‘just one more ranking.’”

Related: These artists, who have not been inducted into the Rock Hall, will have to wait for a followup volume before they can be ranked

Wyman is a journalist, editor and one of America’s leading rock critics, says his bio on the Amazon page. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, New York, The Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and many other publications. He is the former arts editor of Salon and former assistant managing editor of National Public Radio in Washington. Wyman was also a writer for the East Bay Express in Berkeley and then a staff writer at the Chicago Reader, where he wrote the pop music column Hitsville. He also started the Sound Opinions radio show with Jim DeRogatis and writes obituaries of artists for New York magazine.

Watch: Guess where this singer placed on the list of best/worst Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees