1. Green Day

With six Grammy nominations, Number One Billboard chart status and worldwide sales of more than five million, Green Day's 2004 album, American Idiot, brings new meaning to the term "back with a vengeance"

It's official. Green Day can now be considered godfathers of punk. In 1994, their major-label debut, Dookie, put punk rock back on the musical map. The album spawned hit singles like "Basket Case" and "Longview" that combined buzzing guitars, teen-angst, juvenile humor and melodies that seared into your brain. The videos for the songs made Green Day – singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tres Cool – into punk superstars. Dookie went on to sell more than 10 million copies. It also created a pop/punk sound that paved the way for other artists for years to come. It is safe to say that without Green Day, there would be no Good Charlotte, Sum 41, Simple Plan or even possibly Avril Lavigne. Green Day created an attitude that sold multitudes.

But what do you do after you've created several successful albums of three-minute pop/punk anthems? Well, if you're a father (both Armstrong and Cool have two children each) who is deeply worried about the direction of the country under the current political administration, and you are a songwriter, you put your passion into your art. For Green Day, the result is American Idiot, an ambitious song cycle that is equal parts Born to Run and Quadrophenia. It tells the story of a troubled kid trying to escape from a troubled environment with his girlfriend at his side, but it is also a scorching indictment of American corporate culture. Musically, it is Green Day's most ambitious effort yet and it includes track after track of powerful anthems, including two nine-minute song suites.

Whether Green Day walks home with 7 awards on Grammy night is beside the point. They've already achieved a rare feat; they've created what some are calling a rock masterpiece: music with meaning that challenges the status quo...and, best of all, it rocks. —EP

2. Gwen Stefani

While her Grammy-winning band, No Doubt, was taking a break in ‘04, Gwen Stefani was breaking out on her own, releasing her first solo album, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, that indulged her musical fantasies

With a wardrobe to rival Madonna's, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani is one of the most stylish pop stars on the planet. But you could also say the same thing about her music. From No Doubt's early pop/punk ska hit "I'm Just a Girl" to later power ballads such as "Don't Speak," Stefani has effortlessly slid into a variety of musical roles. It's no wonder then that for her first outing as a solo artist, she would continue to indulge her taste for mixing it up. On 12 tracks, she creates music that is rhythmic, rebellious, confessional, sexy, fierce, playful, funky, emotional and all very, very cool. As one of the most talented, successful and visible singer/songwriters, Stefani was able to collaborate with a wish list of producers and songwriters, including Nellee Hooper, Linda Perry, Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, Dallas Austin, Johnny Vulture (aka Outkast's Andre 3000), Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and her bandmate, No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal. Drawing from such a diverse and amazing group of artists, Stefani was able to draw a commonality as well – all great, innovative and exciting music that blends a modern hip hop attitude with the Eighties dance club vibe that inspired her as a kid.

If creating one of the best and most-anticipated albums of the year wasn't enough, Stefani even found the time to launch her own clothing line, L.A.M.B., and star as Jean Harlow in Martin Scorsese's ambitious Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. At press time, Stefani was up for a Grammy for "What You Waiting For?" and No Doubt was up for a Grammy for "It's My Life." —EP

3. Franz Ferdinand

These dapper, disco-digging Scots put the fun back into rock with a hit album that got people dancing on both sides of the Atlantic

It was a pleasant surprise for many when Scotland's Franz Ferdinand (PRS) hit the big time with their incredibly catchy dance songs, seemingly popping up out of nowhere. Named after the assassinated Austrian archduke, the band rejuvenated a frenzied excitement abroad with their slick, danceable rock songs, and soon America was singing along to their infectious singles, "Darts of Pleasure" and "Take Me Out." There is an inherent cool sexuality to their music that swaggers with an irresistible urge to flirt with the disco ball. In 2003 the group signed with Domino Records and released their buzzworthy Darts of Pleasure EP. Soon they were touring with acts like Hot Hot Heat and Interpol. By 2004, Franz Ferdinand released their debut self-titled full-length on Epic. Their singles took off on both mainstream and college radio. In 2004, they won England's prestigious Mercury Prize and the group was named the most influential rock band of the year by Spin magazine. Early in January 2005, they received five nominations for Brit Awards (England's equivalent of a Grammy), the most of any rock act in the UK this year. At press time, they also had scored three Grammy nominations. —JM

4. Jet

In 2003, this Australian band took off, fueled by the hit "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?," and they are still flying high

Described as "The hottest band in rock" by NME, the Melbourne, Australia four-piece, Jet (APRA), have come a long way since signing to Elektra in 2002. Their uncompromising, raw rock sound, melding the power of AC/DC, with Paul McCartney's harder-edged Beatles work, has won them worldwide critical acclaim, making their hit album, Get Born, a massive seller in all corners of the globe. Their "rock gods" status was further confirmed when in early 2003 they were asked to support The Rolling Stones on the Australian leg of their world tour. Get Born has spawned several singles, including "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?," (which received valuable exposure thanks to a ubiquitous iPod commercial),"Rollover DJ," "Cold Hard Bitch" and "Look What You've Done." In November 2004, the band released a DVD called Family Style featuring a full Jet concert filmed in London. The band is currently taking a break before beginning work on their next album, in which they will once again go into the studio with Los Angeles-based producer Dave Sardy, whose credits include albums by System of a Down and Marilyn Manson. —EP

5. Taking Back Sunday

Among their many other accomplishments, Taking Back Sunday can be credited for helping put Long Island, New York, back on the rock and roll map. The band is one of the most successful and hardest working emo bands in rock. Their second album, Where You Want to Be (Victory Records) sold more than 163,000 copies in its first week when it was released last year, giving them a #3 debut on the Billboard album chart. Other highlights in 04 included headlining the Warped Tour, playing England's Reading Festival and landing a song, "This Photograph is Proof (I Know You Know)" on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack. —EP

6. TV on the Radio

Brooklyn's TV on the Radio merged a variety of styles, including soul, doo-wop, funk and gospel with alternative rock to create their critically-acclaimed second album, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (Touch and Go Records). With its fuzzy guitars, scratchy electronic sounds and exquisite harmonies, the album is beautiful and arty. With its biting social commentary, it is also cerebral and challenging. In an era flooded by garage rock and highly-produced pop, their singular sound earned them the coveted Shortlist Music Prize in 2004 for "the most adventurous and creative album of the year across all genres of music." —JM

7. Modest Mouse

After a decade of being the buzz of the indie rock scene, Modest Mouse had a monumental breakout year in 2004. The Washington state-based trio put out their first major label album on Epic, The Moon & Antarctica, in 2001, after signing with Sony. But frontman/songwriter Isaac Brock struck a chord with a more straight-ahead rock sound on the band's newest album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News. A surprise hit single of 2004 was the band's "Float On," with its boisterous sing-a-long chorus, which was used in a major car commercial and became a hit on radio. The band has sold a million copies of their new album, which is nominated for a Grammy this year for Best Alternative Music, and "Float On" is also up for a Grammy for Best Rock Song. —JB

8. Yellowcard

It takes a certain finesse for a band to make a personal connection with people. The Ventura-based punk quintet knew this instinctively and they worked hard for years to achieve their loyal following. They did it the hard way, playing hundreds of all-ages punk nights, rock dives, school events, suburban VFW halls, living rooms and backyards. On Ocean Avenue, Yellowcard's debut for Capitol Records, they delivered 13 passionate punk songs of self-empowerment and self-awareness. The album has sold more than 1.3 million copies, has spawned three hit singles and has spent considerable time on Billboard's 200 chart. —EP

9. Kings of Leon

With their unique blend of raw garage meets Southern rock, Kings of Leon stormed onto the music scene with their debut album, Youth and Young Manhood, for which Rolling Stone gave a rare four stars and NME called, "One of the best debut albums of the last 10 years." Their sophomore release, Aha Shake Heartbreak, has already wowed listeners in the UK where it has been released, prompting the London Times to name Kings of Leon "perhaps the finest American band of this decade." Aha Shake Heartbreak will be released in the U.S. on February 22. —JB

10. Hoobastank

Emo. Screamo. Post-grunge. Call their music whatever you want, but you have to call Hoobastank one of today's most sucessful rock bands. The Los Angeles band's self-titled 2001 debut album went gold and produced the radio/MTV hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away." But it was their 2003 album's title track, "The Reason," that blew the quartet into the stratosphere when, after dominating mainstream rock and pop radio, it was used in the final episodes of Friends and The O.C. They finished 2004 having sold more than two million albums and with three Grammy nominations under their belt. —EP

11. Outkast

All around music phenomenons, Big Boi and Andre 3000, collectively known as Outkast, are still riding a giant wave created by their 2003 smash hit album Speakerboxx/The Love Below (Arista). In the fall, they were spotted at international awards shows, including the MTV Europe Awards, American Music Awards and the World Music Awards, where they continued to collect honors for the music on their 2003 album. But now the two are reported to have completed two new albums and have finished shooting their long-awaited HBO musical, My Life in Idlewild, in which they both star. —EP

12. Maroon 5

In a previous life, the members of Maroon 5 were a straightforward rock band called Kara's Flowers. When that didn't pan out, they went back to school, literally (they took off for college) and musically. Discovering an appreciation for the R&B and soul flavorings of artists like Stevie Wonder, the newly formed Maroon5 found they had a knack for writing soulful, groove-oriented songs. Today, the group has sold more than three million copies of their 2002 debut album, Songs about Jane, which continues to ride high on the hits, "Harder to Breathe," "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved," Maroon 5 is up for more than one Grammy, including Best New Artist. —EP

13. Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver made the dreams of hard rock fans come true in 2004. Featuring three members of Guns n' Roses – Slash, Duff McKagen and Matt Sorum – and the former frontman for Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland, Revolver had the musical pedigree and the chops to create exquisitely bombastic glam metal. And they delivered the goods. Their debut album, Contraband, has now gone platinum with two hit singles, "Fall to Pieces' and "Slither." Better yet, they bring good meaning to the term "supergroup." The band is set to perform at the 47th annual Grammys, where they are up for three awards. —EP

14. The Killers

While almost every 2004 "best of" list was filled with a wide range of indie rock bands, one indie-sounding band was able to break into the mainstream with a killer song, The band was appropriately called The Killers and their colossal single, "Somebody Told Me," was a runaway hit with radio. The Las Vegas-based band was also featured on the hit TV show The O.C. Interestingly, the band exploded in the UK prior to their success and their dance-happy synth driven pop has a strikingly British feel. As 2004 ended, The Killers were still beginning their enormous rise up the charts, and with three Grammy nominations, the future looks bright for these Sin City rockers. —JB

15. Beck

While the world waits for the next album from L.A.'s resident rock genius, due out this year, Beck fans haven't gone completely hungry as of late. He contributed a beautiful recording of the song, "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime," to the hit film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Also, as one of the pioneering artists in the early 90's to mix and mash different musical styles and recordings together on the same track, it is no surprise that Beck would be among the first artists to release a "mash-up" of one of his songs. "Frontin' on Debra," mixes "Frontin'" by The Neptunes and Beck's "Debra" and was made available exclusively on iTunes. —EP

16. Blink 182

Rock pranksters Blink 182 set out to prove that they were more than just a pop-punk band with their latest, self-titled album, and they continued to push the envelope last year with their single from the disc, called "Always." They wrapped up 2004 with a tour of Japan and Australia. Now, singer/guitarist Tom Delonge and bassist Mark Hoppus also plan to develop new film projects through their production company, Resting Bird Entertainment, which produced a documentary last year called Riding In Vans With Boys. —EP

17. U2

With the simple words "Unos, dos, tres, catorce," quite possibly the largest album marketing campaign of the year and certainly the biggest cross-marketing endeavor were kicked off. As U2's Bono shouted these four numbers in Spanish in the infectious Apple iPod commercial, the entire world was introduced to U2's 14th release, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The single, "Vertigo," was suddenly ubiquitous. To celebrate the release of the album, U2 (PRS) came up with one of the largest publicity stunts ever by performing on the back of a flat bed truck traveling through the streets of Manhattan. Following this, they staged a surprise concert for roughly 15,000 fans that flocked to the base of the Brooklyn Bridge. All this hype was certainly deserved as their latest music is among the best they've created. "Vertigo" is up for a Grammy, and the band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. —JB

18. Simple Plan

They took some heat from some punk purists, but Montreal's Simple Plan couldn't contain themselves when they recorded their latest album, Still Not Getting Any, with famed producer Bob Rock. While not straying too far from the successful sound of their pop/punk first album, No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls, they focused more on writing songs with deeper meaning...and even added some strings. But the band isn't about to lose any fans over such things. After selling millions of albums, headlining two Warped Tours and sharing a stage with Aerosmith, they've earned the right to experiment as much as they want. —EP

19. Scissor Sisters

When everyone else thought that the electroclash movement was sooo over in 2003, England said nay and brought the Scissor Sisters into the spotlight with plenty of radio play and buzz. By year's end, Scissor Sisters had the best-selling album of 2004 in the United Kingdom. The five-piece New York band, both gender-defying and electrifying, craft perfect dance songs that trump style, energy and sexuality above all. Their sound is a tribute to legendary artists like Elton John, the Bee Gees and David Bowie. The band's self-titled debut was released in 2004 by Universal, sending the band full-throttle into amazing opening slots for Duran Duran, Elton John and the B-52's. Their single, "Take Your Mama Out," catapulted them into mainstream popularity and their cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" won them accolades from critics and fans alike, not to mention a 2004 Grammy nod for Best Dance Recording. —JM

20. Autolux

Autolux has perfected its lush sound with haunting melodies that linger in your ears for days at a time. With many layers to their experimental shoegazer music, the trio, composed of Eugene Goreshter, Carla Azar and Greg Edwards, has carefully woven together airy vocals with catchy guitar hooks, solid drumming and subtle but effective noise effects. The music just swirls around you until you are dizzy, slightly euphoric and a bit melancholy. The group first formed in 1999 in Los Angeles, and has been gaining a following ever since. The band's debut, Future Perfect, was released this past year on DMZ/Columbia, receiving much critical praise. With the way things are going right now, it looks like Autolux will live up to the promise of their album title. —JM