Is the No. 1 artist any surprise? No. 2 might be, country’s favorite son Garth Brooks (right). But look at where the Stones landed! And why do we find it immensely satisfying to see George Strait finishing way ahead of Madonna? But AC/DC?!?! Who knew?!

Here is the top 20 and the number of certified units sold:

1. The Beatles: 170 million
2. Garth Brooks: 128 million
3. Elvis Presley: 118.5 million
4. Led Zeppelin: 111.5 million
5. The Eagles: 100 million
6. Billy Joel: 79.5 million
7. Pink Floyd: 74.5 million
8. Barbra Streisand: 71 million
9. Elton John: 69.5 million
10. AC/DC: 69 million
11. George Strait: 67.5 million
12. Aerosmith: 66.5 million
13. The Rolling Stones: 66 million
14. Bruce Springsteen: 63.5 million
15. Madonna: 63.5 million
16. Mariah Carey: 61.5 million
17. Michael Jackson: 60.5 million
18. Metallica: 57 million
19. Van Halen: 56.5 million
20. Whitney Houston: 54 million

For the rest, see the complete RIAA list.

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Here’s the method behind Olsen’s list: The winners had to be an actual band; they had to be “within the greater circle of ‘rock’ music and generate most or all of their own material.” Olsen also considered cultural influences, staying power, and our favorite: the “It’s a Wonderful Life” factor: “What damage would be done if the band were to be removed from rock history? — the greater the damage, the greater the band.”

Here’s Olsen’s top 10 bands of all time:

1. The Beatles (pictured)
2. The Rolling Stones
3. U2
4. The Grateful Dead
5. Velvet Underground
6. Led Zeppelin
7. The Ramones
8. Pink Floyd
9. Bob Marley & the Wailers
10. Sly and the Family Stone

For more, visit “The 10 Best Rock Bands Ever” at MSNBC.

Single out the 500 Greatest Songs, of course.

That’s exactly what Rolling Stone endeavored to do a couple of years ago. The result: Plenty of fodder for late-night debate, heated and otherwise.

To get you in the spirit of things, here are the Top 10:

1. Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan

2. Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones

3. Imagine, John Lennon

4. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye

5. Respect, Aretha Franklin

6. Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys

7. Johnny B. Goode, Chuck Berry

8. Hey Jude, The Beatles

9. Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana

10. What’d I Say, Ray Charles

So, who checked in at No. 500?

More Than a Feeling, Boston

If you want to see everything else in between, check out Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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A few years back, Rolling Stone took a stab at naming the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, a compilation destined to raise blood pressure around the globe.

The top 10:

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band — The Beatles

2. Pet Sounds — The Beach Boys

3. Revolver — The Beatles

4. Highway 61 Revisited — Bob Dylan

5. Rubber Soul – The Beatles

6. What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye

7. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones

8. London Calling, The Clash

9. Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan

10. The Beatles (”The White Album”), The Beatles

If your all-time favorite got an also-ran ranking (or missed the cut completely), you probably aren’t alone.

Think you can handle the stress? Get the rest of the list from Rolling Stone.

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