punk:

1. the velvet underground
2. the stooges
3. talking heads
4. the cars
5. blondie
6. ramones
7. the cure
8. patti smith
9. the police
10. the clash

metal:

1. black sabbath
2. metallica
3. rage against the machine
4. motörhead
5. melvins
6. rainbow
7. judas priest
8. iron maiden
9. venom
10. megadeth

alternative rock:

1. radiohead
2. nirvana
3. u2
4. r.e.m.
5. pearl jam
6. soundgarden
7. red hot chili peppers
8. alice in chains
9. temple of the dog
10. mother love bone

Just like some good punk music, that first list is making me angry

I don't listen to enough rock to make 3 separate lists but Metallica was the first band I really got into in like 7th or 8th grade

i'm gonna do lists for post-punk, post-hardcore, and hardcore punk

post-punk:

1. talking heads
2. the cure
3. lydia lunch
4. danielle dax
5. television
6. siouxsie and the banshees
7. mission of burma
8. minutemen
9. wipers
10. the slits

post-hardcore:

1. hüsker dü
2. shellac
3. big black
4. unwound
5. drive like jehu
6. fugazi
7. the jesus lizard
8. slint
9. rodan
10. hot snakes

hardcore punk:

1. black flag
2. dead kennedys
3. bad brains
4. descendents
5. germs
6. circle jerks
7. adolescents
8. fear
9. suicidal tendencies
10. agnostic front

Top 10 Metal

1. Boris
2. Jesu
3. Converge
4. Nine Inch Nails
5. Metallica
6. Megadeth
7. Burzum
8. Korn
9. Gnaw Their Tongues
10. Magrudergrind

Top 10 Alt Rock / Cloud Rock / Art Rock

1. Radiohead
2. Smashing Pumpkins
3. Modest Mouse
4. The Voidz
5. Bowery Electric
6. Smerz
7. bar italia
8. Double Virgo
9. Lil Wayne — Rebirth
10. Kid Cudi — Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven

Top 10 Punk / Noise Punk / Digital Punk

1. Sleater-Kinney
2. X-Ray Spex
3. Orchid
4. Butthole Surfers
5. Machine Girl
6. Death Grips
7. Whitehouse
8. Pharmakon
9. Kim Gordon / Sonic Youth
10. Model/Actriz