RUSH! recognize!
I have seen metallica and ac/dc live and rush beats them both out of the water. For starters I walked out nearly deaf after every show (I would have been smart to use earplugs). For another they are still around (touring next year) unlike ded zep and dead dead. Having the greatest rock drummer alive (no contest) puts them up there. And on top of all this, they are great human beings who listen to their hearts and be who they want to be and not some crazy washed-up american pop stars. They have more integrity than any rock band ever, listen to "spirit of radio" and "limelight" to understand what they think of the music industry.
Rush sets the example, sadly, no one follows.