The Beatles have been named the greatest rock and roll stars of the last 50 years by a panel of top musicians.

Pete Townsend, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, The Edge, Chrissie Hynde and Moby were among the 55-strong panel.

Elvis Costello said The Beatles sounded "like nothing else" when he first heard them in 1962.

"They had already absorbed Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and Chuck Berry, but they were also writing their own songs," he wrote.

"They made writing your own material expected, rather than exceptional."

The Beatles were followed by Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley in the Rolling Stone magazine poll.

In ninth place, Aretha Franklin - who turned 62 on Thursday - was the only woman in the top 10.

The poll was to mark the first half-century of rock and roll which is said to have started on July 5, 1954 - the day Elvis Presley recorded That's All Right at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

The poll results are:

1. The Beatles

2. Bob Dylan

3. Elvis Presley

4. The Rolling Stones

5. Chuck Berry

6. Jimi Hendrix

7. James Brown

8. Little Richard

9. Aretha Franklin

10. Ray Charles