Top 5 Greenest Bands, According To Billboard (VIDEO)

Billboard Magazine is unveiling its top ten green artists on Monday, but HuffPost Green got a little teaser.

Greening tours has become fashionable, in part because of what these artists have done. Below, find the top five greenest artists and a little about what they do for the environment. Plus, music videos!

THE LIST:

1. JOHN LEGEND

John Legend |MTV Music

--Performed at Green Inaugural Ball after tirelessly campaigning for Barack Obama
--Has a campaign aimed at improving agriculture and water in Tanzania

2. RADIOHEAD

Radiohead |MTV Music

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--Thom Yorke went to Brussels to call on the European Union and governments to agree to annual cuts in carbon emissions
--Commissioned the research firm Best Foot Forward to provide an ecological footprint and carbon audit of its 2003 and 2006 North American tours
--Used what it believes to be the first LED lighting system for a tour, requiring a fraction of the power of traditional lighting

3. CAKE

--Converted its recording studio to run on solar power.
--All albums and merchandise are made with non-bleached recycled stock and non-toxic vegetable dyes, and the group has replaced CD jewel boxes with coated cardboard Re-Pak Digipaks.
--Hosts annual eclectic Unlimited Sunshine tour, which invites such organizations as Earthjustice, Union of Concerned Scientists, Greenpeace, Sierra Club, Arbor Day Society and HeadCount to set up educational booths to provide resource materials

4. PETE SEEGER

--Co-founded Hudson River Sloop Clearwater in 1966, which aims to clean up the Hudson River (it's a big job)
--For Seeger's 90th birthday May 3, the Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders will feature more than 40 artists--including Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, John Mellencamp and Emmylou Harris

5. LUDACRIS & TOMMY LEE

Ludacris |MTV Music

--Competed in various environmental challenges on "Battleground Earth," a 10-episode series that aired on Planet Green, to heighten environmental awareness
--While both practice recycling and have switched to compact fluorescent lighting, Ludacris has gone a step further: He drives a hybrid Tahoe and is installing solar paneling in his Atlanta home

Check out #6 through #10 next week at Billboard.com.

Comments

[SPQR1775]

Great list HP, I do agree with the #1 choice of John Legend, I would add Alisher Keys to your list too!

[torn2pieces]

The greenest of them all is none other than the Divine Miss M herself, Bette Midler. She purposely stopped touring and planted herself in Vegas because of how un-green touring is. We also have Bette Midler to thank for the Million-Trees NYC. A million trees in New York City... thanks Bette!

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

Thanks for the list.

[joeth]

Posting something like number 5 on this list is the whole reason people are skeptical of the word "green" and are sick of hearing about it.

Jack Johnson should really be on this list for all of his great efforts.

[berryessence]

What?

Black people can't recycle? PLEASE

Ludacris has done some SERIOUS non-profit work in the past 5 years. HE HAS MATURED and realize he can be an astounding force and voice within the hip hop communities.

He also has a RUNAWAY GIRL foundation. For women who runaway from their families. It provides shelter and bring the girls back to their families.

STOP HATING

One of the best ECO GUYS is VAN JONES look him up...AND HE'S BLACK AND STARTED IN OAKLAND, CA

[klaatu barada nikto]

Why would you make this about race? Bizarre.

[PatA]

What about Willie Nelson? It would be hard to leave him off this list. He has a finger in several "green" ventures and his bus runs on bio-diesel. His wife drives a car that runs "on vegetable oil".....Willie's new water business needs to be explored...you'll find that Willie is very "green" and he travels most of the year. He is 76 years old...and an example to younger artists everywhere.

[Madazell]

Minnesota band, Cloud Cult, has toured in a bio-diesel van and recycled cd jewel cases for all their musical releases. Founder Craig Minowa works a "day job" as an environmental scientist. Excellent music also!

http://www.cloudcult.com/

[mespace]

The people who seem to be the "greenest" typically waste a dramatically higher amount of resources than the average person. And the people who are REALLY green aren't interesting enough to producers for TV. http://rawvegandiet.wordpress.com

[Thomas Murphy]

Good LORD! "I'm a greener "artist" than you are!" What is that all about? As an entertainer, you're either entertaining and intriguing, or you're not. "Green" is the new trend, and it's pitiful that all it takes to be considered environmentally savvy these days is to blather about one's beliefs in an interview. Hip-hoppers are no-talent losers, and to see them latch onto this "green" thing that's goin' 'round proves that they know they have little more going on than what they wear on their heads. Oh, well: let's have a little fun before the real pain sinks in, and we have to accept that there's more to being a good citizen than bragging about one's holier-than-thou qualities.

[TJCole]

The greenest artists don't record...

[ajm8127]

I've never seen the video for "The Distance" before. Interesting.