50 Greatest Musical Artists

[Dpm12]

Last edited Wed Feb 4, 2015, 12:16 AM - Edit history (2)

According to a Beckett Entertainment magazine (Winter 2014):
50. Beyonce - R&B, pop
49. Willie Nelson - Country, rock
48. The White Stripes - Rock
47. Taylor Swift - Country, pop
46. Green Day - Rock, pop
45. N.W.A. - Hip hop
44. The Beastie Boys - Hip hop, rock
43. The Tempations - R&B, doo-wop
42. Aerosmith - Rock, metal
41. Jay-Z - Hip hop
40. Patsy Cline - Country, pop
39. Buddy Holly - Rock, country
38. Eminem - Hip hop
37. Guns 'N Roses - Rock, metal
36. The Kinks - Rock, pop
35. Diana Ross and the Supremes - R&B, doo-wop
34. Pearl Jam - Rock
33. The Ramones - Rock
32. Madonna - Pop, rock
31. AC/DC - Rock, metal
30. Metallica - Metal
29. Nirvana - Rock
28. James Brown - Soul, funk
27. Bob Marley - Reggae, rock
26. Black Sabbath - Metal
25. RUN-D.M.C. - Hip hop, rock
24. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Rock
23. Aretha Franklin - Soul, gospel
22. R.E.M. - Rock, pop
21. Pink Floyd - Rock
20. The Doors - Rock
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Rock
18. U2 - Rock
17. David Bowie - Rock, pop
16. Michael Jackson - Pop, rock
15. Jimi Hendrix - Rock
14. Neil Young - Rock, folk
13. Stevie Wonder - Soul, pop
12. Simon and Garfunkel - Rock, folk
11. Eric Clapton - Rock
10. Led Zeppelin - Rock, metal
9. Bruce Springsteen - Rock
8. The Who - Rock
7. Frank Sinatra - Pop, jazz
6. Johnny Cash - Country, rock
5. The Beach Boys - Rock, pop
4. Bob Dylan - Folk, rock
3. The Rolling Stones - Rock
2. Elvis Presley - Rock, country
1. The Beatles - Rock, pop

That's their list. Mostly made this thread out of boredom.

[KMOD]

1. It's not bad, but it defininately needs reworking.

I'm too tired to bother right now, but I can guarantee Taylor Swift would not make my top 50.

[Dpm12]

2. It's not my top 50...

...it's the Top 50 for this magazine I bought.

[KMOD]

5. Oh, I know.

I was just commenting on the magazines picks. I'm bored too.

[cwydro]

51. Metallica and Black Sabbath

would not be on my list.

The first ten are pretty right on.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

3. I can't stand rap or hip-hop.

Or much of anything in pop music starting with grunge in the early 90s. Only new stuff that the baby boomers, who already had careers and hits, have done since then.

Yeah, get off my lawn. I like codge rock.

[Dpm12]

4. I oughtta make my own top 50 list; N/T

[Joe Shlabotnik]

6. how about something a little less onerous,

and keep it at 20 or 25, so others can create and compare their own lists. And define what criteria you use to rate the artists. (Just a suggestion)

[MrScorpio]

7. Unless we're discussing record sales, lists like this are completely subjective opinions. nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

56. Yep. I gave up bashing other people's taste in music a long time ago.

I've learned to appreciate some stuff I turned my nose at that I never thought I would give a second glance.

Whatever floats your boat I say.

Except those fucking Jugalos. Nah just kidding. Alright, I admit it, that one song with the magnets line people post here to ridicule is kind of a catchy tune. So sue me.

[KMOD]

8. My Top 10

is subject to change

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Elvis Presley
The Who
Led Zeppelin
Elton John
Queen
The Doors
The Temptations
The Beach Boys

[mrmpa]

21. Sexist sexist sexist..............

No women on the list.

[NRaleighLiberal]

9. No Joni Mitchell? Kinks? Arcade Fire? Pixies? Steely Dan? issues with that list!

[Dpm12]

15. Kinks are 36; N/T

[Art_from_Ark]

18. They should be a lot higher than that

As in
1. Beatles
2. Rolling Stones
3. Kinks

[LynneSin]

76. Seriously to put Taylor Swift on there before Joni Mitchell?

I think someone should be on there for several reason - like defining a genre or for having a long and extensive collection of top records.

Taylor Swift has not done that yet. She hasn't defined anything - pop country and pop music has been around forever and she's really only been making music for about 5-7 years. I'll let Madonna on the list because Madonna has done it for 30+ years and she has done things to redefine the pop music industry not so much as her songs but with the concerts tours that she creates with them.

Oh well that's just my opinion.

[LynneSin]

76. Seriously to put Taylor Swift on there before Joni Mitchell?

I think someone should be on there for several reason - like defining a genre or for having a long and extensive collection of top records.

Taylor Swift has not done that yet. She hasn't defined anything - pop country and pop music has been around forever and she's really only been making music for about 5-7 years. I'll let Madonna on the list because Madonna has done it for 30+ years and she has done things to redefine the pop music industry not so much as her songs but with the concerts tours that she creates with them.

Oh well that's just my opinion.

[Archae]

10. I'm just grateful the Steve Miller Band didn't make the list.

If there was ever a way for a band to suck, Steve Miller Band sucked.

[begin_within]

11. We would like to know why

Jay-Z and Beyonce, Taylor Swift, NWA, Eminem, Pearl Jam and U2 made the list but we didn't. Was there some kind of sign-up deadline? Was there a fee involved? Did anyone even try calling us?

Signed,

Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills and ,Nash, the Eagles, Santana, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Heart, Cream, Yes, Genesis, Linda Ronstadt, the Carpenters, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Jefferson Airplane, Steely Dan, Moody Blues, Peter, Paul and Mary, Mamas and the Papas, Frank Zappa, Roxy Music, Sly and the Family Stone, Vince Guaraldi, Allman Brothers, Queen, the Byrds, the Clash, Velvet Underground, Prince, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Grateful Dead, Ike & Tina Turner, Aerosmith, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Glenn Miller, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, Franz Lizst, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

[Dpm12]

13. Of anyone you complained about,

Eminem deserves to be on the list. And I don't even like rap.

[KMOD]

14. Eminem deserves to be in the top 50?

eh,

I guess this is where I should say, "get off of my lawn".

[Dpm12]

16. Have you ever heard anything by Eminem?

Great artist. "Lose Yourself" and "Stan" are arguably two of the greatest songs of all time. Great artist! I own his greatest Hits album. If anything, he's far too low. Should be in the Top 20, really.

[KMOD]

17. LOL

Rock on with your Eminem. He wouldn't break my top 500, but that's just me.

[Dpm12]

19. Here's what Elton John had to say about Eminem:

"When Eminem and I did "Stan" at the Grammys in 2001, we got together to rehearse out in the Valley. We had never met or really spoken, so I was a little intimidated. When we started to do the song and Eminem made his entrance, I got goose bumps, the likes of which I have not felt since I first saw Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Eminem was that good. I just thought, "Fuck, this man is amazing." There are very few performers who can grab you like that the first time — only the greats.
Eminem is a true poet of his time, someone we'll be talking about for decades to come. He tells stories in such a powerful and distinctive way. As a lyricist, he's one of the best ever. Eminem does for his audience what Dylan did for his: He writes how he feels. His anger, vulnerability and humor come out. That's why we look forward to listening to Eminem's lyrics and finding out where the hell he's headed next.
Eminem lives, sleeps and breathes music — he's a bit like me in that respect. He's pretty much a recluse. I think he's enthralled with what he's doing; he's intimately involved with his art. There's a mystique about him. From the start, I have always admired Eminem's thinking. That's the reason I wanted to appear on the Grammys with him when I was asked, despite all the nonsense talked about his being homophobic and crap like that. The Boy Georges of the world all got up in a twist about it. If they didn't have the intelligence to see his intelligence, that was their problem.
Eminem has the balls to say what he feels and to make offensive things funny. That's very necessary today, when irony is becoming a lost art. Artists like Eminem who use their free speech to get a point across are vitally important. There just aren't many people in the world with balls that big and talent that awesome."

[ProfessorGAC]

71. That's A Reason For Me To Dismiss Eminem

And i don't dislike him. Wouldn't put in my top 50 either, but if Elton is that impressed with him, i know i'm right that he's not all that.

As you can tell, i'm not Elton's biggest fan either.

[hamsterjill]

28. Uh, you forgot Neil Diamond.

I'm sorry but NO list would be complete without him.

(I liked the creativity of your post!)

[begin_within]

34. Barbra had him dropped from the list

because he didn't bring her flowers...

[hamsterjill]

36. Hey, she cheated on him with Barry Gibb!!!

LOL

Remember that?

[begin_within]

45. That dime-store floozie.

[vanlassie]

12. Van Morrison.

That is all.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

47. Yep.

[vanlassie]

48. High Five.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

49. Just for you...

&index=7&list=PL7919B9B0B051C6A8

[WorseBeforeBetter]

59. Seriously. Anyone who gave the world "Into the Mystic"...

belongs on that list. "Fair Play"... "Sweet Thing"... and on and on...

[vanlassie]

63. Exactamundo. Sheesh!

[olddots]

20. what no Perry Como or Captain Beefheart ?

No Charlie Parker or Shecky Mellman ?

What about The 5 Neat Guys or The Piss Flaps ?

Hey what about Fort Mudge Memorial Dump or .....................

[Exhibit A]

22. Elvis should be first.

[Dpm12]

64. You spelled "Johnny Cash" wrong!

😉

[Exhibit A]

68. LOL! n/t

[kentauros]

23. How could they leave out Les Paul?

Most of them wouldn't even be there without his influence musically and technologically.

Still wowing them at age 90, too!

[hifiguy]

39. Yep. All Les did was invent the solid-body electric guitar

and virtually all modern recording techniques.

In addition to being a guitar virtuoso of the very highest caliber.

[kentauros]

40. As pointed out further downthread

whoever made this list must be either young or just damn inexperienced in listening to music. No range, no eclecticism

[sarge43]

24. Madonna is a greater artist than Bessie Smith or Ella Fitzgerald? Please

The lack of the jazz giants makes that list ridiculous. They refined music in the 20th century and just about everyone on that list is in their debt.

[Tom Ripley]

26. ^^^THIS^^^

[Tom Ripley]

25. Motherfuck, where is that motherfucker Miles Davis?

No Davis, Coltrane, Parker, Armstrong, Monk, Mingus?

[sarge43]

27. Artie Shaw. He could make Stonehenge dance. nt

[hobbit709]

29. No Janis or Stevie? WTF?????

[NightWatcher]

30. they should've stopped after #40

Everything after that is laughable...and I'm a fan of Willie's

[Mr.Bill]

31. Anyone notice anything strange about this list?

The person who compiled it has apparently never heard of Jazz. Where's Duke Ellington, Miles Davos, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday... I could go on with far more than 50 who top almost everyone on that list.

And I'm as big a fan of rock as most everyone.

[cemaphonic]

32. Yeah, it's clearly a post-50s pop music list

It would be easy fill a list of 50 of either jazz or classical musicians that are better artists than anyone on this list.

I'm surprised that Prince isn't on the list though.

[Tom Ripley]

37. Jazz must be totally alien to them, as is blues

No House, Patton, James, Waters, Johnsons, Little Walter...no Howlin' Wolf???!!!

They also see to be ignorant of all 20th century "experiental music" Cage, Stockhausen, Reich, Oliveros, Riley, Glass, Young, Partch, Peacock, Bley

And don't even get me started on their lack of Lou Reed.

[hifiguy]

41. Good point.

Everyone you mentioned belongs on a list of the fifty most influential non-classical musicians.

[jmowreader]

33. No Ray Charles or Buddy Rich? No Zappa? No Priest?

What did this guy do, just list the contents of his record cabinet? Metallica and Aerosmith don't belong on the list. Anyone from 41 up doesn't belong with the possible exception of Willie Nelson. Well...it's this guy's opinion anyway...

[Tom Ripley]

38. I think he just tuned in classic rock, oldies, and Hot 100 stations and wrote down the first 50

performers he heard.

[Enrique]

35. that list isn't correct

it's missing some artists, and it has some that shouldn't be on the list.

[ghostsinthemachine]

42. THE GRATEFUL DEAD?

Anyone remember them? More shows, more tickets, and the biggest influence on music than anyone BUT the Beatles. List is dumb.

[cyberswede]

44. They were definitely unique

I had a lot of fun living in a school bus in various parking lots during their shows.

[Warren DeMontague]

53. Yeah

A glaring oversight, but then music snobs love to pretend they're too sophisticated or some shit to "get" the Dead.

I dont know how any analysis of rock and roll - or American music in general - in the 20th century could leave them out.

[ghostsinthemachine]

58. They are, and remain, the TITANS of American music.

every single band that is out there right now, will tell you that the Dead is the single influence on them. "Trey Anastasio (Phish)"I saw the Dead and click, the light went off".....Dave Matthews and Phish (Both of whom are far more important that most on the list), String Cheese, Widespread panic, Yonder, leftover Salmon, Lukas Nelson, Arcade Fire, My Moring Jacket, String Cheese Incident all of em....... almost every single touring band, the Dead was THE REASON they got into music.

No one, in American music, ever had that kind of effect on all of it. it is too bad they had the drug band stigma.

I have a very straight friend who is a huge singer songwriter fan and goes on the cruise for that this year, and he, after avoiding them for decades due to the stigma, has been getting into them via those incredible songs. He was on the cruise this year for singer songwriters and he was talking to Buddy Miller and he told em that he saw them fifty times. Now all of a sudden he gets the legitimacy and how far reaching their influence reaches.

[Warren DeMontague]

61. Dave Matthews puts me to sleep- but everything else you wrote, I agree 100%!

[olddots]

43. Rufus Harley Jazz Bag piper

Rance Allen , Buddy Powell ,Mavis Staples ,Aaron Copland and who can forget Fort Mudge ........

[kwassa]

46. Rename: The 50 Greatest Pop/Rock Anglophone Musical Artists Since 1950 ...

Except For A Few Token Country and R&B Artists.

and even within that framework, this list is questionable.

[Dpm12]

50. My top 10

1. Johnny Cash (Great artist! Sang multiple genres, wrote over 1500 songs, and one of the most influential musicians of all-time)
2. Frank Sinatra (Great pop artist who was highly influential in his six-decade career)
3. Jerry Lee Lewis (great rock and country artist)
4. Simon and Garfunkel (Sound of Silence, nuff said)
5. Bob Dylan (amazing lyricist)
6. Eminem (I hate rap, but this man's a fucking genius. Another amazing lyricist, a sort-of Bob Dylan of hip hop)
7. Hank Williams (one of the greatest lyricists and composers of the 20th century)
8. Elvis Presley (I don't think I need to explain)
9. Green Day (I don't care for punk rock, but American Idiot is arguably one of the greatest albums of all-time)
10. Nirvana (Polly, 'nuff said)

[lpbk2713]

52. Dylan and Johnny Cash were unique entertainers.

And they were/are talented songwriters.

But I wouldn't put them in the top ten as singers.

[Dpm12]

54. Johnny Cash was a great singer

He wasn't the best lyricist. His best songs were either covers, or written by others.

[Arugula Latte]

55. The fucking BEASTIE BOYS made the list?! Are you fucking kidding me?!

God how I despise the Beastie Boys. They would have been close to number one on my list of "worst bands ever" though.

[Coventina]

57. Oh boy what a lame list! Taylor Swift, but no Smiths? Clearly, influence is not one of their

Last edited Sun Feb 8, 2015, 06:03 PM - Edit history (1)

factors.

I have nothing against Taylor Swift, mind you, but I would be willing to bet that in 100 years no one will dream of putting her on a list like this.

on edit: typo

[WorseBeforeBetter]

60. I know... I'm laughing that Taylor Swift, and even Beyonce, beat out Morrissey.

Silly, silly lists.

[Coventina]

62. OK - here's my (entirely subjective) Top 10, 80s & beyond list

Alphabetic order, as comparing some of these bands is an "apples to oranges" kind of thing.

Each one is on the list because of some combination of the following factors:

1. Creativity
2. Originality
3. Staying power
4. Songwriting talent
5. Pioneering new ground
6. Impact on culture / society

1. B-52's
2. The Cure
3. Echo & the Bunnymen
4. Go-Go's
5. Madonna
6. REM
7. The Smiths
8. They Might Be Giants
9. U2
10. XTC

(Yes, I recognize that some of these bands actually pre-date the 80s, but they really belong to there, rather than epitomizing what was great about music in the 70s).

[Dpm12]

65. Best artists on the list...

[image][/image]
[image][/image]

[Blue_In_AK]

66. Where's Kanye?

[Blue_In_AK]

67. Marvin Gaye? Ray Charles?

[Dpm12]

69. How did this guy not make list?

[image][/image]

[yuiyoshida]

70. I always wonder why some foreign bands never make

it on lists like this. Maybe cause they don't sing in English. There are many bands that could have made a list like this, like maybe X-JAPAN or Bucktick.. or some German bands like Rammstein or Tokio Hotel.

Someone once told me, "If they don't sing in English, they must suck"...its too bad people still feel that way in this day and age..

[olddots]

72. can I name my top 10.000 list ?

Little Richard exploded my head in 3rd. grade and I think we all have a starting point with music appreciation that keys to a specific point in our lives .Music triggers our memories both good and bad .Shit I am boring .

[HughBeaumont]

73. Nope.

If we're talking strictly modern (20th-21st Century) . . . .

50. Nirvana - Rock
49. Willie Nelson - Country, rock
48. N.W.A. - Hip hop
47. Metallica - Metal
46. Guns 'N Roses - Rock, metal
45. Steely Dan - Jazz, Rock, Pop
44. Igor Stravinsky - Classical
43. Kraftwerk - Electronic, Rock
42. Elton John - Rock, Pop
41. Rush - Rock
40. Public Enemy - Hip hop
39. The Beastie Boys - Hip hop, rock
38. Genesis - Rock
37. The Clash - Rock
36. The Who - Rock
35. Led Zeppelin - Rock
34. R.E.M. - Rock, pop
33. The Ramones - Rock
32. The Tempations - R&B, doo-wop
31. AC/DC - Rock, metal
30. Van Halen - Rock
29. The Kinks - Rock, pop
28. Jerry Lee Lewis - Rock
27. Bob Marley - Reggae, rock
26. Diana Ross and the Supremes - R&B, doo-wop
25. The Doors - Rock
24. Husker Du - Rock, pop
23. Buddy Holly - Rock, country
22. James Brown - Soul, funk
21. Black Sabbath - Metal
20. Aretha Franklin - Soul, gospel
19. Pink Floyd - Rock
18. John Coltrane - Jazz
17. RUN-D.M.C. - Hip hop, rock
16. Charlie Parker - Jazz
15. Michael Jackson - Pop, rock
15. David Bowie - Rock, pop
14. Jimi Hendrix - Rock
13. Billie Holiday - Jazz, Classical
12. Stevie Wonder - R&B, Soul, pop
11. Louis Armstrong - Jazz
10. Ella Fitzgerald - Jazz
9. George Gershwin - Jazz, Classical
8. Ray Charles - Jazz, Pop, Country, R&B
7. Frank Sinatra - Pop, jazz
6. Johnny Cash - Country, rock
5. Frank Zappa - Rock, Jazz, Avant Garde
4. The Beatles - Rock
3. Beach Boys - Rock
2. The Rolling Stones - Rock
1. Miles Davis - Jazz

This really is a hard list to make . . . I left off a lot of my favorite artists that one can arguably vouch for (Yes, ELP, Art Tatum, Talk Talk, The Bad Brains, Phillip Glass, Aphex Twin, Einsturzende Neubaten, Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Dead Can Dance, The Police, MF Doom, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc). Truth is, I'm not even a fan of some of these acts, but you cannot deny the influence, contribution and talent. No current gen artist (2000 and beyond) will be on mine and certainly not any NashVegas or modern R&B. Sorry, your influence and staying power haven't been proven yet. The only current gen artist that I would consider is MF Doom, who is miles ahead of any rapper out there. It'd be the same with video games and maybe a few movies past 2000 make it.

I'm utterly amazed no one mentioned Ray Charles. His omission is dumbfounding.

[Dpm12]

74. No list of greatest artists ever can be complete without...

[img][/img]