Top 10 most influential contemporary musicians over the last 50 years

[Dirty Martini]

Kate Bush? Nah.

V Underground most definitely, the most influential rock band ever in terms of sound.

I'd argue for The Byrds, too -- a huge influence on British independent music in the 80s and 90s, and were the prime movers in country rock, paving the way for all those big 70s acts like The Eagles.

And Lee Perry should be there, for the stuff he produced. The early to mid 70s stuff sounds years ahead of its time, and his brand of dub has been a huge influence on electronic music in the last 20 years.

</Mojo>

 

[rusalki]

what about Syd Barrett? (the man who wasn't there)...

He was on stage just for less than 5 years. And it's almost forty years that he's a legend...

 

[Flashman]

Syd certainly has a profound effect on Dave.

 

[clandestino]

Yeah I missed Metal. Sabbath or Zep? I know Zep were Rock n Roll but Jimmy influenced metal a fair bit. I'm not that up on the genre tbh.

Again a tough one. I'd say that the Sabbath's lyrics were just as influential as the music itself - you can hear that Satanic schtick in everyone from Slayer to the goth metal bands and beyond. It's a part of the metal pantomime that isn't ever going to go away, I reckon.

But then Zep probably inspired more people to rock - Ozzy handed them the lyric sheet. I dunno...tough one.

 

[nick1181]

I'm not an Elvis fan, but Elvis bought Rock and Roll into the mainstream. Without Elvis, there probably wouldn't have been the Beatles. You can ask them.

 

[Flashman]

I'm not an Elvis fan, but Elvis bought Rock and Roll into the mainstream. Without Elvis, there probably wouldn't have been the Beatles. You can ask them.

I think Buddy was more influential on them tbh, but agree Elvis should be on the list. Also remember Little Richard being mentioned a lot by the early bands, perhaps another omission there. Is ten just simply too small? I think it might be.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Howlin' Wolf?

 

[rusalki]

Ten is really not enough...

What about Leonard Cohen who influenced Nick Cave, that he's another big one?

And Nick Drake?

And Tim Buckley?

And Talking Heads?

And in more recent times Bjork?

and so on...

 

[jasoon]

Whatever the list size, stevie wonder has to be in there or its just inaccurate

 

[Flashman]

Talking Heads good shout.

 

[nick1181]

But then Zep probably inspired more people to rock - Ozzy handed them the lyric sheet. I dunno...tough one.

Led Zepplin were waaay ahead of Black Sabbath, purely by virtue of the fact that a lot more people had heard of them - and I was in a guitar shop in Denmark St a couple of weeks ago, and someone was STILL playing Stairway to Heaven.

Led Zepplin were one of the major forces behind "Maestro-ism" that led to 100s of carbon-copy kids sitting with their guitars outside LA Guitar tech in the 80s, all trying to be like Steve Vai. Led Zep were entirely constructed out of Rock and Roll cliches/legends - everything from the self-destructive drummer to the massively larger than life manager. The narcisistic big haired singer... the "dark side" guitar wizard.

Without Led Zep, there wouldn't be Spinal Tap.

 

[rusalki]

did someone already mention Brian Eno???

 

[Kaka Tim]

Bowie and the Velvet Underground are serious omissions from the original list. Both have heavily influenced a host of bands.

The Stones as well - the first rock band, who set the template in terms of attitude and style right up to Oasis (not a necessarily positive legacy admiditedly).

you could also make a case for The Pixies, the Who, The Kinks, Patti Smith, Bo Diddley, Madonna (Im not a fan but .. ), Nina Simone, the smiths, the byrds, the stooges, neil young and the pioneers of hip hop and ska who im not really knowledgeable enough to name.

 

[Flashman]

We have Kraftwerk for Eno.

 

[nick1181]

I think Buddy was more influential on them tbh, but agree Elvis should be on the list. Also remember Little Richard being mentioned a lot by the early bands, perhaps another omission there. Is ten just simply too small? I think it might be.

Yea - there are actually quite a lot of non-overlapping Genres - you'd probably end up with one influence per Genre with only 10.

 

[rusalki]

We have Kraftwerk for Eno.

KRAFTWERK that's right. But I'd say both them and Eno. Kraftwerk are maybe the most innovative band of the last decades; Eno is an institution.

 

[Flashman]

Yes I mean if it was a "my favourite list" I'd choose Brian, but it isn't and I think the German chaps have been the bigger influence out of the two, and with the list being so small one must be ommited unfortunately.

 

[rusalki]

I don't know... Eno was fundamental for a band like U2, among the other things. But the list is too short.

 

[nick1181]

I hear Can quoted a lot as well.

I always held Souxie and the Banshees at least partly responsible for all that goth stuff - but that probably all came from Bolan, with a massive dose of Bowie in there as well.

 

[Flashman]

No The Cure = no Marylin Manson = no tons of Emo/New Goth (did I just invent that genre?) bands. We can go around all day really with who-begat-who stuff. Of course the Emo bands aren't really that important in the great scheme of things.

 

[Orang Utan]

Out of the list so far moroder still has a direct influence on modern music. Spectre has been replaced by SAW.
They both should stay.
Hate to say it but get rid of marley. Sadly reggae's not been a big influence.

Nonsense. Dub reggae has had a MASSIVE influence on the way music is made, recorded and, of course, on the way it sounds. There's some very idle thinking going on on this thread. People are only picking musicians who have spawned a lot of soundalikes. Real influence goes a lot deeper than that, which is why we should pick less obvious people like Kraftwerk, Can and AFX. Smokedout likes to think that he knows what he's talking about, but he clearly doesn't cos he considers the likes of Oakenfold and Rampling above the others.

 

[Orang Utan]

Oh, and AFX is up there cos he not only has had a huge influence on electronic music, but his music is taken on board and digested by a very wide range or producers from all genres. Hiphop producers went mental over Windowlicker. You can hear his influence every time you switch on the telly - he's been massively influential on advert music, incidental music, soundtracks etc.

 

[editor]

<slightly off topic>

In today's UK indie scene, I'd say XTC are a fucking huuuuuuge influence, even if 'the kids' don't even know who they're ripping off!

If you want a laugh, check out this guy's top ten:
http://www.rockandrollbadboy.com/top_10_bands/

 

[Flashman]

<slightly off topic>

In today's UK indie scene, I'd say XTC are a fucking huuuuuuge influence, even if 'the kids' don't even know who they're ripping off!

If you want a laugh, check out this guy's top ten:
http://www.rockandrollbadboy.com/top_10_bands/

Ha ha!

As for England, who's past musical contributions - excluding U2 - have been marginal at best...

 

[fishfingerer]

Ha ha!

As for England, who's past musical contributions - excluding U2 - have been marginal at best...

I wish U2 were actually English.

 

[Orang Utan]

If you want a laugh, check out this guy's top ten:
http://www.rockandrollbadboy.com/top_10_bands/

Haha, what a tool. No, wait. An acclaimed tool.

 

[Flashman]

Then that'd be summat else you could blame us for eh ff?

Not guilty your honour.

 

[editor]

I wish U2 were actually English.

Well, a quarter of them is. And, sadly, another quarter is Welsh.

 

[nick1181]

U2 are a funny one - very influential, but not influential to anyone terribly successful I don't think. There was a time in the very late 80s when EVERY small town we played had a support band that sounded like U2.

 

[nick1181]

If this list was extended to about 100, The New York Dolls would probably show up as well.