Go back
Five most influential rock musicians?

Five most influential rock musicians?

General

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by FMF
Here are a few other artists who notched aplenty in the tome and yet have not had their names name-dropped on this thread yet...

Aerosmith - 3
Beach Boys - 3
Beck - 3
Bjork - 3
Black Sabbath - 3
Blur - 3
Tim Buckley - 3
Kate Bush - 3
Johnny Cash - 3
Nick Cave - 4
Leonard Cohen - 4
Elvis Costello - 6
CCR - 3
The Cure - 3
Deep Purple - 3
Dexy's M ...[text shortened]... 3

Once again, for what it's worth. Not exactly what the OP asked for, but pertinent anyway.
I mentioned Kraftwerk

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Whichever critic ever said you should listen to U2 should be fired on the spot.
LOL. Perhaps. But even as they buried the critic, U2 would continue to be a hugely influential rock band.

I saw them play in St.Albans City Hall in 1981. Without passing any judgement on what has transpired in the last 28 years, that gig was out of this world. A sound that I had never heard before. Especially the guitar.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by uzless
I mentioned Kraftwerk
I think if one were to dispense with the 'fave's list driven' approach and instead do some real forensic musicology work on who influenced whom, I think Kraftwerk would be right up there somewhere.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by FMF
I think if one were to dispense with the 'fave's list driven' approach and instead do some real forensic musicology work on who influenced whom, I think Kraftwerk would be right up there somewhere.
Damn straight. You take any song by MGMT, say Kids for example, and then play Kraftwerk's "She's a model" right after.

Virtually no differnece other than the track layering technology advances over 30 years.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by znsho
Hm! You must be a Cream / Disraeli Gears fan. Am I right?
Indeed!

However, this has reminded me of something: What about John Mayall's Bluesbreakers or the Yardbirds? Both nurtured and influenced musicians who would in turn be influential. Fleetwood Mac started out pretty much as the Bluesbreakers without John Mayall, and Led Zepplin were originally, in some respects, the Yardbirds. Clapton played for both the Bluesbreakers and the Yardbirds, while Mick Taylor and Peter Green played for the Bluesbreakers and Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page played for the Yardbirds.

Their music might not have stayed around, by their legacy did...

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by FMF
...U2...Especially the guitar.
Bill Bailey:

Vote Up
Vote Down

More pertinent spoo for you:

this time from the table of contents of...

ICONS OF ROCK
An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever
by Scott Schinder and Andy Schwartz

Volume One
Elvis Presley
Ray Charles
Chuck Berry
Buddy Holly
The Beach Boys
James Brown
The Beatles
Bob Dylan
The Rolling Stones
The Who
The Byrds
Jimi Hendrix

Volume Two
Velvet Underground
The Grateful Dead
Frank Zappa
Led Zeppelin
Joni Mitchell
Pink Floyd
Neil Young
David Bowie
Bruce Springsteen
Ramones
U2
Nirvana

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by FMF
LOL. Perhaps. But even as they buried the critic, U2 would continue to be a hugely influential rock band.

I saw them play in St.Albans City Hall in 1981. Without passing any judgement on what has transpired in the last 28 years, that gig was out of this world. A sound that I had never heard before. Especially the guitar.
Name one good band that was significantly influenced by U2.

In fact, I would say U2 has retroactively inspired Adolf Hitler.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Swlabr
Indeed!

However, this has reminded me of something: What about John Mayall's Bluesbreakers or the Yardbirds? Both nurtured and influenced musicians who would in turn be influential. Fleetwood Mac started out pretty much as the Bluesbreakers without John Mayall, and Led Zepplin were originally, in some respects, the Yardbirds. Clapton played for both the Bl ...[text shortened]... e played for the Yardbirds.

Their music might not have stayed around, by their legacy did...
Not stayed around? Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton is one of the best blues rock records ever made!

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Name one good band that was significantly influenced by U2.

In fact, I would say U2 has retroactively inspired Adolf Hitler.
Ha ha. Gotta hate U2.

How I hate them!

1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
Name one good band that was significantly influenced by U2.

In fact, I would say U2 has retroactively inspired Adolf Hitler.
there are many bands who have been influenced by U2, Scottish band Travis have faint traces of U2 in them, as have Keane and perhaps even Jupiter 1, but i agree, they are mince, were fresh when they started, had something to sing about, but went to America and became blander than a plate of scampi and chips.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
Ha ha. Gotta hate U2.

How I hate them!
I am curious. I've been away from a lot of the media hype for a long time. (Actually I deliberately avoid it - it's easily accessed in all the places I've lived).

In words of a sober musicological paragraph, why do people hate U2 so?

Vote Up
Vote Down

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by FMF
I am curious. I've been away from a lot of the media hype for a long time. (Actually I deliberately avoid it - it's easily accessed in all the places I've lived).

In words of a sober musicological paragraph, why do people hate U2 so?
Maybe it's just that Bono is such a twat.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
I'd say (in no particular order):

- Chuck Berry
- John Cale
- Brian Eno
- Michael Gira
- Frank Zappa

Any thoughts?
The Beastie Boys.