The answer for me personally is Bob Dylan. When I heard "Like as Rolling Stone" for the first time, I was smacked out of my adolescent music phase like someone being shaken out of a coma.
But as far as music in the modern western world in general (and its far reaching influences), I'd have to go with Robert Johnson. His blues style is the foundation rock and roll and much of popular music.
Louis Armstrong is a close second. He introduced the extended solo and his style revolutionized jazz. And because jazz is the greatest and arguably the only true cultural invention to come from the United States, Armstrong's influences are huge.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
I thought of a few women, Aretha Franklin, Billy Holiday, Whitney Houston, even Gwen Stefani... I think that the music industry has downplayed, destroyed, subverted, and mostly constrained and controlled female artists for it's entire history and that's why it's hard to come up with such an iconoclastic example as Dylan or Marley.
It should be noted that I was buzzin' when I created this thread so it's just a fun little thing. Bill Monroe was the thought train that spawned the idea for a poll.
I would have chosen Robert Johnson given his massive influence on the Blues and what would be comes R&B and Rock, but he only became widely known after rock musicians like the Stones and Clapton and Jimmy Page talked him up. While his impact was big in one respect, I think you need to consider other types of impact as well. Thats why I went with Elvis on this list. I think success also factors in and elvis has run the spectrum. A much wider spectrum than Dylan.
I would have chosen Robert Johnson given his massive influence on the Blues and what would be comes R&B and Rock, but he only became widely known after rock musicians like the Stones and Clapton and Jimmy Page talked him up. While his impact was big in one respect, I think you need to consider other types of impact as well. Thats why I went with Elvis on this list. I think success also factors in and elvis has run the spectrum. A much wider spectrum than Dylan.
I think the IP made the right call on the trifecta: Dylan, Elvis and Robert Johnson. All three probably equal in my book. Bob Marley certainly the most influential Jamaican musician of all eternity. Now if I had to pick the best songs from these artists, I'd go:
Dylan - "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" Elvis - "That's All Right Mama" Johnson - "Hellhound On My Trail" Marley - "Redemption Song"
Thought about that question myself. I couldn't think of one to put forth as a suggestion really. Bessie Smith? I know she influenced Janis Joplin. That's a hard one.
PS - Bob Dylan's famous Bringing It All Back home album cover depicts Robert Johnson famous King Of The Delta Blues Singers on the cover (see red arrow). Trippy!
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I thought of a few women, Aretha Franklin, Billy Holiday, Whitney Houston, even Gwen Stefani... I think that the music industry has downplayed, destroyed, subverted, and mostly constrained and controlled female artists for it's entire history and that's why it's hard to come up with such an iconoclastic example as Dylan or Marley.
It should be noted that I was buzzin' when I created this thread so it's just a fun little thing. Bill Monroe was the thought train that spawned the idea for a poll.
I think Billy Holiday, Aretha Franklin, or Ella Fitzgerald are every bit as iconoclastic as Dylan or Marley. But yeah, generally, the music industry is terrible to female artists, and it's oddly become worse in many ways over the years, not better.
Post edited by PJ_Soul on
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PS - Bob Dylan's famous Bringing It All Back home album cover depicts Robert Johnson famous King Of The Delta Blues Singers on the cover (see red arrow). Trippy!
Cool. Well done spotting that.
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Considered both, but thought JS Bach would be a better option than either. Both Beethoven and Mozart were brilliant, but they didn't change the landscape or create new genres. Bach was much more influential, but they all had contemporaries doing the same thing they were, and the best options I thought of were doing something novel.
PS - Bob Dylan's famous Bringing It All Back home album cover depicts Robert Johnson famous King Of The Delta Blues Singers on the cover (see red arrow). Trippy!
Ha! Excellent! I'd never noticed that. Good eye!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Comments
I think that the music industry has downplayed, destroyed, subverted, and mostly constrained and controlled female artists for it's entire history and that's why it's hard to come up with such an iconoclastic example as Dylan or Marley.
It should be noted that I was buzzin' when I created this thread so it's just a fun little thing. Bill Monroe was the thought train that spawned the idea for a poll.
Dylan - "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"
Elvis - "That's All Right Mama"
Johnson - "Hellhound On My Trail"
Marley - "Redemption Song"
Checking out some songs on YouTube.
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I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson
PS - Bob Dylan's famous Bringing It All Back home album cover depicts Robert Johnson famous King Of The Delta Blues Singers on the cover (see red arrow). Trippy!
Robert Johnson/Leadbelly/Woodie Guthrie are all up there.
Dylan just took it to an unbelievable next level.
Elvis had a massive influence too in turning white kids on to the blues... or his watered down version of it.
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2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN
2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA
2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)
2006- Cincinnati, OH
2008- Columbia, SC
2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2
2010- Bristow, VA
2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL
2012- Atlanta, GA
2013- Charlotte, NC
2014- Cincinnati, OH
2015- New York, NY
2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA
2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY
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2020- Nashville, TN
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Well done spotting that.