This one is for everyone, just out of curiosity, in your own opinion, Most influencial group/artist

I don't mean any specific genre, music shouldn't be about focusing on the music we hate or don't like but the music that brings us together. Also, to make this question even "harder", the influence and even creative prowess cant be focused on one specific group of people or musical genre, were shooting for MOST influential and MOST impacting, impacting not just a set group of people, but a mix of music lovers that don't normally associate with each other.

Thats something magical, music isn't something simple.

But it doesn't matter, if you cant think of anyone, influential in general, to you, it doesn't matter. I want to see some people really passionate about their favorite bands and music here. Be specific and detailed, make a solid case for your vote.

Go at it. And I don't want to see anything negative towards someone else's musical taste, this is supposed to get people together and engage in some intense discussion. You can challenge someone else's opinion but please don't argue either.

My vote would have to be for The White Stripes. Their influence inspires a back-to-basics approach with music. Simplicity and rawness have been brought back into the mainstream full-force, thanks to this band. They've opened the door and opened minds for bands just like them to get out there. There's so much music out there which is so impeccibly mixed, edited, etc. While that works for certain genres & artists, I know that if I go see the Stripes at a show, they'll have fun with the songs. The same song is never performed exactly the same way twice, yet they sound just as they do on their albums because the albums haven't been mixed and enhanced to the point of becoming unrecognizably generic. I also love the passion that emulates from them when they perform. To see someone doing what they love and actually believe in every bit of it is inspiring in itself.

So, yeah. That's my opinion.

---

Red 4GB

I think it's pretty hard to pick just 1 but the person I think that has influenced the widest range of music lovers would be Prince.  He takes influences from just about every form of music and plays it with a passion that is hard to fake.  He can do it all from arrangements, playing, singing and writing.  His shows mix a gospel feel with funk, rock and soul.  While some may think his lyrics and behaviour are over the top I think it's just him being hisself.  I've had alot of friendly arguements with my Metal friends because of how much I think of him as musical artist.  Other's would have to be Johnny Cash, James Brown, Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix and of course Elvis.  Not a performer but also you would have to possible throw in Rick Rubin for bringing LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Danzig and helping a new generation appreciate Johnny Cash when no one else would have done it.

If I had to pick one, I'll pick Beethoven. He shaped modern music, and whether you know it or not, you can hear Beethoven in any music today (perhaps other than jazz). But there are more artists that have shaped a lot of music today after Beethoven. The Beatles would come right after Beethoven, and you can hear them in a lot of music too. Jimi Hendrix pretty much invented modern music theory, though not many realize this, or give him credit.

Daft Punk, self-explanatory
If i really need to post why just say so and I will edit this :)

Take Gary Numan out of the picture and a lot of music would just be gone. Though not really a household name thesedays, his influence on artists of his time and now artist of the present is huge. You gotta give the guy his props, I'm telling ya....Industrial, Goth, Darkwave, Electro...all these genres owe a lot to the man.

 dethdelr68 wrote:

I think it's pretty hard to pick just 1 but the person I think that has influenced the widest range of music lovers would be Prince.  He takes influences from just about every form of music and plays it with a passion that is hard to fake.  He can do it all from arrangements, playing, singing and writing.  His shows mix a gospel feel with funk, rock and soul.  While some may think his lyrics and behaviour are over the top I think it's just him being hisself. 

And there you have it. I agree. He had a lot of producers jacking his sound last year.

---

Itunes software fixed my Zune software library........nice.

I hink Simple Plan has some meaningful stuff out there like their song Perfect is really sad

Quincy Jones or Rick Ruben... they've done so many albums of so many differnt genres of music. I think without them the last 20 years of music would be dramaticlly different.
Or slaves for making fun of their masters and starting a revolution that one day would become the roots of modern american music.

 Ste lovess wrote:

Quincy Jones or Rick Ruben... they've done so many albums of so many differnt genres of music. I think without them the last 20 years of music would be dramaticlly different.
Or slaves for making fun of their masters and starting a revolution that one day would become the roots of modern american music.

Never heard that one before. Interesting....but what music did they make fun with? You can't be talking about Spirituals because from what I heard those were coded songs for directions out of town. Actually this is the first I've heard of the making fun part. Help me out a little. Blues maybe?

---

Itunes software fixed my Zune software library........nice.

Link Wray invented power cords, pioneered the dissonant guitar sound, and was the father of punk rock, which in turn spawned a plethora of new and inventive forms of music. I'd say that's pretty damn influential (the power cords alone can be found almost everywhere).

---

"Capital punishment: them without the capital get the punishment."
-John Spenkelink

(Make Gay Love Not War)

Alesana definiitely. but Flyleaf sends a good msg in all their songs  -_-

---

/∞/▲\∞\▼/∞/