Without whom this wouldn't have been possible....

[Cup of Char]

Not an artist, but what about John Peel

Absolutely!

John Peel is a rock'n'roll legend at some point as well.

Sure. But if we are to start a thread about rock'n'roll legends, it will need a whole section on the board. I think.

[NancyL21st]

Not an artist, but what about John Peel

Absolutely!

John Peel is a rock'n'roll legend at some point as well.

Sure. But if we are to start a thread about rock'n'roll legends, it will need a whole section on the board. I think.

Correct.

[Shagger Dave]

Anyone from the rap/hip hop scene deserving of mention? Dr Dre? Grandmaster Flash?

Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc for being basically the first rap acts. I think Public Enemy deserves mention for injecting politics into the mix, and dare I say, the Beastie Boys. Coming of age in white suburbia in the 1980s rap didn't break into the overall conscousness of kids until License To Ill came out. Ganted that record isn't the Beasties best work but it succeeded (I think) in getting white kids deeper into the music.

And what about Sugarhill Gang?
Their "Rappers Delight" (1979) was the first ever Rap single to hit the charts.

I've always thought of the Sugarhill Gang as a one off, producers vison type of thing. I also think that although they were timed at about the same time as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash the fact that their claim to fame was basically them rapping over a Chic record they didn't have the amount of ingenuity or creativity as Flash or Herc. Rapper's Delight does deserve a mention, though Nancy as a record that made it all possible, but I'm not too sure about the Sugarhill Gang as a unit.

(PS I saw the Sugarhill Gang with Run DMC and the Jungle Brothers and they sucked, really really hard.)

[James R]

Thomas Alva Edison. Without whom, no sound recording, and consequently the entire history of music in the 20th century—not just popular music, but all music—would be different.

[--]

Anyone from the rap/hip hop scene deserving of mention? Dr Dre? Grandmaster Flash?

Schoolly D
Afrikaa Bambaataa
Doug E. Fresh
Erick Sermon
Run DMC
Stetsasonic
Scott La Rock

[Minnie, Boss of Appropriate Posting]

Madonna.


*runs away, cackling*

I'm with you on that one, babe.
But then I would be, cos we're wimmin, innit.




Only women bleeeeeeeeed
Only women bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

[The Modernist]

Brian Eno for ambient music. Of course there were all kinds of precurssors in the classical world, in many ways it was simply an electronic version of Impressionism. However it has been hugely influential, not simply on those artists like Boards Of Canada or The Aphex Twin obviously in that tradition but also on the sound of mainstream pop in the 90's and 00's. Think of all those coffee table big selling albums by Portishead or Moby.

[The Modernist]

I'd throw in Phil Spector. Before him, people didn't conceive of the studio as instrument or producer as artist. Plus, he inspired the Beatles, Beach Boys and many others on down the line.

You could say Joe Meek got there first, although it's harder to gage his influence.

[Diamond Dog]

I'd throw in Phil Spector. Before him, people didn't conceive of the studio as instrument or producer as artist. Plus, he inspired the Beatles, Beach Boys and many others on down the line.

You could say Joe Meek got there first, although it's harder to gage his influence.

Beat me to it.

[Sea Of Tunes]

G.G. Allin

[KeithPratt]

Miles Davis.

[JQW]

Thomas Alva Edison. Without whom, no sound recording, and consequently the entire history of music in the 20th century—not just popular music, but all music—would be different.

Emil Berliner's invention of the flat record made it possible to mass-produce recordings for the first time. Edison's cylinders had to be recorded live.

Edison also ripped people off. Look into the disappearance of Le Prince, who shot the first film on a single lens camera about 1/2 a mile from where I'm sitting.

[bhoywonder]

Certainly James Brown should be there.

I'm surprise dthat DD didn't include Led Zep either. Hugely influential band, if only of weaker versions in the main. While they probably didn't invent heavy metal, they are certainly responsible for the majority of it.

Chuck Berry could safely be added to the list. I'm wanting to add Sly Stone too, but I'm not sure. What do you think?

And a rather obvious one we've missed - Sam Cooke.

And the most blatantly obvious one - Ray Charles. How did this get to three pages, etc, etc...

[andymacandy]

How about Bob Marley?

Marley certainly, but may I also make a case for Chris Blackwell, who (rightly or wrongly)dragged jamaican reggae into the commercial sphere.Its possible that Marley would just be an underground hero and not the global superstar he became if it were not for Blackwell and Island.

And also worth thinking about is Owlsley(?), the Acid guru in San Francisco who in conjunction with the Dead had a huge impact on rock music in the late 60s.

[bhoywonder]

How about Bob Marley?

Marley certainly, but may I also make a case for Chris Blackwell, who (rightly or wrongly)dragged jamaican reggae into the commercial sphere.Its possible that Marley would just be an underground hero and not the global superstar he became if it were not for Blackwell and Island.

And also worth thinking about is Owlsley(?), the Acid guru in San Francisco who in conjunction with the Dead had a huge impact on rock music in the late 60s.

Owsely was around before the late 60s. The early 60s, in fact. He made the acid that the Merry Pranksters took. He was the man when it came to making acid.

[souphound]

Under the guise that not all influence is good influence, I'd like to nominate another non-artist (not even a person actually).



Would we have so many Britneys around without that thing?

[andymacandy]

How about Bob Marley?

Marley certainly, but may I also make a case for Chris Blackwell, who (rightly or wrongly)dragged jamaican reggae into the commercial sphere.Its possible that Marley would just be an underground hero and not the global superstar he became if it were not for Blackwell and Island.

And also worth thinking about is Owlsley(?), the Acid guru in San Francisco who in conjunction with the Dead had a huge impact on rock music in the late 60s.

Owsely was around before the late 60s. The early 60s, in fact. He made the acid that the Merry Pranksters took. He was the man when it came to making acid.

Thats what I meant.Pranksters was ,say 66?Acid rock really biting by 67?
I need to read Keseys book again.

[andymacandy]

What about the Meters/Toussaint/Nevilles?
Maybe too obscure.

[bhoywonder]

Thats what I meant.Pranksters was ,say 66?Acid rock really biting by 67?
I need to read Keseys book again.

Well, Kesey started 'experimenting' around 61, I think. Do you mean the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test? I assume you've read this?

What about the Meters/Toussaint/Nevilles?
Maybe too obscure.

Hmmm, I think the root here would be more in the New Orleans mardi-gras bands. While those you mention are very deserving, wehere do you stop/start? You'd have to include Professor Longhair, I would say. Maybe he's where to start?

[JQW]

Jimmie Rodgers (possibly not spelt correctly) - the singing brakeman. Probably the first country music superstar, despite being dead by 1933.