20th-Century music - Influential Artists of the 20th Century

WLOUIS ARMSTRONG
His jazz improvisation's and ambassador of jazz. He brought the world of jazz in to many homes that wouldn't have paid attention, otherwise. Oh yeah, he was a great vocalist, as well.
Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man, 16 Most Requested Songs (all Columbia)

BEACH BOYS
Beneath the lyrics about the sun and cars and girls and adolesence, is a serious side to Brian Wilson's California Dreams. His studio expertise still captivates artists today.
Pet Sounds, Endless Summer, Good Vibrations Box Set (all Capitol)

CHUCK BERRY
He invented the rock and roll dictionary. His guitar licks were copped by the Beach Boys, Beatles and others. His songs, celebrating rock and roll's unlimited fervor, are still a blueprint for all bands today.
Great 28, Chess Box (Both MCA)

BEATLES
Like Elvis, their force is still with us. Changed the face of Rock & Roll in an exhilarting way. With John Lennon & Paul McCartney, they had Rock's greatest songwriters. Their records grew in maturity so fast that we will still marvel at what they accomplished in less than a decade.
Abbey Road, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper's Lonley Heart's Club Band, 1962-66, 1967-70 (all Capitol)

JAMES BROWN
"The Godfather of Soul" He basically invented funk music. And his 50's records were a forerunner of vocalists to come, from Otis Redding on.
Star Time (Polydor)

RAY CHARLES
Soul music as we know it today came through the fingers of this genius. Combining gospel, blues, jazz and country, Brother Ray's reach knew no end.
Modern Sounds of Country and Western Music, Genius & Soul:50th Anniversary Collection (Both Rhino)

BING CROSBY
Before Sinatra, there was Bing. Brought a new style of singing in to the pop culture. More masculine, less wimpy. It's a style that Sinatra and others took and ran with.
Greatest Hits (MCA)

MILES DAVIS
Innovation. That was Miles. From Bebop to group playing to free-form to jazz-rock-fusion. He always moved on. And never look back.
Kind of Blue, Jack Johnson (both Columbia)

BOB DYLAN
The singer/songwriter of all time.
Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, Blood On The Tracks, Biograph (all Columbia)

DUKE ELLINGTON
Could be the Century's most imitated composer. "Exuberant and elegant" is how one writer described Duke's pieces. A special salute, as well, to his long-time composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn.
Essence of (Columbia)

ARETHA FRANKLIN
"The Queen of Soul" Her incredible voice brought a gospel sound to her gritty soul, resulting in a voice whose sound is still being imitated by all female voices today.
Queen of Soul, 30 Greatest Hits (both Atlantic)

GEORGE GERSHWIN
The greatest American composer?

WOODY GUTHRIE
The most influential artist of the Folk revival of the 60's.
Asch Recordings Vol. 1 (Smithsonian/Folkways)

JIMI HENDRIX
Not only one of the most influential and important but, perhaps, the greatest guitarist ever.
Are You Experienced?, Axis:Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland, Blues, Experience Hendrix (All MCA)

BILLIE HOLIDAY
The Greatest Jazz Vocalist Ever? Billie's genius was getting to the heart of a song. Her life was the song.
Essence of Billie Holiday (Columbia)

MICHAEL JACKSON
In my introduction, I stated that my choices must have had a cultural impact. And Michael did. With Thriller he has the biggest selling album of all time. A sound and style that was copied by numerous musicians in the 80's. With the Jackson 5, he and his brothers' were just as influential in the 70's and beyond. After all the jokes and suspicions have subsided (some Michael's fault, I agree), we are left with the music. And it will outlast all the nonsense.
Thriller, Off The Wall (both Epic), Jackson 5 - Ultimate Collection (Motown)

ROBERT JOHNSON
He only recorded 29 songs. But it's those songs and the legend that they've brought, that have made him the most identifiable Delta bluesman ever.
The Complete Recordings (Columbia)

MADONNA
Doing it her way. Throughout her career, she has upset feminists, even while rewriting the book on feminism in the 80's and 90's; and oh yeah, made some of the great pop hits of the 80's and 90's. All the while, shamelessly playing to the media. Why the word icon was invented.
Immaculate Collection (Sire)

BOB MARLEY
Reggae's greatest superstar. His songs of faith and hope and anti-violence rang with an honesty that is still felt in the rock musicians that he inspired.
Legend, Songs Of Freedom (both Island)

JONI MITCHELL
The most influential female singer/songwriter ever. It's hard to look at a female with a guitar, singing their own songs on stage, and not think of Joni Mitchell. If anything, her net has only grown wider.
Hits, Blue, Court and Spark (all Reprise)

CHARLIE PARKER
His mastery of be-bop and improvisation influenced every jazz artist that came after him. From Miles to Coltrane and many musicians, forward.
Ultimate (Rhino)

COLE PORTER
Was he the greatest songwriter of the 20th Century? Could be risque and funny all in the same song.

ELVIS PRESLEY
Author Peter Guralnick wrote it best, "The world was not ready for Elvis Presley. The violence of its reaction to him ("unspeakably untalented") more than testified to this. Other rock & rollers had a clearer focus to their music. But Elvis had the moment. He hit like a Pan American flash, and the reverberations still linger from the shock of his arrival." In other words, the King of Rock & Roll.
Sun Sessions, Top Ten Hits, 68 TV Special, From Elvis In Memphis, King of Rock & Roll Box Set (All RCA)

PRINCE
Took the funk of James Brown, the outrageousness of P-Funk and the recorded genius of Sly Stone and took it to new heights of originiality in the 80's. His sound dominated the 80's.
Dirty Mind, Sign O' The Times, Purple Rain, The Hits/B-Sides

JIMMIE RODGERS
"The Father of Country Music", Rodgers combined blues and folk and old-timey music to create Country Music as we used to know it.
Influenced everyone from Merle Haggard to Bob Dylan.
Essential (RCA) and First Sessions 1927-28 (Rounder)

ROLLING STONES
The greatest Rock & Roll Band Ever, The Stones took their Blues learnings and rebellious attitude and influenced countless rock bands.
Aftermath, Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet, Hot Rocks (all ABKCO) Exile On Main Street, Rewind (both Rolling Stones Records)

FRANK SINATRA
One of the greatest singers ever. It's his love of his craft, (singing and recording) that will have as lasting an impact as his legend.
Songs For Swingin' Lovers, In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning, Capitol Years Box Set (all Capitol)

MUDDY WATERS
The greatest of all bluesman. His Chicago blues influenced all the British Invasion rock bands of the 60's. A commanding singer and presence.
The Chess Box, (Chess), Blues Sky (Epic)

HANK WILLIAMS
Country Music's greatest star and songwriter. His presence still haunts Music City.
40 Greatest Hits (Polydor)

STEVIE WONDER
His do-it-all-by-myself studio work and hybrid of African rhythms and pop savvy were the highlight of his still-influential 70's albums)
Song Review, Original Musiquarium, Innervisions, Talking Book, Fulfillingness' First Finale and Songs In The Key Of Life (All Motown)

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