Friday OT #3 - Essential Artists

[Sighclone Fan]

The Current, a MN radio station, just wrapped up their top 893 essential artist countdown, voted on by listeners (radio station is 89.3). Below is a link to the list. Do you agree?

It's heavily skewed to the likes of Minnesota, as seen with Prince at #2. But it's always interesting looking at these lists as well as Rolling Stone's top 100. They both have the Beatles at #1 (which is the correct answer).

http://www.thecurrent.org/countdown/893-essential-artists

 

[jcyclonee]

I had to look. Jerry Lee Lewis is 893rd.

Also, with Prince number 2 and Dylan number 3, I'm kind of surprised they didn't have Soul Asylum in the top 10 and The Jets in the top 100.

 

[MeanDean]

I had to look. Jerry Lee Lewis is 893rd.

Also, with Prince number 2 and Dylan number 3, I'm kind of surprised they didn't have Soul Asylum in the top 10 and The Jets in the top 100.

The Trashmen, did they make the grade?

 

[SCyclone]

Led Zep and the Floyd are w-a-a-a-a-y up there for me. Two bands who went where nobody had ever gone before. I can listen to John Bonham drumming all night long - the guy was simply a genius. (Although Neal Peart of Rush is right there with him.)

 

[MeanDean]

Another One Hit Wonder from TC's. Soma records did a decent job taking regional acts national.

 

[Angie]

I'd reorder things a bit, but that top 10 is pretty legit. Mine would look more like this, if I used the exact same artists:

1. Rolling Stones
2. David Bowie
3. Prince
4. Beatles
5. Radiohead
6. Johnny Cash
7. Led Zep
8. Bob Dylan
9. Nirvana
10. Pink Floyd

 

[MeanDean]

Showing my ignorance perhaps, but Bon Iver, who I've literally never heard of, is ahead of Elton John, Janis Joplin, AND the Doors.

 

[jcyclonee]

Another One Hit Wonder from TC's. Soma records did a decent job taking regional acts national.

Here's another one hit wonder from the TC's. Definitely not too proud of this one.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Any list has to start with The Beatles and Elvis. They're in a tier of their own.

The next tier would be the Stones, Floyd, and Zep.

Then there's a noticeable drop off to the next tier of great artists but still not in the league of the top 5.

And I hate that The Who never get any love for being as great as they were.

 

[cytor]

I don't know what is considered to be "essential" in this list, but I am getting the impression this is more about being "influential."

In no particular order:

Beatles
Black Sabbath
Led Zep
Nirvana
Rush
Queen
Prince
Van Halen (early years)
AC/DC

 

[Gonzo]

So they're ranking the artist and not necessarily the song? Each artist listed has a song attached, threw me a bit. Whoever was in charge of that clearly took the lazy way out on many of these and just picked the most commercially recognizable song which too often is labeled as the 'best' song, like "How Soon is Now?" for The Smiths, "It's the End of the World" for REM, "I Will Dare" for The Replacements. Weak.

 

[Sighclone Fan]

So they're ranking the artist and not necessarily the song? Each artist listed has a song attached, threw me a bit. Whoever was in charge of that clearly took the lazy way out on many of these and just picked the most commercially recognizable song which too often is labeled as the 'best' song, like "How Soon is Now?" for The Smiths, "It's the End of the World" for REM, "I Will Dare" for The Replacements. Weak.

The song next to the band is what the radio station played when they did the countdown. Took about a week to get through the list.

 

[Cycsk]

893? Do they really think that someone is going to listen to 893 songs? It sounds like a DJ who pre-recorded programs so that he could take a few days off.