763 replies to this topic

[Simakos]

1. Sonic Youth
2. My Bloody Valentine
3. Stereolab
4. Tortoise
5. The Orb
6. Orbital
7. Pavement
8. The Beatles
9. Primal Scream
10. Bjork

this makes sense to me... but why am i more curious to see undo's next ten?

[MattDrufke]

MattDrufke’s 50 Favorite Artists 1. They Might Be Giants 2. Wilco 3. Ben Folds Five 4. The Flaming Lips 5. eels 6. Radiohead 7. The Pixies 8. The Beatles 9. Bright Eyes 10. Andrew W.K. 11. Weezer 12. Beck 13. The Beastie Boys 14. The Clash 15. Ike Reilly 16. Nirvana 17. Outkast 18. Elvis Costello 19. Spoon 20. The Hold Steady 21. Prince 22. The Arcade Fire 23. The Ramones 24. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass 25. Electric Six 26. Fountains Of Wayne 27. Modest Mouse 28. The Cure 29. The Promise Ring 30. Elliott Smith 31. The White Stripes 32. The Get Up Kids 33. Bjork 34. Stevie Wonder 35. Ben Kweller 36. Kanye West 37. Green Day 38. Pearl Jam 39. Jay-Z 40. Blur 41. Cake 42. The Hives 43. R.E.M. 44. PJ Harvey 45. Moby 46. The Thermals 47. Blink-182 48. Johnny Cash 49. Matthew Sweet 50. Badly Drawn Boy

[M_Rots]

My brain hurts.

50) The Cult
49) Butthole Surfers
48) Nirvana
47) PiL
46) The Damned
45) Funkadelic
44) Philip Glass
43) Beastie Boys
42) Love&Rockets
41) REM

40) Ryan Adams
39) Black Sabbath
38) Jefferson Airplane
37) Loretta Lynn
36) Hank Williams, Sr.
35) John Coletrane
34) The White Stripes
33) King Crimson
32) Black Crowes
31) Al Green

30) Van Morrison
29) Stevie Wonder
28) Radiohead
27) The Replacements
26) Tom Waits
25) Howlin' Wolf
24) Prince
23) Bruce Springsteen
22) Richard Thompson
21) Led Zeppelin

20) Elvis
19) New Order
18) Jimi Hendrix
17) T. Rex
16) Roy Orbison
15) Elvis Costello
14) The Clash
13) Johnny Cash
12) Iggy Pop
11) U2

10) The Beatles
9) Ramones
8) Rolling Stones
7) Steve Earle
6) Miles Davis
5) The Who
4) Lou Reed
3) Neil Young
2) David Bowie
1) Bob Dylan

This is a conservative, safe, boring list. Boring to others - I'm content. Thing is, I'm a little closer to 41 than to 40, and if I'm gonna be honest with myself, I can't assign Titus Andronicus a spot on this list, no matter how much I like The Airing of Grievances. I just haven't spent enough time with it to say for sure. Also, there's no band on this list on the basis of one album.

I had to consider artists with multiple albums to their credit. Gauging which among them were my favorite required me to look at how much time I have logged listening to those albums, and how ardently I went forth and sought out every other release, which is how Steve Earle, who I hadn't heard until 2001, rates so high.

If you want a more diverse, interesting sort of list, you'd have to look at the bottom 50 of my Top 100 which is where Titus, British Sea Power and most of the more contemporary releases lodge.

[yancy]

Nice, concise list, undo. I was expecting to maybe a see a joke along the lines of: 11. DC Talk

[RabbiSchmoiley]

I love the guy but being honest, at this point in my life he is not quite on the list. I have only just recently (last 5ish months) discovered him and lately I have been more devoted to Cut Copy and Reggae. If anything, if this thread was posted three months from now, I would probably have more Reggae artists on here (Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, etc.) as I am really only now digging deeper into their catelogs.

You see, as I compile my list I'm going for a more "in my life" list rather than a "right now" list. Since the title of the thread is "Fave Artists of all Time," I'm actually really looking at groups/artists that have been huge in my life at any point. Interesting the way different people interpret.

[bunk]

I love the guy but being honest, at this point in my life he is not quite on the list. I have only just recently (last 5ish months) discovered him and lately I have been more devoted to Cut Copy and Reggae. If anything, if this thread was posted three months from now, I would probably have more Reggae artists on here (Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, etc.) as I am really only now digging deeper into their catelogs.

You see, as I compile my list I'm going for a more "in my life" list rather than a "right now" list. Since the title of the thread is "Fave Artists of all Time," I'm actually really looking at groups/artists that have been huge in my life at any point. Interesting the way different people interpret.

Yeah, I agree somewhat. Mine is a "rolling" list. It is very possible for a recent contemporary artist to crack the bottom of my top 50 with a very good album that I am enthused about. Whether that artist stays there for the long term, well that is another story. Also, I find that I hardly ever listen to certain artists that I used to love, lets say in certain phases of my life (Doors in Grade 10, Led Zep in Grade 11 and Pink Floyd in Grade 12). Yeah they are great, I have a ton of their albums but I just never reach for their stuff. I personally am more tied to 90's and 00's rock. Your age has a bit to do with it as well I would say.

[RabbiSchmoiley]

That last sentence sounds like a veiled reference to my elderly status! Just kidding. I hear what you're saying. My list has a bunch of classic groups (from when I was growing up and in high school), jazz (from college), 90s alternagroups (from high school and college), and a few groups from the 00s. Just getting some things together for that and hope to have it by next Friday.

[nobodies]

So I struggled with the "artists I love" v. "perceived quality of artist," and I really just tried to go straight love...so this is a pretty honest list with a bunch of entries that won't be anywhere on the final list. Oh well:

1) Ramones (2)
2) Monster Magnet (5)
3) Pogues (1)
4) Screeching Weasel (3)
5) Black Sabbath (1)
6) Stevie Wonder (1)
7) Van Halen (1)
8) The Queers (15)
9) BR5-49 (10)
10) New Bomb Turks (5)

11) Rocket From The Crypt (3)
12) Mr. T Experience (2)
13) Drive-By Truckers (5)
14) Dwight Yoakem (1)
15) The Specials (1)
16) AC/DC
17) Descendants (1)
18) Stooges
19) Public Enemy (1)
20) David Allan Coe (1)

21) Boogie Down Productions
22) Johnny Cash
23) Slayer (3)
24) Dropkick Murphys (10)
25) Dead Kennedys
26) Metallica (1)
27) Curtis Mayfield
28) Hank Williams
29) Bruce Springstein (1)
30) Faith No More

31) Ozzy Osbourne (1)
32) Jimmy Cliff
33) Andrew W.K. (6)
34) Weezer
35) Lynyrd Skynyrd
36) Buddy Holly
37) James Brown (1)
38) Black Flag
39) Oblivion (10)
40) Smoking Popes (5)

41) Sacred Reich (1)
42) Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (1)
43) Suicidal Tendencies
44) Queen
45) Mission of Burma (1)

edit: for no good reason except I was curious, I put in parens the number of times I had seen the various artists.

Paul:

Please add these to the bottom of my list:

46) Social Distortion
47) Sloppy Seconds
48) Misfits

All three would have been higher if I'd taken enough time to do my list.

[bunk]

That last sentence sounds like a veiled reference to my elderly status!

Just kidding. I hear what you're saying. My list has a bunch of classic groups (from when I was growing up and in high school), jazz (from college), 90s alternagroups (from high school and college), and a few groups from the 00s. Just getting some things together for that and hope to have it by next Friday.

That was not meant as a dig at all. If anything was really more less explaining some of the reasoning for my list (being that I graduated high school in 94. right around the time when Alternative\Grunge were at its peak, thus a lot of the albums that I still listen to have at least a little to do with nostalgia. You do not sound a whole lot older then me.

[MuteSuperstar]

You see, as I compile my list I'm going for a more "in my life" list rather than a "right now" list. Since the title of the thread is "Fave Artists of all Time," I'm actually really looking at groups/artists that have been huge in my life at any point. Interesting the way different people interpret.

That's pretty much how I approached it too. I honestly don't listen to The Replacements much these days, but there's no way they wouldn't be in my "all time" top 10 based on how much they meant to me at one time. GBV was far and away my favorite band for about 10 years, which placed them solidly at #1.

[undo]

1. Sonic Youth
2. My Bloody Valentine
3. Stereolab
4. Tortoise
5. The Orb
6. Orbital
7. Pavement
8. The Beatles
9. Primal Scream
10. Bjork

this makes sense to me... but why am i more curious to see undo's next ten?

11. Boards of Canada (oops, should have been top 5)
12. Radiohead
13. Michael Jackson
14. Belle and Sebastian
15. Underworld
16. Yo La Tengo
17. Luna
18. Shuttle358
19. Kraftwerk
20. The Velvet Underground

Just Missed: Aphex Twin, Wire, Ramones, Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Placebo, Cornelius

On the rise: M83, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Pink Floyd, Megumi Hayashibara, Hikaru Utada

Falling off: Mouse on Mars, Pedro the Lion, Fatboy Slim, Kid606, Cex

[Simakos]

1. Sonic Youth
2. My Bloody Valentine
3. Stereolab
4. Tortoise
5. The Orb
6. Orbital
7. Pavement
8. The Beatles
9. Primal Scream
10. Bjork

this makes sense to me... but why am i more curious to see undo's next ten?

11. Boards of Canada (oops, should have been top 5)
12. Radiohead
13. Michael Jackson
14. Belle and Sebastian
15. Underworld
16. Yo La Tengo
17. Luna
18. Shuttle358
19. Kraftwerk
20. The Velvet Underground

Just Missed: Aphex Twin, Wire, Ramones, Miles Davis, Alice Coltrane, Placebo, Cornelius

On the rise: M83, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Pink Floyd, Megumi Hayashibara, Hikaru Utada

Falling off: Mouse on Mars, Pedro the Lion, Fatboy Slim, Kid606, Cex

thanks... i feel better now.

[velocity]

undo, you're not going to do another 5 so Cornelius can get another vote?

Reading these lists I get the feeling that different people listen to different music for much different reasons. I listen to music for emotion. The bands that I love will be entirely based around emotion. How much can something make me feel, how much can I relate to it? I wonder if other people listen to music for things such as complexity, musicianship, fun, rocking, and all kinds of shit.

For instance, the Beatles are a fantastic group, the Clash is also a fantastic group, and they are both incredibly important (whatever that means, I think it might mean that they're old, but that's another discussion), but they don't really make me feel. Apart from a few songs that is (not the Clash, at all). I don't see how anyone else could really feel anything powerful while listening to the Clash. Which brings me to the conclusion that not all people listen to music to indulge their emotions, and that is something I did not realize until now.

I'm not trying to piss on other people's lists, just typing some thoughts out.

Yeah, I bet we all get sucked in by the emotion.

1. Rush
2. Voivod
3. Gillian Welch
4. Faith No More
5. Chavez
6. Failure
7. Steely Dan
8. Jawbox
9. Tom Waits
10. Shudder To Think
11. Ween
12. David Bowie
13. Butthole Surfers
14. My Bloody Valentine
15. Soundgarden
16. Radiohead
17. Aloha
18. Death Cab For Cutie
19. Don Caballero
20. Pixies
21. Quicksand
22. Sly and The Family Stone
23. De La Soul
24. Led Zeppelin
25. Queens Of The Stoneage
26. Sunny Day Real Estate
27. Archers Of Loaf
28. The Jesus Lizard
29. New Pornographers
30. Iron Maiden
31. Louis Jordan
32. Red House Painters
33. Heavy Vegetable
34. Melvins
35. Swervedriver
36. Def Leppard
37. Alice In Chains
38. My Morning Jacket
39. A Tribe Called Quest
40. Old Crow Medicine Show
41. Kings Of Leon
42. Shiner
43. The Police
44. Blind Boys Of Alabama
45. Beck
46. Slint
47. PJ Harvey
48. Babe The Blue Ox
49. King’s X
50. Rocket From The Crypt

An interesting list even without #49.

[cpl-593h]

this is kind of a weird topic--can any of you honestly say that your thirty-eighth favorite band is that much more your favorite than your fourty-second? attached to artist periods more than a body of work? enjoy seeing them live more than listening to any other band's recordings?--but i'm game 1 talking heads 2 elvis costello & the attractions 3 fleetwood mac 4 television 5 talk talk 6 the strokes 7 ponytail 8 kraftwerk 9 blur 10 weezer 11 cause co-motion! 12 adam & the ants 13 the rolling stones 14 iggy pop 15 elastica 16 pavement 17 wire 18 velvet underground 19 the cars 20 buzzcocks

[held]

this is kind of a weird topic--can any of you honestly say that your thirty-eighth favorite band is that much more your favorite than your fourty-second? attached to artist periods more than a body of work? enjoy seeing them live more than listening to any other band's recordings?--but i'm game

1 talking heads
2 elvis costello & the attractions
3 fleetwood mac
4 television
5 talk talk
6 the strokes
7 ponytail
8 kraftwerk
9 blur
10 weezer
11 cause co-motion!
12 adam & the ants
13 the rolling stones
14 iggy pop
15 elastica
16 pavement
17 wire
18 velvet underground
19 the cars
20 buzzcocks

wow. five years ago you would've had primal scream at the top of the heap and now they're nowhere to be found? go fig.

[elcorazon]

this is kind of a weird topic--can any of you honestly say that your thirty-eighth favorite band is that much more your favorite than your fourty-second? attached to artist periods more than a body of work? enjoy seeing them live more than listening to any other band's recordings?--but i'm game

1 talking heads
2 elvis costello & the attractions
3 fleetwood mac
4 television
5 talk talk
6 the strokes
7 ponytail
8 kraftwerk
9 blur
10 weezer
11 cause co-motion!
12 adam & the ants
13 the rolling stones
14 iggy pop
15 elastica
16 pavement
17 wire
18 velvet underground
19 the cars
20 buzzcocks

wow. five years ago you would've had primal scream at the top of the heap and now they're nowhere to be found? go fig.

i was expecting bowie in the top 5, myself.

[cpl-593h]

i dunno--how do you quantify value judgments from years ago? when you know your taste is now less malleable, maybe a bit settled? i rarely listen to primal scream these days--though i still dig most of screamadelica and vanishing point--but in a list like this, am i obligated to credit, say, a two-year span of intense fandom with a measured emotional inventory of bands i still love? (elc: i suppose bowie was a needless snub)

[RoBKoZ]

• Pretty Girls Make Graves
• Blur
• New Order
• Jesus & Mary Chain
• Wilco
• Underworld
• PJ Harvey
• Sleater-Kinney
• Pixies
• Moby
• Daft Punk
• Basement Jaxx
• DJ Shadow
• Outkast
• The Strokes
• Kings of Leon
• The Clash
• Afghan Whigs
• Elastica
• Placebo

[dice]

1 bob dylan 2 the beatles 3 elvis costello 4 GC5 5 roy de'wired 6 pawtuckets 7 ashlee simpson 8 mykel jon 9 too grand 10 michael taer stuck to rock/pop

[undo]

undo, you're not going to do another 5 so Cornelius can get another vote?

21. Miles Davis
22. Aphex Twin
23. Ramones
24. Cornelius
25. Placebo

As it is, I don't know if Paul is even going to count my 11-20 votes, so I don't know if he'll count these or not.