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A list of the most influential rock artists of all time
Here is another interesting way to see who were the greatest of all time. Here is a list of artists that had the greatest influence on other artists.
Quartz collected data from the site on 53,630 artists, of which about 25,600 were listed as having influenced or been influenced by at least one other artist. Our methodology involved collecting influence data for every artist that is highlighted on one of AllMusic’s 21 different genre pages, then, from there, collecting influence data on all the artists on those 2,000 artists’ influence pages. We continued the process until additional iterations led to few additional artists; while some artists were likely missed in our process, the data are broadly representative.
The top 100 most influential musicians are as follows:
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12 Replies
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I have a top 4 or 5 that led to the RnR explosion of the 1960s……especially from England. Only one was on the lists above:
1) Chuck Berry (lead guitar)
2) Buddy Holly (innovation)
3) Everly Brothers (harmonies)
4) Roy Orbison (vocal range)
5) Elvis…..he has to be on the list. (Hips)
I believe these 5 RnR guys did more to create the sounds from the 1960s than anyone else.
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I don’t know, Jung Roe. Can’t agree with Elvis and Chuck Berry being so far down the list. I guess we might find a great variety of opinions out there, though.
I grew up during the sixties and seventies, but all I know is who influenced me.
1. The Beatles
2. Elvis
3. Buddy Holly
4. Chuck Berry
5. The Beach Boys
Just to name a few. Lots of good music back then. Today there are some good songs here and there, but for consistently great music, there’s only the MonaLisa Twins.
In my opinion. ????❤ ????
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You guys are forgetting some that really started it all.
Robert Johnson
Muddy Waters
Albert King
Elbow James etc…..
If it were not for the Blues there would be no Rock and Roll. The Blues is the father of Rock.
Jung my opinion get Kiss off that list. No just kidding. I myself was never a fan. To commercial for me and too much makeup. They should have been mime’s they would have sounded better. Oh that right. Mime’s don’t speak…
I will say Gene Simmons is a smart business man & worst bass player ever. And the guitarist I can’t think of his name is very talented as a painter.
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There was a lot of cross-pollination going on at the beginning. For example the Beatles influenced the Beach Boys and were in turn influenced by them. I agree with Joseph that the blues influenced a lot of the rock and roll titans. I think you can add so called hillbilly music (see Elvis). I don’t think you can say who was most influential, we are all influenced by everything we see and hear.
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I agree, Michael. And yes R&B influenced Elvis and other artists. I am just saying who influenced me. Who influenced them is a different topic. ✌
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Yea Michael I agree with you – As far as country music you have the Carter Family, Jimmy Rogers and of course Hank Williams. Elvis really helped Rockabilly to get started my opinion.
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Yeah, I have to agree with you guys, some of the artists listed high up there just doesn’t make much sense, Velvet Underground, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Sonic Youth?????Perhaps many of the 50,000 artists they polled for this list included the likes of Justin Beiber and many techno pop musicians of today who wouldn’t know what good music is, and what influenced them might not be very inspiring.
The only thing that makes sense is the Beatles towers above everyone as far as the most influential goes.
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To me , I believe the Best , Most Influencials has to be an individual choice, not necessarily based upon data found/collected to make up an ” ultimate” go to list, there are so many variations from infinite sources out there, though these examples are interesting, I have to say, personal , individual preferences are the best gauge of who was most influential because everyone out there has their own ideas on who for them are /were most influential.?!. Just my thoughts…????????
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Everyone,
So to me? Early Motown music and late 50 and early 60’s music got me but the Beatles were the first ones for me then the Rolling Stones and then Elvis. Thru that time I listened to Dylan, Birds, Ma Ma and the Pa Pa’s, and for a short period I was into the Archies. I know your probably laughing but I really got into them….LOL…Band Shang A Lang, Sugar Sugar , Truck Driver, Jingle Jangle …..then I got into the 5TH Dimension. But the early 70’s took me to Rod Stewart and the Faces, Joe Cocker. And of course the Solo Careers of the Beatles.
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Like a lot of the replies here I find some of the people/bands listed as being influential difficult to believe and in some cases mystifying (Neil Young, Ramones for a start). Having said that it is all down to personal taste.
Everyone’s first musical experiences are what their parents play/listen to be it on the radio or on the turntable (in most of our cases). My dad was into trad jazz but also liked classical music. Motown really caught him when it arrived in the UK probably visually as much as anything. After he died I used to play his jazz records (mostly Chris Barber and The Dutch Swing College Band) as well as my own collection of 50s, 60s and 70s pop music. My mother was basically into classical music but was open to anything. Like most teenagers we tried to ‘shock’ her with some of the stuff we played but soon gave up as she would fairly often say something like ‘that’s nice, who is it?’. My presents to her over the years ranged from Ravel’s Bolero to Queen’s Greatest Hits! All received with great appreciation and often played.
So, whilst the 50s and 60s were/are my bedrock (Chuck Berry, the Beatles, the Searchers, the Hollies etc (even Bill Haley)) I have received a mass of musical input but when push comes to shove it has to be melodic for me to be able to listen to it.
Sadly I never had any talent to be able to make my own music. Well possibly I also didn’t have the patience with myself.
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Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry Everly Brothers, Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan
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