Greatest Rock Artists Of All Time (Revision Version)

[Tim]

Link to the project paolo?

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/pauldrac ... l-of-fame/

By no means perfect (today I'd probably induct some later, some earlier) but by all means better than the actual hall.

Thanks.

[Tim]

His reputation as a public figure is obviously much, much, more negative than the three below him but I don't think his music's reputation has actually been affected. If anything, as the new AM update suggests, his albums have actually continued to grow in acclaim over the years (All of his first 7 except for Yeezus + Kids See Ghosts moved up in the last update).

None of his music has been well received since KSG. That's Jesus Is King (panned), Donda (polarizing, with a 53/100 on Metacritic), Donda 2 (panned), Vultures 1 (panned) and Vultures 2 (panned). I agree his previous work makes up for it compared with most, but not when he's against giants. Against Jay I guess I could see Kanye ahead, though I'd still give Jay influence and cultural impact while holding his own in the rest. Sampson convinced me.

Beyoncé over Nirvana and Pac also looks kinda wrong, both are also very culturally impactful, which is her strongest point along with her popularity (where she of course kills).

I feel like Prince's discography is considered pretty uneven as well, though.

(To my knowledge) no pro Hitler songs there though.

[Brian]

I'd say Abba should be considered as well, maybe Brian Eno, though, admittedly a lot of his greatest work is in the ambient genre.

Looking over my 101-200 list and seeing this post, it occurred to me that it was probably inconsistent for me to have included The Carpenters in the top 200 but not ABBA. Now I would say that ABBA was at least as much a rock artist as the Carpenters.

Do the Carpenters even have true rock songs? ABBA have quite a few among their biggest hits. For my "An Alternative to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" project on RYM, I compiled a list of ten for them, which consists only of songs I'd consider rock:

- Waterloo
- SOS
- Mamma Mia
- Dancing Queen
- Money, Money, Money
- Knowing Me, Knowing You
- Take a Chance on Me
- Does Your Mother Know
- Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
- Super Trouper

Can the Carpenters match that?

I don't think they can match that, but I'd say "Superstar" and "Please Mr. Postman" are rock, though the latter isn't one of the songs they're best known for. Other songs are maybe borderline rock, but I'll agree that ABBA is more rock of the two.

[Brian]

His reputation as a public figure is obviously much, much, more negative than the three below him but I don't think his music's reputation has actually been affected. If anything, as the new AM update suggests, his albums have actually continued to grow in acclaim over the years (All of his first 7 except for Yeezus + Kids See Ghosts moved up in the last update).

None of his music has been well received since KSG. That's Jesus Is King (panned), Donda (polarizing, with a 53/100 on Metacritic), Donda 2 (panned), Vultures 1 (panned) and Vultures 2 (panned). I agree his previous work makes up for it compared with most, but not when he's against giants. Against Jay I guess I could see Kanye ahead, though I'd still give Jay influence and cultural impact while holding his own in the rest. Sampson convinced me.

Beyoncé over Nirvana and Pac also looks kinda wrong, both are also very culturally impactful, which is her strongest point along with her popularity (where she of course kills).

I feel like Prince's discography is considered pretty uneven as well, though.

I don't see unevenness as being an issue. If an artist has lesser material, I don't think it counts against them, it just doesn't add anything. Most artists with long careers will have lesser material.

[Fido]

My point is more in line with how the artist is perceived, i.e. acclaimed. Nobody remembers the lesser music by the artists mentioned, whereas with Kanye it's almost the opposite, with his previous music being less appreciated by some because of his current state. It's mainly because of non-musical stuff, but also because his last like 5 albums have been crap. Kanye is not alone in this, you can see similar revisionism with Clapton for example.

[Tim]

Even ignoring non-music stuff, it does still feel slightly counterintuitive to have Kanye over Gaye. Gaye has 4-5 songs which are reasonably could be seen as greater than Kanye's greatest song, What's Going On' is greater than any Kanye album, Marvin in general could be credited into making soul/r&b more album-oriented, he's one of the greatest soul singers, etc.

[ManPerson]

Ok, I guess I can see Kanye at 18.

[Fido]

Little Richard also has 3-4 songs greater than any Kanye song, is one of the main blocks on which most of later rock music was based on, is one of the greatest r&b singers (and pianists), and half of our current top 10 has covered his music and is explicitly influenced by him.

[ManPerson]

Little Richard also has 3-4 songs greater than any Kanye song, is one of the main blocks on which most of later rock music was based on, is one of the greatest r&b singers (and pianists), and half of our current top 10 has covered his music and is explicitly influenced by him.

I'm not really a big fan of this argument, we're comparing these artist's whole ouevres to each other not just their top 3 songs. Kanye's most acclaimed songs often don't overlap with his most popular, which both often don't overlap with his most influential. Compare this to Little Richard who's most popular, acclaimed and influential songs are mostly the same. And, by that same argument, Kanye has 2 albums that are greater than any of Little Richard's.

Kanye is also perhaps the main block on which most of later rock music was based on, granted, we're talking about a much shorter period of rock history, but still.

He's also clearly more popular than Little Richard and, I'd argue, more acclaimed as well.

He's topped the pazz & jop poll 4 times and has arguably the most acclaimed discography of the 21st century. Along with that he has tons of industry acclaim with 75 Grammy nominations and 24 wins.

Some quotes

absolutely one of the best, and you could make the argument for the best artist of the 21st century.

most important artist of any art form, of any genre

This is specifically referring to the 21st century to be clear

"there is nobody else who can sell as many records as West does [...] while remaining so resolutely experimental and capable of stirring things up culturally and politically."

"Kanye's power resides in his wild creativity and expressiveness, his mastery of form, and his deep and uncompromising attachment to a self-made aesthetic that he expresses through means that are entirely of the moment

While Little Richard is very acclaimed in his own right, and nothing can take away from that, he clearly hasn't been given the "greatest artist of our time" type of praise that Kanye has.

[Fido]

That is one of the reasons I don't like Acclaim as much as the good old Musical Impact. I don't value the opinions of critics and music writers nearly as much as the opinions of the actual artists, especially as much as the opinions of the greatest artists of all time.

[ManPerson]

Kanye has tons of acclaim among his peers as well, though.

[ManPerson]

My attempt to add these artists to the ranking
Fugees/Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Adele
Coldplay
Mary J. Blige
TLC
Lady Gaga
Oasis
Daft Punk
The Weeknd
Justin Timberlake
Lana Del Rey
The White Stripes
Bad Bunny

New artists in bold

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Madonna
7. Chuck Berry
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Ray Charles
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Marvin Gaye
18. Kanye West
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Eminem
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Beyonce
29. Nirvana
30. 2pac
31. The Supremes
32. Bruce Springsteen
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Kendrick Lamar
38. Neil Young
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Drake
42. Elton John
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Janet Jackson
46. Mariah Carey
47. Black Sabbath
48. Public Enemy
49. The Byrds
50. Otis Redding
51. Metallica
52. Sly & the Family Stone
53. Bill Haley & the Comets
54. Bee Gees
55. Donna Summer
56. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
57. The Kinks
58. The Beastie Boys
59. Bo Diddley
60. Roy Orbison
61. The Clash
62. AC/DC
63. Fleetwood Mac
64. Rihanna
65. The Doors
66. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
67. Dr. Dre
68. The Notorious B.I.G.
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Outkast
71. Britney Spears
72. Simon & Garfunkel
73. Creedence Clearwater Revival
74. Parliament/Funkadelic/George-Clinton
75. Lady Gaga
76. Radiohead
77. N.W.A.
78. Coldplay
79. Aerosmith
80. Eagles
81. The Weeknd
82. Adele
83. Guns n Roses
84. The Police
85. Van Halen
86. Al Green
87. Green Day
88. The Drifters
89. Mary J. Blige
90. Rod Stewart
91. Paul McCartney/Wings
92. Pearl Jam
93. The Grateful Dead
94. Missy Elliott
95. The Shirelles
96. Van Morrison
97. Cream
98. Red Hot Chili Peppers
99. Fugees/Lauryn Hill
100. The Isley Brothers
101. The Dominoes
102. The Orioles
103. Bad Bunny
104. Justin Timberlake
105. The Band
106. Billy Joel
107. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
108. The Platters
109. Jerry Lee Lewis
110. Deep Purple
111. TLC
112. Jackie Wilson
113. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
114. Big Joe Turner
115. Johnny Otis
116. Lana Del Rey
117. Daft Punk
118. Oasis
119. Janis Joplin/Big Brother & Holding Company
120. Ruth Brown
121. The Allman Brothers Band
122. Elvis Costello
123. The Clovers
124. The White Stripes

[ManPerson]

My attempt to add these artists to the ranking
Fugees/Lauryn Hill
Missy Elliott
Adele
Coldplay
Mary J. Blige
TLC
Lady Gaga
Oasis
Daft Punk
The Weeknd
Justin Timberlake
Lana Del Rey
The White Stripes
Bad Bunny

New artists in bold

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Madonna
7. Chuck Berry
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Ray Charles
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Marvin Gaye
18. Kanye West
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Eminem
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Beyonce
29. Nirvana
30. 2pac
31. The Supremes
32. Bruce Springsteen
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Kendrick Lamar
38. Neil Young
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Drake
42. Elton John
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Janet Jackson
46. Mariah Carey
47. Black Sabbath
48. Public Enemy
49. The Byrds
50. Otis Redding
51. Metallica
52. Sly & the Family Stone
53. Bill Haley & the Comets
54. Bee Gees
55. Donna Summer
56. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
57. The Kinks
58. The Beastie Boys
59. Bo Diddley
60. Roy Orbison
61. The Clash
62. AC/DC
63. Fleetwood Mac
64. Rihanna
65. The Doors
66. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
67. Dr. Dre
68. The Notorious B.I.G.
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Outkast
71. Britney Spears
72. Simon & Garfunkel
73. Creedence Clearwater Revival
74. Parliament/Funkadelic/George-Clinton
75. Lady Gaga
76. Radiohead
77. N.W.A.
78. Coldplay
79. Aerosmith
80. Eagles
81. The Weeknd
82. Adele
83. Guns n Roses
84. The Police
85. Van Halen
86. Al Green
87. Green Day
88. The Drifters
89. Mary J. Blige
90. Rod Stewart
91. Paul McCartney/Wings
92. Pearl Jam
93. The Grateful Dead
94. Missy Elliott
95. Bad Bunny
96. The Shirelles
97. Van Morrison
98. Cream
99. Red Hot Chili Peppers
100. Fugees/Lauryn Hill
101. The Isley Brothers
102. The Dominoes
103. The Orioles
104. Justin Timberlake
105. The Band
106. Billy Joel
107. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
108. The Platters
109. Jerry Lee Lewis
110. Deep Purple
111. TLC
112. Jackie Wilson
113. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
114. Big Joe Turner
115. Johnny Otis
116. Lana Del Rey
117. Daft Punk
118. Oasis
119. Janis Joplin/Big Brother & Holding Company
120. Ruth Brown
121. The Allman Brothers Band
122. Elvis Costello
123. The Clovers
124. The White Stripes

[Tim]

1. The Beatles
2. Elvis Presley
3. James Brown
4. Bob Dylan
5. Michael Jackson
6. Madonna
7. Chuck Berry
8. The Rolling Stones
9. Stevie Wonder
10. Aretha Franklin
11. Ray Charles
12. The Beach Boys
13. Led Zeppelin
14. Jimi Hendrix
15. Fats Domino
16. Prince
17. Marvin Gaye
18. Kanye West
19. Little Richard
20. Jay-Z
21. The Who
22. Sam Cooke
23. Pink Floyd
24. David Bowie
25. Eminem
26. U2
27. Run-D.M.C.
28. Beyoncé
29. Nirvana
30. 2pac
31. The Supremes
32. Bruce Springsteen
33. Queen
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers
35. Buddy Holly & The Crickets
36. The Temptations
37. Kendrick Lamar
38. Neil Young
39. R.E.M.
40. Taylor Swift
41. Drake
42. Elton John
43. Whitney Houston
44. The Everly Brothers
45. Janet Jackson
46. Mariah Carey
47. Black Sabbath
48. Public Enemy
49. The Byrds
50. Otis Redding
51. Metallica
52. Sly & the Family Stone
53. Bill Haley & His Comets
54. The Bee Gees
55. ABBA
56. Donna Summer
57. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
58. The Kinks
59. The Beastie Boys
60. Bo Diddley
61. Roy Orbison
62. The Clash
63. AC/DC
64. Fleetwood Mac
65. Rihanna
66. The Doors
67. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
68. Dr. Dre
69. The Notorious B.I.G.
70. Joni Mitchell
71. Outkast
72. Britney Spears
73. Simon & Garfunkel
74. Creedence Clearwater Revival
75. Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton
76. Radiohead
77. N.W.A.
78. Aerosmith
79. Lady Gaga
80. Eagles
81. Guns N' Roses
82. The Police
83. Van Halen
84. Al Green
85. Green Day
86. The Drifters
87. Rod Stewart
88. Paul McCartney/Wings
89. Pearl Jam
90. Adele
91. The Grateful Dead
92. The Shirelles
93. Van Morrison
94. Cream
95. Fugees/Lauryn Hill
96. Red Hot Chili Peppers
97. The Isley Brothers
98. TLC
99. The Dominoes
100. Coldplay
101. Oasis
102. The Orioles
103. The Band
104. Billy Joel
105. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
106. The Platters
107. Jerry Lee Lewis
108. Deep Purple
109. Daft Punk
110. Jackie Wilson
111. Justin Timberlake
112. Missy Elliott
113. The Weeknd
114. Mary J. Blige
115. Lana Del Rey
116. Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young)
117. Big Joe Turner
118. Bad Bunny
119. Johnny Otis
120. The Allman Brothers Band
121. Janis Joplin/Big Brother and the Holding Company
122. Ruth Brown
123. The White Stripes
124. Elvis Costello
125. The Clovers

[ManPerson]

Tim, could you add Brian Eno and Nicki Minaj to the list of contenders on page 8?

[Tim]

Done. Also removed Moody Blues from Man's list of contenders as they are already on Brian's #101-200.