The best performers/solo artists of all time

[Guest GameCop]

Many factors go into account here: CD sales, their effect on the public, radio play, other avenues of exploration (commercials, movies, T.V.), magazine covers...etc.

 

Here are my top 10:

 

1) Elvis Presley

2) Madonna

3) Michael Jackson

4) Mariah Carey

5) Bruce Springsteen

6) Britney Spears

7) Eminem

8) Whitney Houston

9) Prince

10) Shania Twain

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

1) Elvis Presley

2) Frank Sinatra

3) Johnny Cash

4) Bob Dylan

5) Dean Martin

6) Marvin Gaye

7) Sammy Davis, Jr.

8) B.B. King

9) Bob Marley

10) Roy Orbison

[Guest godthedog]

don't feel like making a list, but number one is easily miles davis.

[Guest Respect The 'Taker]

1) Michael Jackson

2) Michael Jackson`

3) Michael Jackson

4) Michael Jackson

5) Michael Jackson

6) Michael Jackson

7) Michael Jackson

8) Michael Jackson

9) Michael Jackson

10) Elvis Presley

 

Sounds about right to me!

 

UYI

[Guest spiny norman]

1. John Lennon

2. Madonna

3. Prince

4. Bob Dylan

5. Michael Jackson

6. Elvis Presley

7. Bruce Springsteen

8. Elton John

9. Diana Ross

10. David Bowie

[Guest Silence]

Elvis Presley

 

Frank Sinatra

 

Michael Jackson

 

Billy Joel

 

Modonna

 

Elton John

 

Prince

 

Garth Brooks

 

Diana Ross

 

Shania Twain

[Guest TheGregWitul]

Somewhat in order, however a few on the middle/lower end of the list could easily change places...

 

Miles Davis

Bob Dylan

Elvis Presley

David Bowie

John Lennon

Madonna

Michael Jackson

Prince

Jimi Hendrix

Kurt Cobain

2Pac

Johnny Cash

Bob Marley

Frank Sinatra

Bruce Springsteen

 

 

Off the top of my head...

 

 

j.

[Guest redbaron51]

1.) Elvis Presly

2.) Beatles

3.) Michael Jackson

4.) Metallica

5.) Madonna

6.) Rolling Stones

7.) Bruce Springsteen

8.) 2Pac

9.) Ozzy Osbourne

10.) Britney Spears

[Guest DARRYLXWF]

I'll do a top 5, it's easier:

 

1. Elvis

2. The Beatles

3. Michael Jackson

4. Rolling Stones

5. Jimi Hendrix

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Hendrix, Bowie, Steve Vai, J.G. Thirlwell, and Agoraphobic Nosebleed (I'm pretty sure it's just one guy) all come to mind immediately.

 

J.G. Thirlwell is the one and only member of Foetus, and is one of my lyrical idols.

 

March Right up to the cannon's mouth, I can do any goddamn thing I want.

[Guest godthedog]

what's with all the shania love?

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

I thought this was supposed to be individuals, so what's with the Beatles getting on as a group?

 

I think Shania gets on as the flavor of the month. It's because she's the woman that crossed country music over to a more mainstream audience in this day and age. But you have to remember that there is always a woman who does that. Dolly Parton in the 70's, Reba McEntire in the 80's. Really, Shania's kind of on the same path as Olivia Newton-John was on. Someone defend Shania, because I'm with godthedog and not seeing it.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

1) Elvis Presley

2) Frank Sinatra

3) Johnny Cash

4) Bob Dylan

5) Dean Martin

6) Marvin Gaye

7) Sammy Davis, Jr.

8) B.B. King

9) Bob Marley

10) Roy Orbison

I'd slide Devin Townsend in at 10, Michael Jackson replacing Sammy, and maybe put Chuck Berry in Dean Martin's place. Otherwise, I don't disagree with this list much at all.

[Guest redbaron51]

Shania Twain is the Def Leppard of Country

[Guest Brian]

Most of the better performances I've seen have been jazz because it provides such a background for improvisation. Davis, Brubeck, and Wayne Shorter are top five. I've seen and heard enough Hendrix to know he's up there. Sprinsteen's very high. I saw Mayer a while back and for a guy who doesn't show much on the albums, he's a really great guitar player as well as writer. Ray Davies, the original storyteller.

[Guest razazteca]

James Brown

Paul McCarty

Elvis

Ozzy

Madonna

Snoop Dog

Ted Nuggent

Johnny Cash

Kenny Rogers

[Guest snuffbox]

All these lists are moot without Neil Young.

[Guest Anorak]

Why do people love Frank Sinatra so much? Its a well known fact he was a complete and utter twat in real life and despite his voice what made him a 20th century innovater as far as popular music goes? Always felt like a bogus idol to me.

[Guest Respect The 'Taker]

Pfft, your all wrong, MORE MJ LOVE!

[Guest saturnmark4life]

Is this best or most popular? Because I've gone on this rant before but I have absolutely no idea how madonna didn't fade away after a couple of songs. She's awful.

 

1-9 Morrissey

10 Morrissey

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Anorak, you obviously don't know jack shit about Frank Sinatra.

 

For being a twat in real life, he was known to have a temper and didn't suffer fools lightly, but most stories were blown out of proportion by those who managed to get on his shit list. In real life he donated loads of time and money to charities all across the board and almost balked at accepting the Thalberg award from the Motion Picture Academy because he didn't want them devoting unwanted attention to his charity works. He was also quite known for walking through casinos tipping dealers, bellboys, waitresses and gamblers down on their luck with hundred dollar bills concealed in a handshake. He never tipped less than a hundred. He was also very gregarious and sympathetic to friends, albeit sometimes in his own way. A famous story is after everything went down between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow (Farrow being Frank's ex-wife) he offered to have his legs broken for her.

 

Now his voice was pretty much all the innovation he needed. The man had picture perfect phrasing and pitch and could actually take a breath without interrupting a note. On top of it he was one of the first singers to start their own record labels with Capital, invented the concept album with In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning and helped turn Las Vegas into the mecca vacation capital it is today.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

Eddie Veder

John Foggerty (sp?)

Michael Jackson (before he got really wierd and decided he didn't want to be black anymore... I miss the old

Michael, who had a big nose and a big Fro)

 

Robert Plant

Jimi Hendrix

Kurt Cobain

Elvis

Ice Cube

[Guest Anorak]

Anorak, you obviously don't know jack shit about Frank Sinatra.

 

For being a twat in real life, he was known to have a temper and didn't suffer fools lightly, but most stories were blown out of proportion by those who managed to get on his shit list. In real life he donated loads of time and money to charities all across the board and almost balked at accepting the Thalberg award from the Motion Picture Academy because he didn't want them devoting unwanted attention to his charity works. He was also quite known for walking through casinos tipping dealers, bellboys, waitresses and gamblers down on their luck with hundred dollar bills concealed in a handshake. He never tipped less than a hundred. He was also very gregarious and sympathetic to friends, albeit sometimes in his own way. A famous story is after everything went down between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow (Farrow being Frank's ex-wife) he offered to have his legs broken for her.

 

Now his voice was pretty much all the innovation he needed. The man had picture perfect phrasing and pitch and could actually take a breath without interrupting a note. On top of it he was one of the first singers to start their own record labels with Capital, invented the concept album with In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning and helped turn Las Vegas into the mecca vacation capital it is today.

Didn't you know good old Frank liked to beat women in his spare time or do you just know jack shit about him yourself? The man was nothing more than a vicious bully underneath his bogus public image and his biggest legacy must be making easy listening popular for sad 'cultural hipsters'. Vegas and Sinatra were made for each other because they were both sleazy and worthless. Whoever has the man on their list needs to get a better taste in idols.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

I have no doubt Elvis should be #1

 

I also want to throw Stevie Ray Vaugn's name out there.

[Guest godthedog]

Anorak, you obviously don't know jack shit about Frank Sinatra.

 

For being a twat in real life, he was known to have a temper and didn't suffer fools lightly, but most stories were blown out of proportion by those who managed to get on his shit list. In real life he donated loads of time and money to charities all across the board and almost balked at accepting the Thalberg award from the Motion Picture Academy because he didn't want them devoting unwanted attention to his charity works. He was also quite known for walking through casinos tipping dealers, bellboys, waitresses and gamblers down on their luck with hundred dollar bills concealed in a handshake. He never tipped less than a hundred. He was also very gregarious and sympathetic to friends, albeit sometimes in his own way. A famous story is after everything went down between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow (Farrow being Frank's ex-wife) he offered to have his legs broken for her.

 

Now his voice was pretty much all the innovation he needed. The man had picture perfect phrasing and pitch and could actually take a breath without interrupting a note. On top of it he was one of the first singers to start their own record labels with Capital, invented the concept album with In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning and helped turn Las Vegas into the mecca vacation capital it is today.

Didn't you know good old Frank liked to beat women in his spare time or do you just know jack shit about him yourself? The man was nothing more than a vicious bully underneath his bogus public image and his biggest legacy must be making easy listening popular for sad 'cultural hipsters'. Vegas and Sinatra were made for each other because they were both sleazy and worthless. Whoever has the man on their list needs to get a better taste in idols.

what's it matter how he is in real life anyway? if that mattered, michael jackson wouldn't be on anybody's list.

[Guest 5_moves_of_doom]

Prince kills them all, man.

[Guest spiny norman]

"Is this best or most popular? Because I've gone on this rant before but I have absolutely no idea how madonna didn't fade away after a couple of songs. She's awful."

 

This coming from an Andrew WK fan. And you say Morrisey is your entire top ten. I bleh at you. Tell me when Morrisey does a song of the quality of Crazy For You. Until then, I am going to vehemently disagree.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard the andrew wk argument, I'd be rich enough to party at Madonna's house. People need stupid music once in a while or they listen to emo and die. And Morrissey was in the greatest band ever, an accolade Madonna has not yet achieved. How is her look, her voice or her music special in any way? I don't hate her as much as my first post may have let on, but why has she been around this long?

[Guest notJames]

Because there are more stupid people than smart people in the world.

 

And because the power of suggestion, coupled with a relentless public relations machine, is far greater than an ear for talent and discerning taste.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

You are correct, I mean people actually BUY Chris 'Oh how powerful his anti-war speeches are'- Martin and his various faceless session-one-chord-band's 'records' without realising it isn't music, and it's not even noise. (which would be better, natch)