The Ten Greatest Music Artists of the Twentieth Century | RANKED

[@applegrovebard]

Unfortunately some commenters here and no doubt elsewhere see Armstrong as a buffonish schmaltzy/novelty singer who played a bit of hokey trumpet. But he was the first great soloist in jazz, his playing was audacious, electric, majestic. He established a sense of swing that set jazz on its future course. And in his day jazz was the cutting edge of pop music. And he was the biggest influence on a new style of singing, that through Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday among others established the modern popular colloquial singing style. He was a huge personality, a star spanning the heights of jazz and popular taste. Before him popular music was light operetta, music-hall styles. If anyone is the father, if anyone lit the spark of the explosion of the magnificent century of popular American music that we've enjoyed, and that has changed the world- it's Louis Armstrong.

[@malthuswasright]

Absolutely - his Hot 5/Hot 7 recordings in the 20s are extraordinary

[@motherlesschild102]

@@malthuswasright And near the very end of career..."Wonderful World".

[@pierreduchesne0001]

Nice that the series on jazz, JAZZ, by Ken Burns, has helped to put Armstrong's image as a buffoon into perspective, and to focus on the importance of his work (technique on the trumpet, first soloist, contributions on the jazz artform), and recognizing him as an American Bach.

[@SuperStrik9]

Random fact: Louis Armstrong and Jim Morrison died the same week 3 days apart.

[@tonetone7572]

@applegrovebard Miles Davis once said you can sum up Jazz in 4 words -Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker.

[@spoteach]

Let's swap Run DMC with Bob Marley. No one personifated a specific genre more than Marley.

[@jan279]

A genre that is quite limited.

[@PatrickKelly-lz3pv]

You explained why Bob was not where you wanted him to be, specific genre

[@spoteach]

@@PatrickKelly-lz3pv In my opinion reggae is deeper rooted in the music of the 20th century than hip hop. Hip hop is more a collage of what was already available (it even derived from dub reggae) and has one foot in the 21th century.

[@wahid-lg1kk]

@@spoteach good point

[@Rafa-mp5mi]

No Miles Davis or Prince?

[@billphelps5611]

Really enjoyed the in depth discussion! That room looks like a cool "jam" space!

[@000dr0g]

just saw your bit about "A Hard Day's Night", which I hadn't watched properly until lockdown. It is truly an amazingly beautiful film; every frame looks great, like a painstakingly shot still photo, which just amplifies the impact of the music and personalities. Richard Lester also made the excellent 1973 version of The Three Muskeeers, a movie featuring Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Spike Millegan, and Roy Kinnear.

[@sonicguppy]

And how is Miles not here?

[@henrytberry]

Ahead of Parker and Coltrane? You must be joking.

[@likearollingstone007]

Ridiculous

[@tonyedwards4067]

@@henrytberry no he's not sorry buddy.

[@aisle_of_view]

They call him 1.6 Kilometers in Europe

[@jonathanwebb3035]

A fascinating video and really well considered list. Your commentary about Jimi Hendrix was absolutely spot on. He was the physical embodiment of rock n roll at that time. When the likes of Clapton were looking back at American blues with stifling reverence, Jimi Hendrix was an American blues man looking to take it forward and expand it.

[@leroyrs]

What an interesting list. I cannot agree with all but I understand your choices anyway. I miss Prince and Nirvana and somehow "Abba" - so many young people who know about their music. I love that you put Kraftwerk and Run DMC on the list - never expected that. IMO "The Beatles" should have been No1.

[@pierreduchesne0001]

Obviously there are cultural biases (e.g., important French artists include Edith Piaf or Jacques Brel, important Japanese musicians include Yosuke Yamashita or Masayuki Takayanagi). Playing the game, if we focus on the development of music, Stravinsky, Pierre Boulez, John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen or Toshi Ichiyanagi have had a significant influence on modern music, on the forms and the introduction of new structures, the use of electronic instruments and new techniques. In jazz, without Louis Armstrong (nice that he is in the list), Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, George Russell, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, the jazz we listen to today would be different. Popular and rock music are somewhat derivative forms of ideas coming often from classical, jazz, and contemporary music.

[@narosgmbh5916]

If you justifiable dont count Pink Floyd as part of the prog rock of English aesthic origins, Johnny Hallyday probably sold as many records and tickets in France alone as all the english progrock groups combined had worldwide. That's what I call a great music artist according to the definition of this video. 🎉

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

But the title is entertainers, and many of those artists you list had big influence but not the entertaining power of Sinatra, Crosby, Jolson, Armstrong, Presley, Jackson, Madonna, because they had mass appeal, and the influence they had. And if we are including bands in the top ten, The Beatles, who stand up to any of the composers you listed.

[@MikePhillips-pl6ov]

​@@narosgmbh5916If you're going to mention Johnny Hallyday the biggest rock and roll seller in France, then you have to mention Cliff Richard in the UK who hardly ever gets mentioned - first genuine rock and roll hit outside the USA, has had top ten hits across five decades, and very influential with his band The Shadows who influenced The Beatles and others. Oh, and Cliff Richard has sold double that of Johnny Hallyday.

[@narosgmbh5916]

​@@MikePhillips-pl6ov No objection! But objection to the fact that it says "entertainer" in the title. I can only repeat: A Music Artist = Musician = Person, who is writing and/or playing and/or singing music! Nowadays you can still add producer.

[@frankho99]

Paul Mcartney, John Lennon, Hal David, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, George Gershwin, Paul Simon and Jimmy Page add: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Burt Bacharach, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Pete Cetera, Steve Perry, David Bowie, Elton John, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

[@rap3208]

Add Prince, MIchael Jackson, John Denver, Glen Campbell, James Brown, Stevie Wonder too

[@jimmyjameson8705]

U got billy Joel in there in the nuck of time!! I was gonna blow this list up !

[@psychomoonrider8700]

I was shaving while watching this and when Andy said "This wasn't Napalm Death" I nearly cut my head off laughing.

[@Carboggg]

Should be another good, fun one. For what it's worth, here's my own list. I've tried to be objective and not list just my own personal favourites. Chronological order. Louis Armstrong. Elvis - fan of. Beatles. Stones - fan of but only up to the early 1980's. Dylan - can't stand his voice but no question he was a hugely important figure in the lyrical development of pop music. James Brown. Bee Gees - longevity and great ability to write big hits for other artists. Led Zep - fan of. 3 truly brilliant musicians and great singer. Simon & Garfunkel - fan. Great songs and great singing Elton John - only love his 70's music but have to include him for his incredible consistency over over many decades. Bowie - fan of. Only pre 1980's though.😢 Honourable mentions to a few who didn't make my list. The one and only Kate Bush. Abba - fan of. Great variety of songs on their albums. Came from a country with no history of pop culture where they only had one radio station playing 2 hours a day of pop music. Needing to write and sing in a foreign language to make it big. They were loathed by the hardcore leftwing Swedish prog movement and the press who all took themselves very seriously and loathed Abba for not doing so and making lots of money. Jacko. Madonna - fan of. Again, Jacko and Madonna for longevity of their massive success. The kind of megastars pop music needs. Rod Stewart fan of. Sucked bigtime since the 1980''s but great solo artist in the 70's. Loved the Faces and made some great stuff with Jeff Beck too.

[@zeckham100]

Let’s have some people we all know

[@Carboggg]

​​@@zeckham100 Would it have been better if i picked a load of obscure artists who hardly had any kind of impact in pop music, during or long after their careers?

[@ScrotusZangenpepper]

I love Dylan's voice and singing , pity you don't like it.

[@Carboggg]

@@ScrotusZangenpepper To my ears his voice is very very whiny, so i cant ever get past that. ACDC singer present and original one. Robert Smith of The Cure. Bee Gees. Great song writers, but I can't get past the falsetto voices. .

[@larshansen1978]

very impressive an immersive and eloquently laid out. Thanks!

[@timwatson4118]

'a very strong list' indeed. Thank you for sharing your stories and knowledge.

[@donaldsaigh8785]

What knowledge? Ravi Shankar over George Gershwin?

[@goatuscrow4135]

Bravo! Thanks for an entertaining and informative show.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

I'm from Oklahoma and currently live in Kentucky... and Kraftwerk has been extremely popular in my household ever since I first heard and copied to cassette a friend's copy of the "Numbers" / "Computer Love" 45 on September 11, 1985. (I wrote the date on the tape's J-card.)

[@germanissimo]

I personally would agree with only a couple of your selections! ... However, your analysis & commentary in relation to the workings and the mechanisms behind fame, fortune & greatness ... is second to none!

[@ptose]

to me "greatests" means just a list of personal favorites (favorites being the ones that had something deep and original to say, so I would put in there musicians like Andrew Hill, Wayne Shorter, Messiaen, Takemitsu, Nuno Canavarro, Maurice Ohana, Ligeti, Giacinto Scelsi, Robert Pete Williams, Tim Buckley, Alec Wilder, Delius etc). Most influential ones? Debussy (non functional harmony had a huge impact not just on classical music but also on jazz and pop music), Louis Armstrong (the first great soloist, and the one who popularized the swing feel), James Brown (funk), Black Sabbath (metal), Kraftwerk (what you said), John Cage (alea), Chuck Berry (rock), Hendrix (a new way to play the guitar), Luigi Russolo (noise as music), The Velvet underground (or Charlie Parker or Hendrix). Not to mention musicians like Mahler, Schoenberg (altough his influence has been confined to the avantgarde), The beatles, Ornette Coleman. Hard to mention just ten. But that's still the point of view of a listener from the western world.

[@terenceboris851]

solid list. great points. these artists laid down the groundwork.

[@blackibex]

Great video with lots of background knowledge, expertise and proper evaluation!

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@frequentiis]

@@AndyEdwardsDrummer how rick beato treats you is how you're treating me, i will still defend you, mate, just don't complain how rick beato treats you then, hypocritical if you treat others the same way lol

[@issadad]

Brilliant, Andy. I'm on my 3rd listen. Your theme of "little things" applies as well to you and this vid, throughout which you drop stunning insights as offhand remarks. Marvelous to regard Michael Jackson as the confluence of male and female, or Billie Holiday as the prototype of the vulnerable vocalist. Please consider using this lecture as the foundation of a whole curriculum on your channel.

[@marko_sporer]

Your philosophical thoughts on this topic is really great

[@hiataki7]

If the Beatles were virtuoso musicians it would have added little to their songs. The melodies stand on their own.

[@wahid-lg1kk]

Paul suddenly became quite good after consuming a certain substance, after meeting Lucy, if you will, it's a sudden change in his capabilities. I would call a lot of that later work, virtuoso.

[@firstlast4874]

And harmonies

[@Slydeil]

If? They were perfect as they were and achieved more with their talent than any other band. What more could anyone expect? Secondly part of their success was their natural exploration and experimentation because they didn't know the "rules" as they couldn't read music.

[@firstlast4874]

@ great point. They were making “the rules” up as they went along. It’s an “experiment” that can never be repeated

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

The sad thing about Kraftwerk, IMO, is how by 1986 when they released "Electric Cafe", the rest of the music world had finally caught up with them. "Electric Cafe" actually sounds *behind* the times for 1986 compared to how advanced "Computer World" sounds for 1981... or how "Tour de France" sounds for 1983.

[@Michel-r6m]

Have you seen Minimum Maximum? Bought the DVD used in Paris. An absolute gem of a concert, at the level of Stop Making Sense.

[@LordHasenpfeffer]

@@Michel-r6m Oh yes, absolutely! I bought the 2xCD in 2005 as soon as it was released. I didn't know for some time afterward that it was on DVD but I have that today, too. Top notch stuff. They definitely regained their cutting edge in the 2000s with their updated sound and visuals. They probably didn't have to work too hard to achieve that, either. The '90s destroyed so many of the '80s' gains in terms of tech advancement and sophistication.

[@BarbarraBay]

i listened to Electric Ladyland yesterday. never ceases to amaze how supreme most of it is

[@peteratlanecove7436]

Could not agree more. Its on my 10 favourite albums list. That list includes the Beethoven late string quartets and the Goldberg variations.

[@billyo54]

Well done Andy for making what is bound to become a 'controversy' amongst fans of popular music. I've never bought a Kraftwerk album but if Walter Gropius and the Bauhaus needed a soundtrack to avant-garde Germany in the 1920s it would have to be Kraftwerk. You made your case for 'Satchmo' rather convincingly. Never owned a record of his either, but I always felt he was The Master. I could listen to you all night Andy, but I couldn't watch you all night as your wondrous bobbing around makes me (to paraphrase Procul Harum) kinda seasick. Anyway, bravo for the vid enjoy your weekend.

[@sophiaperennis2360]

If we ignore the classical guys, i would put John Coltrane as number one. He is the American Beethoven as far as i'm concerned. Even has a similar progression in his career. Starts are bebop (Beethoven started in the classical style), goes into the classic quartet era (Beethoven entered the romantic phase with the Razumovsky quartets and the Eroica symphony) and moves towards esoteric spirituality at the end (just like Beethoven did with his late style). BTW, i'm speaking about sheer greatness i'm not factoring in mass appeal or "social impact" at all. I don't think the opinion of the majority matters in the slightest.

[@dylanmcdermott1110]

I'm more partial to 'A Love Supreme' and the LPs that follow. I do have a big soft spot for 'Live at the Village Vanguard' among the earlier works.

[@johnwatts8346]

im no fan of democracy, but a guy playing niche esoteric music most people dont give a sh*t about on a brass instrument, can NEVER be number 1. sorry, but thats life.

[@sophiaperennis2360]

@@johnwatts8346 I disagree. I think "majority" opinion is an irrelevant metric when judging the worth of anything. Quality is inversely proportional to quantity, that's why in traditional metaphysics God (the highest thing anyone could concieve) was always envisioned as a One without a second (like in Platonism). I wish Andy would read the comments as he might find books like Rene Guenon's "Reign of Quanity" interesting given his proclitivity for esoteric material.

[@leighcarey7778]

​@sophiaperennis2360 it's surely the only actual metric possible to use. It's measurable. You can't measure music quality as you need selected people to be the judge.

[@johnwatts8346]

@@sophiaperennis2360 OK, so what, the brass instrument is a dq anyway,

[@jerrypotente872]

Great ranking Andy. Since I was eight years old and saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, I remain convinced that they are the most important cultural, changing popular entertainers of my life and probably yours that being said I am also a massive Ray Charles fan and I would also consider on your list three early American pop singers, who put a tinge of blues and jazz into the American mindscape because they all appeared in films and they would be chronologically Al Jolson the jazz singer introducing white audiences to black blues influenced music and minstrel music Bing Crosby also did movies and sang with a kind of jazz black tinged Sound on some of his recordings and of course one of my favorites from my own ItalianAmerican heritage, Mr. Frank Sinatra, who was in a category all by himself because he was so gifted as a vocalist as well as a Hollywood star in later-life afine actor and things like the man with the golden arm And from here to eternity and the Manchurian candidate honorable mention for me goes to Billie Holiday and also Diana Ross who brought a kind of Motown sanitized version of soul with the Supremes OK I went on too long. Keep up the great work on!

[@paulh6673]

The Beatles, Elvis, James Brown, Kraftwerk, Robert Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Miles Davis, Kate Bush, Public Enemy, Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, Sex Pistols, Charlie Parker, Chuck Berry, Billie Holiday

[@williamowsley9771]

Excellent, but also Stravinsky, Bernstein, Sinatra, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Samuel Barber, Chuck Berry, Woody Guthrie, Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, Bill Monroe, Zepplin

[@clumsydad7158]

i like how you touched on various genres ... well done ... i approve your top 3 especially, ty

[@markperry9427]

Great video Andy 👏👏 I knew Louis Armstrong would be on there, and quite right too, without him would we have had Glenn Miller? I watched that Bond film in the cinema (a waste of £6 that was), and I had exactly the same reaction to that song at the end, I had tears in my eyes, it is one of the greatest Bond songs ever, just behind Shirley Bassey and Goldfinger. Here's an interesting thought; is the most influential the same as the most important? I recently discussed with a friend of mine who we'd put as the most influential artists from our collection, influential on the music scene. When I did my list, I suddenly realized I'd identified the road to my tastes in music. Here's what I chose (in chronological order): 1935 - Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings, 1958 - Dave Brubeck - Take Five, making odd time signatures more popular, 1959 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, a fusion of blues and jazz, 1959 - Elvis Presley, the persona and showmanship of a new art form, 1960 - Johnny Kidd and the Pirates - Shakin' All Over, the first singer/songwriter number one, I feel this record is not talked about enough, The Beatles were still doing covers at this time, this record was years ahead of its time and he wrote it himself, 1962 - The Kinks, with two songs invented the riff, totally revolutionary and about four to five years ahead of its time, 1965 - Bob Dylan - Bring It All Back Home, invents the music video and rap, 1966 - Cream - Disraeli Gears and now it all starts to coalesce, blues, blues/jazz fusion, singer/songwriter, the riff, we have arrived, 1967 - Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced which just takes all of the preceding and runs with it taking music to a new plane entirely, 1969 - King Crimson - Court of the Crimson King, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath and Frank Zappa - Hot Rats, new genres were born out of all that had gone on before. I was going to include Kraftwerk, I know their influence on bands like Depeche Mode, Human League and OMD was huge, however, I feel there is a step back from that and it is Neu! Obviously part of the original Kraftwerk, they took music to new places, Kraftwerk then using some of those techniques (playing a tune at different speeds for instance) and they are also cited by aforementioned bands plus people like Thom Yorke and David Bowie as an influence. So, that was my list of most influential artists in my collection (I did also include Mike Oldfield and Steven Wilson), but are they the most important? You mentioned Sister Rosetta Tharpe, hugely important in the history of black female music.

[@Kuesel68]

Thanks, your list makes quite a lot of sense. The first three would also be mine objectively - Louis, Beatles, Bob. I miss Frank Sinatra here to be honest, also Miles Davis. I am not a fan of both but their influence were enormous. Aretha Franklin would have been also on my list. Stockhausen maybe as well.

[@AndrewjWilson]

Another great video ,Andy. Great choices and good explanations for your choices 😊

[@Scottshodgepodge]

I’ll try. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Elvis, James Brown, Buddy Holly, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Michael Jackson and as a nod to the really old school Louis Armstrong (these just came off the top of my head at the time, I’ll bet there are a hundred more that would fit quite well in here-including some women).

[@aminahmed2220]

Awesome video have a great weekend Andy ❤😊

[@stampede4107]

Hey Andy, you should do a video on the classic rock guys in the ‘80s. Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, the stones, page and plant, Neil young, Elton John, Bowie, etc. It’s a really interesting time where they all kind of sucked. Why did that happen? In hindsight, how could they have made it through the 80’s in a less embarrassing way, with more integrity in their songs and image?

[@Paul-fg6mk]

They did not "suck". You read too many reviews by bad journalists. They produced some pretty good music in the 80's, but at that time their style of music was less "hot" for the masses. The only guy on your list who really sucked was Jimmy Page. He could not produce anything of value and that lasted until October... 2024.

[@wiseoldfool101]

​@Paul-fg6mk No he's correct, all great musicians who were unbearable to listen to in the 80s. As in it would be torture to be trapped on a road trip with only there 80s music to listen to.

[@Captain_Rhodes]

MJ brought in much more than black music influences. He also brought in theatre and performance art (smooth criminal video being a good example). He was very influenced by Fred Astaire and Chaplin. His performance in the Wiz being a good example. His influences were very unique actually. He was quite original

[@lvbbbasdsjcjm]

NAILED IT! Thanks.

[@tiagojnrm]

I like Rick Beato, too, but you're unsurpassed in musical knowledge and eloquence 🎩

[@frankpentangeli7945]

George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Igor Stravinsky, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, James Brown, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Burt Bacharach, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Roger Waters, Elton John, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain. I'll be damned if I can rank them.

[@beauyerks7413]

All are solid ..the only head scratcher I see is Kate Bush....formidable talent.....absolutely..however century best? Might be an over shoot....dare ..I mention Jeff Buckley....all too brief a career but literally supernatural vocal ability , musicianship and inventiveness

[@frankpentangeli7945]

@@beauyerks7413 I'm not a big fan of Jeff Buckley. I own his Grace album but, frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I think his father was a much better singer and songwriter. Be that as it may, Jeff Buckley didn't change music in any meaningful way. On the other hand, Kate Bush was truly revolutionary and ushered in a new form of composition involving deep poetry, new musical forms and personal introspection. There was no one like her before and she is truly unique. Not to mention her immense talent and virtuosity, particularly vocally.

[@SpookyLuvCookie]

Pink Floyd?

[@frankpentangeli7945]

@@SpookyLuvCookie I've got Roger Waters in there.

[@susanaltman5134]

Great list. I'd add Brian Wilson.

[@martinhanson4281]

The word greatest makes this list contentious and up for debate. Substitute most popular for the word greatest and it instantly becomes less contentious, although not completely so. Popularity and greatness would make a good topic for philosophy Saturday

[@kzustang]

Great video Andy, it's great that these older vidoes are getting this facelift and the rankings are being now reassessed (although I loved your previous environment in your home stuiod). However, I think your beloved Patreon chat group is now challenging the importance of Kraftwerk as being such an important force in the develpment electronic world. We need to talk LOLLL....fantastic video! It's great when you do this standing up and having the ability to get all worked up over the topics.

[@song-explorer]

Thank you for explaining the criteria upfront. My first thought was 'Miles' - and I never would have imagined #4 being on the list, but you made a great case for everyone one of them.

[@jeffreymassey5541]

Thanks, Andy, for all your great thoughtful work. 👍🏾👍🏾✅✅💯💯

[@RobertVeasquez]

FANTASTIC list Andy. Watched this with our morning cuppa. One suggestion, invest in a lapel mic. When you weave left to right, the stereo field changes, and when you bob back and forward again, your volume drops from the change in proximity. Soon, you’ll be at 40k subs. Congrats on that!

[@jimmyjameson8705]

Mccartney, bachrach, bowie, billy joel, chuck berry, jagger , richards,lennon, jimmy page.

[@marko_sporer]

Your talk about hip-hop is so good. Back in early 19ths they called rapping scatting I think. Maybe it has some connection to bebop and swing

[@tigrevert]

I saw Kraftwerk 4 or 5 times in Montreal and Toronto over 20 years or so

[@cosmickeys5766]

For an incredible look at both Billie Holliday & Louis Armstrong, I highly recommend the 1947 Arthur Lubin film "New Orleans" (available here on KZbin).

[@wahid-lg1kk]

You are getting quite a lot better at these videos.. More theorizing and introspection etc, is a good thing.. It's interesting to hear your thoughts.

[@truthbearer8216]

The most underrated of all time* John Palumbo Singer/songwriter/composer/genius/ Poet His Band: 22 studio Albums Crack The Sky (Most under rated band of all time)

[@psychicdriver4229]

Thanks Andy! good talk. new ground!

[@musiclistsareus1029]

Igor Stravinsky, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Oscar Peterson, Luciano Pavarotti, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, The Beatles (Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington)

[@donaldsaigh8785]

Most of the people you listed are interpreters, not creators. They don't rank above someone like George Gershwin.

[@musiclistsareus1029]

@@donaldsaigh8785 Gershwin is amazing of course. Pavarotti was an interpreter exclusively and Peterson, Charles, Franklin and Armstrong were not as well known for their original creations, but Stravinsky, Davis, Dylan, Mitchell, Coltrane, The Beatles and Ellington are all among the most original creators in their fields.

[@eightrodway]

Great job, Andy. Quite an undertaking. Perhaps your best yet.

[@bobconway5958]

good list, you make very good points

[@Shaun-p3c]

That chord is from A Hard Day's Night.

[@AndyEdwardsDrummer]

That is what I meant!

[@Noel-ji8nm]

​@AndyEdwardsDrummer Leonard Bernstein, the composer and conductor, praised Elvis Presley as a cultural force and a great musician: Cultural force In 1966, Bernstein told TIME magazine that Presley was "the greatest cultural force in the 20th century". He believed that Presley's music, language, and clothing introduced a new beat and social revolution that led to the 1960s. Great musician Bernstein was among those who considered Presley to be one of America's true geniuses, along with other African-American musicians.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I thought I knew what you were going to say, only to find out I did not. Great video.

[@toniputin1096]

That Louis Armstrong song was first used in the Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service from 1969.

[@seanconlon2408]

George Lazenby was one of the top 10 James Bonds of the 20th Century

[@Fuzcapp]

You could make an entirely new list of musicians like Gershwin, Cole Porter, Puccini, Stravinsky - even Glenn Miller, Sinatra, Bessie Smith, Al Jolson ... throw in Bowie, The Beatles and Dylan from the rock era - and you would have a list that is just as legit. It's such a hard call - how do you leave out players like Tommy Emmanuel or Chet Atkins? Or Paul Simon? It's such a broad topic - Best Musician! How about Greatest Songwriters of the 20th Century? Dylan, McCartney, Elton, Jimmy Webb, Billy Joel and Paul Simon would kick my list off, alongside Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Burt Bacharach - wow, that's 9 already!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Wow. Looking forward to this.

[@hollywoodjoe123]

Hello Andy - To begin with - ELVIS AARON PRESLEY - Is very , very much responsible for Bob Dylan - The Beatles - Jimi Hendrix - Michael Jackson basically being in music / show business - He led way to who I mentioned of - to even want to be in music ! - As for the Louis Armstrong - Billie Holiday - Muddy Waters - group they all precede Elvis and were an influence on him -

[@steveryan7786]

Elvis learned his trade in the black gospel church choir and said so many times,it never left him,Armstrong was a 20th century genius,you could have put Fitzgerald in there for another lady unequaled in her range and influence

[@fredweisenmiller1328]

Good list Andy. A few names, and I'm sure you thought of them. Elvis, Hank Williams and I would definitely have Buddy Holly. Interested in how you would feel if I said the period he fell in I could argue Dylan or The Beatles wouldn't have had the impact without him. Other than Hank who had passed away a few years earlier Holly really set the stage for the singer/songwriter plus he was doing the rock music that The Beatles followed in.

[@Michel-r6m]

Kraftwerk were prog rock inspired but found their identity in being German and this was their concept/frame. There was Musique Concrête (inspiration for Jean-Michel Jarre) and BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Dalia Derbyshire: Dr. Who). Yet Kraftwerk brought electronic music to the masses with JMJ soon to follow.

[@tonetone7572]

Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, T Bone Walker, Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, George Gershwin, Louie Armstrong,, Hank Williams, The Beatles. (not in this order)

[@BarbarraBay]

your previous video on this subject was much better, particularly your discussion of Hendrix was so on point

[@SteveOSpielberg]

Elvis Presley and The Beatles covered I got a woman. I saw Ray Charles & Bob Dylan live in my home county of Waterford in Ireland at an event in 1993 called Fleadh More.

[@applegrovebard]

With albums like 'A Love Supreme', Coltrane achieved something quite historic- here for the first time was a musician in what was seen as as a 'pop' genre creating music that in ambition (and length), profundity, and spirituality could stand comparison with the mature, deep- and 'adult'- expression of the classical greats, and for that matter with the virtuosi of the Indian classical tradtion. With Coltrane, classical music was no longer the only 'serious' music. Popular music had broken free of its historic limited sphere of being 'entertainment'.

[@PFB1994]

Excellent choices, but I have to have Stevie Wonder in my top 10. (along with many of your choices)

[@RobertVeasquez]

Andy is choosing ‘his’ favorite musicians, he’s picking the great Earth shakers, those who changed the face of music.

[@PFB1994]

@@RobertVeasquez It's a great list. It's very difficult to narrow it down to just 10. I would personally put Stevie Wonder in my list, based on almost any criteria he is great. Very influential, Virtuoso, sold a ton of records. He was an innovator, as well.

[@MsAppassionata]

@@RobertVeasquez Stevie did that too. He has influenced A LOT of people.

[@RobertVeasquez]

@@MsAppassionata No one can deny that. But Andy is talking about something different. It may be difficult to grasp for many I do humbly believe.

[@MsAppassionata]

@@RobertVeasquez What’s different, exactly? And, are you trying to call me, and other people, stupid? Obviously, I beg to differ. Stevie definitely belongs among the greatest of all time. Periodt!

[@johannhauffman323]

Great list and supporting reasoning.

[@dibdab101]

Bowie. Coltrane. Miles Davies and Parker for Jazz, Gershwin, and Robert Jonhson (maybe not as a musician per say, but for the influence that the legend created around him has had on popular music throughout the 20th century.

[@lupcokotevski2907]

My vote for the greatest song ever, Amazing Grace, at the same time encapsulating despair, hope and redemption, the resilience of the human spirit and the spiritual. When commemorating human tragedy, this is the song that is sung.

[@stevenhanson6057]

Songwriter: Dylan, Lennon McCartney Entertainer: Michael Jackson, Garland Singer: Ella, Sinatra Dancer: Astaire, Powell Visual: Picasso, Warhol Writer: Steinbeck, Eugene O’Neil Poet: Dylan, Ginsburg Actor: Chaplin, Paul Newman Actress: Betty Davis, Merle Streep

[@johnthornton3863]

Appreciate your point of view.

[@imemine6494]

.. Meryle streep.. Well over rated

[@gaborkerenyi4970]

Let me mention The Shadows. Maybe they are unknown in the US, but they were at the top of the charts in pre-Beatles years all over Europe, influenced a lot of young musicians in the 60s (since Radio Luxembourg broadcasting was also received behind the Iron Curtain). A huge amount of rock-guitarists name Hank B. Marvin as main influence, including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Brian May, Steve Howe etc. Thousands went to buy a guitar and learned to play the Shadows’ hits. I'm sure that a lot of music producing innovation is associated with them. Crystal clear sound production (perfect quality even after 60+ years), usage of their trademark Stratocaster tone etc.

[@bigpapavee]

I think you have to have Willie Dixon who was the Chess bass player and wrote songs the Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, as well as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor and many others performed so he belongs on the list before Muddy even.

[@therealtwiggyleaf]

I have totally enjoyed your video. An excellent choice of influential musicians. I would still put The Beatles as number one. However, apart from that, I have to agree with your list. (maybe David Bowie on an "outside looking in" slot...) 😎

[@ianhewitson2738]

I watched the 3 part BBC documentary on Run DMC recently. The general consensus is that their collaboration with Aerosmith was the beginning of the end for them.

[@kristofru]

So instructive

[@ricardoelorza613]

Rick Beato did a video about him recently and I agree with him. John Williams is the man. Talking about greatness, influence... there's no place in this world where his music is not present.

[@Andrey.Balandin]

Yeah, but he's not an artist. Same reason why Stravinsky is not on this list

[@chalkandcheese1868]

​@@Andrey.BalandinHow is he not an artist?

[@Andrey.Balandin]

@@chalkandcheese1868 He is a composer. He is an artist in the sense that he creates art. But he's not an artist in the sense that an artist is someone who performs live in front of an audience and has the artistic qualities and charisma to put on a show. Which all other artists on the list are.

[@chalkandcheese1868]

@@Andrey.Balandin TF are you talking about? Classical composers perform in front of an audience all the time with orchestras. They mightn't twerk or bite the head off a bat but they're still performing.

[@Andrey.Balandin]

@@chalkandcheese1868 not John Williams, we were talking about him. Also this is not my opinion, I'm just interpreting the meaning of artist that I think is employed by the author of the video. So back off.

[@brunostejskal208]

A legend that goes under the radar is Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. A phenomenal songwriter and skilled multiinstrumentalist with one of the greatest voices of all time that fronted several great projects.

[@lupcokotevski2907]

In popular music, Irving Berlin, the greatest songwriter of all time. A 60 year career, he was at the beginning of jazz, a giant of musicals and film music, his songs are still being played after 100 years, and he wrote the most popular and famous song ever, White Christmas. Berlin's influence is perhaps unparalleled. Immense.

[@motherlesschild102]

Are songwriters to be considered the same the musicians performing the music that was written? Are "studio musicians" on the same level as groups? Solo artists?

[@rsyalom]

White Christmas is commercial trash!

[@lupcokotevski2907]

@@rsyalom For those with no sense of family.

[@misterknightowlandco]

100% correct and people need to quit ignoring music that came out before Elvis. It’s like some generational bc/ad thing 😂

[@lupcokotevski2907]

@misterknightowlandco It's interesting that musicals are still very popular, such as Hamilton recently, and Wicked, but rock has been in decline for a few decades. Hip hop also seems to have ran out of steam. Pop rules by my estimation, with people like Swifty. Coldplay got Max Martin to help them write songs for their new album, so I have heard.

[@joekavanagh7171]

Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Karajan, Toscanini, Kreisler, Enrico Caruso , John McCormack, Jussi Bjorling, Mario Lanza, Pavarotti, Maria Callas, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Paul Robeson, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, Brian Wilson, Stevie Wonder. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

[@musiclistsareus1029]

@@joekavanagh7171 that's a lot more than ten

[@musiclistsareus1029]

@@joekavanagh7171 that's a lot more than ten

[@joekavanagh7171]

@@musiclistsareus1029 okay, I heard you the first time

[@musiclistsareus1029]

@@joekavanagh7171 sorry, didn't mean to double up

[@andrewgillis8572]

Hendrix lyrics are VASTLY underrated, IMO! Glad you referred to them.

[@Me-gs1mp]

Scott Walker is an artist who influenced so many other artists. He gave up mega stardom to follow a path that never never looked back. David Bowie made a documentary about him 30 Century Man. In 1965 he moved to the UK with two others and called themselves The Walker Brothers and for a short time rivaled The Beatles. In 67 Scott decided he wanted to go a different way and recorded 5 solo albums and eventually moved into a place that no one had gone before. He had the most gorgeous baritone voice.

[@avrilgardiner9111]

Depends from which angle you approach the matter, of course. Who is the boss, for example. The Boss, of course.

[@mikem668]

1. Louis Armstrong 2. Muddy Waters 3. Bob Dylan **** The first two 45s I bought were Do You Want To Know A Secret by the Beatles and Hello Dolly by Louis Armstrong. What's strange is that it took another 15 years to hear the Hot Fives and Sevens. But the big Beatles event was Ed Sullivan months after the JFK assassination, not Hard Days Night. I lived in Greece for several years in the late 70s. One night a Greek radio station plays 2 hours of uninterrupted Dylan. In English. Later I'm in a bar with my Greek girlfriend. British, Americans, half Greek. We're all singing Yellow Submarine. My gf thought it was a summer-ine. Dylan wanted to be a rock 'n roll star as a kid. He banged a piano like Little Richard and saw Buddy Holly. He didn't need the Beatles to go electric. Obviously we all take a different path. And the symbiotic relationship between Britain and America is extremely important. But the first time I realized the world wide importance of Armstrong was in a book by Cortazar. Later I bought a cd of Argentinians forming jazz bands to play like Armstrong. Just like Bing Crosby was blown away, a white kid in the state of Washington. There's something special about that African, North American, British connection. New Orleans. Jamaica. Even the Congo to Paris, Franco recorded by Greeks playing in a band called TPOK Jazz. Paul Simon bringing our attention to South African music, David Byrne Brazilian and of course the Beatles Ravi Shankar.

[@user-iy6rm6pm4j]

For me, the best rock vocalist ever is Mick Jagger. And we' ve recently heard I think Jagger's best vocal recording, "Strange Game" from the Apple TV series. The Stones have acknowledged their debt to Blues masters but I wonder, has Jagger ever talked about his vocal debt to Louis Armstrong? Not just to Armstrong's singing but to his trumpet. The vocal inflections on "Strange Game" sound like they are rolling out of Armstrong's horn.

[@axxellein]

#1=Rolling Stones! #2 J.L. Hooker#3=Angel=[The Fortune!] I Dare Anyone to Compare this Grand Composition of POMP/Classical ART to Anything Today. Yesterday And, Yes, for Years to Come!!! Majestic!

[@sashaames9952]

Just starting here, looking forward to more, and perhaps I just crawled out from under a rock to say this now: looks like you got yourself a real proper studio going now in the not so new anymore digs, look at all that cool gear!

[@kengemmer]

Muddy Waters yes!When you said “soul” I thought, “Andy has got to check off Ray Charles.” You did not disappoint. When you said “Rock” I thought Jimi Hendrix. Had to be. Look at the effect Jimi had on Paul McCartney. Jimi’s influence on Funk is underrated. Kraftwerk is a band I ignored until you turned me on to them. Dylan, of course. The Beatles, of course! So who will be number one? Mind goes blank. I thought Beatles would be at the top. Will you go back to Louis Armstrong? You did it! What about Stravinsky, Gershwin, Webber? Charlie Parker was influenced by Stravinsky. Thanks for making me think… again, Andy! ❤

[@gamemate2178]

John Williams should be somewhere on this list. Rick Beato once mentioned him as having the most recognizable music of all time. Sure he may not have been the pioneer of his genre, but he set the standard for the neoclassical movie scores of today back in the 70s. The main themes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter (which TECHNICALLY is from the 21st century, but still) are all some of the most iconic and most widely heard pieces of music of all time. That being said, this is a great list, and I do agree with the choices, so it would be hard slotting John in there for sure.

[@Spock105]

Honestly , I liked the previous housy cosy setup more. The big space behind you makes it feel like you are more distant . It's now like going to a 2000's concert of Genesis without the atmosphere , compared to a 1970's with IT.

[@mutant_blues]

Ennio Morricone Miles Davis Don Van Vliet Scott Walker Sergei Prokofiev Annette Peacock Bernard Herrmann Hank Williams Henry Thomas Erik Satie

[@narosgmbh5916]

the music Pareto 70/30

[@johnroberts1708]

Don...yep. one day....in the future.

[@martinstarnes2237]

You'll probably never see this, but I was thirteen when I first saw your mate Kevyn Gammond playing with Bronco at a lunchtime concert (we attended in school uniform!!) at the Fairfield Hall in Croydon (in 1970 I suspect). We were amazed by how he could stretch the fingers of his left hand - that is a true memory, btw. Jess Roden fan ever since.

[@eximusic]

Stravinsky, Lennie Tristano, Astor Piazzolla, Duke Ellington, Steve Reich, Phillip Glass, Mary Lou Williams, Charles Mingus, Thelonius Monk, Pierre Boulez

[@narosgmbh5916]

Although U.S. consumers accounted for 50% of recorded global record sales during the 20th century, only seven American music artists made it into your Top 10. (I love irresolvable contradictions and like FZ I love prenatal video comments)

[@rightcheer5096]

Agreed, though I’d exchange Bartok for Astor Piazzolla (sp?), whom I’ve never heard of.

[@eximusic]

@@rightcheer5096 Good pick, but you need to get some Astor Piazzolla on whatever medium you use. Important Argentine composer.

[@jedtulman46]

You have hit the mark for my greatest influences & John Coltrane ( was he on your list?)

[@Delsbo]

Herbie Hancock

[@swells26]

My top 10 would have to include Eliott Smith from a singer/songwriter perspective.

[@craigburgess7105]

re Hip Hop / Rap -- I strongly suggest you read 'Hip Hop Is History' by Questlove (of The Roots). I picked up a copy in Atlanta and read it from cover to cover straight off. It's an excellent weave through the history and artists in the genre for the last 50 years. Highly recommended - informative and a good read.

[@peterhendriks4736]

Great list. Not much to disagree with. There are a few ‘what about’- names, like James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Aretha Franklin and Robert Johnson. However, they were all mentioned so they were on the radar and discarded. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like Rick Beato too, but I prefer this channel. Rick Beato is an American and that gives his channel a certain colour. Americans are always deeply in awe of stars, as if they are holy and should be treated accordingly. Andy is more down to earth.

[@mnick0962]

My tastes run to rock, punk, garage, new wave, hard bop, prog rock, power pop. However Kraftwerk looms large in my world.

[@baxdesign]

Good call on including Kraftwerk, but surprised there was no punk.

[@ronacosta1151]

No Duke Ellington or Charlie Parker?! Throw the whole list away!

[@killboybands1]

No Stravinsky or Ellington seems the biggest omissions to me.