Quote:
Originally Posted by Sidd Finch
Like I say, it's subjective.
It's not that Bowie was born earlier. I think he broke new musical ground that shaped modern music, years before and years after Prince was doing so.
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Years after?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sidd Finch
Prince was an awesomely talented musician. Bowie couldn't touch his level of instrumental talent. But so what? There are probably hundreds of musicians you've never heard of whose talent for playing instruments exceeded Bowie's and even Prince's. Talent playing an instrument isn't the same as influence on the music world as a recording artist. To use a jazz analogy (because I can), Keith Jarrett and Cecil Taylor are both far better technical pianists than Thelonius Monk was. But Monk was head and shoulders above them in his musical influence.
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Are we determining who was a step above based on your random decision that influence on the music world
you know is the deciding factor? I was basing it on a combination of success, influence, and talent. Is Presley a step above Bowie? Is Bieber a step above John Legend?
And I'm not so sure you're right that Bowie was more influential. But I don't really care about so many artists that white people tend to lose their minds over (and not trying to make this into a black/white thing, I'm just always confused about worship of musicians I never cared that much about, like Springsteen, Dylan, Petty, Plant, Presley, Clapton, REM, etc.*). Surely you are correct and it's a subjective taste thing. And a lot of what you've determined to be influence has to do with access denied to plenty of black artists whose styles were borrowed heavily from (or stolen, depending on you ask). But Prince had more influence over the music I tend to listen to than Bowie.
Whatever. This shit is silly.
TM
As an aside, this link is funny just for #4:
http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-to...e-list-2411989
