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Oct 4, 2021 · At the top of the list, you’ll find “The Icons,” the 50 artists whose influence has changed music forever, in alphabetical order, followed by “The Essentials,” 150 nearly-as-important ...
- Kid a Album Review
Breathing people made this record! And you can't wait to...
- Illinois
On the second installment of his absurdly ambitious "50...
- Have One on Me
Two hours is a lot of music, but having it broken into three...
- Le Tigre
The 200 Most Important Artists of Pitchfork’s First 25...
- Kid a Album Review
- Kenny G
- Neil Diamond
- Frank Sinatra
- Alicia Keys
- Simon & Garfunkel
- Paul Simon
- Phil Collins
- Linda Ronstadt
- Van Halen
- Kenny Rogers
-Certified units: 48 million (15 Gold, 11 Platinum, 8 Multi-platinum, 1 Diamond) -Grammy wins: 1 (17 nominations) One of the best instrumentalists of all time, Seattle-born saxophonist Kenny G has sold more than75 million records throughout his career. His 1992 album Breathless topped 12 million copies in the United States alone and 15 million worl...
-Certified units: 49.5 million (40 Gold, 21 Platinum, 12 Multi-platinum) -Grammy wins: 1 (13 nominations) Neil Diamond released his 50th anniversary collection was released in In March 2017, a full half century after his first hit "Solitary Man." Diamond has sold more than 130 million albums worldwide throughout his career and has had 37 Top 40 hit...
-Certified units: 27 million (34 Gold, 10 Platinum, 4 Multi-platinum) -Grammy wins: 9 (31 nominations) Most famous during the "crooner-swooner" era, Frank Sinatra is best known for his swing style. "Ol' Blue Eyes" was not only a singer but also a well-known actor, starring in flicks like Ocean's 11. Some of his top albums include Strangers in the N...
-Certified units: 15.5 million (6 Gold, 5 Platinum, 3 Multi-platinum) -Grammy wins: 15 (29 nominations) Alicia Keys actually turned down a spot a Columbia University at the age of 16 in order to pursue music full-time. Six of the Grammy winner's albums have gone platinum: Girl on Fire, Songs in A Minor, The Diary of Alicia Keys, As I Am, The Elemen...
-Certified units: 38.5 million (12 Gold, 11 Platinum, 7 Multi-platinum, 1 Diamond) -Grammy wins: 7 (11 nominations) Folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel got their start early; their rendition of "Hey Schoolgirl" peaked at No. 49 on the Pop Chart when the two were just 15 years old. But it was during the '60s and '70s that the duo became a household name...
-Certified units: 13.5 million (11 Gold, 6 Platinum, 2 Multi-platinum) -Grammy wins: 16 (35 nominations) Paul Simon found plenty of success outside of Simon & Garfunkel. After the group's split at the height of their fame in the '70s, Simon struck out on his own and released his most beloved solo album, Graceland, in 1986. At the end of 2018, Simon...
-Certified units: 33.5 million (10 Gold, 7 Platinum, 6 Multi-platinum, 1 Diamond) -Grammy wins: 8 (28 nominations) Phil Collins got his start as the drummer for the band Genesis before becoming the group's lead singer and eventually striking out on his own. His first solo hit, "In the Air Tonight," is an '80s anthem, and his albums No Jacket Requir...
-Certified units: 30 million (17 Gold, 13 Platinum, 7 Multi-platinum) -Grammy wins: 10 (26 nominations) A true genre-bender, Linda Ronstadt has sung everything from rock to Latin to country to light opera. Most successful in the '70s and '80s, her top albums include gems like Heart Like a Wheel, Canciones de Mi Padre, What's New, and Simple Dreams....
-Certified units: 56.5 million (14 Gold, 13 Platinum, 12 Multi-platinum, 2 Diamond) -Grammy wins: 1 (4 nominations) Since the band's self-titled debut in 1978, Van Halen has been credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene." The group's most noteworthy albums include Van Halen, 1984, and 5150.
-Certified units: 47.5 million (28 Gold, 17 Platinum, 7 Multi-platinum, 1 Diamond) -Grammy wins: 3 (19 nominations) Old school country music singer Kenny Rogers has a genuine talent for storytelling, which is evident in the more than 120 million recordshe's sold. He completed his final world tour, The Gambler's Last Deal, in 2017.
- Blues: Muddy Waters. Let's start with the blues, the genre probably most responsible for influencing the genre the world would come to know as rock and roll.
- Country: Merle Haggard. If we were going with the country artist who had the biggest impact on music as a whole, we'd go with Johnny Cash. If we wanted the most beloved, it might be Dolly Parton.
- Electronic/Dance: Kraftwerk. We get it. Kraftwerk isn't the sexy choice. Daft Punk, The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers are way cooler. And artists such as the Pet Shop Boys, Giorgio Moroder and Brian Eno did exceptional things with electronic music.
- Folk: Bob Dylan. We were tempted to be different here. It wouldn't have been too hard given the tremendous influence of Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie, There's also Joni Mitchell's groundbreaking arrival as a confessional singer-songwriter and Paul Simon's unrivaled ability as a lyricist.
- Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong, who had the famous nickname Satchmo, was born in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz music, in 1901. He was raised by his grandmother and grew up in poverty in one of the poorest parts of New Orleans.
- Charlie Parker. Charlie Parker, also known by the nicknames Bird and Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist known for creating the style of jazz known as bebop.
- Miles Davis. Miles Davis is an iconic figure in the history of jazz, and he is one of those names that people know even when unfamiliar with jazz music.
- John Coltrane. John Coltrane, like Miles Davis, helped establish modal harmonies in jazz music. Born in 1926 in North Carolina, Coltrane led many recording sessions that are now classic records in the jazz recording literature.
- Freddie Mercury. 163 37. Listed In: Rock Singers, Lyricists & Songwriters, Record Producers. Famous As: Singer-songwriter. Birthdate: September 5, 1946. Sun Sign: Virgo.
- Billie Eilish. 273 156. Listed In: Lyricists & Songwriters, Pop Singers. Famous As: Singer-Songwriter. Birthdate: December 18, 2001. Sun Sign: Sagittarius. Nationality: American.
- Eminem. 141 35. Listed In: Rappers, Lyricists & Songwriters. Famous As: Rapper. Birthdate: October 17, 1972. Sun Sign: Libra. Nationality: American. Amongst the biggest rappers of all time, Eminem gained worldwide popularity with the release of albums like The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.
- John Lennon. 72 23. Listed In: Rock Singers, Guitarists, Pianists. Famous As: Singer-songwriter & Musician. Birthdate: October 9, 1940. Sun Sign: Libra. Died: December 8, 1980.
Jan 3, 2024 · Find out how they stack up, as we count down the Top 100 classic rock artists. 100. Scorpions. Scorpions built toward success for more than a decade, switching members until they finally found...
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1. The Beatles. Music Artist. Actor. Composer. The Beatles: Get Back (2021– ) The Beatles were an English rock band that became arguably the most successful act of the 20th century. They contributed to music, film, literature, art, and fashion, made a continuous impact on popular culture and the lifestyle of several generations.
