I was recently contemplating what I considered to be the top 5 musical acts of the 20th century, and not by how much I liked them, but just by how generally talented they were.

Example...

Hypothetical Situation: Aliens come to earth and ask us to sum up the planet's different types of music in 5 groups/performers, represented through the very best performers/musical artists in different genres of the past 100 years.

My picks... (each at their peak)

The Beatles

Madonna

Elvis Presley

Frank Sinatra

Michael Jackson

note: I'm probably leaning a little bit too much towards American music, although it seems as though American music is still the most widely popular on the planet.

Honorable Mentions: Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, 2pac, Marvin Gaye, The Rolling Stones

Madonna, what the hell? Over Led Zeppelin and a million others? I severley disagree.

1.) The Beatles
2.) Frank Sinatra
3.) Beethoven
4.) Mozart
5.) Thelonious Monk

In terms of pure influence, sales, popularity, and longevity, I stick by my choice. While I am not at all a Madonna fan personally, and I love Led Zeppelin, I just don't feel like Zeppelin and others have quite the same widespread fame and influence that Madonna did.

EDIT: I'd also have to add Nirvana to my original honorable mentions.

I too was going to include Beethoven and other classical composers, but I decided to add the 20th century clause. Care to update with that in mind?

I too was going to include Beethoven and other classical composers, but I decided to add the 20th century clause. Care to update with that in mind? [/b][/quote]1.) The Beatles
2.) Frank Sinatra
3.) Elvis Presley
4.) Thelonious Monk
5.) The Rolling Stones/Led Zeppelin

I will catagorize these. Note: I am only doing Rock and sticking in that Genre.

Folk Music/Rock and Roll: Bob Dylan
Advanced/Experimental Rock: The Beatles
Pop Rock Music: Paul McCartney
Early Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley/Johnny Cash/Carl Perkins/ Jerry Lee Lewis
Fun/Folk/Rock: Jimmy Buffett
Most Versatile Rocker: Neil Young

Best Overall Image of Rock and Roll: (TIE) Bob Dylan, The Beatles

The Doc

So, have you been all around our planet? :p In our family of six, I'm the only one listening to some of American music.

I'm not that crazy about past hundred years. I think the more elegant and the more sophisticated performances of music that can keep an alien in awe and show off the human's intelligence are orchestral works. I'd tell them they've just missed Mozart and Beethoven by 250 years. What took them so long?!

It really doesn't get any better than that.

The Beatles

The Eagles

The Foo Fighters

Nirvana

The Rolling Stones

Duke Ellington

Van Morrison

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Hank Williams Sr.

Benny Goodman

Count Basie

The Replacements

Pre-revolutionary Cuban music.

someone should tell Ludwig and Wolfgang they come after the Beatles and Sinatra.

Yeah? I didn't know we had another big Monk fan here. Very cool. I met a drummer a couple of weeks ago who used to play with him and Coltrane back in the late 50's and 60's; he said that collaboration was the most raw powerhouse of emotion you could ever find in music. Can you imagine? He was like, "It was too much, girl. Too, too much. No one plays like that anymore."

Yeah? I didn't know we had another big Monk fan here. Very cool. I met a drummer a couple of weeks ago who used to play with him and Coltrane back in the late 50's and 60's; he said that collaboration was the most raw powerhouse of emotion you could ever find in music. Can you imagine? He was like, "It was too much, girl. Too, too much. No one plays like that anymore." [/b][/quote]I like the Temptations as well.

Want to get married?

Vocalists:

Frank
Ella & Louis
Ray Charles
Willie Nelson
Linda Ronstadt

Songwriters:

Cole Porter
Irving Berlin
Harold Arlen
Lennon & McCartney
Rogers & Hart/Hammerstein

Wow I’m really surprised that no one has included a Hip-Hop/Rap group in their lists. I mean even if you are not a fan of the genre you cannot deny it’s influence in not only the music scene but in the very culture of at least this country. I mean do you know what the term Bling means? I don’t think you learned that from listening to the Beatles. I mean to sum up all of music and leave that GIANT piece missing, hell I think it would take five entries just to sum up this category.

I’m no music expert to prove it here is my list…very biased to American music because well that is what I listen to so if Aliens posed the question to me this is what I could answer.

Five different types of music last century
Rock – The Beatles
Hip-Hop – N.W.A.
Country- Willie Nelson
Techno/Industrial – Nine Inch Nails (really I just threw the Industrial part on here so I could include NIN – probably should be someone like John Digweed or something)
Funk – George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelics *(was going to be a Jazz category but I don’t really know any acts, I mean I know names but I couldn’t choose one as best)

*edit, Note: This is not a list of my five favorite groups or music acts

Mozart
Vivaldi
Beethoven
Chopin

The Beatles
Miles Davis
Queen
Jeff Buckley
Eminem
Neil Young

Afi, my applause to you.

Five best representations of Earth, and you fail (or choose not) to go beyond US Pop?

Some of the best music ever has probably never been recorded.

Yes it has. It's called Radiohead.

:p

Who is 'you'?

I don't mean to start a fight or flame-war, and hope no one takes it as such. But, I think the idea of representing music through fame, or popularity, or whatever, is pure bull-shit. It's kind of like saying, "Yeah, The Beatles; they'd be nothing without matching suits and cool accents!" And, I think this is why we can all agree, the 1980s were basically musical purgatory. It seemed like anyone who had star appeal or glamour was sure to succeed. And that brings upon the whole popularity aspect, and that's why I think the 90s called for an underground scene like grunge and alternatice... But then that was taken away too, and became a mainstream side-show. If you did happen to like to music of the 80s, I'm sorry to offend you. And I'm sorry you've got bad taste in music (only kidding).

I don't know. It's just something about this thread that bothers me. I wouldn't say a pop act like Madonna or Michael Jackson would be a good representation in music... Not because they aren't talented. They're very talented in what they do, but I just feel bubble-gum pop is the exact opposite of "music" in the traditional sense. The people with their names on the album covers don't write the songs, and the actual music itself just seems like it was pushed off, and those involved in the record's birth viewed it as secondary to the straight-forward lyrics. It just kind of sucks the art out of it, until it becomes a circus act. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule... or, this idea. But, I think this is why bubble-gum pop has never settled with my blood; no, I'm not just being a typical immature teen-aged rock-fan who enjoys saying "liek OMG!!! DAT IS GHET! PUNK RAWK! IM A REBBEL BCUZ I DYED MY HAIR WITH GREEN SPRAY-ON HAIR COLOR!!!! LOL!!21@!@!!!!"

I don't know. I feel like this is going to come off as if I'm a hostile beast of a man, and someone has been feeding me booze and LSD, before locking me into the confines of a small room, with the lights out--the darkness only broken by the gleaming light of a computer moniter. But I hope it doesn't. I just don't think music should be represented by fame, or iconic figures, or popularity. Sure, inspiration, yes. But what ever happened to the music?

I agree.

Just because Madonna has been massively succesful in films and such, doesn't make her a good representation of our music to martians.

Come on, Capo.

That's like saying the best movies have never been filmed, or the greatest books never published. This is a best representations of music thread, not the "What If" thread. Let's just stick to music that has been recorded and not get all deep and philisophical saying stuff like that. This thread is pretty open and shut. It's a best music thread. Go out of the US pop range if you like, but don't start saying some of the best music has never been recorded. You don't need to delve that deep into every subject.

I'm not attacking you (though it may seem like it), I'm just sick of these kinds of statements. What is some of the best music out there. Period. Let's not over-analyze this. (I know you lvoe when I say that)

The Doc

P.S. Radiohead is the worst band ever. Sorry to break it to ya. :p

OK, so let me get this straight.

Aliens come to earth and want to hear about the planet's different types of music represented by very best performers not in terms of not how much we liked them but how talented they were...but really more based on influence, sales, popularity, and longevity.

But only limited to the past 100 years.

So that would of course leave out Mozart, Beethoven, who are not only pre-20th century, but apparently did not have the influence and longevity of a Madonna.

Also left out are 'Zeppolin and others' who apparently didn't sell enough records or weren't popular enough to rate sharing the list with a Madonna.

And of course except for The Beatles, mainly American artists should be mentioned because they seem to be the most popular on earth. According to who...I'll ask later.

If that's the case...where are The Beach Boys?
Barbra Streisand? George Gershwin?

You're all over the place. Why don't you just begin a thread about your favorite artists since that's what you really want to discuss anyway.

Apple

The Cure, The Clash, Motorhead, Nirvana, Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, The Smiths, Black Flag, Guns N Roses (first album)

Just some of the good music of the 80's, though I have to admit music in general was poor, which is why the Grunge revolution was needed.

Megadeth often gets overlooked by some people due to their name, even if it is politically motivated.

As for Radiohead, they're excellent. Period.

As for this thread, I really can't come up with a list without feeling guilty due to leaving someone out.

Sonic Youth, Pixies, and The Smiths definitely belong on this list. In fact, all 3 of those bands are better than every artist you mentioned, except maybe Tom Waits.

I edited with them. I knew I forgot a few. Both deserve to be on it, especially Sonic Youth.

Just curious, what are your opinions on some of those bands, especially the metal ones. It seems several good/great bands get the shaft due to a ridiculous "Satanic" stereotype.

Just realized I also forgot Black Flag.

The Clash and The Cure are great. Metallica is okay for me, and I've actually never heard anything from Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, or GunsNRoses. Never really interested me.

The Smiths, Pixies, and Sonic Youth are the big 3 from the 80s IMO.

I actually forgot about them too. Great hardcore band.

Motorhead is great, as well as those other metal bands, particularly Metallica and Megadeth.

That is to say, Metallica up to the Black Album, after which they were shitty. Megadeth managed to survive with quality past the early 90's though.

*waits for Ferro on mescaline to urinate on this opinion.