Most influential musician
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Cosmic Harmony
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I might just be seen as crazy for thinking this but I say Frank Zappa.
"Freak Out!" was Frank's debut album and it is arguable the first concept album, one of the first double albums (let alone the first debut double album), and it was a heavy influence on "Sgt. Pepper", which is often cited as the "greatest" and/or the most "influential" album of all time.
On top of that Frank's work made a hug impact on heavy metal music as we know it by inspiring Black Sabbath (specifically Tony Iommi) and Alice Cooper.
He also influenced various other critically acclaimed and highly original acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers (mostly in John Frusciante) and Primus. As well as funk music icon George Clinton and the epitome of musical parody Weird Al.
Think about that for a second....Frank Zappa inspired perhaps the most important heavy metal guitarist of all time (Iommi), arguably the most important funk musician of all time (George Clinton) , and the highest selling polka and comedy act of all time (Weird Al). Those are some pretty far stretches from each other. Frank was a true innovator.
"Freak Out!" was Frank's debut album and it is arguable the first concept album, one of the first double albums (let alone the first debut double album), and it was a heavy influence on "Sgt. Pepper", which is often cited as the "greatest" and/or the most "influential" album of all time.
On top of that Frank's work made a hug impact on heavy metal music as we know it by inspiring Black Sabbath (specifically Tony Iommi) and Alice Cooper.
He also influenced various other critically acclaimed and highly original acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers (mostly in John Frusciante) and Primus. As well as funk music icon George Clinton and the epitome of musical parody Weird Al.
Think about that for a second....Frank Zappa inspired perhaps the most important heavy metal guitarist of all time (Iommi), arguably the most important funk musician of all time (George Clinton) , and the highest selling polka and comedy act of all time (Weird Al). Those are some pretty far stretches from each other. Frank was a true innovator.
he certainly played a lot styles of music:
Hard Rock
Prog-Rock
Jazz-Rock
Comedy Rock
Experimental Rock
Alternative/ Indie Rock
Art Rock
Jazz
Progressive Jazz
Album Rock
Avant-Garde
Comedy
Novelty
Experimental
Computer Music
Classical
Comedy/Spoken
Fusion
Proto-Punk
Tiny Tim
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Craig in Indy
Your cool Uncle
I'm with runtfan...if you're talking all-time, it's gotta be Bach.
I'm going to say the first caveman to bang a rock against a stick in a rhythmic pattern was the most influential musician, where would we be with out him(or her)
I would have to say the most musical influence would have to go way back to Bach, Beethoven, Gershwin, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Mozart, Rachmaninov, and all the classical artists who defined what music is.
But if you are talking about modern day music, the most recognized and influential musicans would have to be the Beatles with The Byrds running a close second.
And the most influential individuals in modern music would be Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Elvis Presley
Hepcat
retired
Runtfan:
Good one!
Pop music though I'd have to say the Beatles.
Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix in roughly that order would be my most influential individuals. Much as I like and respect Frank Zappa, I don't think he can be said to rank with the fellows I've listed.
Magic:
I disagree. The Byrds weren't that influential.
Good one!
Pop music though I'd have to say the Beatles.
Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix in roughly that order would be my most influential individuals. Much as I like and respect Frank Zappa, I don't think he can be said to rank with the fellows I've listed.
Magic:
I disagree. The Byrds weren't that influential.
Runtfan:
Good one!
Pop music though I'd have to say the Beatles.
Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix in roughly that order would be my most influential individuals. Much as I like and respect Frank Zappa, I don't think he can be said to rank with the fellows I've listed.
Magic:
I disagree. The Byrds weren't that influential.
agreed, he wasn't well known enough for him to be that influential, possibly the most innovative musician, but to be influential someone has to be influenced by you, you can't just be doing something totally new and unbelievably cool, that 30 years down the line still, no one can replicate or understand
I disagree. The Byrds weren't that influential.
Well how about Velvet Underground, then? they were way ahead of their time and a huge influence.
Or how about Sex Pistols or the Ramones?
