Based on conversations with goblins, angels, puppies, and
treefolk from I-likes to I-eh to say if I could only listen to that artist’s
entire works they have or will ever record if I had to be in solitary
confinement on say a deserted island or imprisoned in a gas station bathroom
absent the internet for twenty years, but maybe a lifetime of paper to write using
said music as fuel. This is who I would
include first and yes size counts. How
the music hit my soul and frankly how much time I have invested to get to know
that artist. So it’s weird some artists
may only have or I may have only heard one of their records, but if it hit me
then it hit me in that place. Some
artists I may have had personal encounters and that factors in as well.
So you might imagine this like the NFL draft or something like
that and yes entirely pointless. There
are some artists I just got CD’s from the library and don’t actually listen to
but own so it might seem odd in comparison the quantity in my catalog. Some music like books I get I know I want to
listen to someday more so I get them and store for when the universe inspires
me to digest. So they might be ranked
lower on my ignorance of what is actually there to absorb. There are also some artists I only have on
compilations or just do not possess in my digital catalog and I did not include
them even though I may have heard their music.
In the end I value an artist for the inspiration to the
interconnected universe I feel within myself and how their music helps me tap
into common emotive and divine vibrations of what we are. Sometimes that is joy, despair, anger,
isolation, my New Orleans roots, confusion, questing for God, silliness,
celebration, the kinetic movement of dance, but most of all empathy. I seek to better understand what we are and
how delving into that through all forms of art I can participate, contribute,
and possibly use my words and actions to better our collective.
My musical path started in a heavy metal rage around twelve and
went to punk rock at fifteen, blossoming in understanding how the flint of
revolution present in bands like the Clash were traced back to other genres
founded in the folk of Woody Guthrie branching into Springsteen and Dylan when
I got to my thirties. When I opened to
Public Enemy and hearing hip hop as a funnel of that same fire of the poet in
all the writing going on in my life starting around thirteen. The power of reggae and revolution in artists
like Bob Marley and Fela Kuti. The
divinity of voices like Etta James, Antony Hegarty, Billie Holliday, Nina
Simone, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald; of seeing me shed religion in my
thirties and opening to what god is through our interconnected whole. I hear the shaking of our sexuality of
passion and heartache through artists like Otis Redding, Tom Waits, Fats
Domino, Sam Cooke, and the Avett Brothers.
Seeing the ever expanding canvas of hearing the opera of our species has
never been more accessible. I invite you
to make your own list, your own adventure and share.
These artists are ranked in many subjective ways for what they
mean to me in that very personal respect through the power and beauty of their
music to make me experience and feel the spectrums of love, pathos, and
interconnection this blog and my life are all about. Sometimes that is just a moment, an instance
where my exposure to maybe a single song made me feel like taking a direction,
a choice, a connection with a specific person or a path. Sometimes just a single song by some random
artist can do that. That to me is really
the most beautiful thing of human music; the sound, the intention, can tilt the
compass of a life to a magnetic north one never knew was possible.
1.
Bruce
Springsteen
2.
Bob
Dylan
3.
The
Clash
4. Woody Guthrie
5. Fats Domino
6. Tom Waits
7. Bob Marley
8. The Ramones
9. Sam Cooke
10. Rancid
11. The Avett Brothers
12. Green Day
13. Fela Kuti
14. Johnny Cash
15. Antony And The Johnsons
16. Michael Jackson
17.
Chuck
Berry
18. Leadbelly
19. The Beatles
20. Etta James
21. Pearl Jam
22. Fugazi
23. Miles Davis
24.
Dinah
Washington
25.
Billie
Holiday
26.
Rebirth
Brass Band
27. Ray Charles
28. Otis Redding
29. Nine Inch Nails
30. Operation Ivy
31. Nina Simone
32. Public Enemy
33. Ella Fitzgerald
34. Talking Heads
35. Wilco
36. Sarah Vaughn
37. Paul Simon
38. Sage Francis
39. Little Richard
40. John Coltrane
41. The Black Keys
42. B. B. King
43. Metallica
44.
Professor
Longhair
45.
Thelonious
Monk
46.
The
Beach Boys
47.
Dr.
John
48.
John
Lennon
49.
Muddy
Waters
50.
Janis
Joplin
51.
The
Airborne Toxic Event
52.
Nirvana
53.
Justin
Towns Earle
54.
Counting
Crows
55.
NOFX
56.
Ben
Harper
57.
Junior
Kimbrough
58.
Charles
Mingus
59.
Stevie
Wonder
60.
Allen
Toussaint
61.
Mos
Def/Yasin Bey
62.
Mike
Doughty
63.
Louis
Armstrong
64.
Frank
Sinatra
65.
John
Lee Hooker
66.
Mumford
& Sons
67.
The Pixies
68.
Ray
LaMontagne
69.
R.L.
Burnside
70.
Soul
Rebels
71.
Grimes
72.
Less
Than Jake
73.
Misfits
74.
Ryan
Bingham
75.
The
Roots
76.
Leonard
Cohen
77.
Marvin
Gaye
78.
Bad
Religion
79.
David
Bowie
80.
Andre
Williams
81.
Hank
Williams
82.
Indigo Girls
83.
The
Blue Meanies
84.
The
Meters
85.
The
Slackers
86. K’naan
87.
Wild
Magnolias
88.
Vampire
Weekend
89.
Muse
90.
Arcade
Fire
91.
Modest
Mouse
92.
Robert
Johnson
93.
John
Prine
94. Dan Pothast
95. Andre Williams
96.
Duke
Ellington
97.
Jackie Wilson
98.
Bon
Iver
99. Led Zeppelin
100.
Weezer
101.
Simon
& Garfunkel
102.
The
Rolling Stones
103.
The
New Pornographers
104.
Mahalia
Jackson
105.
Elvis
Costello
106.
Kermit
Ruffins
107.
AC/DC
108.
Wu-Tang
Clan
109.
Mustard
Plug
110.
Guns
N’ Roses
111.
The
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
112.
Buddy Guy
113.
Edith
Piaf
114.
Billy
Bragg & Wilco
115.
Pulp
116.
The
Gaslight Anthem
117.
Bobby
Bland
118.
Talib
Kweli
119.
The
Wild
120.
Dead
Kennedys
121.
The
Decembrists
122.
James
Brown
123.
KRS-One
124.
Roy
Orbison
125.
R.E.M.
126.
Andrew
Bird
127.
Everclear
128.
Beastie
Boys
129.
Wendy
Rene
130.
The
Marsalis Family
131.
Lightning
Hopkins
132.
Howlin’
Wolf
133.
Dropkick
Murphy’s
134.
Regina
Spektor
135.
Big
Mama Thorton
136.
Amos
Lee
137.
Lee
“Scratch” Perry
138.
The
Neville Brothers
139.
Amy
Winehouse
140.
Billy
Bragg
141.
FKA
twigs
142.
Waylon
Jennings
143.
The
National
144.
Desmond
Dekker
145.
Taj
Mahal
146.
Adele
147.
Willie
Nelson
148.
Steve
Earle
149.
Pantera
150.
Beach
House
151.
The
Smiths
152.
Lucinda
Williams
153.
Dance
Hall Crashers
154.
Laura
Marling
155.
All
People
156.
U2
157.
Jimi
Hendrix
158.
Brandi
Carlile
159.
The
Temptations
160.
B
Dolan
161.
Gogol
Bordello
162.
The
Shirelles
163.
Tim Armstrong
164.
Charlie
“Bird” Parker
165.
Against
Me!
166.
Boogie
Down Productions
167.
Black
Star
168.
Sean
Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band
169.
Rage
Against The Machine
170.
Mojo
Nixon
171.
RxBandits
172.
Aaron
Nevelle
173.
Florence
+ The Machine
174.
Pink
Floyd
175.
Buzzcocks
176.
Lou Reed
177.
St.
Vincent
178.
Clifton
Chenier
179.
The
Cure
180.
Death
Cab for Cutie
181.
Harry
Connick Jr.
182.
Goldfinger
183.
Noah
and the Whale
184.
The
Specials
185.
Wild
Tchopitoulas
186.
Bjork
187.
Bessie
Smith
188.
Sam
& Dave
189.
Lana
Del Rey
190.
Aesop
Rock
191.
Catch
22
192.
Aretha
Franklin
193.
Glen
Hansard
194.
Hurray
for the Riff Raff
195.
Blind
Melon
196.
The
Traveling Wilburys
197.
Iron
& Wine
198.
The
Band
199.
MU330
200.
Pete
Seeger
201.
Black
Sabbath
202.
Radiators
203.
Ellis
Marsalis
204.
Smokey
Robinson
205.
Timothy
Seth Avett as Darling
206.
Eddie
Vedder
207.
Wynton
Marsalis
208.
Galactic
209.
The
Bouncing Souls
210.
Queen
211.
Alkaline
Trio
212.
Streetlight
Manifesto
213.
Good
Luck
214.
Rilo
Kiley
215.
The
Vandals
216.
MGMT
217.
Common
Rider
218.
Bad
Brains
219.
Irma
Thomas
220.
Fifteen
221.
The
Postal Service
222.
Waxahatchee
223.
Charlie
Musselwhite
224.
Nat
King Cole
225.
A
Tribe Called Quest
226.
Hozier
227.
Tool
228.
Blondie
229.
Fleet
Foxes
230.
Jerry
Lee Lewis
231.
Dan
Auerbach
232.
Pinhead
Gunpowder
233.
Metric
234.
The
Skatalites
235.
New
York Dolls
236.
Clarence
‘frongman’ Henry
237.
Wilson
Pickett
238.
Reel
Big Fish
239.
Descedents
240.
All
241.
The
Rooks
242.
Matt
and Kim
243.
Phoenix
244.
Jelly
Roll Morton
245.
Valerie
June
246.
Alabama
Shakes
247.
Mad
Caddies
248.
The
Strokes
249.
Cowboy
Mouth
250.
Son
House
251.
Jimmy
Cliff
252.
Alvvays
253.
North
Mississippi Allstars
254.
Franz
Ferdinand
255.
Soul
Coughing
256.
De
LA Soul
257.
Langhorne
Slim
258.
Blink
182
259.
Sturgill
Simpson
260.
The
Civil Wars
261.
Hot
8 Brass Band
262.
Daft
Punk
263.
Mississippi
John Hurt
264.
Old
Crow Medicine Show
265.
Radiohead
266.
The
White Stripes
267.
Chris
Murray
268.
Terence
Blanchard
269.
Louis
Prima
270.
Max
Wixson
271.
Irvin
Mayfield
272.
Digital
Planets
273.
Al
Green
274.
Tom
Morello: The Nightwatchman
275.
Neutral
Milk Hotel
276.
Flaming
Arrows
277.
Brian
Wilson
278.
Preservation
Hall Jazz Band
279.
Delfonics
280.
Me
First and the Gimme Gimmes
281.
San
Fermin
282.
The
War on Drugs
283.
Sharon
Von Etten
284.
Minutemen
285.
Lauryn
Hill
286.
Screeching
Weasel
287.
Gil
Scott Heron
288.
Robert
Plant
289.
Toots
and the Maytals
290.
Pete
Fountain
291.
Fatter
Than Albert
292.
Nerf
Herder
293.
The
Undertones
294.
Jill
Scott
295.
Shinobu
296.
Madeleine
Peyroux
297.
Julian
Casablancas
298.
The
Head and The Heart
299.
Jack
White
300.
Social
Distortion
301.
The
Lollies
302.
The
Chinkees
303.
Freddie
King
304.
Safety
305.
Trombone
Shorty
306.
John
Boutte
307.
Louisiana
Red
308.
Olympia
Brass Band
309.
Neil
Diamond
310.
The
Hippos
311.
Sharkanoid
312.
Carolina
Chocolate Drops
313.
Doc
Watson
314.
Phil
Ochs
315.
Dizzy
Gillespie
316.
The
Skints
317.
Augustus
Pablo
318.
Classics
of Love
319.
The
Bruce Lee Band
320.
Big
Freedia
321.
Angel
Olsen
322.
The
Ghostwood
323.
Millencolin
324.
Haerts
325.
Janet
Jackson
326.
Count
Basie
327.
311
328.
Hepcat
329.
Flogging
Molly
330.
Edward
Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes
331.
Brandford
Marsalis
332.
Neil
Young
333.
A Billion Ernies
334.
Maddness
335.
Albert
King
336.
Ani
Di Franco
337.
Epperley
338.
Velvet
Underground
339.
Ornette
Coleman
340.
AFI
341.
New
Found Glory
342.
Sade
343.
The
Pietasters
344.
Run
DMC
345.
The
Tallest Man On Earth
346.
Ballake
Sissoko
347.
Tweedy
348.
Sidney
Bechet
349.
The
Ataris
350.
Herbie
Hancock
351.
Squirtgun
352.
Michael
Kiwanuka
353.
Black
Flag
354.
Stevie
Ray Vaughan
355.
Keb
Mo
356.
The
Fugees
357.
Snooks
Eaglin
358.
Big
Maybelle
359.
The
Lumineers
360.
Tom
Petty and the Heartbreakers
361.
Drive
By Truckers
362.
Jack
Johnson
363.
Emile
Barnes
364.
Of
Monsters And Men
365.
Fleetwood
Mac
366.
The
Magnetic Fields
367.
Steel
Pulse
368.
Rodriguez
369.
Curtis
Mayfield
370.
Smashing
Pumpkins
371.
The
Aquabats
372.
Tony
Bennett
373.
Rockin’
Dopsie, Jr.
374.
OK
Go
375.
My
Name is John Michael
376.
The
Damned
377.
Henry
Butler
378.
Norah
Jones
379.
Cannonball
Adderley
380.
Sonic
Youth
381.
Sleater-Kinney
382.
Wanda
Jackson
383.
Fiona
Apple
384.
Joni
Mitchell
385.
Chixdiggit
386.
The
Stooges
387.
The
Flaming Lips
388.
Seun
Kuti/Egypt 80
389.
Teresa
Andersson
390.
Against
All Authority
391.
Monsters
of Folk
392.
Dr.
Michael White
393.
Canned
Heat and John Lee Hooker
394.
Fun.
395.
All
Time Low
396.
Foo
Fighters
397.
Jason
Isbell and the 400 Unit
398.
Nicholas
Payton
399.
Westbound
Train
400.
Rise
Against
401.
Gillian
Welch
402.
Clarence
‘Gatemouth’ Brown
403.
Scroobius
Pip
404.
Abigail
Washburn
405.
Vic
Chestnutt
406.
Moon
Hooch
407.
Fountains
of Wayne
408.
Neko
Case
409.
Junior
Wells
410.
Al
Hirt
411.
Eagles
412.
Sonny
Clark
413.
Joe
Henry
414.
Bassekou
Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
415.
J.D.
McPherson
416.
Femi
Kuti
417.
Bright
Eyes
418.
Jason
Marsalis
419.
She
& Him
420.
Nick
Waterhouse
421.
Washed
Out
422.
My
Morning Jacket
423.
Burning
Spear
424.
Ryan
Adams
425.
Billie
Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones
426.
American
Hi-Fi
427.
Joanna
Newsom
428.
Flying
Lotus
429.
Sara
Jarosz
430.
Gregory
Porter
431.
Cory
Branon
432.
Esperenza
Spalding
433.
The
Ting Tings
434.
Gene
Austin
435.
Skrillex
436.
Dean
Martin
437.
Weston
438.
Coolbone
Brass Band
439.
Carla
Bruni
440.
Foster
The People
441.
James
Blake
442.
Dawes
443.
Benjamin
Booker
444.
Los
Hombres Calientes
445.
Jeremy
Davenport
446.
Blur
447.
Iggy Pop
448.
James
Hunter Six
449.
Allison
Krauss
450.
Audioslave
451.
Explosions
in The Sky
452.
Godspeed
You! Black Emperor
453.
NWA
454.
Aphex
Twin
455.
They
Might Be Giants
456.
Chalachew
Ashenafi
457.
Del
the Funky Homosapien
458.
A
Fine Frenzy
459.
Robert
Cray Band
460.
Cage
the Elephant
461.
Pete
Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
462.
Yeah
Yeah Yeahs
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