Ryan’s 100 Greatest Artists in Music List (Filler)
(I am currently experiencing WordPress difficulties, which impairs my ability to post only the first part of this post [with a click to read more link], my ability to post pictures, and basically do anything to make this post look COOL.)
So, I’ve decided to throw up a couple of FILLER blog posts to make it look as if I’m actually updating this thing.
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Today’s FILLER is the most fillerish of fillery things you could ever fill- a music list. Nothing induces r.e.m. sleep quite like USELESS LISTS made by people with pretentious opinions they feel obligated to share.
I made this list a few weeks ago when I was down with a partial migraine and had the joy (mostly of the torturous variety) of witnessing VH1′s new list of the 100 Greatest Artists in History. I’m pretty sure they mean Mainstream music. I was excited at first, as I tuned in around #40- VH1 makes good lists. At least, they used to make good lists. Their 100 Greatest list from the late 1990′s was pretty decent. The brand new list, was atrocious. Atrocious is the worst possible word I could think of to describe the awfulness of this list. A close second to atrocious was Gaga-Cyrus. This list was both. I seriously question the musical tastes of my generation.
Here’s a link to VH1′s 100 Artists List courtesy of Stereogum.
VH1′s 100 Greatest List
There’s also a grip of user comments on there, endlessly and pointlessly debating VH1′s selections (which are awful.)
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Some of the high(low)lights of VH1′s List were:
- Michael Jackson at 2? Top Ten? Yes. 2nd all time? No.
- Justin Timberlake at 66? 66?? 66?????
- Jay-z (41) above 2pac (69) and Eminem (79)? & Run DMC (76) and Public Enemy (54)?
- Madonna at 16? Ahead of Aretha? Right. Total sense. Total.
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So I KNEW I could make a much better list myself. So I did. With some real thought. It’s probably the best usless biased list ever made, but it’s fun. For me. Not for you.
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RYAN’S 100 GREATEST ARTISTS LIST
***Ryan’s Criteria***
The following artists were judged on: Influence, Impact, Success, Talent, Critical Acclaim, and My Opinion. I’m sticking mostly to the popular mainstream (which historically leans pop/rock, and today also includes rap, r&b, and some country.) So stuff like Mos Def and They Might Be Giants didn’t make the cut, no matter how bada$$ they are. Also, anything from the last few years is still too new to make the cut.
Since this is a Mainstream Music list, I have tried to stick to artists who were very influential AND successful in each genre, yet had a pop/mainstream appeal as well as an impact on the music industry (and occasionally pop-culture) itself.
Just to clarify: this is not my personal favorite list, nor who I think is the most talented. It’s more of a Mainstream-Influence-Success list. If you were to look at which artists influenced popular music AND were successful (critically and commercially) at the same time, as well as integral to mainstream music today, you’d probably come up with a list somewhat close to this one.
I know you, constant reader, do not ultimately care, but I figured it’s worth a quick fun read. As always, and particularly with this entry, it’s fun to get a little feedback. 
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THE LIST:
01. The Beatles
02. Led Zeppelin
03. Bob Dylan
04. The Rolling Stones
05. Michael Jackson
06. Elvis Presley
07. Ray Charles
08. Pink Floyd
09. Stevie Wonder
10. Jimi Hendrix
11. The Beach Boys
12. Chuck Berry
13. The Who
14. Queen
15. Nirvana
16. Eric Clapton
17. Prince
18. U2
19. David Bowie
20. Bob Marley
21. Aretha Franklin
22. The Eagles
23. Elton John
24. Marvin Gaye
25. The Doors
26. John Lennon
27. Neil Young
28. The Clash
29. James Brown
30. Bruce Springsteen
31. Janis Joplin
32. Johnny Cash
33. The Kinks
34. Little Richard
35. AC/DC
36. Buddy Holly
37. R.E.M.
38. Sly & The Family Stone
39. Otis Redding
40. Madonna
41. Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
42. Van Morrison
43. Cream
44. Hank Williams Sr.
45. Creedence Clearwater Revival
46. Black Sabbath
47. Joni Mitchell
48. Metallica
49. Patsy Cline
50. Guns N’ Roses
51. Smokey Robinson
52. Willie Nelson
53. Miles Davis
54. The Police
55. Tupac Shakur
56. Van Halen
57. The Ramones
58. Eminem
59. Rush
60. Al Green
61. Radiohead
62. Loretta Lynn
63. Roy Orbison
64. Stevie Ray Vaughn
65. James Taylor
66. Muddy Waters
67. Paul McCartney
68. Public Enemy
69. Aerosmith
70. Tina Turner
71. Fleetwood Mac
72. The Notorious B.I.G.
73. The Velvet Underground
74. Lynyrd Skynyrd
75. George Strait
76. Billy Joel
77. Run-DMC
78. Iggy Pop & The Stooges
79. Waylon Jennings
80. Simon & Garfunkel
81. Earth, Wind & Fire
82. Pearl Jam
83. Parliament-Funkadelic
84. Diana Ross & The Supremes
85. The Cure
86. Santana
87. Outkast
88. Green Day
89. Dave Matthews Band
90. Garth Brooks
91. Alison Krauss & Union Station
92. Tool
93. Randy Travis
94. Oasis
95. Red Hot Chili Peppers
96. The Temptations
97. Allman Brothers
98. The Beastie Boys
99. Judas Priest
100. Mariah Carey
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I have legit reasons for the artists on the list and their position there in, but I’ll save those for any feedback I get. If I get any. Which I probably won’t.
How’s that for a Filler Blog Post?
- Ryan
