-Can somebody explain to me how on earth Eminem ranked higher than people like Prince, Mj, Freddie Mercury, Stevie, Bowie, etc? What crap!

The Top 50 Rock Geniuses of All Time
Towering natural ability! Exceptional creative powers! A brain the size of Alaska! Where would we be without musical geniuses? Without the 50 on this list, the music we love wouldn’t just be worse. It wouldn’t exist at all. So who cares if some of them are utterly nuts?

By John Aizlewood, Clark Collis, John Harris, Andrew Harrison, Rob Kemp, Kelly Royce, Mat Snow, Phil Sutcliffe, Rob Tannenbaum, Jonah Weiner and Jon Young

Blender, Jan/Feb 2003


50 Jack White
Rock’s newest genius
Genius credentials: From Talking Heads to Beck, most art-rock revels in ironic detachment. Not so Detroit homeboy Jack White’s brainchild, the White Stripes: They reek of fire, brimstone and searing commitment to the cause of rock & roll. What Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and the Who were to the ’60s, Jack White is to the noughties. Yep, that good.
His peers agree! “The White Stripes make me want to eat crack pipes and dance with the voodoo bones of the dead.” — Ryan Adams
Genius zenith: White Blood Cells (Third Man/V2, 2001)

49 Jerry Leiber And Mike Stoller
Unlikely architects of rock & roll
Genius credentials: East Coast Jewish hipsters who were obsessed with black culture, songwriting duo Leiber & Stoller melded R&B and Tin Pan Alley tunesmithery on such hits as “Hound Dog,” “On Broadway” and “Stand by Me.” Elvis Presley, for one, believed them so essential to his mojo that he sometimes refused to enter a studio without them.
Their peers agree! “They were great songwriters.” — Paul McCartney
Genius zenith: There’s a Riot Goin’ On!: The Rock and Roll Classics of Leiber and Stoller (Rhino, 1991)

48 Polly Harvey
Sexy art-rock? Yes!
Genius credentials: Those smart enough to buy Dry (1992) knew they were onto something good, but even Polly Harvey’s most visionary fans could not have predicted the journey that followed in its wake. In the ensuing decade, with or without her guitar, Harvey has masterfully blended alt-rock, sexual bravado, goth blues, performance art and her own off-kilter gorgeousness — and laid convincing claim to being her generation’s most important female performer.
Her peers agree! “She’s the bomb.” — Garbage’s Shirley Manson
Genius zenith: Rid of Me (Island, 1993)

47 Björn Ulvaeus And Benny Andersson
ABBA’s palindromic whizzes
Genius credentials: Hailing from darkest Sweden and influenced by Phil Spector and cheesy Europop, ABBA spent their decade of superstardom making perfect pop. The women — Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — were the public face of ABBA, but Ulvaeus (clean-shaven) and Andersson (bearded) wrote the songs and added the clinically brilliant production.
Their peers agree! “These are great songs.” — Elvis Costello
Genius zenith: The Definitive Collection (PolyGram, 2001)

46 Eddie Van Halen
Dude, you shred!
Genius credentials: Before Eddie Van Halen, guitar heroes mostly worked off the templates of worthy ’60s Brits such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, et al. Eddie Van Halen’s extraordinary bastardization of jazz, classical and rock inspired a new generation of guitarists, while sending the old guard scuttling back to the drawing board.
His peers agree! “I rank him along with Charlie Parker and Art Tatum as one of the three greatest musicians of my lifetime.” — Van Halen producer Ted Templeman
Genius zenith: Van Halen (Warner Bros., 1978)

45 Rick Rubin
Louder and deffer
Genius credentials: In 1985, Def Jam cofounder Frederick Rubin was alone in his belief that hip-hop and hard rock were linked by sheer obnoxiousness. But several million record buyers came around to his thinking a year later when his productions for Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill went platinum-plus. Rap-metal, in all its mutant splendor, is Rubin’s brainchild.
His peers agree! “It’s an honor to have Rick produce your record.” — System of a Down’s Daron Malakian
Genius zenith: The Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (Def Jam, 1986)

44 Thom Yorke
A creep, a weirdo
Genius credentials: With 50-odd years of history behind us, creating genuinely innovative rock music is an increasingly rare feat — but Radiohead’s chief creative mind manages it time after time. OK Computer (1997) served decisive notice of his brilliance, and the follow-ups, Kid A and Amnesiac, proved Yorke was moving in his own dizzying orbit. By comparison, most musicians remain clumsily earthbound.
His peers agree! “Radiohead are so good, they scare me.” — Michael Stipe
Genius zenith: OK Computer (Capitol, 1997)

43 Lee Perry
He invented the remix
Genius credentials: No one in music demonstrates genius’s proximity to madness more definitively than Rainford Hugh Perry, a.k.a. “Scratch” and “The Upsetter.” By producing Bob Marley and the Clash, he helped take reggae to the international stage, and as pioneer of the mixing desk as musical instrument, he effectively created the remix (admit it, P. Diddy) — and thus all modern soundscaped music, from hip-hop to ambient and beyond.
His peers agree! “All three of us are inspired by Lee Perry’s music and production.” — The Beastie Boys’ Mike D
Genius zenith: Super Ape (Island, 1976)

42 Missy Elliott And Tim “Timbaland” Mosley
Hip-hop’s dynamic duo
Genius credentials: Not just anyone can don an inflated garbage bag and pass herself off as a sex symbol. Elliott did exactly that in the video for her 1997 debut single, “The Rain,” arriving with master producer Timbaland to rejigger hip-hop into a futuristic carnival. This Virginia duo hasn’t stayed ahead of the pack so much as created its own bizarro universe.
Their peers agree! “God has given that girl a lot of beautiful stuff to work with.” — Mary J. Blige
Genius zenith: Under Construction (Goldmind/Elektra, 2002)

41 Andy WarholWiggy pop-art originator
Genius credentials: Sure, only art critics can say why rows of soup cans are great. But when gay, wraithlike, Elvis obsessive Andy Warhol got ahold of the Velvet Underground in 1965, he led rock culture to depths of sex, drugs, glamour and filthy truth it might have dodged without him. His now-axiomatic prediction about fame proves ever more accurate. And he designed the greatest album cover ever, the Stones’ Sticky Fingers.
His peers agree! “His way of looking at things would stop me dead in my tracks.” — Lou Reed
Genius zenith: The Velvet Underground & Nico (Verve, 1967)

40 Chuck D
Public Enemy number 1
Genius credentials: With searing oratory and a head full of Black Panther ideology, the former Carlton Ridenhour, flanked by cohort Flavor Flav and producers the Bomb Squad, transformed hip-hop from apolitical party music into what he called “the black CNN.” Public Enemy’s twin broadsides “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype” served notice that America should ignore hip-hop at its peril.
His peers agree! “It Takes a Nation messes with your brain even to this day.” — Ice Cube
Genius zenith: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam, 1988)

39 Freddie Mercury
He will rock you
Genius credentials: Mick Jagger and David Bowie might have taken ’70s rock to new heights of theatricality, but Queen’s frontman eventually stole their leotards to become music’s über-performer. Thanks to his songwriting contributions, Queen’s music achieved the perfect meld of virtuosity and camped-up raunch. Proof of Mercury’s reach was provided by a very unlikely mention in Kurt Cobain’s suicide note.
His peers agree! “He was one of the most important figures in rock & roll over the last 20 years.” — Elton John
Genius zenith: A Day at the Races (Hollywood, 1976)

38 Dr. Dre
Genius with attitude
Genius credentials: If anyone ever decides to make a movie about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Dr. Dre has already written the score. Bringing battle-cry funk to Compton-based gangstas N.W.A and languid synths to his solo debut, The Chronic, producer-rapper Andre Young defined the sound (and, after being charged with assault in 1991, the outlaw persona) of pissed-off, pleasure-hungry West Coast rap. He’s also not a bad talent scout, having discovered Snoop Dogg and Eminem.
His peers agree! “Dre is a genius producer.” — Eve
Genius zenith: The Chronic (Death Row, 1992)

37 Patti Smith
High priestess of punk
Genius credentials: Genius doesn’t need to shave its armpits: Patti Smith broadcast that message in the Robert Mapplethorpe cover photo for her 1978 album, Easter. A fan of the Rolling Stones and licentious nineteenth-century French poet Arthur Rimbaud equally, Smith snapped words as if they were gum and declaimed erotic punk-rock tales of hallucination, escape and rebirth, influencing R.E.M., U2, Nirvana and PJ Harvey.
Her peers agree! “My record collection started in 1976 with Patti Smith’s Horses.” — Bono
Genius zenith: Horses (Arista, 1975)

36 Brian Eno
Pioneering electronic egghead
Genius credentials: Bald and pale, Brian Eno looks the part of a rock genius. But 30 years ago, playing wild keyboard with British glam-rock panthers Roxy Music, he wore feathers and lipstick. By the end of the ’70s, he had mastered devilish art-pop on solo albums, invented ambient music and cowritten “Heroes” with David Bowie. Next, Eno introduced Talking Heads to Afro-funk and transformed U2 into neon cowboys.
His peers agree! “A lot of English rock & roll bands went to art school — we went to Brian.” — Bono
Genius zenith: Talking Heads, Remain in Light (Sire, 1980)

35 Earl Young
Invented the disco drumbeat
Genius credentials: Philadelphia drummer Earl Young plotted the course of modern dance music via his metronomic thumping on Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ 1973 single “The Love I Lost.” Dubbed “four on the floor,” Young’s sound came when he kicked four beats to the bar on the bass drum, and the pulse of disco was born. His is the most influential right foot in music history.
His peers agree! “He was really like a train.” — Village People producer Henri Belolo
Genius zenith: The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and the Story of Brotherly Love (Rhino, 1997)

34 Barry Gibb
More than a falsetto
Genius credentials: The beards, the hairdos — the Bee Gees practically invented uncool. However, the three Gibb brothers were indisputable masters of pop: fetching ballads in the ’60s, blue-eyed disco in the ’70s and, finally, sleek MOR in the ’80s. Barry, the eldest, helmed the writing and the shiny production — and, in 1975, when the Bee Gees realized falsetto just might be the ticket, he clenched his thighs and got up there.
His peers agree! “The Bee Gees are up there with the Beatles.” – Bono
Genius zenith: Their Greatest Hits: The Record (Uptown/ Universal, 2001)

33 Brian Wilson
Surfed madness
Genius credentials: No bronzed Adonis himself, Wilson invented the surf sound by playing the piano while wriggling his toes in a sandbox. His imagination boundless, he spoke of “trying to write a teenage symphony to God,” and nothing came closer than the Beach Boys’ celestial harmonies. Although all but destroyed by too much acid and familial friction, his recent return to live performance has afforded a heartening reconnection with the sublime.
His peers agree! “Brian revolutionized the recording of popular music.” — R.E.M.’s Peter Buck
Genius zenith: Pet Sounds (Capitol, 1966)

32 Tupac Shakur
The notorious T.H.U.G.
Genius credentials: Dan Quayle condemned Shakur’s 1992 debut, 2Pacalypse Now, as having “no place in society.” But while conservative critics denounced the recidivist Bay Area MC, more discerning fans saw a tortured prophet — and, after his unsolved murder in 1996, a martyr. The camera-friendly thug left behind beaten but optimistic songs like “Keep Ya Head Up,” tapping into gangsta rap’s sensitive side, minus the schmaltz.
His peers agree! “Tupac was the greatest songwriter that ever lived.” — Eminem
Genius zenith: Me Against the World (Interscope, 1995)

31 David Bowie
A thoroughly modern rock star
Genius credentials: In his glory years, he was ahead of everything and everyone, inventing glam rock, electro-rock and cocaine abuse before anyone else had thought of such things. He understood the value of pretending to be gay, and he designed himself: each image, each new musical direction and each wildly different tour. Inevitably, he ran out of steam, but without him there would be no Marilyn Manson. Heavens.
His peers agree! “We all owe David a debt.” — Kurt Cobain
Genius zenith: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (Virgin, 1972)

30 Berry Gordy Jr.
Mr. Motown
Genius credentials: The man behind Motown was a former boxer and record-store owner. He spotted singers (Marvin Gaye), producers (Holland-Dozier-Holland) and songwriters (Smokey Robinson), but most cleverly, he made the Motown sound the star. He put his wannabes through charm school and made them work as hard as he did. Better yet, he was among the first businessmen to sell black-owned product to white America.
His peers agree! “Berry Gordy is a one-in-a-trillion person.” — Smokey Robinson
Genius zenith: Various Artists, Motown: The Classic Years (Motown, 2000)

29 Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell never lies
Genius credentials: Ex-lover David Crosby once asserted that Joni Mitchell is “about as modest as Mussolini.” But Mitchell’s records back up such immodesty, thanks to her pioneering of the song as intimate confession on her early albums and complete mastery of the form with 1971’s Blue and 1974’s Court and Spark. The underrated Mingus (1979) still stands as about the only example of a rock star mixing pop and jazz without making a total ass of herself.
Her peers agree! “What can I say? She brings tears to my eyes.” — Jimmy Page
Genius zenith: Blue (Reprise, 1971)

28 Jimmy Page
Heavy-metal mastermind
Genius credentials: “Do you think there would be interest in America for a guitarist like me?” asked 19-year-old session player Jimmy Page of a friend. The answer came with 1969’s Led Zeppelin, on which Page remade American blues in a riff-heavy manner that defined rock for a decade to come. And Page’s influence extends far beyond rock: His titanic production of John Bonham’s drums is endlessly sampled by hip-hoppers to this day.
His peers agree! “He’s a genius.” — Eddie Van Halen
Genius zenith: Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic, 1971)

27 Prince
Bottomless talent, ego
Genius credentials: A hundred pounds of purple pulchritude. Radically fusing James Brown butch and Little Richard camp, he funked up the ’80s. Hyperactive of both groin and musical imagination, he choreographed gaudy sex shows that were entertainment heaven and provided Eminem a movie role model. Despite the notorious Symbol/Artist Formerly Known As pratfall and other plot losses, Prince won’t give up until they nail the lid down.
His peers agree! “He’s a thoroughbred. He’s like an Arabian breed.” — Miles Davis
Genius zenith: Sign o’ the Times (Warner Bros., 1987)

26 Phil Spector
The original producer-as-genius
Genius credentials: The first record producer to claim pop stardom, egomaniac Phil Spector created his signature Wall of Sound in the early ’60s, using dozens of musicians to create symphonic epics. Hits by the Crystals, Ronettes and Righteous Brothers established the notion of pop as an art form, inspiring Brian Wilson, whose Pet Sounds owes everything to Spector. Later tales of Spector as a brooding, gun-toting recluse have only enhanced his mystique.
His peers agree! “I have always admired this genius.” — John Lennon
Genius zenith: Back to Mono (ABKCO, 1991)

25 George Clinton
Freaked the funk
Genius credentials: “Who says a funk band can’t play rock?” demanded Funkadelic on their 1978 album, One Nation Under a Groove. The answer was a resounding “No one!” thanks almost entirely to Clinton’s Funkadelic/ Parliament output, which reveled in rock, funk, soul, science fiction, drug ingestion and diaper wearing. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to name a few, would all come to honor the P-Funkateer’s musical legacy.
His peers agree! “He’s a national treasure.” — The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea
Genius zenith: Maggot Brain (Westbound, 1971)

24 Hank Williams
He’ll melt your cold, cold heart
Genius credentials: He couldn’t read or write music, but in the 1950s he single-handedly broke country not just coast to coast but worldwide. He was drunk, drugged and dead by 29, but his immortal weepies, such as “Lovesick Blues” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart” found a devil-may-care glamour in backwoods heartbreak, making losers feel like winners.
His peers agree! “I go back, back further all the time. Back into Hank Williams. Because the human thing in those records is just beautiful and awesome.” — Bruce Springsteen
Genius zenith: 40 Greatest Hits (Mercury, 1978)

23 Lou Reed
Electric-shocked rock
Genius credentials: Reed’s legendary debauchery distracted attention from his dedication to redrafting the rules of rock. “The music is all: People should die for it,” he once proclaimed. His life was shadowed by the electric-shock “cure” for homosexuality he underwent at 17. In the ’60s, he forged the Velvet Underground’s back-alley sound. Later, Andy Warhol’s death shook him out of a mundane spell, and in middle age, he regained his ruthless, passionate precision.
His peers agree! “Lou Reed started everything about that style of music.” — Mick Jagger
Genius zenith: Transformer (RCA, 1972)

22 Burt Bacharach
Love songs for grown-ups
Genius credentials: The king of the killer chord change, Bacharach crafted mentholated melody with a Ferrari’s elegant lines and breathtaking maneuverability. In the ’60s, the debonair tunesmith found his ideal other half in lyricist Hal David, and his most sensitive mouthpiece in Dionne Warwick. Such poignant hits as “Walk on By” are the ultimate in aspirational romance.
His peers agree! “The master of breakup songs.” — Oasis’s Noel Gallagher
Genius zenith: The Look of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection (Rhino, 1998)

21 Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter
The electronic Beatles
Genius credentials: When Kraftwerk’s cofounders began experimenting with synthesized sounds in the early ’70s, not only was there no electronic rock to speak of — there were no electronic instruments, either, so they had to build their own. Artists from New Order to Timbaland have been paying tribute to their cyborg vision ever since.
Their peers agree! “This record by Kraftwerk is great — I can even go to the bathroom while I play it!” — Grandmaster Flash
Genius zenith: Trans-Europe Express (Capitol, 1977)

20 Little Richard
Bubblegum superfreak
Genius credentials: If anybody was to uncage the animal lust at the heart of rock & roll, who better than the pimp-suited, pompadoured, piano-pumping Pentecostal queen, Richard Penniman? Chuck Berry may have written the book, but on a string of singles unmatched for sheer whomp — “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” — Little Richard invented the wheel. An ocean away, John Lennon and Paul McCartney could only stare, slackjawed.
His peers agree! “Little Richard is the originator.” — Mick Jagger
Genius zenith: The Georgia Peach (Specialty, 1991)

19 Neil Young
Been there, did that
Genius credentials: Only fellow ’60s crank Bob Dylan can cite as flourishing and varied a career as Young, and even Dylan must be impressed by Young’s pathological refusal to stick to the script. From hippie rocker to singer-songwriter to punk proselytizer to grunge gene mapper — and some head-scratching detours in between — Young’s zigzag wanderings have emboldened budding iconoclasts from Kurt Cobain to Jeff Tweedy.
His peers agree! “No one except Neil can tell you what Neil’s going to do next.” — David Crosby
Genius zenith: Rust Never Sleeps (Reprise, 1979)

18 Aretha FranklinQueen of soul
Genius credentials: A preacher’s daughter from Detroit, Aretha Franklin brought the passion of the church to secular R&B, erupting on a series of funky late-’60s singles to wail with naked desire. Notoriously moody, she often displayed lousy artistic judgment — as shown by her limp 1980s work with Kenny G. and George Michael — though her down-home attack could bring soul even to such pop slush as “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
Her peers agree! “Her genius transcends all categories.” — Producer Jerry Wexler
Genius zenith: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (Atlantic, 1967)

17 Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster, cut faster!
Genius credentials: Every time a DJ “scratches” a vinyl record, it’s a tip of the Kangol to Grandmaster Flash, a.k.a. Joseph Saddler. The Bronx, New York–raised former electronics student also innovated “cutting” — segueing between two records precisely on the beat. These two cornerstones of hip-hop turntabling dwarf even the innovations of his cohorts the Furious Five, namely the crowd exhortation “Everybody say ‘Ho!’ ”
His peers agree! “Flash is fast/Flash is cool.” — Blondie, “Rapture”
Genius zenith: The Message (Sugar Hill, 1982)

16 Pete Townshend
Got old, but his music didn’t
Genius credentials: The rock opera. The power chord. The willful destruction of instruments. It’s almost easier to list the things Who guitarist Pete Townshend didn’t pioneer back in the ’60s. But it’s his extraordinary songwriting, from the teen scream of “My Generation” to the song cycles of Tommy and Quadrophenia, that justify Townshend’s predictably immodest assessment of his own “brilliance.”
His peers agree! “Give me power chords, man. I love Pete Townshend.” — Miles Davis
Genius zenith: Who’s Next (MCA, 1971)

15 Paul McCartney
In any other band, he’s the number 1 genius
Genius credentials: The cute, clever, charming and controlling Beatle hides his complexity behind a folksy facade. Likewise his songs: effortlessly enjoyable, yet they strike a deep and lasting human chord. Such masterpieces as “Hey Jude,” “Here There and Everywhere” and “Yesterday” soothe the soul and gladden the heart. And only next to the Beatles does his work with Wings disappoint.
His peers agree! “Paul McCartney is one of the best songwriters of all time.” — Oasis’s Noel Gallagher
Genius zenith: Revolver (Capitol, 1966)

14 Jimi Hendrix
Rock’s resident guitar god
Genius credentials: His reign would last a mere four years, from the release of 1967’s Are You Experienced to his death in September 1970. But that was long enough for the onetime Isley Brothers session man to reveal just exactly what you could do with the guitar: feedback solos, twisted cover versions (“The Star-Spangled Banner,” Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”), experimental psychedelia, onstage pyromania.
His peers agree! “He was a left-handed motherfucking genius.” — Les Paul
Genius zenith: Electric Ladyland (MCA, 1968)

13 Michael Jackson
No longer the king, but back when . . .
Genius credentials: On the landmarks Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982), Michael Jackson transformed dance music into an album genre and busted the color barrier on MTV. His self-disfigurement now overshadows his talent, but today’s pop stars still mimic his every hiccup and twirl — and 2002’s Invincible still showed sparks of greatness.
His peers agree! “What is a genius? What is a living legend? What is a megastar? Michael Jackson — that’s all.” — Elizabeth Taylor
Genius zenith: Thriller (Epic, 1982)

12 James Brown
The godfather
Genius credentials: From the tough soul of “Cold Sweat” to the late-’60s empowerment anthem “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud” to the hard funk that lay the foundation for hip-hop, Brown is the fountainhead of modern black music. While the swaggering, self-styled Soul Brother Number 1 specializes in positive messages, his moral authority has been undercut by numerous legal scrapes, including a late-’80s jail sentence for guns and drugs.
His peers agree! “James Brown is a genius.” — Michael Jackson
Genius zenith: Live at the Apollo (Polydor, 1963)

11 Elvis Presley
In the beginning . . .
Genius credentials: His early sides (“Heartbreak Hotel,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog”) sound tame now, but back in the late ’50s, they appeared to have been beamed down from another, very sexy planet. The Hollywood years were the brainchild of “Colonel” Tom Parker, Presley’s poltroon of a manager, but clad entirely in black, Presley returned, sexier than ever. His death, as the ever-sentimental Parker noted, “changed nothing.”
His peers agree! “Elvis was the best, the most unique. He started the ball rolling. He deserves the recognition.” — Jim Morrison
Genius zenith: From Elvis in Memphis (RCA, 1969)

10 Madonna
The world’s most famous woman
Genius credentials: Her singing and, especially, her songwriting remain underrated, but it’s Madonna’s sheer ambition and bloody-mindedness that remain her calling cards. She clawed her way through the shark-infested waters of the New York dance underground to become the biggest female star of all time. Along the way, her music has been sensational and her tours have raised the bar for every other megastar.
Her peers agree! “I would really, really, really like to be a legend like Madonna.” — Britney Spears
Genius zenith: The Immaculate Collection (Warner Bros., 1990)

9 Miles Davis
None cooler
Genius credentials: Terrified of standing still, bandleader Davis gleamed at the cutting edge of change in a five-decade career from bebop through Birth of the Cool to orchestrations, chamber group, jazz-rock, -funk and –hip-hop hyphenates, black electronica, adult pop, blues fusion and, finally, sampling himself. One thing stayed the same: his spare, lonesome trumpet, a hauntingly human voice in the hubbub of innovation.
His peers agree! “Miles was a resonance. And when he died, we lost the resonance.” — Pianist Keith Jarrett
Genius zenith: Kind of Blue (Legacy/ Columbia, 1959)

8 Kurt Cobain
Grunge Messiah
Genius credentials: Just when rock was in danger of forgetting 1977, along came Kurt Cobain, who decided that metal, pop and punk could be mixed into one lovely soft-loud-soft whole. His all-too-brief body of work changed the course of popular music. For years, Cobain had planned his ascent, but when he got to the top he discovered it wasn’t too much fun. Thanks to Cobain, instead of Poison, we have Nickelback.
His peers agree! “Not many guys like him come along.” — Bruce Springsteen
Genius zenith: Nevermind (Geffen, 1991)

7 Stevie Wonder
Blind crusader for soul and brotherhood
Genius credentials: Blind from shortly after birth, Wonder’s stage name says as much as the title of his third album, Recorded Live — The 12 Year Old Genius. In 1973, he was in a serious car accident, but he still wrote, produced, arranged and played nearly everything on his albums. Blind or not, he could read a contract and was an artists’-rights pioneer, a political activist and quite the ladies’ man. Oh, he also cowrote “The Tears of a Clown.”
His peers agree! “He was truly a child genius.” — Martha Reeves
Genius zenith: Innervisions (Motown, 1973)

6 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Second-best songwriting pair of all time
Genius credentials: Andrew Loog Oldham insisted soon after he became the Rolling Stones’ manager in 1963 that blues aficionados Jagger and Richards start writing their own material. The result was a decade of classics, from the spiky pop of “Satisfaction” to Exile on Main Street’s drug-drenched country-blues.
Their peers agree! “Mick and Keith taught me almost everything I know about how to make records.” — Marianne Faithfull
Genius zenith: Exile on Main Street (Virgin, 1972)

5 Bob Marley
Jah rules
Genius credentials: No one did more to define and popularize a musical genre than Bob Marley did with reggae, first as a third of the Wailers and then as the Third World’s first pop superstar. His album Catch a Fire is widely regarded as reggae’s first proper LP, while later albums would introduce audiences around the world to this new music — as well as exciting synonyms for hashish. His “I Shot the Sheriff” is surely the only song covered by both Eric Clapton and Warren G.
His peers agree! “He was a musical genius and a great leader of men.” — Eric Clapton
Genius zenith: Exodus (Tuff Gong, 1977)

4 Eminem
The twenty-first-century Elvis
Genius credentials: “God sent me to piss the world off,” he once said. It worked, apart from the 30 million albums sold and the smash Hollywood movie. A brilliant and dedicated writer and rapper, his unique gift is the savage and funny honesty with which he raps his unfolding life story. He’s clever with counterproductive controversies, too. So far, he has been no less than the artist of the millennium.
His peers agree! “His editing and sense of economy are fucking brilliant.” — Dido
Genius zenith: The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath/Interscope, 2000)

3 Chuck Berry
Invented rock & roll!
Genius credentials: If Brian Wilson invented California rock, Chuck Berry not only invented the American teenager but the guitar hero, setting sly vignettes of cars, girls and fun, fun, fun to indelible, motorvatin’ riffs that are the bedrock of the roll five decades on.
His peers agree! “Chuck Berry is one of the all-time great poets. When people were virtually singing about nothing, Chuck Berry was writing social-comment songs, with incredible meter to the lyrics. We all owe a lot to him, including Dylan.” — John Lennon
Genius zenith: The Great Twenty-Eight (Chess, 1982)

2 John Lennon
The mop-top with edge
Genius credentials: His drive pushed the Beatles from a covers band to the world’s best-loved and most influential pop act. His solo career was a beguiling mishmash of primal screaming, slushy ballads and, in the shape of “Imagine,” the first godless hymn. Then he got bored and played househusband. When he returned with Double Fantasy, all seemed well — until he was murdered on December 8, 1980.
His peers agree! “I’m the number 1 John Lennon fan.” — Paul McCartney
Genius zenith: Revolver (Capitol, 1966)

1 Bob Dylan
Rock in excelsis
Genius credentials: He’s the civil-rights anthem writer who abandoned the cause, the electric poet turned born-again traditionalist, the free-spirit visionary who found God, the bittersweet love lyricist with a side order of surreal sarcasm, the hermit who can’t quit the stage. There are many Dylans, every one an authentic American original.
His peers agree! “We all went potty on Dylan.” — John Lennon
Genius zenith: Blonde on Blonde (Columbia, 1966)
[Edited 5/2/08 12:54pm]

This list is WACK.

^^^^

I agree. The list is terrible.

The list is comprehensive, but is straight up bull shit!

What criteria was used to define genius? I would put/add Ray Charles to the list/in my top 5, but Eminem? If you view him for his work during his commercial zenith, how is he ahead of Hendrix?

Burt Bacharach?

Missy & Timbaland?

Better question: What does Blender consider 'Rock"?

biggest piece of shit i've seen in my life

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

How We Did It
The Genius List was compiled by the Blender staff after much intellectual debate, comparing of respective SAT scores, waving of degree certificates and drunken shouting. If you think we left off the list someone who should have been included in the Top 50 Rock Geniuses of All Time — or have any other problems with our selections — please write to us at Blender, 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 22nd floor, New York, New York 10018, or e-mail us at your2cents@ blender.com.

Cinnamon234 said:

These list are put together to get people mad. Thanks for their contact info

Graycap23 said:

Thank you, that is some pure, straight up bullshit. And I subscribe to this shit. What the fuck man?
[Edited 5/2/08 13:37pm]

NO zappa, no waits? this list is ugly and it wants to die.

DiamondGlove said:

Gross, but that pic says it all. This is one of the worst lists i've seen, I actually e-mailed them earlier to let them know how shitty I thought their list was. I still haven't gotten a reply though .

WTF X 10,0000! To include anything NOT Rock and Roll puts this list to shame! Madonna??? Aretha??? Andy Worhol???

purplecam said:

I almost want to go and send a nasty email to them!

SenseOfDoubt said:

Amen.... those 2 are def top 10.

My 10 in no order

Beatles
Stevie Wonder
Zappa
Prince
Bowie
Waits
David Byrne
Elvis Costello
Berry Gordy
Sly Stone

Cinnamon234 said:

I just want to point out that this is supposed to be POP GENIUSES not ROCK. Go to their website. I think the list makes a little more sense now.

superspaceboy said:

It seems they were reluctant to use the term "musical genius".

Oh bruther.....

If its pop then it makes no sense.

PJ Harvey is not pop.....??

Thom Yorke pop??

I think they have no clue what they were doing...

superspaceboy said:

Well I found it on this site and it stated it was rock geniuses, but you could be right. I dunno. I still think the list sucks either way.

http://www.blender.com/gu...spx?id=120
[Edited 5/2/08 14:29pm]

Cinnamon234 said:

http://www.blender.com/Th...24670.aspx

And here it's listed as pop geniuses. Someones playing a funny game here!

where's stacey q., robbie nevil and l'trimm in this list?!?!

superspaceboy said:

Maybe the first one felt that puttting the word genius next to pop sorts diminishes the concept of genius.

eminem? really? still? i mean, if this list were compiled like a decade ago, i'd get it. if he continued to build on his career and was still relevant, then sure, maybe. but as it is now? uh uh.

Anxiety said:

Stacy Q is an Under Rated Snth-Rock Goddess! Don't be messin with My Q-Bee!

superspaceboy said:

is a q-bee like a claymate? oh god, don't answer that. i really don't want to descend into the culture of stacy q. famdom. i fear i won't return without a scar on my soul.

Anxiety said:

I was looking for the Bob Bummer pic but this is the best I can do!

Anxiety said:

Sure you do.



I-II-II-I NEED-I NEED YOU
I-II-II-I NEED-I NEED YOU

2 OF HEARTS
2 hearts that beat as one.
2 OF HEARTS
I need you, I need you



What the hell is happening to me?


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

oh my god, your post was like being relieved to see superman saving me from the clutches of lex luthor, only to realize you're actually BIZARRO!

Anxiety said:

Actually, between this and Imago's Oh Sheila post, I feel like i'm channeling...



...Mr. Mxyzptlk lately.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

blender forgot

Dada



Rozz Williams(No marilyn manson without him also)