The thread is titled this way for a purpose, but for me, personally, the following list outlines the artists I consider to be the greatest artists PERIOD.

1. Stevie Wonder - Songs In A Key of Life changed my life forever. Add Music of My Mind, Talking Book, and Innervisions to that list and I don't need further explaining. If I ever met this guy he'd get a firm hand shake and I'd probably cry like a little bitch. Prince, MJ, and many others got IT from from Stevie. This man single handedly defined the future sound of music. His arrangements, his lyrics, his style, and his influence on popular music is enormous. The only sad thing is that my girlfriend doesn't feel him at all.

2. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue is listened to by EVERYBODY. Rappers, punks, headbangers, hipsters, men, women, the inbetweens and aliens. See discography. 'Nuff said. RIP.

3. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme is another album that has had a great impact on my life. Add Blue Train, My Favorite Things, Giant Steps, Ole Coltrane and two dozen other albums to that list and then you'll appreciate the genius that was Trane. I simply can't type for that long to truly express how I feel about this man's music. RIP.

4. Duke Ellington - I'll go as far as to say that this is the father of modern music. I don't give a shit how the media looks at it, let's be serious, JAZZ was the next step in evolution to modern music. It left the 19th century standards in dust and introduced something new and hip. Satchmo is responsible for a great deal too, but its Sir Duke who took it to another level. This is the most important, American and black musician of all time. So important that Charles Mingus, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and many other greats wrote tribute songs and continue to do so until this very day. If you don't know "Take the A Train" you need some serious ass whoopin'.

5. Prince - From Soft and Wet, to I Wanna Be Your Lover, to Do Me Baby, to Adore, back to Pop Life, to Doves, to Damn U, back to Uptown, and all the way up to now, this man is just amazing.

Help me with more....

Michael Jackson

James Brown (!)

Jimi Hendrix

Tina Turner

Ike Turner

Q Tip

D'Angelo

Erykah Badu

Jill Scott

OutKast

Maurice White

Roger Troutman

it goes on and on and on...

Um, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles ...

1. Michael Jackson

2. Prince

3. Jimi Hendrix

4. Sly Stone

5. James Brown

6. Quincy Jones

7. Smokey Robinson

8. Stevie Wonder
[Edited 8/5/08 11:48am]

BB King
Lil Richard
James Brown
P-Funk
Bootsy
Ohio Players
Stevie Wonder
Prince
Mint Condition
EW&F
Kool and the Gang
George Duke
Miles
Marcus Miller
Victor Wooten
Jimi
Duke Ellington
Monk
Count Basie

Dude if I list the greatest, it'll be too many to name.

Of course Marvin, Prince, Isaac, Curtis, James and 'em will be on my list... duh... Chuck Berry, Little Richard (SHUT UP!), Bo Diddley (RIP), Jimi, Duke, Miles, Satchmo, Stevie, all of P-Funk, Roger & Zapp, etc., etc., etc.

Too many to list, duke!

Louis Armstrong - the greatest bar NONE

Duke Ellington - imo along with George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Brian Wilson, one of the greatest American composer/ songwriters of the 20th century

Charlie Parker

Miles Davis

Thelonius Monk

Elvin Jones - name me a better drummer

Sarah Vaughn - My favourate lady jazz singer - a true diva

Jimi Hendrix

James Brown - as bandleader and performer. This should really include his entire band from 1962-74.

John Lee Hooker - For uniqueness and sheer funk and deep soul - untouchable

Skip James - One of the greatest bluesmen who ever lived, esp. on acoustic guitar) Check him out please.

Howlin' Wolf - Truly a force of nature and so under-rated as an artist.

Muddy Waters - With the Wolf, the other king of Chicago blues, esp. when teamed with blues piano master Otis Spann

BB King - for economy of playing, the Miles Davis of blues guitar.


Also in the mix - Charles Mingus, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Dizzy Gillespie (as a teacher as well as musician), James Jamerson, Sun Ra.

And finally, all the known and unknown masters from the US, Africa, Cuba, South America, UK and Europe, who, for whatever reason,never got/get the respect they deserve.
[Edited 8/5/08 14:33pm]

why must we have segregationist threads like this one?