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Single Greatest Musician
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Now this is a test: do we nominate performers, composers, geniuses or people who’ve just left an immense legacy to other musicians or to culture in general? Do we go for musicians with mass appeal or those who actually have exceptional levels of skill and communication?
Do we just go with the famous names or do we ask ourselves if fame is itself a fair measure of musical greatness or not?
As a muso myself, I’m not going to proffer any opinion on this thread but I am going to be looking with interest at your choices, and judging you on your ability to persuasively justify your choices!
Go! |
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Classical composers such as Mozart have to be up there . Over 2 1/2 centuries and still listened to. I wonder if the same will be said of Taylor Swift in the year 2270..
BTW I'm not Really a classic lover. More into dire straits  |
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"Prince....very underrated
Although I love the scores and music of John Williams and Hans Zimmer are they musicians or composers "
Ha! On which planet is Prince underrated? I think he’s got a humungous following! |
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Davis Foster
He wrote or co wrote songs for Earth, Wind & Fire, Peter Cetera, Chaka Khan. Run To You for the film Body Guard was co written with Whitney Houston and the theme song for St. Elmo’s Fire. |
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My Grandad.
Player of all woodwind, but oboe the specialist piece. Founder of bands (on sax, originally). Principal oboe in a well known orchestra. Teacher of woodwind for about 60 years, every penny put to charity. Lots of other things too. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Davis Foster
He wrote or co wrote songs for Earth, Wind & Fire, Peter Cetera, Chaka Khan. Run To You for the film Body Guard was co written with Whitney Houston and the theme song for St. Elmo’s Fire."
Love the st almost fire theme song. |
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"My Grandad.
Player of all woodwind, but oboe the specialist piece. Founder of bands (on sax, originally). Principal oboe in a well known orchestra. Teacher of woodwind for about 60 years, every penny put to charity. Lots of other things too. "
If he happened to be a cellist as well, I knew him when I was a boy! Jock was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! And a wicked sense of humour! Principal oboeist in the famous Mr. Preview sketch with Morecambe and Wise! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres. |
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"It's clearly going to be JS Bach, Mozart or Beethoven. Nobody else comes close. "
In the world on European art music, there’s a very strong case for these three, especially Bach as Mozart and Beethoven were huge admirers of his work. However, we don’t necessarily need to restrict this to western art music. In fact we probably shouldn’t or Bach would probably win hands down! |
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"My Grandad.
Player of all woodwind, but oboe the specialist piece. Founder of bands (on sax, originally). Principal oboe in a well known orchestra. Teacher of woodwind for about 60 years, every penny put to charity. Lots of other things too.
If he happened to be a cellist as well, I knew him when I was a boy! Jock was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met! And a wicked sense of humour! Principal oboeist in the famous Mr. Preview sketch with Morecambe and Wise! "
I'm sure he could have made a cello make a decent noise, but he wasn't a string player. Started out as a drummer in the Army, age 14  |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres."
Grandad said Mozart |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres."
I have to admit I really like your reasoning! Both are unquestionably top contenders! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart "
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure. |
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Chopin
Debussy
Scriabin
And if you want to listen to something truly ground-breaking and innovative, You Tube, "Edgard Varèse – Poème électronique (1958)"
You're hearing the beginnings of early electronic music. |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure. "
He was (plus Mozart  ) He missed me with the music genes though. They went to my son |
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Apologies if the single greatest musician is supposed to be someone everyone has heard of. I've named a now-deceased family member, but I can assure you, he was a well respected classical musician who was well connected and performed around the UK and Europe. And no, I'm not going to name him for obvious reasons.
I'll choose Freddie Mercury instead  |
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"Chopin
Debussy
Scriabin
And if you want to listen to something truly ground-breaking and innovative, You Tube, "Edgard Varèse – Poème électronique (1958)"
You're hearing the beginnings of early electronic music."
May I briefly interject - his “Ionisation” of 1931 is arguably Varèse’s most celebrated work which, yes, was hugely influential in setting the course for electronic and avant-garde music. |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure. "
Well, from what you write he ranks well with my friend who I will name - Jock Sutcliffe, principal of the Philharmonia for many years and a guru for all the subsequent generations of oboeists in Britain. Klemperer wouldn’t make a recording without him! I’m sure your grandad will have known him, perhaps even studied with him or been a close friend! |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure.
Well, from what you write he ranks well with my friend who I will name - Jock Sutcliffe, principal of the Philharmonia for many years and a guru for all the subsequent generations of oboeists in Britain. Klemperer wouldn’t make a recording without him! I’m sure your grandad will have known him, perhaps even studied with him or been a close friend! "
Jock was quite a few years older and was at Kneller Hall ten years or more before my Grandad. However their careers in music have very great overlap in many ways. Grandad was always based up north. |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure.
Well, from what you write he ranks well with my friend who I will name - Jock Sutcliffe, principal of the Philharmonia for many years and a guru for all the subsequent generations of oboeists in Britain. Klemperer wouldn’t make a recording without him! I’m sure your grandad will have known him, perhaps even studied with him or been a close friend!
Jock was quite a few years older and was at Kneller Hall ten years or more before my Grandad. However their careers in music have very great overlap in many ways. Grandad was always based up north."
Yep, everyone in the oboe world knew and loved Jock! An exceptional character and musician. Glad your Grandad knew him! I didn’t realise he had a Kneller Hall connection but I see from Wikipedia he studied principally at RCM on a Kneller Hall scholarship!
Small world! |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure.
Well, from what you write he ranks well with my friend who I will name - Jock Sutcliffe, principal of the Philharmonia for many years and a guru for all the subsequent generations of oboeists in Britain. Klemperer wouldn’t make a recording without him! I’m sure your grandad will have known him, perhaps even studied with him or been a close friend!
Jock was quite a few years older and was at Kneller Hall ten years or more before my Grandad. However their careers in music have very great overlap in many ways. Grandad was always based up north.
Yep, everyone in the oboe world knew and loved Jock! An exceptional character and musician. Glad your Grandad knew him! I didn’t realise he had a Kneller Hall connection but I see from Wikipedia he studied principally at RCM on a Kneller Hall scholarship!
Small world! "
Kneller was the Army music school, so anyone who joined the army band will have studied there. Grandad joined at 14 in 1945 and ended up in Italy as the war was ending. There's also a mirror with the "big band" playing sax as a career step too. Whether coincidence or not, I don't know. |
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"Of all music? JS Bach. I read once they put his music in a long range space rocket in case other life discovered it, and someone said that was just showing off.
In modern times, Quincy Jones. A total maestro musician, composer, arranger and producer across many genres.
Grandad said Mozart
He sounds like a remarkable man ( your Grandad, and Mozart obvs). A big influence on you I am sure.
Well, from what you write he ranks well with my friend who I will name - Jock Sutcliffe, principal of the Philharmonia for many years and a guru for all the subsequent generations of oboeists in Britain. Klemperer wouldn’t make a recording without him! I’m sure your grandad will have known him, perhaps even studied with him or been a close friend!
Jock was quite a few years older and was at Kneller Hall ten years or more before my Grandad. However their careers in music have very great overlap in many ways. Grandad was always based up north.
Yep, everyone in the oboe world knew and loved Jock! An exceptional character and musician. Glad your Grandad knew him! I didn’t realise he had a Kneller Hall connection but I see from Wikipedia he studied principally at RCM on a Kneller Hall scholarship!
Small world!
Kneller was the Army music school, so anyone who joined the army band will have studied there. Grandad joined at 14 in 1945 and ended up in Italy as the war was ending. There's also a mirror with the "big band" playing sax as a career step too. Whether coincidence or not, I don't know. "
Super! Big band stuff was fun! My wife grew up in Bedford where Glenn Miller was before his death and a good friend was in the Syd Lawrence Orchestra! |
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By *0ckerMan
over a year ago
Newtownards |
John Philip Sousa (1854 - 1932) must be up there with the likes of Mozart and J.S.Bach.
For anyone who doesn't recognize the name, John Sousa composed some of the most famous military marches of all time. His music is in thousands of films and played by school and marching bands all over the world. |
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"
May I briefly interject - his “Ionisation” of 1931 is arguably Varèse’s most celebrated work which, yes, was hugely influential in setting the course for electronic and avant-garde music."
Thank you for that. I'm still learning about Vare`se and that was a new experience for me. Just found a very good YT of this (Juan March Foundation Assembly Hall).
It's an incredible work for its time. Even viewed through a contemporary lens.
Because you appreciate the evolution of sound by listening to the past.
I wonder what he would have made of the electronic scene in general and experimental artists in that field in particular. I like to think he would have found some resonance. |
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I'm going to add Trent Reznor to the list. Not only is he a multi-instrumetalist and a great song writer, but he's now branching into score composition and doing a damn fine job of that too getting plaudits and recognition.  |
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I’m going to give a shout out for the man who changed bass guitar playing forever by developing it as a solo instrument in its own right and was, beforehand, a good drummer: the one and only Jaco Pastorius!
The other contender is Stevie Wonder, whose name rests on the fact he was an outsanding multi-instrumentalist in spite of his blindness from a very young age! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Eddie Van Halen. Only guitarist who inspired a generation and changed the way a guitar would be played since Hendrix. "
I would agree. Eddie was a truly unique talent.
MrWho. |
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"Freddie Mercury, the voice, the stage presence, his song writing"
Pffft! 
Dolly Parton has all that and way better song writing credentials.
Well over 3000 known credits and even wrote Jolene & I will always love you on the same day.... |
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"Freddie Mercury, the voice, the stage presence, his song writing
Pffft!
Dolly Parton has all that and way better song writing credentials.
Well over 3000 known credits and even wrote Jolene & I will always love you on the same day.... "
I never realised that stage presence and song writing were Dolly Parton’s two greatest assets!
(•) (•) |
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When you think about it there are so many influential musicians. Lennon and McCartney, dare I mention Billy Joel . ( who was heavily influenced by classical music. )
Here's one Harrying Belefonte ? |
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"Freddie Mercury, the voice, the stage presence, his song writing
Pffft!
Dolly Parton has all that and way better song writing credentials.
Well over 3000 known credits and even wrote Jolene & I will always love you on the same day....
I never realised that stage presence and song writing were Dolly Parton’s two greatest assets!
(•) (•) "
She's actually bloody fantastic live  |
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Depends on your definition of musician. Composer yes possibly, but we don’t know how good he was at performing. It’s like someone saying elvis is the best even though he never wrote his own music. |
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"Depends on your definition of musician. Composer yes possibly, but we don’t know how good he was at performing... "
We absolutely do! He was a virtuoso who could also improvise competitively. It's recorded (historically, not musically) and well known.
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/guides/daniel-steibelt/ |
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"Depends on your definition of musician. Composer yes possibly, but we don’t know how good he was at performing...
We absolutely do! He was a virtuoso who could also improvise competitively. It's recorded (historically, not musically) and well known.
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/beethoven/guides/daniel-steibelt/"
It’s all subjective when you depend on historical accounts. Witnesses can be swayed by public opinion ask any 14 year old girl in the nineties who the best ever singer is and it’ll be someone from a boyband. |
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I'll throw Roger Waters into the ring.
Main driving force behind Pink Floyds success. Lyric writing on another level, has proved he doesn't need Gilmours guitar to thrive, his solo career has and still is flourishing. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Roger Waters (pink floyd)
78 years old and doing his final tour this year.
I am going to both his shows in Glasgow this June.
He is a pure music genius.
Resist. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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brain wilson..12 studio albums by the time he was 21..
hal blaine..the most recorded drummer in history.played on countless records over the 50's ,60's ,70's and 80's...started of as elvis's drummer |
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By *ames-77Man
over a year ago
milton keynes |
"Prince.
That is the answer you’re looking for.
The greatest of all time is Prince. End. Of. Thread."
Prince was a clever man as he said
"Be careful using the internet, it's cool to get on the computer and use it but don't let the computer use you .. you all saw the matrix.. there's a battle going on with our thoughts and feelings and controlling our mind.. and the prize is your soul" |
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