Vh1's 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time List

[ewok20t3]

I'm a sucker for lists like these, even though most of the time they're laughable. These are the results of ballots sent in by over 200 musicians and music industry people.

100 Alicia Keys
99 Hall & Oates
98 Depeche Mode
97 Pretenders
96 Journey
95 OutKast
94 Mariah Carey
93 Pearl Jam
92 LL Cool J
91 Green Day
90 Elvis Costello
89 Beastie Boys
88 Bee Gees
87 George Michael
86 N.W.A.
85 The Band
84 Curtis Mayfield
83 Earth, Wind and Fire
82 Steely Dan
81 ABBA
80 Mary J. Blige
79 Eminem
78 Judas Priest
77 Lynyrd Skynyrd
76 Run-D.M.C.
75 Rush
74 The Cure
73 Van Morrison
72 Janis Joplin
71 R.E.M.
70 Def Leppard
69 Tupac Shakur
68 Otis Redding
67 Coldplay
66 Justin Timberlake
65 The Doors
64 Talking Heads
63 Notorious B.I.G.
62 Genesis
61 Cream
60 Whitney Houston
59 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
58 Cheap Trick
57 Iggy & The Stooges
56 KISS
55 Peter Gabriel
54 Public Enemy
53 Little Richard
52 Beyoncé
51 Billy Joel
50 Sade
49 Parliament-Funkadelic
48 Rage Against The Machine
47 Jay-Z
46 Ramones
45 Al Green
44 Joni Mitchell
43 Ray Charles
42 Metallica
41 Van Halen
40 The Police
39 The Kinks
38 Sly & The Family Stone
37 Fleetwood Mac
36 Paul McCartney
35 Johnny Cash
34 Tina Turner
33 Guns N’ Roses
32 Black Sabbath
31 John Lennon
30 Aerosmith
29 Radiohead
28 Elton John
27 Aretha Franklin
26 Neil Young
25 Chuck Berry
24 The Velvet Underground
23 AC/DC
22 The Clash
21 Bruce Springsteen
20 Marvin Gaye
19 U2
18 Pink Floyd
17 Queen
16 Madonna
15 The Beach Boys
14 Nirvana
13 The Who
12 David Bowie
11 Bob Marley
10 Stevie Wonder
09 James Brown
08 Elvis Presley
07 Prince
06 Jimi Hendrix
05 Bob Dylan
04 The Rolling Stones
03 Led Zeppelin
02 Michael Jackson
01 The Beatles

Here's my thoughts:
1. Thank goodness The Beatles are number 1. That's where they deserve to be and the only way this list could be seen as remotely credible, in my opinion.
2. Alicia Keyes, George Michael, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, and Coldplay have no business being listed. I like Coldplay alot, and I enjoy some of the other artists singles, but Coldplay and Justin Timberlake shouldn't be there YET, and the others shouldn't be there at all.
3. Where are The Smiths, Joy Division, Pixies, Sonic Youth, The Eagles, The Sex Pistols, Jerry Lee Lewis, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, etc.?
4. Prince ahead of Elvis? I thought Elvis should've been top 5.
5. I would've guessed Led Zeppelin to in the top 10, but I never imagined they'd be number 3.
6. I wonder if Michael Jackson would have placed as high if his death wasn't still relatively fresh on everyone's mind.
7. I was pleasantly surprised to see Outkast listed. I think they're at the point where they should now be considered one of the top 100 artists.
8. I'm glad The Cure and Pink Floyd made this list, unlike Rolling Stone Magazine's list from earlier in 2000's.


Anyone else have an opinion on the list?

[bloop]

Yeah, it's not a great list. Obvious and predictable in most spots, confoundingly head-scratchingly awful in others.

I hear Mozart was pretty good (that ALL TIME thing is getting me).

[ewok20t3]

I hear Mozart was pretty good (that ALL TIME thing is getting me).

Yeah, I guess they should have called it "100 Greatest Artists of The Rock & Roll Era" or something.

Predictable doesn't bother me when it comes to these lists, because predictable means it's probably somewhat accurate. It's the ridiculous one's that get on my nerves.

[murlough23]

I hear Mozart was pretty good (that ALL TIME thing is getting me).

I had similar thoughts. Bach got snubbed again!

[ajyouthguy]

i'm a little disappointed in the placement of U2 and Johnny Cash as low as they both are.

otherwise, I'm only disappointed that Kutless didn't make the list, aren't you Murlough? 

[bloop]

Predictable doesn't bother me when it comes to these lists, because predictable means it's probably somewhat accurate. It's the ridiculous one's that get on my nerves.

Well, I mean "predictable" in the sense that it's pretty much the list that you'd expect VH1 to make, as opposed to in the sense that it generally adheres to what one would consider orthodox opinion on the matter. Adding some of your suggestions in #3 would make it less so for this particular list, even though many of those would be predictable on a list by, say, Pitchfork.

I really like Michael Jackson, but no way in hell is he number 2. There are plenty in the latter half of the list that are greater artists, even if they aren't bigger.

[ewok20t3]

Well, I mean "predictable" in the sense that it's pretty much the list that you'd expect VH1 to make, as opposed to in the sense that it generally adheres to what one would consider orthodox opinion on the matter. Adding some of your suggestions in #3 would make it less so for this particular list, even though many of those would be predictable on a list by, say, Pitchfork.

OK, I understand what you mean, now. I almost listed Pavement in that group of artists, but then I thought, wait, is this Pitchfork or VH1 here? As far as my personal preferences go, The Smiths are the main artists I would've like to see that were missing. Regardless of my opinion that The Eagles, in general, are overrated, they deserved to be on the list.

I really like Michael Jackson, but no way in hell is he number 2. There are plenty in the latter half of the list that are greater artists, even if they aren't bigger.

I think they may have had more african-american voters than most publications or websites do when they make lists like these. Based on the artist ballots they showed during the airing of the countdown, that's a big reason why Prince is ahead of Elvis and Michael Jackson is number two.

[murlough23]

I think they may have had more african-american voters than most publications or websites do when they make lists like these. Based on the artist ballots they showed during the airing of the countdown, that's a big reason why Prince is ahead of Elvis and Michael Jackson is number two.

You just had to play it, didn't you?

[bloop]

Well, in that case, black people need better taste. Stevie Wonder > Michael Jackson. 

[ewok20t3]

You just had to play it, didn't you?

Haha, when they show P. Diddy, Ray J, Alicia Keys, etc. and their ballots all go something like 1. Michael Jackson 2. Prince 3. Stevie Wonder 4. Marvin Gaye 5. Jay-Z, that pretty much explains why the lists looks the way it does. 

Well, in that case, black people need better taste. Stevie Wonder > Michael Jackson. 

Many of the ballots they showed did have Stevie Wonder in their top 5, they just had Michael at numbe oner. I can't remember one black person's ballot they showed that didn't have Michael at number one.

[spacebrat311]

Well, in that case, black people need better taste. Stevie Wonder > Michael Jackson. 

nah. But he is great.

[bloop]

Well, > means "is greater than". In recent memory, I don't know that one is better than the other. But, Jackson has nothing to compete with the creativity evident on an album like Innervisions. His music is catchy and a lot of fun, but I don't think it ever quite got to that next level of being truly groundbreaking creatively.

[murlough23]

Well, in that case, black people need better taste. Stevie Wonder > Michael Jackson. 

Even Stevie Wonder can see that much.

[ewok20t3]

Even Stevie Wonder can see that much.

 

[murlough23]

Well, um, played.

[spacebrat311]

Well, > means "is greater than". In recent memory, I don't know that one is better than the other. But, Jackson has nothing to compete with the creativity evident on an album like Innervisions. His music is catchy and a lot of fun, but I don't think it ever quite got to that next level of being truly groundbreaking creatively.

Well I mean other than birthing modern pop and all.

[bloop]

I can't really give him that much credit and, even if I could, I don't compare that well with having my mind blown by an artist that could incorporate damn near everything into his music (at least at his best).

I guess I'm just more impressed overall with his output. Jackson has a couple great albums, a couple good ones, and the rest are pretty forgettable.

[Aaron]

Hi guys    This thread made me come back for a few minutes. 

Journey should never be on any list



This might be sacrilege but Elvis Presley is the most overrated singer/artist of all time.  Horrible.


ok..see you later!

[murlough23]

Hi guys    This thread made me come back for a few minutes. 

You were gone?

[Aaron]

You were gone?

Sarcasm?


if not,  read this:  http://www.thephorum.net/index.php/topic,4267.0.html

[murlough23]

Sarcasm?


if not,  read this:  http://www.thephorum.net/index.php/topic,4267.0.html

I honestly never saw that. Sorry. I'll catch up.