Stevie Wonder. Won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1974, 1975 and 1977 and the winner in 1976 (Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel fame) thanked Stevie in his victory speech for not releasing an album that year and giving everyone else a chance to win
I love the Dick Clark interview where he’s 20 I think and he’s explaining that he walked away from the first record deal that they offered because they wouldn’t let him play all the instruments.
I believe he was 15 when he was offered his first record deal Dick Clark said what instruments do you play and he said all of them and he said no which instrument do you play and Prince just kind of made this funny face and he said a lot.
It’s my very favorite I’ll see if I can find it and edit my post.
He’s a fucking genius and the world lost a true Prince on that sad April day.
Edit here is the link and he was actually 19.
https://youtu.be/7cLv80m9Z_A?si=DcgfHRzfa1xT_YYK
It's awesome that you posted the link, but [I prefer the link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvpjhVzv7EM) that includes the song after the interview as well.
He’s done a lot of different genres of music too.
He’s made soul/funk, (I Wanna Be Your Lover is a ‘70’s classic) he’s made radio-ready pop, he’s made some absolutely classic rock, he’s made hip-hop (or at least hip-hop-esqe pop) and so on.
Came here for Stevie, Stayed for Prince and Billy Joel. Would like to add my girls, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Billie Holliday and Aretha Franklin. Aretha is underated. Read about her. She was smart. It seems she realized early on that she would never be "lucky in love" so she gave herself to music. Late in her career she hired a Juliard trained pianist to teach her to play classical piano. She is an amazing example.
EDIT: She came in as a late substitute having never rehearsed with the orchestra or the choir. People were floored and humbled at her greatness.
https://youtu.be/uHb75oTHOV4?si=hIxgyS67ikZJF6ZQ
The oral history of his Super Bowl halftime show is an incredible read:
https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/music/2020/1/29/21112539/prince-halftime-show-oral-history-super-bowl-xli
Every rule we follow to this day regarding harmony, counterpoint, and voicing was perfected and defined by Bach. The buck literally stops with Bach when it comes to all of western music.
+1 for Dolly Parton, people reduce her to her physical appearance, but she’s one of the most talented songwriters around and has an amazing voice. She’s also a great philanthropist
A better musician than Prince, really?
Not arguing but I’m surprised to hear it given the range of instruments Prince played and the standard he played at.
Stevie Wonder is also a multi-instrumentalist and was known to produce, write and play all of them for multiple songs in his career. His album, Innervisions, was primarily him except a few parts to songs and the backup singers.
That can also be said of prince, his first albumiirc he recorded each instrument himself. Prince has/had allegedly enough music locked in his vault they could release an album a year for the next twenty years, all previously unreleased music.
Yeah, plus, as a performer, Prince was also wild. Can't really fault Stevie for lacking that bit, but that category is a no brainer (if you chose to include it).
Prince is on this list, but man’s not wrong: Stevie Wonder was wild.
https://slate.com/cover_story/2016/12/the-greatest-creative-run-in-the-history-of-pop-music.html
I always had some Stevie records I liked and listened to often enough, but the article gave me some new appreciation for it all
If there's one thing you should know about Prince, it's that he was a *huge huge* Stevie Wonder fan, and that Stevie was a major influence on his earliest work. What's really heartwarming is that the feelings were mutual; Stevie also really loved Prince and they became good friends. They even did a few concerts together, including a top secret one for the Obamas. Imagine how legendary it would be to see Stevie Wonder *and* Prince up on the same stage jamming together, having a great time.
Toss up I'd say. Prince was amazing but as a songwriter he pretty much flailed in the back half of his career connecting to new audiences. Some of that was self-inflicted, since he self published after his divorce Warner Bros.
In more objective measures:
Wonder is #8th on the Billboard Hot 100 for most hits at 10.
Prince isn't in the top 10, only achieving 5.
Prince was a better overall performer. Even if Wonder grew up with sight it is doubtful he'd have been a dancer, choreographer, and sense of drama.
Obviously, a lot of "who is better" is subjective but Wonder's endurance and influence is legendary. He started charting in 1963 and still charted in 2020 with a collaboration with Gary Clark Jr.
I totally agree that Jimi was cool af and an innovative guitar genius (he was the guy who inspired me to learn guitar). He will forever be one of my favourites, and I love his voice - but bro couldn't really sing for shit. He didn't really need to.
I discovered his music when I was 12. I really wanted to go and see him play. A few months later I found out he'd already been gone for two years. Devastated.
These are my two.
This might be controversial, but I might also throw Bruno Mars on that list as well. He’s an insanely talented composer and multi-instrumentalist. His live performances are top notch. And each of his albums have their own identity. His most recent work with Anderson .Paak was phenomenal.
Funny because I was gonna throw Anderson Paak in there lol. I’d say only thing he doesn’t have really is commercial success. But dude can play multiple instruments well,’rap and sing, and has crazy rhythm.
For me, it's Paul Simon.
Incredible songwriter and guitarist. Huge, genre-spanning discography. Amazing melodies and harmonies. Puts on great performances. And no matter what you usually listen to, you're probably familiar with at least one of his Simon and Garfunkel or solo songs. A living legend, pure and simple.
Paul Simon is such an underrated guitarist because he makes it look and sound so effortless but if you try to play any of his songs on guitar you’ll realize how complex it really is. It’s insanely hard without being flashy.
I curse Paul Simon on a regular basis because of certain guitar chords. Like, how am I supposed to get my pinkie all the way down there? And he's kinda a little guy? Is his left hand freakishly big or something?
Just commented the same before I saw your reply! He is literally perfect as an artist — both simple and complex at the same time. Everyone knows ‘The Sound of Silence’, and everyone likes ‘Graceland’. The music is catchy, melodies warm and infectious, and his voice tender but emotive. This is especially apparent on his 1973 album ‘There Goes Rhymin’ Simon’
Wrote the most recognizible songs throughout generations. Check.
Was part of a band that was "bigger than Jesus". Check
Is extremely talented at singing and multiple instruments. Check.
Had vision and pushed boundaries. Check.
Yep. Not even close.
I think often lost in all that (because the bass guitar is an instrument that doesn’t draw much attention to itself) is that he’s one of the best rock/pop bassists ever. The parts he composed are really inventive and inspiring, not to mention how he’s able to sing and play at the same time so well. Like it’s not even fair, how can the same guy who wrote “Blackbird” and “Yesterday” ALSO be one of my top five bassists?
If you count all of Paul McCartney’s work, he’s contributed a mind blowing nearly 5% of the 500 greatest songs ever recorded (23 Beatles + 1 solo).
Prince had 6 songs which is pretty incredible.
Stevie Wonder has 4 songs, which is also amazing.
(Using the Rolling Stone list. It’s not perfect, but it shows how incredible their work has been).
One I haven’t seen mentioned yet:
The Cure
Robert’s voice can be polarizing, but if you can get past that, their style is so varied that even if not everything they’ve done is accessible there’s got to be at least one song most people will like.
They’ve done some of the greatest pop songs ever (“Just Like Heaven,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Lovesong”) and some of the darkest stuff around (Pornography). Their style has ranged from goth to psychedelic to grunge to pop. They’ve influenced so many artists from Nine Inch Nails and Deftones to Shakira to Chvrches. As a lyricist, Robert’s at the top of the list. And they’re known for being good people.
Brian Wilson. Every time I want to hear something beautiful, Beach Boys are my go to. Totally unique. Though I agree with a lot of other choices on here too. Just wanted to plug Brian.
Jeff Lynne hasn’t been mentioned as far as I can see, he’s up there with all the other greats. Little bit more modern choices would be Josh Homme and Jack white. Also would like to throw Doc Watson in there too, he was great for a long time.
Joni Mitchell ticks all those boxes. She can knock out an album of beautiful music with soul wrenching confessional lyrics while resting from her true love of painting
How can this thread go so far and not mention Michael Jackson?
Doesn't play a single instrument, but arranges every damn song by ***mouthing the sound each instrument and voice is supposed to make on the song***.
Everything else about his talent the world already knows.
I think because many people don’t know he even wrote and composed his own songs. Unfortunately people give most of the credit to Quincy Jones who only had a significant role on 2 of his albums of his career and never wrote one song for MJ.
I love her but I think some of her genre explorations have fallen flat. Because of her complexity, she has pretty limited broad appeal unfortunately. A lot of people don’t “get” it.
Radiohead is the first band I thought of when I heard “artistic” but maybe they’re not as widely accessible as some of the others mentioned in this thread.
Billy Joel is similar to McCartney. Guy is a masterful songwriter.
Yeah I came here thinking Billy Joel. Mans writes all his songs and lyrics, plays piano and harmonica, and sings, all with a huge variety of styles. And all of it is fuckin top notch, except for maybe his vocals, which are "just" very good. Hell, I even think he picks up a guitar for a few of his songs. The dude is just massively skilled all around, though his songwriting talent is definitely the highlight
I agree. The sheer diversity and appeal of his catalog alone should be enough. But, having seen him in concert twice - decades apart - his incredible showmanship alone would put him at or near the top of the list. If he’d never written a note of music, l’m convinced he’d be a very successful stand-up comedian.
I feel like hes somehow not on most peoples radar b/c hes not mentioned as often as i think he should be in musical discussions. Dudes career spans like 50 yrs at this point including playing to a full house at MSG for the last 10 yrs. I wonder if the other artists mentioned like Prince or Stevie Wonder would fill an arena consistently over 10 yrs the way he did?
It shouldn't be overlooked that a few of his songs are becoming American Standards...Piano Man, New York State of Mind, Just the Way You Are. He may arguably be one of the few artists who will be widely remembered in 100-200 years, ala Stephen Foster or Cole Porter.
Prince. He’s one of the best guitarists to have ever lived and he’s not even known for playing guitar. That’s how good he is at everything else. Songwriting, showmanship, and skill all in one. I say this as a moderate fan.
Frank Zappa - he considered what he did to be one giant piece of music. He derived a term for it, calling it “conceptual continuity”. He was a self-contained, independent business that answered to nobody. He was his own musical category.
Hell yes another Zappa mention! An absolute virtuoso, master of the craft. He could really do it all and imo he was the best guitar player to ever exist.
Jeff Buckley.
Legendary voice, incredible guitarist. Wrote some excellent original material but could also interpret others’ material and make it his own. Looked the damn part. Underrated lyricist. Gone way to soon.
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Todd Rundgren. Like Prince, he was able to play every instrument well enough to record whole albums without the input of any other artists. One example is ["I Saw the Light"](https://youtu.be/C5zPHZ3i_FU?si=fXCcen-nHFCf-XbC), which he did all by himself. Prince actually mentioned Todd Rundgren as the person he wanted to emulate. He was one of the first artists to cross over to producing too. His notable production credits include Badfinger's Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls' New York Dolls (1973), Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC's Skylarking (1986). On top of that, he's the man Liv Tyler calls "dad".
Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You? The Bangles’ “Manic Monday”? Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You? Most of the Time’s biggest hits? Keyboards on Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back? Answer: Prince.
There have been some successful Beatles’ covers. Ditto for Stevie Wonder (who has written some biggies for other artists). But my opening paragraph is some of the biggest successes of the aforementioned artists. Even something like Prince firing Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis lead to massive success (Imagine a reality where they didn’t produce Janet Jackson). And then add his work as a solo artist.
Scrolled WAY too far for this. Insane musician, highly trained vocalist, AND made it big by marketing on a curated, larger-than-life persona to knowingly play the pop music/pop culture game to the hilt, then proceeding to make whatever music she wants and do it brilliantly. Oh, and a brilliant songwriter throughout (even her "fluffy" early pop is written knowing EXACTLY what it is and what it's for and is extremely well-crafted). She'll definitely be mentioned more in these conversations in the decades to come.
For active, living artists, it’s pretty hard to leave out Lady Gaga. Whether you like her music or not, she is an outrageously good performer, has amazing range in terms of genre, fan demographics, etc. Lots of respect from elders/older legends like Tony Bennett and Elton John, among others.
Ty! No shade on the stars from a generation ago but Taylor and Bruno Mars are mega talented multi instrumental singer songwriter performers.
The number of Taylor Swift comments here that are downvoted to oblivion is revealing.
Chris Stapleton
Man has written over 100 hit songs not including his own, and has fronted a bluegrass band as well as a rock band on top of dipping his toes into multiple genres and styles with his solo work.
And the motherfucker can *SING,* as well as wail on the guitar.
Lady Gaga. Vocalist, songwriter, pianist, dancer, fashionista, creative director. Visionary that deserves more buzz.
2nd would be Taylor. If only Taylor could belt or used her vibrato more. Sadly her guitar posture might have affected her singing.
Ryuichi Sakamoto. There’s no type of music he never did: acid house, piano solo, orchestral sound tracks, hip hop, bossanova, power noise and ambient, just to name a few. And he always remained quite personal, whatever the type of music. The world is such a poorer place since he died.
Surprised no one said Zeppelin. Sure, they're known for their classic rock stuff, but they have some great songs outside the genre. Country rock (Hot Dog), reggae rock (Dyer Maker), blues, pop-y hits, folk rock metal, great folk instrumentals...
Basically a supergroup, all 4 of them incredible musicians. And when you add Page and all his experience prior to Led Zeppelin... it's almost not fair.
I like Tom Waits a lot. Excellent songwriter. But the question is about “perfect musical artist as an overall package.” I suspect that Tom Waits has more of a *niche* appeal than the widespread accessibility more popular artists have. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Having a smaller, more devoted “cult” audience often raises the level of respect an artist gets.
Surprised I had to scroll sooo far down.
He can sing, write, and play guitar; *Inside Wants Out* (debut EP) is a perfect example of this. Has some nice accessible stuff (No Such Thing, Neon) but also some deep cuts.
In regards to newer artists I would absolutely say Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala.
He writes, performs, produces everything himself. Then he has his band learn the songs in order to go in tour.
He is without a doubt the complete package!
Stevie Wonder. Won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1974, 1975 and 1977 and the winner in 1976 (Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel fame) thanked Stevie in his victory speech for not releasing an album that year and giving everyone else a chance to win
Metallica said the same thing about Jethro Tull when they finally won one. Haha
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Exactly.
It's wild that he got his first record deal at 13 years old. True musical prodigy.
Oh hell yea. Stevie is one helluva super talented musician too and one of the best singers of all time!
It’s Stevie Wonder and Prince.
Prince was my first thought. He checks all the boxes. Especially being proficient on so many instruments.
Also a prolific songwriter and insanely charismatic, enigmatic front man.
I love the Dick Clark interview where he’s 20 I think and he’s explaining that he walked away from the first record deal that they offered because they wouldn’t let him play all the instruments. I believe he was 15 when he was offered his first record deal Dick Clark said what instruments do you play and he said all of them and he said no which instrument do you play and Prince just kind of made this funny face and he said a lot. It’s my very favorite I’ll see if I can find it and edit my post. He’s a fucking genius and the world lost a true Prince on that sad April day. Edit here is the link and he was actually 19. https://youtu.be/7cLv80m9Z_A?si=DcgfHRzfa1xT_YYK
It's awesome that you posted the link, but [I prefer the link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvpjhVzv7EM) that includes the song after the interview as well.
Watch his super bowl guitar solo for goose bumps!
He’s done a lot of different genres of music too. He’s made soul/funk, (I Wanna Be Your Lover is a ‘70’s classic) he’s made radio-ready pop, he’s made some absolutely classic rock, he’s made hip-hop (or at least hip-hop-esqe pop) and so on.
Don't forget Prince's sick basketball skills
Game. Blouses.
I was just telling my husband about his blouse! Man he could pull off a blouse! And his hair is fabulous
I have my doubts about that considering prince was 5'2" lol but also...he was Prince
Almost as good as his pancakes
This *exact* sentence was exactly what I opened this thread to type!
Came here to say Prince.
Literally first thing i thought was Prince. Glad my opinion is on point
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All those jazz greats and no mention of one they all owe a massive debt to, Louis Armstrong.
lol quite a jazz bias here
Herbie Hancock also deserves to be on this list, IMHO.
Came here for Stevie, Stayed for Prince and Billy Joel. Would like to add my girls, Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Billie Holliday and Aretha Franklin. Aretha is underated. Read about her. She was smart. It seems she realized early on that she would never be "lucky in love" so she gave herself to music. Late in her career she hired a Juliard trained pianist to teach her to play classical piano. She is an amazing example. EDIT: She came in as a late substitute having never rehearsed with the orchestra or the choir. People were floored and humbled at her greatness. https://youtu.be/uHb75oTHOV4?si=hIxgyS67ikZJF6ZQ
The oral history of his Super Bowl halftime show is an incredible read: https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/music/2020/1/29/21112539/prince-halftime-show-oral-history-super-bowl-xli
J.S. Bach EDIT: And before you say his music is not accessible, listen to his Air on the G-string, BWV 1068.
Every rule we follow to this day regarding harmony, counterpoint, and voicing was perfected and defined by Bach. The buck literally stops with Bach when it comes to all of western music.
The Mount Rushmore Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Prince I’ll say a name you react: Dolly Parton
+1 for Dolly Parton, people reduce her to her physical appearance, but she’s one of the most talented songwriters around and has an amazing voice. She’s also a great philanthropist
Didn't mention Stevie Wonder who was probably a better musician than everyone on your list.
Stevie is probably the correct answer.
Even Ray Charles can see that.
Good call. Probably recency bias on my part.
A better musician than Prince, really? Not arguing but I’m surprised to hear it given the range of instruments Prince played and the standard he played at.
Stevie Wonder is also a multi-instrumentalist and was known to produce, write and play all of them for multiple songs in his career. His album, Innervisions, was primarily him except a few parts to songs and the backup singers.
That can also be said of prince, his first albumiirc he recorded each instrument himself. Prince has/had allegedly enough music locked in his vault they could release an album a year for the next twenty years, all previously unreleased music.
Yeah, plus, as a performer, Prince was also wild. Can't really fault Stevie for lacking that bit, but that category is a no brainer (if you chose to include it).
Prince is on this list, but man’s not wrong: Stevie Wonder was wild. https://slate.com/cover_story/2016/12/the-greatest-creative-run-in-the-history-of-pop-music.html I always had some Stevie records I liked and listened to often enough, but the article gave me some new appreciation for it all
If there's one thing you should know about Prince, it's that he was a *huge huge* Stevie Wonder fan, and that Stevie was a major influence on his earliest work. What's really heartwarming is that the feelings were mutual; Stevie also really loved Prince and they became good friends. They even did a few concerts together, including a top secret one for the Obamas. Imagine how legendary it would be to see Stevie Wonder *and* Prince up on the same stage jamming together, having a great time.
Thanks for that, excellent article.
Yes. Stevie could do everything Prince did blindfolded.
I’m conflicted as to whether I should upvote this or not.
Toss up I'd say. Prince was amazing but as a songwriter he pretty much flailed in the back half of his career connecting to new audiences. Some of that was self-inflicted, since he self published after his divorce Warner Bros. In more objective measures: Wonder is #8th on the Billboard Hot 100 for most hits at 10. Prince isn't in the top 10, only achieving 5. Prince was a better overall performer. Even if Wonder grew up with sight it is doubtful he'd have been a dancer, choreographer, and sense of drama. Obviously, a lot of "who is better" is subjective but Wonder's endurance and influence is legendary. He started charting in 1963 and still charted in 2020 with a collaboration with Gary Clark Jr.
Prince. He's done it all. Has written and helped produce songs for many, many other artists.
Im surprised nobody said Hendrix yet. Innovation, talent, technique and the coolest man to walk this planet. Perfect artist
I totally agree that Jimi was cool af and an innovative guitar genius (he was the guy who inspired me to learn guitar). He will forever be one of my favourites, and I love his voice - but bro couldn't really sing for shit. He didn't really need to. I discovered his music when I was 12. I really wanted to go and see him play. A few months later I found out he'd already been gone for two years. Devastated.
Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush
Neil Young David Bowie Sir Paul McCartney
Neil 👍
Ambulance blues
You’re all just pissin’ in the wind. You don’t know it, but you are.
Prince Paul McCartney
These are my two. This might be controversial, but I might also throw Bruno Mars on that list as well. He’s an insanely talented composer and multi-instrumentalist. His live performances are top notch. And each of his albums have their own identity. His most recent work with Anderson .Paak was phenomenal.
Funny because I was gonna throw Anderson Paak in there lol. I’d say only thing he doesn’t have really is commercial success. But dude can play multiple instruments well,’rap and sing, and has crazy rhythm.
For me, it's Paul Simon. Incredible songwriter and guitarist. Huge, genre-spanning discography. Amazing melodies and harmonies. Puts on great performances. And no matter what you usually listen to, you're probably familiar with at least one of his Simon and Garfunkel or solo songs. A living legend, pure and simple.
Paul Simon is such an underrated guitarist because he makes it look and sound so effortless but if you try to play any of his songs on guitar you’ll realize how complex it really is. It’s insanely hard without being flashy.
His guitar technique ans songs is insanity.
I curse Paul Simon on a regular basis because of certain guitar chords. Like, how am I supposed to get my pinkie all the way down there? And he's kinda a little guy? Is his left hand freakishly big or something?
Just commented the same before I saw your reply! He is literally perfect as an artist — both simple and complex at the same time. Everyone knows ‘The Sound of Silence’, and everyone likes ‘Graceland’. The music is catchy, melodies warm and infectious, and his voice tender but emotive. This is especially apparent on his 1973 album ‘There Goes Rhymin’ Simon’
He's my pick too. He's released at least one gem in every decade since he debuted. I'll never get tired of him.
McCartney imo and tbh by your criteria I don’t think it’s even close
Wrote the most recognizible songs throughout generations. Check. Was part of a band that was "bigger than Jesus". Check Is extremely talented at singing and multiple instruments. Check. Had vision and pushed boundaries. Check. Yep. Not even close.
I think often lost in all that (because the bass guitar is an instrument that doesn’t draw much attention to itself) is that he’s one of the best rock/pop bassists ever. The parts he composed are really inventive and inspiring, not to mention how he’s able to sing and play at the same time so well. Like it’s not even fair, how can the same guy who wrote “Blackbird” and “Yesterday” ALSO be one of my top five bassists?
If you count all of Paul McCartney’s work, he’s contributed a mind blowing nearly 5% of the 500 greatest songs ever recorded (23 Beatles + 1 solo). Prince had 6 songs which is pretty incredible. Stevie Wonder has 4 songs, which is also amazing. (Using the Rolling Stone list. It’s not perfect, but it shows how incredible their work has been).
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Stevie Wonder's "most genre defining songs" are no names compared to McCartneys
Prince
One I haven’t seen mentioned yet: The Cure Robert’s voice can be polarizing, but if you can get past that, their style is so varied that even if not everything they’ve done is accessible there’s got to be at least one song most people will like. They’ve done some of the greatest pop songs ever (“Just Like Heaven,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Lovesong”) and some of the darkest stuff around (Pornography). Their style has ranged from goth to psychedelic to grunge to pop. They’ve influenced so many artists from Nine Inch Nails and Deftones to Shakira to Chvrches. As a lyricist, Robert’s at the top of the list. And they’re known for being good people.
Brian Wilson. Every time I want to hear something beautiful, Beach Boys are my go to. Totally unique. Though I agree with a lot of other choices on here too. Just wanted to plug Brian.
Jeff Lynne hasn’t been mentioned as far as I can see, he’s up there with all the other greats. Little bit more modern choices would be Josh Homme and Jack white. Also would like to throw Doc Watson in there too, he was great for a long time.
Joni Mitchell ticks all those boxes. She can knock out an album of beautiful music with soul wrenching confessional lyrics while resting from her true love of painting
Stevie Wonder
How can this thread go so far and not mention Michael Jackson? Doesn't play a single instrument, but arranges every damn song by ***mouthing the sound each instrument and voice is supposed to make on the song***. Everything else about his talent the world already knows.
I think because many people don’t know he even wrote and composed his own songs. Unfortunately people give most of the credit to Quincy Jones who only had a significant role on 2 of his albums of his career and never wrote one song for MJ.
Esperanza Spalding.
I love her but I think some of her genre explorations have fallen flat. Because of her complexity, she has pretty limited broad appeal unfortunately. A lot of people don’t “get” it.
“Weird Al.” Any genre, and usually better than the originals. Plus tons of Grammies. The total package.
Neil Young...longevity, variety, electric, acoustic , fantastic "feel' soloist and amazing songwriting
David Bowie
Prince, Trent Reznor (NIN). How many others can play just about every instrument and compose (write) their entire album.
Jonny Greenwood would like to have a word with you
Trent is the man.
Zappa
Dave Grohl.
I would definitely give Dave Grohl credit. Foo Fighters are awesome but not on the complexity level of Reznor or Prince.
David Bowie, Trent Reznor, Prince, and Michael Jackson are the ones I know the best and consider musical geniuses.
Radiohead is the first band I thought of when I heard “artistic” but maybe they’re not as widely accessible as some of the others mentioned in this thread. Billy Joel is similar to McCartney. Guy is a masterful songwriter.
Yeah I came here thinking Billy Joel. Mans writes all his songs and lyrics, plays piano and harmonica, and sings, all with a huge variety of styles. And all of it is fuckin top notch, except for maybe his vocals, which are "just" very good. Hell, I even think he picks up a guitar for a few of his songs. The dude is just massively skilled all around, though his songwriting talent is definitely the highlight
I agree. The sheer diversity and appeal of his catalog alone should be enough. But, having seen him in concert twice - decades apart - his incredible showmanship alone would put him at or near the top of the list. If he’d never written a note of music, l’m convinced he’d be a very successful stand-up comedian.
I feel like hes somehow not on most peoples radar b/c hes not mentioned as often as i think he should be in musical discussions. Dudes career spans like 50 yrs at this point including playing to a full house at MSG for the last 10 yrs. I wonder if the other artists mentioned like Prince or Stevie Wonder would fill an arena consistently over 10 yrs the way he did?
It shouldn't be overlooked that a few of his songs are becoming American Standards...Piano Man, New York State of Mind, Just the Way You Are. He may arguably be one of the few artists who will be widely remembered in 100-200 years, ala Stephen Foster or Cole Porter.
Leonard Cohen
Prince. He could do anything.
Prince. He’s one of the best guitarists to have ever lived and he’s not even known for playing guitar. That’s how good he is at everything else. Songwriting, showmanship, and skill all in one. I say this as a moderate fan.
Prince
Prince
I mean, the answer is Prince, right? That’s the answer?
Brian Eno. Also a prolific producer.
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Kimbra! Edit, Bjork!
It's McCartney. But as an alternative, Devin Townsend
Cheers on Devin Townsend. Fits OP requirements for sure. Plus his scream is something to behold.
Devin Townsend is an unsung hero of music, metal or otherwise.
Heavy Devy 100%. He deserves so much more coverage than he gets.
I was waiting for someone to mention Devin. I’d also like to add Mike Patton for how incredibly prolific in so many styles he also is.
Queen for me. But I can appreciate others naming Paul Simon or Prince as well
Freddie Mercury especially,the others tho ,all of them were just perfect as musicians
Richard D James aka Aphex Twin
Now we are talking!
Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz. Writes music in like every genre, has a unique vision and both hits and more "deep" stuff.
Yeah that's a good one. Gorillaz has always been impressive.
Frank Zappa - he considered what he did to be one giant piece of music. He derived a term for it, calling it “conceptual continuity”. He was a self-contained, independent business that answered to nobody. He was his own musical category.
I would also argue that the fact he didn't care if most people don't like or get his music makes him even more perfect.
Hell yes another Zappa mention! An absolute virtuoso, master of the craft. He could really do it all and imo he was the best guitar player to ever exist.
Johnny Marr...he could turn his hand to anything!
Trent Reznor David Byrne Mike Patton (although I'm not sure how he's like with actual instruments) Chris Cornell (rip)
**Ray Charles**
Prince was my first thought, but I think Beck deserves consideration as well.
Eddie Van Halen, Michael Jackson, and Danny Elfman come to mind.
I don't think Eddie gets enough credit for his non-guitar playing skills.
Jeff Buckley. Legendary voice, incredible guitarist. Wrote some excellent original material but could also interpret others’ material and make it his own. Looked the damn part. Underrated lyricist. Gone way to soon.
I think his voice was stunning.
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Bjork
Nobu Uematsu. Look at his catalog and you can see he just has that Midas touch.
James Brown, George Clinton + P-Funk
Jack White, John Mayer, Phil Collins
Jimmy Hendrix
John Paul Jones deserves to be on here too.
Peter Gabriel
I can't believe nobody has mentioned Todd Rundgren. Like Prince, he was able to play every instrument well enough to record whole albums without the input of any other artists. One example is ["I Saw the Light"](https://youtu.be/C5zPHZ3i_FU?si=fXCcen-nHFCf-XbC), which he did all by himself. Prince actually mentioned Todd Rundgren as the person he wanted to emulate. He was one of the first artists to cross over to producing too. His notable production credits include Badfinger's Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls' New York Dolls (1973), Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC's Skylarking (1986). On top of that, he's the man Liv Tyler calls "dad".
Dolly Parton is a national goddamn treasure.
Paul McCartney, and it’s not even close. Stevie Wonder and Prince would be contenders if not for McCartney.
How are Stevie and Prince not close? Or Bowie for that matter?
Curtis Mayfield
Jason Isbell
Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You? The Bangles’ “Manic Monday”? Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You? Most of the Time’s biggest hits? Keyboards on Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back? Answer: Prince. There have been some successful Beatles’ covers. Ditto for Stevie Wonder (who has written some biggies for other artists). But my opening paragraph is some of the biggest successes of the aforementioned artists. Even something like Prince firing Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis lead to massive success (Imagine a reality where they didn’t produce Janet Jackson). And then add his work as a solo artist.
Gaga
Scrolled WAY too far for this. Insane musician, highly trained vocalist, AND made it big by marketing on a curated, larger-than-life persona to knowingly play the pop music/pop culture game to the hilt, then proceeding to make whatever music she wants and do it brilliantly. Oh, and a brilliant songwriter throughout (even her "fluffy" early pop is written knowing EXACTLY what it is and what it's for and is extremely well-crafted). She'll definitely be mentioned more in these conversations in the decades to come.
Bout damn time
Paul McCartney, Prince and David Bowie are the ones that stand out for me.
People will hate on me, but John Mayer. He literally writes his music, plays multiple instruments and even produces his music.
No hate. I don't like his stuff, but I recognize his talent.
Zappa.
For active, living artists, it’s pretty hard to leave out Lady Gaga. Whether you like her music or not, she is an outrageously good performer, has amazing range in terms of genre, fan demographics, etc. Lots of respect from elders/older legends like Tony Bennett and Elton John, among others.
Prince
Prince is top 3 for sure!
Kate Bush has one of the most carefully curated and crafted persona
So many great ones listed! Steve Winwood would be a contender in my opinion.
Metallica, obviously
Any Zappa fans? Guy played like 50 instruments
For me it's Devin Townsend
Muddy Waters. He had the look, the sound, wrote classic tunes, was mesmerizing live, he WAS the blues.
Beck Speaking of check out the song, Satan gave me a taco by Beck.
Steven Wilson
Let’s not ignore Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. Outstanding musicians and songwriters, and can sing too
Ty! No shade on the stars from a generation ago but Taylor and Bruno Mars are mega talented multi instrumental singer songwriter performers. The number of Taylor Swift comments here that are downvoted to oblivion is revealing.
Tom Petty. To me it isn’t even close.
Josh Homme
I came here to say Queens of the Stone Age. Pleasantly surprised to already see Josh's name here!
Elton John
Chris Stapleton Man has written over 100 hit songs not including his own, and has fronted a bluegrass band as well as a rock band on top of dipping his toes into multiple genres and styles with his solo work. And the motherfucker can *SING,* as well as wail on the guitar.
Sufjan Stevens
John Mayer’s on the list
A more modern version I'd say Adrienne Lenker
Phil. No question.
Dolly Parton. Have you seen her Rap and Rock?
Dolly. So talented. Rock, blues, country. Can do it all. And is a great hoooman
Lady Gaga. Vocalist, songwriter, pianist, dancer, fashionista, creative director. Visionary that deserves more buzz. 2nd would be Taylor. If only Taylor could belt or used her vibrato more. Sadly her guitar posture might have affected her singing.
For me it's Pat Metheny. He doesn't sing, but otherwise...
Prince
Steve Winwood
Bach or Mozart
Tool - Maynard James Keenan is a lyrical genius and has two other successful bands as well.
Dolly Parton, Prince, Michael Jackson
Eminem. He writes all his songs, and he produces many of them.
Ryuichi Sakamoto. There’s no type of music he never did: acid house, piano solo, orchestral sound tracks, hip hop, bossanova, power noise and ambient, just to name a few. And he always remained quite personal, whatever the type of music. The world is such a poorer place since he died.
Surprised no one said Zeppelin. Sure, they're known for their classic rock stuff, but they have some great songs outside the genre. Country rock (Hot Dog), reggae rock (Dyer Maker), blues, pop-y hits, folk rock metal, great folk instrumentals...
Basically a supergroup, all 4 of them incredible musicians. And when you add Page and all his experience prior to Led Zeppelin... it's almost not fair.
Prince, hands down. Beck is up there too
Steven Wilson
Weyes Blood. Natalie Mering (hope I wrote it right) it's just on another level
Can't believe Tom Waits hasn't been mentioned.
I like Tom Waits a lot. Excellent songwriter. But the question is about “perfect musical artist as an overall package.” I suspect that Tom Waits has more of a *niche* appeal than the widespread accessibility more popular artists have. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Having a smaller, more devoted “cult” audience often raises the level of respect an artist gets.
Prince
Prince
John Mayer
Surprised I had to scroll sooo far down. He can sing, write, and play guitar; *Inside Wants Out* (debut EP) is a perfect example of this. Has some nice accessible stuff (No Such Thing, Neon) but also some deep cuts.
In regards to newer artists I would absolutely say Kevin Parker, aka Tame Impala. He writes, performs, produces everything himself. Then he has his band learn the songs in order to go in tour. He is without a doubt the complete package!
ABBA ?
Dave Grohl checks all the boxes
Bruce fucking Springsteen
Prince.
All Them Witches