Musical Pioneers

[checkerboy]

Ok so I love music. I have been thinking alot about some of the bands I really like. Quite a number of them are bands I would consider being somewhat of pioneers in the music biz. They either created a new sound or defined a generation or stuff like that. So I was wondering what you all thought about some of these bands or do you have any other bands or singers that you would consider to be musical pioneers. Anyway here are the few that I have selected.

1. The Beatles - of course how could you not include them. While they are not my favorite they definitely changed the music scene. I particularly enjoy their later stuff, songs like "I am the Walrus," "Hey Jude," and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

2. The Clash - I debated between The Sex Pistols and The Clash, but I like The Clash better. The whole punk rock movement really opened up music to anyone.

3. Joy Division - These guys founded the doom and gloom that you hear today. A lot of bands today claim them as an influence. There most famous song is "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

4. Nirvana - Yeah these guys brought about the demise of the hair bands of the 80's. I was in high school at the time and loved the new direction they took music.

Anyway let me know what you all think and who you would add.

[KosherXMorg]

The Doors- Way ahead of their time

Duran Duran- Made 80's music an artform

Prince- Took funk to a "whole nother level"

[Guest GhostRider]

Lets see...

Lynard Skynard. Basically wrote the book on how to play southern rock.

Stray Cats/Brian Setzer orchastra. Brian brought us Rockabilly and reintroduced swing to the masses

Glen Miller- Tragicaly passed before his career could launch in the civilian world. To me..The master of swing and big band.

KISS- This may be a curse...but they were the first "Glam" or Hair metal band..

So far I agree with all the ones listed.

Oh...and just saw something on the news.... Hair metal is dead? Poison is in concert next week. Also Skid Row, Jackyl, White snake, and last but not least.....Warrent are supposed to be coming to town on tour..rumor mill? IDK....lol

Edited June 13, 2008 by ex19k
interesting news article gives fresh new insight

[skalenfehl]

Maybe I'm biased, but Journey is a band that spawned many copycats. Their style has endured and is still around today with their newest lead vocalist and latest CD/DVD collection that was released this week and selling out fast.

[Hemidakota]

Pink Floyd...metal, classic, ambient, all rolled into one.

[pam]

Wow check this out checker. I put in musical pioneers on google and this is what I found on the very first page.

Musical Pioneers - LDS Mormon ForumsOk so I love music. I have been thinking alot about some of the bands I really like. Quite a number of them are bands I would consider being somewhat.

www.lds.net/forums/general-discussion/12102-musical-pioneers.html - 1 hour ago - Similar pages

[LogansMommy]

The Doors

Pink Floyd

[john doe]

I would agree with most of the ones mentioned so far. I would add:

Jimi Hendrix

Led Zeppelin

Grateful Dead- I don't care for them, but they were pioneers

Elvis

I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now.

[Guest GhostRider]

Way to go checkers! your googlefamous now!

Forgot all about FLOYD and The Dead.

And....cant believe I forgot Bufett! Jimmy is the epitamy of beach music! All I have to hear is changes in attitudes, changes in lattitudes and I think of warm island beaches, great surf, and a nice little hut on a beach....wishin I was there!

[skalenfehl]

Did I mention Journey?

I meant CCR and U2.

[Jbs2763]

Hank Williams

Johnny Cash

Kris Kristopherson

Alan Jackson

Hank Snow

George Jones

Tammy Wynette

Dolly Parton

Loretta Lynn

[Truegrits]

Elvis

Eagles

Rolling Stones

Elvis

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Journey

Elvis

Earth Wind & Fire

Prince

Garth...Reba...Faith...

oh, and Elvis!

[Moksha]

Tommy Dorsey

Glenn Miller

The Andrew Sisters

Cab Calloway

[john doe]

See, now you guys are just pulling out your favorite groups, not the ones who would be considered pioneers. BTW, I'm hardwired to be automatically biased against anyone who just tosses up modern country music. All it is is pop with a twang, a twang that is getting lost nowadays. Pretty soon the only way you're going to tell the difference between pop and country is if the singer wears a hat sometimes.

[KosherXMorg]

Stevie Wonder

[Jbs2763]

See, now you guys are just pulling out your favorite groups, not the ones who would be considered pioneers. BTW, I'm hardwired to be automatically biased against anyone who just tosses up modern country music. All it is is pop with a twang, a twang that is getting lost nowadays. Pretty soon the only way you're going to tell the difference between pop and country is if the singer wears a hat sometimes.

Alan Jackson aint pop.....

[checkerboy]

See, now you guys are just pulling out your favorite groups, not the ones who would be considered pioneers. BTW, I'm hardwired to be automatically biased against anyone who just tosses up modern country music. All it is is pop with a twang, a twang that is getting lost nowadays. Pretty soon the only way you're going to tell the difference between pop and country is if the singer wears a hat sometimes.

I agree. I put reasons why I considered the groups I listed to be pioneers so maybe you all could go back and tell me why you consider your favs to be pioneers.

[Jbs2763]

Hank Williams enough said for Hank

Johnny Cash Cash I guess would be more of a legend then a pioneer

Kris Kristopherson Great songwriter, broke major ground with songs like "sunday morning coming down"

Alan Jackson One of the few "modern " country acts that doesnt try to be a pop star too

Hank Snow Legend

George Jones you dont think the opossum is a pioneer

Tammy Wynette Recorded songs like "stand by your man" that broke new ground for female artists

Dolly Parton She wrote "I will always love you" great artist and songwriter

Loretta Lynn Does she need any defense on being a pioneer????? how about all the ruckus she caused by her song "the pill" that broke ground on that for ALL generes om music...not just country

i went back into my "quote" and added commens defending my earlier post on why these folks are pioneers

[MorningStar]

Is it true that Blondie did the first rap?

[Jbs2763]

Is it true that Blondie did the first rap?

nope, there was a dude, i forget his name, that had a "rap" out in the late 50s early 60s, i heard him interviewed on the radio...complete tool

[Guest GhostRider]

Here are a few more

Lenard Sly Aka Roy Rogers - One of the original Singing Cowboys. The Man Sang alot of songs that went to become hits with his tumbling tumbleweeds. (and I might be a little biased since he is a Cincinnatian...lol)

Gene Autry. Another one of the Singing Cowboys.

Lets not forget the greats shall we?

Chopin, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, hyndle- All were "Pioneers" in thier days. Alot of the music that we listen to today are taken from these great men. If you listen to the "OLD" mitallica and listen to the instrumentals reallly close...You guessed it. you can hear alot of these mens music. Cliff burton actually studied music theroy. what songs are used? those artist. Also after being around for hundreds of years...they live on in commercials, game shows and old cartoons. the soundtracks to Tomm and Jerry and esp old bugs buny were old symphonies! lol...ok..enough trivia!

As for the country of today I tend to agree with John on this... Alot of the new stuff just is pop with a twang. AJ is the exception to this. I think that Brooks and Dunn kinda got this started in the early mid 90's though. Same thing happens in all music though. Like in the 80's look at all the one hit wonders that came out! I cant do it but I know checkers can list half of them! He does it in chat during Music trivia! No Joke! Checkers is pretty hip on his tunes so dont go against him or you will lose!

I just miss the days of music being music. In the Mood, Rhapsody in Blue, mdnight Seranade....ok..those are really old but great tunes. No effects. just a lot of hard work getting the music down.

[john doe]

I would agree with most of the ones mentioned so far. I would add:

Jimi Hendrix- Left-handed,learned to play the guitar upside down. Could play the guitar behind his back as well as his teethe. His rendition of The Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock is a classic.

Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven, Black, Dog, Rock and Roll. Need I say more? Okay, Jimmy Page also played a 12-string guitar at times.

Grateful Dead- I don't care for them, but they were pioneers. Hugely influenced by and influencers of the late-60's drug scene.

Elvis- The King of Rock-N-Roll. He was so controversial that TV networks refused to film him below the waistline. When he started out, he was widely criticized for playing and popularizing "black music". Except his detractors didn't use the word 'black'.

I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now.

Edited to add my reasons for calling them pioneers.

B.B. King is another pioneer. His voice and guitar playing are most distinctive. He was a breakthrough artist who crossed music lines and helped bring blues into the mainstream.

[Misshalfway]

John Mayer

[Maureen]

Sublime

I didn't know Sublime existed until 3 years ago, when my niece introduced me to this style of music. As for a pioneer, I will let wikipedia explain:

Sublime utilized a genre-blending style which incorporated elements of dub, reggae, ska, punk rock, dancehall, hip hop, psychedelic rock, and acoustic rock. The band is most usually classified as ska-punk, although likely their most prevalent influence, dub reggae, is not directly attributed in such a classification.

Sublime's music was highlighted by smooth bass-driven grooves, reggae rhythms, elaborately-cadenced rhyme schemes, and the ability to seamlessly transition between paces and styles throughout a given song (sometimes alternating between furious thrash punk, ska, and slow reggae within the same song). Sublime's musical versatility and willingness to experiment with their sound allowed for a wide range of appeal. Their music often contains psychedelic, harmonic minor-based, or blues-oriented guitar solos, rhythmically-improvised bass solos or dub-lines, turntable scratching, and rolling drum transitions.

Sublime's most appealing attribute, however, was the vocal and lyrical abilities of Bradley Nowell. He proved himself not only as a deeply soulful singer, but also as a talented rapper, dancehall improvisationalist, and scat singer. His lyrics have been praised as humorous and emotionally deep by some, and criticized as immature by others, but it is undeniable that his crooning voice, cadenced rhyme schemes and dancehall-tinged rapping ability were among the biggest draws for the band.

From the band's MySpace:

Rolling Stone writer David Wild has this to say about the band: "The singular sound of Sublime, alternately polished and rough and ready, finds stoner rock, rap, punk, and hip-hop funk blended with doses of ska, rock steady, dancehall, and every other pungent flavor of reggae. The result was a beautiful, warts-and-all brand of poetry - a powerful new blend of street sounds and party music. In Nowell, Sublime had as astounding singer and lyricist who created his own edgy but expressive underground vernacular. And in Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, Sublime was fortunate to have an agile, rock-solid rhythm section that could cover the entire musical waterfront. They were musical counterparts that created their own signature rhythmic foundation, creating the ultimate canvas for Nowell to embellish."

Sublime (band - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

M.

[skalenfehl]

Though I'm not particularly a fan of either, they do have a lot of talent. I think Jewel inspired a whole new generation of folk style artists. Allanis Morissette is the other. She has a very unique style and very powerful music, though I don't care for some of the things she sings about. She still has an amazing voice and a gift for words and music.