BFTD Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 We all have our favourite musicians, but who has produced the highest-quality output over their career? Suggestions: The Bee-Gees - controversial, as as many people seem to hate as love them, but aside from their own massively-popular hits, they also wrote for loads of other people and will almost certainly have been behind something that you like. Prince - I never liked the wee man when I was growing up, and still don't, but it turns out that it's just the performer that I didn't get on with - his songs seem to lend themselves to excellent cover versions, and he was also behind a whole bunch of other cracking tunes written for other people. Plus, he made Batdance. Give us your suggestions, P&B (anyone suggesting will.i.am will.b.banned). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 I guess most of those with high "hit rates" are short-lived acts. Nirvana, for example, never had the chance to produce a further 10 albums of continually decreasing quality. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennie makevin Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 (edited) The Beatles of course. All debate is interesting, healthy and entertaining etc but a best musical act of all time discussion can really only end one way. Now who's second best is a far less obvious and more interesting idea..... Edited April 24 by kennie makevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 4 minutes ago, kennie makevin said: The Beatles of course. All debate is interesting, healthy and entertaining etc but a best musical act of all time discussion can really only end one way. Now who's second best is a far less obvious and more interesting idea..... No. Overrated. How they got this myth that they somehow transformed music and everything that came after is because of them is a mystery. Good PR in the 60s is what they had, plus some fairly good songs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pozbaird Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Personal taste obviously, but for me, in no particular order, The Beatles, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Rush, Led Zeppelin, and Elvis Costello. I’ll stick to those six based on one particular criteria - right to the end, or still to this day, they were/are still relevant in regard to being a recording and/or touring band. Never stopped writing and recording new material, or go out on the road as some ‘greatest hits’ act where the last decent album of new material they did was over twenty to thirty years ago. I was considering adding U2 (love them or loathe them) to that list, but they’ve veered off into residency in Las Vegas territory, and although they hit huge individual peaks with The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby albums, their recent stuff has been, well, pretty much shite. Any sane individual compiling a double CD ‘best of U2’ would surely only find one, or at most two, songs worthy of inclusion from their last two or three albums. Opinions, opinions, they’re like ars….. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jives Miguel Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Steely Dan in their original run, 7 consecutive excellent albums. Black Sabbath 6 in a row up to and including Sabotage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Springsteen is a good shout. 40-odd years, loads of albums and singles, still putting them out and touring to huge crowds (unlike, say, Elton John who couldn't fill the Falkirk stadium). On a personal note, the best live act I have ever seen. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dundee Hibernian Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Although not my favourite artist or band, the best musical act for me is David Bowie. Continually reinvented himself, always ahead of the curve and important in reviving other musical careers for the likes of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and Ian Hunter/Mott the Hoople. Not just for his music, he also presented great shows realising the importance of visual performance as an aspect of musical theatre. Over and above his vocals, he was multi skilled with various instruments, and changed the pattern of rock music. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miguel Sanchez Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 New Order 1981-1989 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvo Montalbano Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Not trendy perhaps but surely it's Paul McCartney. In arguably the biggest, most popular, most influential band of all time and wrote or co-wrote some of the greatest songs ever recorded. A songwriter who can casually toss away classic songs for other artists since he had better stuff for the Beatles albums. In another vastly successful and popular band who musically were probably better than the Beatles but without the critical success. A successful solo artist who has produced some fantastic solo records (and yes, some dross) across a wide range of genres. Someone who has dueted with or collaborated with some of the biggest names of their respective generations (Stevie Womder, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Kanye West, etc) An early advent of avant garde and electronic music, he's written film scores, classical pieces and everything in between. Tl;Dr - it's McCartney. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 It's obviously The Beatles. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Wilkos Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Talking Heads. End 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 15 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said: It's obviously The Beatles. Let's consult Quincy Jones. Quote "Paul [McCartney] was the worst bass player I ever heard," Jones told the magazine's David Marchese. "And Ringo? Don't even talk about it." Jones shared a story of his experience working in the studio on drummer Ringo Starr's 1970 solo album Sentimental Journey: "I remember once we were in the studio with George Martin, and Ringo had taken three hours for a four-bar thing he was trying to fix on a song. "He couldn't get it. We said, 'Mate, why don't you get some lager and lime, some shepherd's pie, and take an hour-and-a-half and relax a little bit'. So he did, and we called Ronnie Verrell, a jazz drummer. "Ronnie came in for 15 minutes and tore it up. Ringo comes back and says, 'George, can you play it back for me one more time?' So George did, and Ringo says, 'That didn't sound so bad.' And I said, 'Yeah, motherf***er because it ain't you.' The Beatles were terrible, Michael Jackson stole songs and modern pop music is rubbish, says Quincy Jones 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 (edited) Always preferred Rashida. Edited April 24 by Bully Wee Villa 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Not consistent quality but massively influential and still occasionally hitting high points and innovating to the very end, this wee mentalist: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennie makevin Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, scottsdad said: No. Overrated. How they got this myth that they somehow transformed music and everything that came after is because of them is a mystery. Good PR in the 60s is what they had, plus some fairly good songs. I may be deluded and overwhelmed by myth but If anything The Beatles are underrated. But it is all subjective . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Ferguson's Hat Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Wings were the band The Beatles could have been. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullerene Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 "I want to hold your hand", "Help", "Girl", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "All you need is love" and "Across the Universe" are all written and sung by the same person. "Can't buy me love", "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby", "Penny Lane" and "Let it be" are also written and sung by another person in the same group. "I need you", "If I needed someone", "While my guitar gently weeps", "Something" and "Here comes the sun" are all written and sung by yet another person in that group. If you like, "Yellow Submarine", "A little help from my friends" and "Octopus' Garden" are all sung by the fourth person in that band. If you go to see a Beatles Tribute Act, you will likely see what seems to be four shows that are actually just one show representing the music of one band. Furthermore they all take turns singing instead of just one person having to do most if not all of the singing. That is why the Beatles would get my vote. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 hours ago, Fullerene said: "I want to hold your hand", "Help", "Girl", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", "All you need is love" and "Across the Universe" are all written and sung by the same person. "Can't buy me love", "Yesterday", "Eleanor Rigby", "Penny Lane" and "Let it be" are also written and sung by another person in the same group. "I need you", "If I needed someone", "While my guitar gently weeps", "Something" and "Here comes the sun" are all written and sung by yet another person in that group. If you like, "Yellow Submarine", "A little help from my friends" and "Octopus' Garden" are all sung by the fourth person in that band. If you go to see a Beatles Tribute Act, you will likely see what seems to be four shows that are actually just one show representing the music of one band. Furthermore they all take turns singing instead of just one person having to do most if not all of the singing. That is why the Beatles would get my vote. You could make a similar case for Queen and the Eagles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullerene Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 2 minutes ago, scottsdad said: You could make a similar case for Queen and the Eagles. Correction. Somebody else could make a similar case for the Eagles. I wouldn't. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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