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Top 10 Musical Geniuses

RonJonSurfer

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RonJonSurfer land shark

RonJonSurfer

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Top 10 musical geniuses

Mike Devlin

Canwest News Service

We couldn't resist the opportunity to create our very own Top 10 list citing our favourite pop, rock, country and rap geniuses. (Getty Images)

Be wary of using the word genius when describing a musician. Once, we championed Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails as such (hey, it was around the time of 1994's The Downward Spiral, which is pretty awesome).

But our comment elicited immediate scorn from our classically trained friend. "Beethoven is a genius," he said, looking down upon us in a manner familiar to classically trained musicians, "not the half-wit you're talking about."

Given our past predilections, when fellow TC arts reporter Adrian Chamberlain sent our way a list of the Top 100 Living Geniuses, as published last week by Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, we approached it with hesitation.

We couldn't resist the opportunity to create our very own Top 10 list citing our favourite pop, rock, country and rap geniuses. Musical snobs likely won't agree -- as payback, we aren't including classical composers or musicians -- but this is our list, not theirs. So there.

1. Rick Rubin. Anyone who can produce speed metal act Slayer and country king Johnny Cash -- in the same year -- deserves to top our list. Rubin, via his rap record label, Def Jam, brought us the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy; his rock record label, Def American, gave us the Black Crowes and System of a Down. On the side, he worked with Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. No one has created more meaningful music in the modern era than Rubin. Choice recording: 99 Problems, from Jay-Z's The Black Album.

2. Jimi Hendrix. By pioneering the use of sustained feedback in rock music, Hendrix catapulted past everyone in the late 1960s, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. His mastery of the electric guitar has drawn frequent comparisons to classical composers for its sheer brilliance. Hendrix, who died of a drug overdose at 27, arguably will never be surpassed. Choice recording: Red House, from Are You Experienced?

3. Prince. His ability to survive lawsuits and trends, along with a controversial name change, has kept Prince in the spotlight for much of his 30-year career. He's bizarre and contradictory, but his challenging melange of funk, blues and rock has nonetheless earned him a place among rock royalty. Choice recording: Purple Rain, from Purple Rain.

4. Dr. Dre. When rappers and singers want that "Dre sound" -- a laidback groove bursting with big beats, tinkling pianos and THC-induced keyboards -- they pay as much as $2 million for the famed producer, who is credited with popularizing previously unknown rappers Snoop Dogg, Eminem, the Game and 50 Cent. Choice recording: Still D.R.E., from 2001.

5. Bob Dylan. The degree of deception at Bob Dylan's disposal is limitless. He's an irreverent folkie -- no wait, a babbling bluesman. Or is he a latent protest singer? Whatever hat he's wearing, or instrument he's playing, Dylan prides himself on being a paradox. Still capable of brilliance at 66, Dylan continues to surprise. Choice recording: Tryin' to Get to Heaven, from Time Out of Mind.

6. The Beatles. The Fab Four are an obvious choice, given their past contributions. But it is important to remember the state of the music world at the time of their arrival. They changed everything for the better, and became the world's biggest-selling group in the process. Choice recording: Norwegian Wood, from Rubber Soul.

7. Björk. One of the best debuts in history is 1993's Debut, a dizzying and slightly disturbing dance-pop classic that reinvented this former Sugarcubes frontwoman as an Icelandic island unto herself. Weird? David Lynch is weird. Björk is seriously freaky. But in a good way. Choice recording: Human Behaviour, from Debut.

8. Muddy Waters. Never has the blues been more effective than when performed by one of its great pioneers, Muddy Waters. When he had his mojo working, the hoochie koochie man's kinetic music was a direct extension of his libido, his piston-chugging voice a garrulous weapon of mass destruction. Gritty ain't the half of it. Choice recording: Mannish Boy, from Hard Again.

9. Ray Charles. They didn't call him The Genius for nothing: Brother Ray, blind since the age of seven, remains one of the most adored performers in pop history. His contributions to numerous genres (soul, country, jazz, pop, gospel) have earned him hall of fame status many times over. A little lovin' went a long way with Ray. Choice recording: What'd I Say, from Yes Indeed!

10. Sam Cooke. If Cooke, who was shot at 33 under suspicious circumstances, had made it out of the 1960s, more fans would be hip to the Man Who Invented Soul. The singer of 29 Top 40 hits between 1957 and 1965, Cooke was, simply put, one of the greatest. He's also sorely underrated. Choice recording: A Change is Gonna Come, from Ain't That Good News.

© Canwest News Service 2007

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RonJonSurfer land shark

RonJonSurfer

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Any list of contemporary musical geniuses that does not include Stevie Wonder is very, very wrong.

I'm feeling a game here...let's use this list to create a SF's Top 10 Musical Geniuses list. You can add Stevie Wonder anywhere on the list, but you must delete someone else.(Then everyone else has the chance to add and delete). A brief explanation of why someone should go on or come off would be helpful. Here's the list:

1. Rick Rubin

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. Prince

4. Dr. Dre

5. Bob Dylan

6. The Beatles

7. Bjork

8. Muddy Waters

9. Ray Charles

10. Sam Cooke

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TheLizard land shark

TheLizard

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1. Stevie Wonder

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. Prince

4. Dr. Dre

5. Bob Dylan

6. The Beatles

7. Bjork

8. Muddy Waters

9. Ray Charles

10. Sam Cooke

Do I really have to explain the genius of Stevie Wonder? Musically, he can do it all. His compositions are on par with any baroque or romantic composer, yet at the same time, they're simple enough for a pop audience. And his instrumental and vocal talent are paralleled by few, if any.

Rick Rubin is a producer whose talent is in the fact that he is able to pick artists that are able to make great music with little outside help. He is doubtless the most influential producer of the last 25 years, but that does not mean he should be on this list.

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_Laurie_ land shark

_Laurie_

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Great idea RJ!

1. Stevie Wonder

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. Prince

4. Elton John & Bernie Taupin *

5. Bob Dylan

6. The Beatles

7. Bjork

8. Muddy Waters

9. Ray Charles

10. Sam Cooke

* Elton and Bernie created some great tunes together through out the years....a great team I must say, and should be on this list...I eliminated Dr. Dre....anyone who is credited with making 50 Cent popular shouldn't be on this particular list...but that's just my opinion... :P

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RonJonSurfer land shark

RonJonSurfer

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I already wanted to say something because "The Beatles" were included...

so a band can be a "musical genius"?

Maybe this guy:

George Martin is best remembered as the producer of most of the Beatles' recordings from 1962 through 1969. His actual credits are diverse, encompassing artists ranging from 1950s jazz bandleader Humphrey Lyttleton, the comic talents of Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine, legendary vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, and rock acts as different as Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, Peter Gabriel, and Celine Dion.

The association with the Beatles alone made him the most well-known and successful record producer in the history of popular music. In the time of his own professional prime, that distinction might have rated him a mention in some trade magazines. But with over a billion copies sold of records and songs whose making he supervised (and they are still selling, with billions of pounds and dollars spent on them), he has earned a knighthood and been the subject of a 151-song, six-CD set devoted to his work as a music director. Few record producers -- John Hammond Sr., Sam Phillips, Leonard Chess, and Willie Dixon -- rate as his peer, in terms of influencing the shape and direction of music.

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edna land shark

edna

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1. Stevie Wonder

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. David Byrne

4. Elton John & Bernie Taupin

5. Bob Dylan

6. The Beatles

7. Bjork

8. Muddy Waters

9. Ray Charles

10. Sam Cooke

The Talking Heads were a small revolution in rock music. Many learned from them and still try to sound alike. David Byrne has been the leader of all this, though he may look pretentious...

I would add Bowie too...

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RonJonSurfer land shark

RonJonSurfer

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1. Stevie Wonder

2. Jimi Hendrix

3. David Byrne

4. Elton John & Bernie Taupin

5. Bob Dylan

6. The Beatles

7. Bowie

8. Muddy Waters

9. Ray Charles

10. Sam Cooke

I just had to remove Bjork..sorry. Bowie transformed the 70's into his with his ever-changing rock styles and his multitude of imagery. From folk to hard rock to funk and disco,,,Bowie was always one (or more) steps ahead of the curve.

Bowies blended great rock music with marketing, fashion, and cultural trends to create a new pop/rock superstar model...that many try to emulate still.

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