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Who is the greatest rock musician of all time?


Randy Lahey

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It's hard to argue against Hendrix. No single individual has had more of an impact on rock guitar playing and rock music in general. You could argue some groups have had more of an impact, Beatles, Zeppelin, but individually maybe only John Lennon can rival him, and it seems to me the individual is the key point to this premise.

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It's hard to argue against Hendrix. No single individual has had more of an impact on rock guitar playing and rock music in general. You could argue some groups have had more of an impact, Beatles, Zeppelin, but individually maybe only John Lennon can rival him, and it seems to me the individual is the key point to this premise.

I'd put Lennon up with Hendrix...easily.

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Dio, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hendrix, Iommi, Lennon...

It is always way easier to name a bunch of THE greatest, but to chose jus tone, is impossible. You can objectively say that any of those are WAY better than the rest, but chosing one of those as THE best, that's subjective.

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Dio, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hendrix, Iommi, Lennon...

It is always way easier to name a bunch of THE greatest, but to chose jus tone, is impossible. You can objectively say that any of those are WAY better than the rest, but chosing one of those as THE best, that's subjective.

I was being serious. You can't honestly argue that Dio is the greatest rock musician of all time. LOL

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Chuck Berry pretty much invented rock music. 'Chuck v Elvis'. It is an old debate concerning who got there first but regardless, Berry was doing some very innovative things at Chess in the mid-50s while Presley was doing some very innovative things at Sun. Rock n' Roll was born. And the originals still stand-up today, 'Johnny Be Good', 'You Can't Catch Me', 'That's Allright', 'Blue Moon of Kentucy' - this is some of the finest music ever recorded. Even when Presley went to RCA you still got some good stuff, 'My Baby Left Me', 'King Creole'. Berry also had a mid 60s resurgence with 'Nadine', 'No Particular Place to Go' and others. It helped that bands such as the Beatles, Stones, Animals etc. - the British invasion - were all using Berry originals. So I am sticking with Chuck and Elvis.

The guitar grew-up with Hendrix. In 1966 you were still listening to lead guitar, effectively unchanged since the heyday of Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore. Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound, but nothing revolutionary. Then Are you Experienced (1967) was released and everything changed overnight!

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Guest Len B'stard

Chuck Berry pretty much invented rock music. 'Chuck v Elvis'. It is an old debate concerning who got there first but regardless, Berry was doing some very innovative things at Chess in the mid-50s while Presley was doing some very innovative things at Sun. Rock n' Roll was born. And the originals still stand-up today, 'Johnny Be Good', 'You Can't Catch Me', 'That's Allright', 'Blue Moon of Kentucy' - this is some of the finest music ever recorded. Even when Presley went to RCA you still got some good stuff, 'My Baby Left Me', 'King Creole'. Berry also had a mid 60s resurgence with 'Nadine', 'No Particular Place to Go' and others. It helped that bands such as the Beatles, Stones, Animals etc. - the British invasion - were all using Berry originals. So I am sticking with Chuck and Elvis.

The guitar grew-up with Hendrix. In 1966 you were still listening to lead guitar, effectively unchanged since the heyday of Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore. Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound, but nothing revolutionary. Then Are you Experienced (1967) was released and everything changed overnight!

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend? I think it's hardly accurate to say guitar playing in rock hadn't changed since Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry. And as brilliant as Jimi was, he jacked a lot from the aforementioned. People like Dick Dale and Link Wray deserve some notice for contribution too.

Edited by sugaraylen
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Chuck Berry pretty much invented rock music. 'Chuck v Elvis'. It is an old debate concerning who got there first but regardless, Berry was doing some very innovative things at Chess in the mid-50s while Presley was doing some very innovative things at Sun. Rock n' Roll was born. And the originals still stand-up today, 'Johnny Be Good', 'You Can't Catch Me', 'That's Allright', 'Blue Moon of Kentucy' - this is some of the finest music ever recorded. Even when Presley went to RCA you still got some good stuff, 'My Baby Left Me', 'King Creole'. Berry also had a mid 60s resurgence with 'Nadine', 'No Particular Place to Go' and others. It helped that bands such as the Beatles, Stones, Animals etc. - the British invasion - were all using Berry originals. So I am sticking with Chuck and Elvis.

The guitar grew-up with Hendrix. In 1966 you were still listening to lead guitar, effectively unchanged since the heyday of Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore. Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound, but nothing revolutionary. Then Are you Experienced (1967) was released and everything changed overnight!

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend? I think it's hardly accurate to say guitar playing in rock hadn't changed since Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry. And as brilliant as Jimi was, he jacked a lot from the aforementioned. People like Dick Dale and Link Wray deserve some notice for contribution too.

Well I did say..

Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound.

Thing is with Clapton and Beck they were essentially blues-smiths. Clapton, 'Beano cover' Clapton, was delivering the most authentic Chicago Blues possible to a British audience. It wasn't original. It wasn't meant to be original (although for white audiences, it was original). Same with early Beck. By 1966 Cream were together I believe and Clapton was already breaking away from the pure blues side and introducing jazz chord progressions and other stuff. So yes, there was some innovation here but with AYE the change was seismic. Well even when Hendrix hit swinging London in 1966. Witness Beck and Clapton in the audience watching Hendrix live for the first time. Clapton leaves after a few numbers and Jeff says, ''where are you going Eric'' to which Clapton replies, ''to practice''! Hendrix completely altered the possibilities of electric guitar.

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Guest Len B'stard

Chuck Berry pretty much invented rock music. 'Chuck v Elvis'. It is an old debate concerning who got there first but regardless, Berry was doing some very innovative things at Chess in the mid-50s while Presley was doing some very innovative things at Sun. Rock n' Roll was born. And the originals still stand-up today, 'Johnny Be Good', 'You Can't Catch Me', 'That's Allright', 'Blue Moon of Kentucy' - this is some of the finest music ever recorded. Even when Presley went to RCA you still got some good stuff, 'My Baby Left Me', 'King Creole'. Berry also had a mid 60s resurgence with 'Nadine', 'No Particular Place to Go' and others. It helped that bands such as the Beatles, Stones, Animals etc. - the British invasion - were all using Berry originals. So I am sticking with Chuck and Elvis.

The guitar grew-up with Hendrix. In 1966 you were still listening to lead guitar, effectively unchanged since the heyday of Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore. Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound, but nothing revolutionary. Then Are you Experienced (1967) was released and everything changed overnight!

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend? I think it's hardly accurate to say guitar playing in rock hadn't changed since Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry. And as brilliant as Jimi was, he jacked a lot from the aforementioned. People like Dick Dale and Link Wray deserve some notice for contribution too.

Well I did say..

Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound.

Thing is with Clapton and Beck they were essentially blues-smiths. Clapton, 'Beano cover' Clapton, was delivering the most authentic Chicago Blues possible to a British audience. It wasn't original. It wasn't meant to be original (although for white audiences, it was original). Same with early Beck. By 1966 Cream were together I believe and Clapton was already breaking away from the pure blues side and introducing jazz chord progressions and other stuff. So yes, there was some innovation here but with AYE the change was seismic. Well even when Hendrix hit swinging London in 1966. Witness Beck and Clapton in the audience watching Hendrix live for the first time. Clapton leaves after a few numbers and Jeff says, ''where are you going Eric'' to which Clapton replies, ''to practice''! Hendrix completely altered the possibilities of electric guitar.

It was new to rock audiences though is kinda what i was getting at. And the story you're relaying there, Clapton was onstage with Hendrix not in the audience. Fuckin' love that story :)

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Chuck Berry pretty much invented rock music. 'Chuck v Elvis'. It is an old debate concerning who got there first but regardless, Berry was doing some very innovative things at Chess in the mid-50s while Presley was doing some very innovative things at Sun. Rock n' Roll was born. And the originals still stand-up today, 'Johnny Be Good', 'You Can't Catch Me', 'That's Allright', 'Blue Moon of Kentucy' - this is some of the finest music ever recorded. Even when Presley went to RCA you still got some good stuff, 'My Baby Left Me', 'King Creole'. Berry also had a mid 60s resurgence with 'Nadine', 'No Particular Place to Go' and others. It helped that bands such as the Beatles, Stones, Animals etc. - the British invasion - were all using Berry originals. So I am sticking with Chuck and Elvis.

The guitar grew-up with Hendrix. In 1966 you were still listening to lead guitar, effectively unchanged since the heyday of Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore. Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound, but nothing revolutionary. Then Are you Experienced (1967) was released and everything changed overnight!

Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend? I think it's hardly accurate to say guitar playing in rock hadn't changed since Scotty Moore and Chuck Berry. And as brilliant as Jimi was, he jacked a lot from the aforementioned. People like Dick Dale and Link Wray deserve some notice for contribution too.

Well I did say..

Yes, there had been some tweaks, the Kinks' powerchords, the Byrds 12 string sound.

Thing is with Clapton and Beck they were essentially blues-smiths. Clapton, 'Beano cover' Clapton, was delivering the most authentic Chicago Blues possible to a British audience. It wasn't original. It wasn't meant to be original (although for white audiences, it was original). Same with early Beck. By 1966 Cream were together I believe and Clapton was already breaking away from the pure blues side and introducing jazz chord progressions and other stuff. So yes, there was some innovation here but with AYE the change was seismic. Well even when Hendrix hit swinging London in 1966. Witness Beck and Clapton in the audience watching Hendrix live for the first time. Clapton leaves after a few numbers and Jeff says, ''where are you going Eric'' to which Clapton replies, ''to practice''! Hendrix completely altered the possibilities of electric guitar.

It was new to rock audiences though is kinda what i was getting at. And the story you're relaying there, Clapton was onstage with Hendrix not in the audience. Fuckin' love that story :)

Are you sure? I have a blues documentary in which Beck states that Clapton was in the audience. This was the night when everyone was there, Beatles, Stones. Everyone was at this club to see the arrival of this new American guitarist.

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