Who is the greatest rock musician of all time?

[dalsh327]

Well, if it's one single person, then it has to be Elvis Presley. He had the image, the stage presence, the versatility, the universal appeal, and the success (he sold over a billion records worldwide). I'd go as far to say that it's a fact that he's the greatest rock musician of all-time.

He didn't write any if his songs though.

Buddy Holly was 100 times better of a musician than Elvis.

Elvis got handed a song.....and he sang it.

Buddy wrote all the music and lyrics....as well as singing.

Hard to put Elvis in the same class as those who actually created music.

Elvis was one of the greatest performers of all time. Imo.

Elvis played piano in concert, he could read music, I just think Brill Building and Music Row were the center of the music universe, and people hired songwriters, or the artists picked a batch of songs. Or they were picked for them by the producer or arranger. Lieber and Stoller were going to sing? Doc Pomus? They wrote, someone did the songs justice, they got paid... sometimes. A Jewish dude wrote "Strange Fruit", not Billie Holiday. Aretha Franklin wrote a share of originals and played piano, but some of her best known songs were written by other people.

Elvis covered a lot of territory as a singer. I mean, there's stuff from Depression Era in his back catalog as much as there was contemporary. If a song sounded good to him, he recorded it, if not, someone else wound up doing the song. Willie Nelson (who also did a bunch of cover songs) was a songwriter before he was known as a performer. Same with Carole King and Neil Diamond. Steely Dan were staff songwriters before they had a band, they were at the tail end of that whole Brill Building era. Buddy Holly was around for a short period of time, so we'll never know how he would've fared over time. Chuck Berry wrote his own stuff. Willie Dixon was more of a songwriter than performer.

It's not really fair to say someone's not an authentic artist if they weren't writing the songs. It's like saying DeNiro should go whack someone if he's playing a mafia don. Either you believe it or you don't. Even if Axl's singing "Estranged" or "This I Love", I highly doubt he's processing his past relationships night after night - he's performing, shit I mean he left the Jungle years ago, and he hasn't been a street urchin in a long fucking time, "Sweet Child" is middle aged, doubt his lips touched Night Train since 1985. Is Axl a fraud for singing songs irrelevant to his life in 2012?

[Zeppelin]

Hendrix was insanely inventive with his playing, and influenced a whole legion of new guitarists, so he's obviously going to be near the top, if not at the top of the list. But, in terms of being there from the beginning, awesome playing, writing, performing, longevity, etc., I have to go with Chuck Berry. I mean, the man's 85, been on the scene since '55, and is still kicking ass live. It's remarkable. So, in terms of "greatest of all time" I have to go with Chuck.

[GivenToFly]

I don't think there is a single answer to this thread. Whoever you pick, it's easy to make a case against.

And Chuck Berry? I like him but Gimme a break. The guy only wrote ONE song, he just changed the lyrics.

[dalsh327]

You'd have to put McCartney in the top 5.

[Use Your Delusion 1]

McCartney

Edited September 29, 2012 by Use Your Delusion 1

[MEXzilla]

Elvis, Lennon, Dylan, Hank Williams, CBerry, Hendrix, Clapton - Influence, Presence and icons

personal favorite artist- GnR, Soundgarden, George Strait - Influence, Presence and Icons

[Randy Lahey]

John Fogerty, David Bowie and Neil Young all probably deserve to be mentioned.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I don't think there is a single answer to this thread. Whoever you pick, it's easy to make a case against.

And Chuck Berry? I like him but Gimme a break. The guy only wrote ONE song, he just changed the lyrics.

i see a difference

[DieselDaisy]

What a bunch of balls. Chuck wrote all sorts of different stuff, Wee Wee Hours, Downbound Train, Havana Moon, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, You Never Can Tell.