Today, as I’ve noted, Bob Dylan is 67. Thinking about him and listening to four decades of his music — love those iTunes smart playlists — as I was walking around doing other stuff, I concluded Dylan is arguably one of the two or three most significant Americans of the past 100 years — in music I mean.
Who else?
Louis Armstrong certainly. Chuck Berry most likely.
Keep in mind that I am talking significant and that implies influence. These are not necessarily the most important “entertainers” of the past 100 years — Sinatra and Elvis make that list. What I am asking is who had the most significant influence on subsequent music?
I say Armstrong and Dylan.
Robert Johnson.
Also, honorable mention to Scott Joplin. Jazz came from ragtime.
I would add Brian Wilson/the Beach Boys, and Janis Joplin for her influence on women rockers.
Come on! Chuck Berry not one of the most significant in the past 100 years? Dylan is famous for saying Chuck Berry’s lyrical style was a strong influence. Most of the British invasion bands would not even exist unless they used Berry’s music. The same holds true for most of the bands in the US.
Lets not forget the Fans. Some of which don’t even realize Green Days cover of Johnny Be Goode was not an original piece of theirs. Of course, Chuck Berry is not only one of the most significant, he’s certainly one of the most important. I did not see Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane.
I certainly agree with Dylan. He wrote most of his own stuff. Elvis? Wrote nearly none of his music and stole his act from Black Blues / R&B entertainers.
Sinatra. He invented the social role “pop idol.” The music was pretty good, too.
If we get far enough down the list to reach James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, we surely need to include Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.
I think Sinatra is great and I do think he changed entertainment significantly, but I don’t think he changed music in the way Armstrong, Dylan, Berry and Holiday did.
It has always amused me that when he began, Elvis’s role model was Dean Martin.
Chuck Berry, yes.
Add in Miles Davis and I’ll agree with it all.