Latest FBG music countdown of >800 artists - #2 The Rolling Stones, #1 The Allman Brothers Band (1 Viewer)

[turnjose7]

With Sam Cooke and Otis Redding off the board we are really getting to the cream of the crop in terms of soul artists

You're already there

Maybe. I guess it depends on how you categorize certain artists. As I read that post again, I think my wording may have been a mistake because some of the artists I am thinking others may very well define as having another genre as their primary genre. That is probably where any disagreements will occur, because I don't think many will quibble over the rankings.

 

[turnjose7]

110. Duke Ellington (89 points)

Total number of songs: 32

Average song score: 2.41

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 2 (Harlem Air Shaft; Jeep’s Blues, live; Onions, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: C Jam Blues; Caravan; Harlem Air Shaft; I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good); Mood Indigo; Onions, live; Perdido



Jazz’s greatest composer, Duke Ellington is said to have composed more than 1,000 tunes. He also was a great piano player and a legendary band leader. He had a knack for surrounding himself with great talent, and members of his band helped compose many of his best-known songs such as “Caravan” and “Perdido.” Often, one of his band members would have an idea for a melody, and then Duke would flesh it out into a full songs, as was the case with “Mood Indigo.”



It was really difficult choosing the recommended listening tunes here. The list of jazz standards that come from Ellington is so substantial that I didn’t even make it to “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got that Swing),” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” or “Sophisticated Lady.”



I think I mentioned earlier in the countdown, but if you get a chance, check out this album.

 

[turnjose7]

109. Memphis Jug Band (90 points)

Total number of songs: 61

Average song score: 1.74

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 1 (On the Road Again)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Kansas City Blues; K.C. Moan; Newport News Blues; On the Road Again; Stealin’ Stealin’; Sun Brimmer’s Blues; Sunshine Blues



Here we clearly have the greatest kazoo band of all-time.



If you’re just opening this thread for the first time, you probably want to go back to ranking #255 where I give a brief history of jug band music, what it is, and the influence it had on future blues and rock musicians. Along with the group I discuss in that entry, Cannon’s Jug Stompers, The Memphis Jug Band is one of two really legendary jug groups.



Led by multi-instrumentalist Will Shade, also known as Son Brimmer, The Memphis Jug Band was kind of like the Phil Lesh and Friends of their day. Their lineup was constantly changing, and they would have a bunch of local blues musicians sit in with them and play on any given day. Memphis Minnie did quite a few recordings with the group.



They were also prolific, with more 80 surviving recordings. I actually like Cannon’s Jug Stompers a little better, but the volume of material gives these guy the top jug band spot on my list.



In the Lovin’ Spoonful entry I talked about the song “On the Road Again” which was famously recorded by that group and by The Grateful Dead. But it was another song by these guys that was one of the Dead’s first ever recordings.

 

[turnjose7]

108. Flatt and Scruggs (91 points)

Total number of songs: 48

Average song score: 1.92

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Foggy Mountain Breakdown)

# of 4-point songs: 2 (Earl’s Breakdown; Salty Dog Blues, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #13 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (banjo) Earl Scruggs

Recommended listening: Cabin on the Hill; Earl’s Breakdown, live; Foggy Mountain Breakdown; Foggy Mountain Chimes, live; Pain in My Heart



We are getting to the point in which we start to see the best artists in several genres. For traditional bluegrass (i.e., not progressive bluegrass/jamgrass), it doesn’t get much better than Flatt and Scruggs. I believe that there is only one traditional bluegrass artist ranked higher.



Through his solid guitar playing and rich vocals, Lester Flatt was influential in helping define the sound of bluegrass. But it was the innovative and blindingly fast banjo playing of Earl Scruggs that was the driving force in this group, for which they get a personnel bonus. It should be noted that their backing group, The Foggy Mountain Boys, were also outstanding.



Among their many influential recordings, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” stands out as one of the greatest bluegrass tracks ever recorded. Though probably even more famous is “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.”



Ultimately, Scruggs was a lot more innovative and progressive in his musical style compared to Flatt, who was more of a traditionalist, leading to the breakup of the group. But from the time they were together they left a body of music up there with anyone in any genre.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

108. Flatt and Scruggs (91 points)

Total number of songs: 48

Average song score: 1.92

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Foggy Mountain Breakdown)

# of 4-point songs: 2 (Earl’s Breakdown; Salty Dog Blues, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #13 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (banjo) Earl Scruggs

Recommended listening: Cabin on the Hill; Earl’s Breakdown, live; Foggy Mountain Breakdown; Foggy Mountain Chimes, live; Pain in My Heart



We are getting to the point in which we start to see the best artists in several genres. For traditional bluegrass (i.e., not progressive bluegrass/jamgrass), it doesn’t get much better than Flatt and Scruggs. I believe that there is only one traditional bluegrass artist ranked higher.



Through his solid guitar playing and rich vocals, Lester Flatt was influential in helping define the sound of bluegrass. But it was the innovative and blindingly fast banjo playing of Earl Scruggs that was the driving force in this group, for which they get a personnel bonus. It should be noted that their backing group, The Foggy Mountain Boys, were also outstanding.



Among their many influential recordings, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” stands out as one of the greatest bluegrass tracks ever recorded. Though probably even more famous is “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.”



Ultimately, Scruggs was a lot more innovative and progressive in his musical style compared to Flatt, who was more of a traditionalist, leading to the breakup of the group. But from the time they were together they left a body of music up there with anyone in any genre.

They were so good that the whole genre ossified for about 5 decades.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

109. Memphis Jug Band (90 points)

Total number of songs: 61

Average song score: 1.74

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 1 (On the Road Again)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Kansas City Blues; K.C. Moan; Newport News Blues; On the Road Again; Stealin’ Stealin’; Sun Brimmer’s Blues; Sunshine Blues



Here we clearly have the greatest kazoo band of all-time.



If you’re just opening this thread for the first time, you probably want to go back to ranking #255 where I give a brief history of jug band music, what it is, and the influence it had on future blues and rock musicians. Along with the group I discuss in that entry, Cannon’s Jug Stompers, The Memphis Jug Band is one of two really legendary jug groups.



Led by multi-instrumentalist Will Shade, also known as Son Brimmer, The Memphis Jug Band was kind of like the Phil Lesh and Friends of their day. Their lineup was constantly changing, and they would have a bunch of local blues musicians sit in with them and play on any given day. Memphis Minnie did quite a few recordings with the group.



They were also prolific, with more 80 surviving recordings. I actually like Cannon’s Jug Stompers a little better, but the volume of material gives these guy the top jug band spot on my list.



In the Lovin’ Spoonful entry I talked about the song “On the Road Again” which was famously recorded by that group and by The Grateful Dead. But it was another song by these guys that was one of the Dead’s first ever recordings.

Kazoo band? @krista4 , alert OH!!!!

 

[turnjose7]

107. John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (92 points)

Total number of songs: 19

Average song score: 2.42

# of 5-point songs: 2 (So Many Roads; The Super-Natural)

# of 4-point songs: 1 (The Stumble)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #7 guitarist Eric Clapton (partial bonus); #13 guitarist Peter Green (partial bonus); #12 bassist Jack Bruce (partial bonus)

Recommended listening: All Your Love; Double Trouble; Sitting in the Rain; The Stumble; The Super-Natural



People commonly talk about all the talented musicians that spent time with The Yardbirds at one time or another, but maybe even more impressive is the list of musicians that were at some point members of The Bluesbreakers: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, and Aynsley Dunbar to name just a few.



While they weren’t as successful as The Yardbirds or some of the other British supergroups, John Mayall’s band produced a lot of great music. If you are a blues fan, they are a group you absolutely must listen to.



Obviously a couple of their members went on to form Cream and the jazz rock group Colosseum was also a spinoff. But nowhere was their direct influence more important than as the precursor to the original lineup of Fleetwood Mac. In songs like “The Super-Natural” you get a forerunner of what Peter Green would be doing with his new groups. In fact, I always thought that “Black Magic Woman” (also written by Green) was really just a lesser version of “The Super-Natural” with lyrics added. Whether others hear that or not, there is no denying that the opening guitar part is epic.

 

[turnjose7]

T-105. Amy Winehouse (93 points)

Total number of songs: 38

Average song score: 2.45

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Valerie, live)

# of 4-point songs: 4 (Back to Black; I Heard It Through the Grapevine, live; Love is a Losing Game, live; To Know Him is To Love Him, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Back to Black; Just Friends, live; Love is a Losing Game; Rehab, live; Valerie, live



I don’t know if I have seen any discussion of Amy Winehouse on this board. I’m kind of surprised (though I haven’t read Krista’s British thread yet, so maybe I just haven’t looked in the right spot). Regardless, I’m sure she has to have some fans here. Her voice was a blast from the past. Her singing was so powerful while avoiding being over-the-top. Her improvisation seemed effortless. Just an amazing talent. She also had a great band around her.





T-105. Oz Noy (93 points)

Total number of songs: 26

Average song score: 3.35

# of 5-point songs: 3 (Bemsha Swing; Cissy Strut, live; God Only Knows)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Blue Ball Blues; Damn This Groove, live; Misterioso, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Bemsha Swing, live; God Only Knows; Just Groove Me, live; Slow Grease, live; You Dig



An artist that might be less well known, Oz Noy is someone you will want to explore if you aren’t already familiar. The Israeli jazz fusion guitarist is probably one of my favorite musicians around right now. His guitar style and tone are incredibly interesting.



Oz has played and recorded with many great musicians (including Warren Haynes, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, John Medeski, Allen Toussaint, and Chick Corea). As you can see from the videos, he has toured with Dave Weckl (for those who aren’t familiar, Dave is one of the great all-time jazz drummers). I had the pleasure of seeing them perform together a few years ago and it was one of the best shows I have been to.



In addition to being a phenomenal guitarist, Oz also has great taste in music. His own tunes are very good, but his covers are incredible. He is a big Thelonious Monk fan and covers a bunch of his songs, but he has diverse tastes and does songs by a variety of blues and rock artists as well. When I saw him, I was fortunate enough to catch him play “God Only Knows” live, and he spoke about how much he loves the song. It shows in his playing.



Check this guy out.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

T-105. Amy Winehouse (93 points)

Total number of songs: 38

Average song score: 2.45

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Valerie, live)

# of 4-point songs: 4 (Back to Black; I Heard It Through the Grapevine, live; Love is a Losing Game, live; To Know Him is To Love Him, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Back to Black; Just Friends, live; Love is a Losing Game; Rehab, live; Valerie, live



I don’t know if I have seen any discussion of Amy Winehouse on this board. I’m kind of surprised (though I haven’t read Krista’s British thread yet, so maybe I just haven’t looked in the right spot). Regardless, I’m sure she has to have some fans here. Her voice was a blast from the past. Her singing was so powerful while avoiding being over-the-top. Her improvisation seemed effortless. Just an amazing talent. She also had a great band around her.





T-105. Oz Noy (93 points)

Total number of songs: 26

Average song score: 3.35

# of 5-point songs: 3 (Bemsha Swing; Cissy Strut, live; God Only Knows)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Blue Ball Blues; Damn This Groove, live; Misterioso, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Bemsha Swing, live; God Only Knows; Just Groove Me, live; Slow Grease, live; You Dig



An artist that might be less well known, Oz Noy is someone you will want to explore if you aren’t already familiar. The Israeli jazz fusion guitarist is probably one of my favorite musicians around right now. His guitar style and tone are incredibly interesting.



Oz has played and recorded with many great musicians (including Warren Haynes, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, John Medeski, Allen Toussaint, and Chick Corea). As you can see from the videos, he has toured with Dave Weckl (for those who aren’t familiar, Dave is one of the great all-time jazz drummers). I had the pleasure of seeing them perform together a few years ago and it was one of the best shows I have been to.



In addition to being a phenomenal guitarist, Oz also has great taste in music. His own tunes are very good, but his covers are incredible. He is a big Thelonious Monk fan and covers a bunch of his songs, but he has diverse tastes and does songs by a variety of blues and rock artists as well. When I saw him, I was fortunate enough to catch him play “God Only Knows” live, and he spoke about how much he loves the song. It shows in his playing.



Check this guy out.

There was indeed a lot of Amy discussion in the British countdown thread.

 

[krista4]

There was indeed a lot of Amy discussion in the British countdown thread.

Yes, tons. Also in other threads since she was the one 21st century artist that wikkid liked, I think. I still haven't found a way to connect with her music, but I'm the outlier on that.

 

[turnjose7]

T-102. Bill Monroe (95 points)

Total number of songs: 40

Average song score: 2.15

# of 5-point songs: East Tennessee Blues, live; Get Up John; Roanoke

# of 4-point songs: I’m Sitting on Top of the World; On and On; Rawhide

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Bluegrass Breakdown; Blue Moon of Kentucky; Get Up John, live; Orange Blossom Special; Roanoke



In the Flatt and Scruggs entry, I mentioned that there was one traditional bluegrass musician ranked ahead of them. Who else could it beside Bill Monroe? He invented the genre. For those who aren’t aware, the genre of bluegrass is named after Monroe’s band, The Bluegrass Boys. In its early days, the band included a young Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.



Speaking of which, I actually made a mistake in the scoring here. He was a big enough part of the early success of Bill’s band that I probably should have awarded a partial bonus here for Scruggs. That would bump him up a few spots and put him in the top 100, which seems appropriate. I don’t know that there is any other musician so closely associated with a particular genre.



“Blue Moon of Kentucky” is probably the most imporant bluegrass song of all time and has been recorded by numerous artists, including most notably Elvis. In the above selections you also see the beginnings of the musical style many associate with the genre, including some really great breakdowns.



In southern Indiana there is a nice bread-and-breakfast town called Nashville right outside of a great state park. My wife and I often stay there for a weekend in the fall. A few years back we were exploring the surrounding area and stumbled upon an even smaller town called Morgantown. The town features Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame. I had no idea and had never heard of it until we drove by it, but it is really cool. A lot of great items including Monroe’s original notes for “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” If you are ever passing by it is worth stopping to check out.





T-102. Drive-by Truckers (95 points)

Total number of songs: 32

Average song score: 2.81

# of 5-point songs: 4 (Danko-Manuel; ******* Lonely Love; Let There Be Rock; Lookout Mountain)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Marry Me; Shut Up and Get on the Plane; Where the Devil Don’t Stay)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Decoration Day; ******* Lonely Love; My Sweet Annette; Where the Devil Don’t Stay; Zip City



I’ve seen The Drive-By Truckers twice in concert, once with Jason Isbell when they opened for The Black Crowes and then once post-Isbell just a couple of years ago when they opened for The Tedeschi Trucks Band. The first show was great, the second fairly mediocre.



That’s probably consistent with my overall assessment of the group. I really love the Isbell era. Decoration Day and The Dirty South are both outstanding albums. I also like the album just preceding Isbell joining, Southern Rock Opera. The rest of their stuff is kind of “meh.”



I will say that while I’m not usually someone who pays a ton of attention to lyrics, the Truckers are one group that I listen to a little more closely. They can be pretty raw, but there is a realness to them that adds authenticity to these songs.



One of my other favorite songs that I didn’t list above is “Outfit,” mostly because I think of it as more of an Isbell solo tune. I didn’t want to ignore it completely because it definitely deserves a mention. Though among the songs he wrote for the Truckers, nothing compares to the emotional power of “******* Lonely Love.”





T-102. Lucero (95 points)

Total number of songs: 32

Average song score: 2.85

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 5 (B*****d’s Lullaby, live; Like Lightning, live; Rick’s Boogie, live; Summer Song, live; Women & Work, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Like Lightning, live; My Best Girl; Nights Like These, live; Women & Work; That Much Further West



Lucero is one of the newest groups in my library. By newest, I mean to me as I have really only started listening to them within the last year or so, though they have been around since around 2000.



This rating might therefore be a little inflated. It is probably due to some extent to the recency bias that I mentioned earlier. Don’t get me wrong, I think they have a really cool sound and I like them quite a bit. But I don’t think I love them. While I do like his voice for some songs, Ben Nichols’ vocals are a little hit or miss for me.



It does seem appropriate having them in the same post as Drive-by Truckers, though. They kind of have similar vibes.

 

[turnjose7]

Hmm. Did not expect the title of that Truckers song to be censored. Kind of weird.

 

[krista4]

Paul McCartney did a nice cover of "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Love the Bill Monroe, of course. Nashville, IN is a great little town. Where I grew up, everyone went up in the fall to see the colors. Great selections today. Well, I don't actually know Lucero's work but will check it out.

 

[turnjose7]

Can't stop watching the Roanoke video. They are flying. Monroe's mandolin intro is sick.

 

[turnjose7]

101. Louis Armstrong (96 points)

Total number of songs: 35

Average song score: 2.43

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Ain’t Misbehavin’; Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, live; What A Wonderful World)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Ain’t Misbehavin’; Mack the Knife; Mahogany Hall Stomp, live; Potato Head Blues; St. Louis Blues; Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, live; When the Saints Go Marching In, live



The second greatest trumpeter ever is our last entry before the top 100. And it seems like he is significantly underrated at that. I’ll have to go through the library and see which songs are rated at the wrong level. As one of the older artists on the list, I suspect there are many that have drifted down over the years that shouldn’t have.



Regardless, there is so much that can be said about Satchmo that I don’t even know where to start. He was so talented in so many ways. He just missed out on the miscellaneous instrument personnel bonus as a trumpeter, literally coming in at #21 on that list. With his unique voice and outstanding phrasing he also just missed out on a vocal bonus as well.



In terms of individual tracks, he has so many renowned recordings we could do an entire thread on them. I talked about the Ella Fitzgerald version of “Mack the Knife” earlier. Armstrong’s is nearly as good. It’s also really interesting to see how these recordings evolved over the years. Compare the above version of St. Louis Blues, the Bessie Smith version on which Louis played cornet and which is one of the most important future foundational tracks in all blues and jazz, with this much more jammy version that he recorded decades later. He had such a long and prolific career and literally evolved right alongside the development of modern American music.

 

[turnjose7]

We've made it into the top 100!


T-99. Fats Domino (97 points)

Total number of songs: 42

Average song score: 2.31

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Ain’t That a Shame; Fats’ Frenzy; I’m Walkin’)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Ain’t That a Shame; Blue Monday, live; The Fat Man; Fats' Frenzy; Swanee River Hop



Another of the legendary early pioneers of rock, Fats Domino actually hated to refer to his music as rock and roll, insisting that it was rhythm and blues. No matter how you describe it, it was incredibly impactful, influencing every major artist from Elvis to the Beatles.



I read an article about Fats on Billboard’s website that I think did a great job describing what a force he was: “So distinct was Fats Domino’s touch in the ’50s that when he turned out a version of the already well-covered 1940 tune ‘Blueberry Hill,’ he pretty much erased all memory of previous ones from the public’s mind.”



He had such a smooth voice and sang so effortlessly, but it is some of the instrumental jams that illustrate what a great piano player and band leader he was.



What a music icon. Elvis himself famously referred to Fats as “the real king of rock and roll.”





T-99. King Curtis (97 points)

Total number of songs: 18

Average song score: 2.94

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Soul Serenade, live)

# of 4-point songs: 2 (A Whiter Shade of Pale, live; Memphis Stew, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #7 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (saxophone) King Curtis

Recommended listening: Games People Play; Hey Joe; Memphis Soul Stew, live; Ode to Billie Joe, live; Soul Serenade; Soul Twist



King Curtis is one of my favorite saxophone players of all-time. In his early career he started playing mostly jazz, but he also loved R&B and felt like he could make more money in that genre, so he focused his efforts there. This eventually led to him getting into rock. His band The Kingpins opened for the The Beatles in 1965 and famously backed Aretha Franklin both in the studio and at a series of 1971 concerts at The Fillmore West, concerts that led to albums for both Franklin and Curtis. Among others, he also recorded with John Lennon and Freddie King.



Beyond his work as a sideman, he also was a great band leader and played with many other legends. Jimi Hendrix played with him early in his career, and for a time Billy Preston was a member of the Kingpins. Curtis also became friends with Duane Allman who is featured on the above recordings of “Games People Play” and “Hey Joe.”



When Curtis died, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder played at his funeral. Duane Allman, who was in attendance, talks about it at the beginning of this recording at A&R Studios, and then pays tribute by incorporating “Soul Serenade” into “You Don’t Love Me.” A little bit of a spoiler since we won’t get to the Allman Brother entry for some time, but that “You Don’t Love Me/Soul Serenade” recording gets a bonus as my #9 all-time favorite track.

 

[krista4]

When Curtis died, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder played at his funeral. Duane Allman, who was in attendance, talks about it at the beginning of this recording at A&R Studios, and then pays tribute by incorporating “Soul Serenade” into “You Don’t Love Me.” A little bit of a spoiler since we won’t get to the Allman Brother entry for some time, but that “You Don’t Love Me/Soul Serenade” recording gets a bonus as my #9 all-time favorite track.

This is a cool tidbit!

 

[turnjose7]

T-97. Garth Brooks (99 points)

Total number of songs: 58

Average song score: 1.98

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 2 (Two of a Kind Working on a Full House, live; Wrapped Up in You, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Ain’t Going Down (‘Til the Sun Comes Up); Callin’ Baton Rouge, live; Friends in Low Places, live; If Tomorrow Never Comes; Thunder Rolls; Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House



Several times in the countdown I mentioned that I am not a huge country fan. But if one country artist was going to make the top 100, it had to be Garth. The artist with the most diamond albums of any artist in any genre (with his 9 crushing the Beatles’ 6), there is no denying how loved he is. He therefore earns his place as the top pure-country artist in the countdown.



And he does have a lot of good songs. There are certainly some of his popular songs that I wouldn’t consider myself a big fan of, but there are at least a dozen tracks of his that I genuinely enjoy and am glad when the come up in my playlist.



My favorite of these is “Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House,” probably because it was written by a non-country artist. For those who don’t know, Warren Haynes wrote this song. Here he is covering his own song.



The above version of “Wrapped Up in You” features Keb’ Mo’. His collaborations with Garth are great and you can find some really good stuff out there like this.





T-97. Jerry Garcia Band (99 points)

Total number of songs: 18

Average song score: 3.44

# of 5-point songs: 4 (Deal, live; Dear Prudence, live; How Sweet It Is, live; Tore Up Over You, live)

# of 4-point songs: 6 (Evangeline, live; I Second That Emotion, live; Stop That Train, live; That’s What Love Will Make You Do, live; The Harder They Come, live; They Love Each Other, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: # 6 guitarist Jerry Garcia (partial bonus)

Recommended listening: Deal, live; Dear Prudence, live; Let It Rock, live; Run for the Roses, live; Tore Up Over You, live



The next of our Grateful Dead spinoff bands is one of the most important and one of the longest-lasting. Jerry performed under the name Jerry Garcia Band during breaks from the Dead’s touring schedule from 1976 through his death in 1995. The lineup of the band went through numerous changes and at various points featured other Dead members like Keith and Donna Godchaux and Bill Kreutzmann, as well as other great musicians like Nicky Hopkins and Melvin Seals.



The band played a mix of covers, a few exclusive JGB tunes, and several tunes like “Deal” that started with this group but then became part of the Grateful Dead’s repertoire. They could be kind of jammy, of course, but much less so than the Dead. They generally eschewed the 20-minute long free-form instrumentals for a lot more R&B tunes that were just a little dressed up. They also did a fair amount of straight-up rockers and at times I feel like Jerry’s guitar playing could be more fiery with this group than with the Dead.



I did give Jerry a personnel bonus here, though only some of his full bonus since this group’s stuff is a much smaller part of his career and my library than The Grateful Dead.

 

[shuke]

Garth Brooks and Jerry in the same post. I'm not sure there a like emoji that properly represents my confusion here.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Garth Brooks and Jerry in the same post. I'm not sure there a like emoji that properly represents my confusion here.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Coupla thoughts of some recent reveals......

Given how this started, I thought Bill Monroe would be WAY higher than where he ended up (Flatt & Scruggs, too). It's got me wondering if someone else - who I thought was a given early on - will show up at all.

Probably my biggest regret in krista's US countdown was not placing a Louis Armstrong record. My problem was I couldn't decide on one to define him - I had decided early on to choose songs that I had a personal connection to and, outside of latter-day stuff like "Wonderful World" & "Hello Dolly", I just didn't have the living history of Louis affecting me. My only exception was "Minnie The Moocher", which I took as an archetype to include someone like Armstrong. If we're building a Mount Rushmore of American music giants, though, Louis has to be on it.

What I wrote in the last paragraph could also be said about Duke Ellington.

Garth Brooks was a bit of a surprise for me, but I have the opposite reaction that shuke did (I could give a **** less about Garcia). I'm not a big mainstream country fan, but what Brooks did in the early '90s was huge for that genre. It also put the final nail in the coffin of what came before. He basically turned country into arena rock. I was riding with a coworker the other day to a corporate meeting and he had SXM's The Highway on - that's the "Country Currents" channel on satellite. I swear, EVERY SINGLE SONG sounded the same and like a Garth Brooks record.

 

[turnjose7]

T-95. Buddy Holly (100 points)

Total number of songs: 47

Average song score: 2.13

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 2 (Not Fade Away; That’ll Be the Day)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Crying, Waiting, Hoping; It’s So Easy; Not Fade Away; Peggy Sue, live; That’ll Be the Day, live; Words of Love



Our first artist with 100 points is one of our last and one of the most important of the early rock pioneers to appear on the list. From his popularization of the guitar/guitar/bass/drums 4-man rock lineup, Keith Richards modeling his guitar playing on “Not Fade Away,” Elton John adopting his glasses, to his promotion of the Fender Stratocaster in rock music, Holly’s influence was monumental. The Beatles even copied The Crickets in the insect-themed name of their band.



Holly was a great vocalist and a very good guitar player who influenced generations of later musicians. But probably his greatest influence was being the primary songwriter on the tunes he sung, which was rare at the time, and the outstanding catalog of songs he left after such a short career. The Beatles doing “Words of Love,” Waylon Jennings doing “Peggy Sue” (Waylon played with Buddy for a time), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band doing “Rave On,” and both The Rolling Stones and The Grateful Dead doing “Not Fade Away” are just some of my favorites of the many, many, many great covers of Buddy Holly Songs. Love the duel between Jerry and Brent on that last one.



Of course, probably nothing better captures his importance to modern music than his death being referred to as “the day the music died.”





T-95. Colin James (100 points)

Total number of songs: 33

Average song score: 2.97

# of 5-point songs: 2 (Bad Habits, live; Stones in My Passway/Just Came Back, live)

# of 4-point songs: 7 (Ain’t Nothing You Can Do, live; Into the Mystic; Into the Mystic, live; Keep on Loving Me Baby; National Steel; Oh Well, live; Why’d You Lie, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Bad Habits, live; Man’s Gotta Be a Stone, live; National Steel; Voodoo Thing, live; Why’d You Lie, live



Another that is maybe a little less well known, Colin James is considered by some to be Canada’s greatest blues guitarist. He got his start opening for Stevie Ray Vaughn, and has since gone on to a career in which he has won just about every music award Canada has to offer. Unfortunately, I don’t think he has broken through to the United States as much as he deserves.



I find his music kind of humorous because some of his original stuff is what you might expect from a Canadian blues artist. It is like a very nice, polite version of the blues. But there is certainly nothing inauthentic about his guitar playing, which is phenomenal.

 

[turnjose7]

Sorry for the slight delay in getting the next entry up, but I feel like this is a big one and I wanted to get it right. The 102-point entry is the last one to have 4 artists, and there are only two more entries with 3 artists. That means most of the rest of the countdown is a single artist per post or at most 2 artists tied. Regardless, this entry is a good one.


T-91. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (102 points)

Total number of songs: 19

Average song score: 2.37

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Big Country, live)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Hoedown, live; Improv/Amazing Grace, live; The Sinister Minister)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #3 bassist Victor Wooten; #20 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (banjo) Bela Fleck

Recommended listening: Big Country, live; Flight of the Cosmic Hippo; Improv/Prelude from Bach Violin Partita #3, live; The Sinister Minister, live; That Old Thing/Earth Jam, live



I said during my initial explanation of the countdown that I had taken out classical music from the rankings, but when you have a genius combine classical music with bluegrass, what can you do?



This entry is really for all of Bela Fleck’s work, but since the vast majority of his content in my library is with the Flecktones, and since the Flecktones are one of the most amazing groups of performers ever assembled, I just decided to keep it all under the entry with this name.



I imagine most are familiar with these guys, but for those who aren’t, Bela Fleck is a genius. He is a virtuoso banjo player that combines bluegrass, jazz, classical, and rock material, doing both amazing covers and original material from all those genres. I think it was in the Billy Strings thread that someone referred to him as the Jimi Hendrix of the banjo, and that is probably a reasonable comparison. He gets a personnel bonus here in the miscellaneous instrument category.



But the real highlight of the Flecktones is bassist Victor Wooten, who comes in as my third favorite bassist ever. I briefly talked about him earlier for his solo work, but it is with the Flecktones that he really shines. Just watch the bass solo in “The Sinister Minister” above to see what I’m talking about.



Of course, I am obligated to make reference to connections with one of my favorite jam bands, Gov’t Mule. Check out Bela joining Mule for “Lay of the Sunflower” and then when you are really ready to be blown away, check out Victor join them for “Sco-Mule.”





T-91. J. Geils Band (102 points)

Total number of songs: 29

Average song score: 3.38

# of 5-point songs: 2 (Wait, live; Whammer Jammer)

# of 4-point songs: 12 (Ain’t Nothin’ But a House Party, live; Back to Get Ya, live; Centerfold, live; Detroit Breakdown, live; Give It To Me, live; Jus’ Can’t Stop Me, live; Land of a Thousand Dances, live; Raise Your Hand, live; Sanctuary, live; Sno-Cone, live; Stoop Down #39, live; Till the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: (Ain’t Nothin’ But a) House Party, live; Just Can’t Wait, live; Musta Got Lost; Sanctuary/One Last Kiss, live; Wait, live; Whammer Jammer



I guess I didn’t realize how big of a fan of The J. Geils Band I was. It surprised me when I got to this entry and saw them here. They always struck me more as a really, really good bar band than one of the truly great all-time artists. And I’m actually not a huge fan of some of their more popular songs like “Freeze Frame” or “Love Stinks.”



Nevertheless, I’m ok with this ranking. There aren’t many bands that I can think of that are more purely fun than these guys. Peter Wolf is a great front man and the outstanding harmonica from Richard “Magic ****” Salwitz always added a nice touch to their songs. They really brought it during their live performances. One of their great live albums is titled Blow Your Face Out, and that seems appropriate. They’re one group I really wish I would have had the chance to see live.





T-91. Jason Isbell (102 points)

Total number of songs: 37

Average song score: 2.70

# of 5-point songs: 3 (Cover Me Up; Danko/Manuel, live; Stockholm, live)

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Cover Me Up, live; Flying Over Water, live; ******* Lonely Love, live; Like a Hurricane, live; Outfit, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Alabama Pines; Danko/Manuel, live; Elephant; If We Were Vampires, live; Flying Over the Water; Something More Than Free



I already posted some recommendations from Jason Isbell in The Drive-By Truckers entry, including “Decoration Day,” “******* Lonely Love,” and “Outfit.” He frequently plays all of those with his current band, The 400 Unit, and there are some really nice versions worth checking out. “Danko/Manuel” is also a song he wrote for The Drive-By Truckers, and I am huge fan of The Band so I had to include this tribute to two members of that group.



But this entry is mostly for Isbell’s solo stuff and for material he has done with The 400 Unit. Isbell himself is super talented. He got consideration for both a songwriting bonus and a vocalist personnel bonus. He’s also a very good guitarist including being a solid slide player. The 400 Unit is a strong band as well. I’m a fan of their other guitarist, Sadler Vaden, who previously played with Drivin’ N Cryin’. Jason’s wife Amanda Shires adds a nice touch playing fiddle, as well as providing vocals on songs like “If We Were Vampires.”



The thing that probably separates Isbell from a lot of other musicians are his powerful lyrics. I mentioned in the Truckers entry that I’m not normally a lyrics guy, but his are so poignant that it’s impossible not to be moved by them. If you want to really get a sense of this, check out his breakout album, Southeastern.



I should mention that while he has a lot of great original material, he can also bring it with some outstanding covers. Check him out covering The Rolling Stones and The Allman Brothers.





T-91. Santana (102 points)

Total number of songs: 31

Average song score: 3.03

# of 5-point songs: 4 (As the Years Go Passing By, live; Chunk a Funk, live; Gypsy Queen, live; Incident at Neshabur, live)

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Black Magic Woman, live; Persuasion, live; Samba Pa Ti, live; Treat, live; Yours Is the Light, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: As the Years Go Passing By, live; Chunk a Funk, live; Savor/Jingo, live; Samba Pa Ti, live; Soul Sacrifice, live



I have mixed feelings on Santana. I can’t figure them out. They recorded some tracks that I think might be among the best live music ever recorded and then on the same album they will have some songs so terrible I think I’d prefer to go deaf than ever have to risk the excruciating pain of having to hear them again. I just don’t get it.



Some of their bigger tracks are not really my style. I already discussed in the John Mayall entry how I think “Black Magic Woman” is a lesser reproduction of “The Super-Natural” (though I will admit the incorporation of “Gypsy Queen” into the Santana version makes it superior to the Fleetwood Mac version). “Oyo Como Va” is kind of boring to me. And don’t even get me started on “Smooth.”



But when they jammed out, these guys could be amazing. It’s interesting to me that they aren’t mentioned alongside other big names of the era like The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers, because they could be as jammy as either of those groups. In fact, a nice jam bonus helped contribute to their score here.



Many are probably familiar with Lotus as a legendary live album. It is certainly worth checking out. But I actually prefer their Live at the Fillmore 1968 album which predates their famous Woodstock performance and shows a bluesier Santana. I could listen to “As the Years Go Passing By” all day.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

And I’m actually not a huge fan of some of their more popular songs like “Freeze Frame” or “Love Stinks.”

Why, they're great. So is "Come Back."

He got consideration for both a songwriting bonus and a vocalist personnel bonus.

Interesting, as the main thing that has kept me from diving deeper into his stuff is his voice. I don't really care for it.

Many are probably familiar with Lotus as a legendary live album. It is certainly worth checking out. But I actually prefer their Live at the Fillmore 1968 album which predates their famous Woodstock performance and shows a bluesier Santana.

Love them both. As popular as they were/are, nonetheless it seems like the first few incarnations of Santana don't get enough credit these days for being as groundbreaking as they were. They blended stuff in ways that just wasn't done before.

 

[turnjose7]

And I’m actually not a huge fan of some of their more popular songs like “Freeze Frame” or “Love Stinks.”

Why, they're great. So is "Come Back."

He got consideration for both a songwriting bonus and a vocalist personnel bonus.

Interesting, as the main thing that has kept me from diving deeper into his stuff is his voice. I don't really care for it.

Many are probably familiar with Lotus as a legendary live album. It is certainly worth checking out. But I actually prefer their Live at the Fillmore 1968 album which predates their famous Woodstock performance and shows a bluesier Santana.

Love them both. As popular as they were/are, nonetheless it seems like the first few incarnations of Santana don't get enough credit these days for being as groundbreaking as they were. They blended stuff in ways that just wasn't done before.

I could definitely see where someone wouldn't love his voice. Obviously it is very Southern so that is going to affect whether anyone likes it or not. And there are certainly singers that are more technically proficient. But I think what I love about it is that it sounds so authentic, like it was made to sings his songs. Especially for an artist whose lyrics are so personal, I think that authenticity makes even more of a difference.

As he relates in "Outfit" his dad told him "Don't sing with a fake British accent" and he certainly doesn't. I think that's the appeal to me.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

T-91. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (102 points)

This was the artist I was wondering about in my post above after Monroe got picked. I shouldn't have doubted they would show, given your jammy ways.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I think the best way to think of Santana (the band) is to think of them as a revolving-door "collective", similar to what Hendrix envisioned for his Electric Sky Church (but died before he could implement it). Carlos follows his own muse and DGAF what others think. His guitar tone is lovely to my ears, and may be my favorite ever - it flows like the best cognac. Also, I love "Smooth".

J Geils was always a fun band and I'm a big fan of their radio hits. Some of them are dumb, but this was an intentionally dumb band and they nailed what they were going for - every time.

Isbell is a wrecking ball. If I'm not in the right mood, I can't listen to him in too large a dose because he seems to be piped into my soul and I don't need that sometimes. His songs remind me the most of what I imagine how Sam Cooke would have impacted me had he not screwed around and not gotten himself killed.

 

[turnjose7]

T-91. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (102 points)

This was the artist I was wondering about in my post above after Monroe got picked. I shouldn't have doubted they would show, given your jammy ways.

It was a busy weekend and I just realized I totally missed several posts. I had no idea what you were talking about for a second.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

T-91. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (102 points)

This was the artist I was wondering about in my post above after Monroe got picked. I shouldn't have doubted they would show, given your jammy ways.

It was a busy weekend and I just realized I totally missed several posts. I had no idea what you were talking about for a second.

I probably should have been clearer. Your 2nd sentence has been uttered by many about me

Fleck had a pretty big presence on independent radio stations in the 90s & early 00s, but I haven't heard anything new from him in years (granted, I do not search for him). He's immensely talented and he's unique.

I have to be in the right frame of mind for him, though. Same with most bluegrass, jazz fusion, and reggae. Not sure why that is with those styles.

When you first got rolling here and I could see some patterns emerging, I thought "Fleck's a given for this list". But I thought you'd have Monroe near the top, so it threw me off when I saw Monroe come off the board with Fleck not being chosen yet.

 

[turnjose7]

T-89. Greta Van Fleet (89 points)

Total number of songs: 28

Average song score: 3.5

# of 5-point songs: 5 (Built By Nations; Heat Above; Mountain of the Sun; Safari Song; The Weight of Dreams)

# of 4-point songs: 7 (Black Smoke Rising; Flower Power; My Way, Soon; The New Day; Watching Over; When the Curtain Falls; You’re the One)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Age of Man; Black Smoke Rising; Built By Nations; Highway Tune; Safari Song, live



I haven’t seen much discussion of Greta Van Fleet on the board, though I’m guessing there has been some and I just missed it. I have only recently gotten into them so maybe I just didn’t notice. I’m interested to hear what people think.



For my part, I’m sold on these guys. I think they are the real deal. The Zeppelin comparisons are inevitable, so I try not to get annoyed by them, but I do find them kind of lame. If all they were was an incredibly talented band that did an uncanny imitation of Zeppelin, there are worse things and I would still love them. But I think those comparisons are kind of lazy. These guys have their own style and have written a lot of really good, really well-crafted songs.





T-89. Oscar Peterson (89 points)

Total number of songs: 16

Average song score: 3.06

# of 5-point songs: 3 (Allegro, live; C Jam Blues, live; Now’s the Time, live)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Caravan, live; Daytrain, live; Perdido, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #5 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (piano) Oscar Peterson

Recommended listening: Boogie Blues Etude, live; C Jam Blues, live; Fine and Dandy, live; Georgia on My Mind; Now’s the Time, live



Oscar Peterson isn’t the highest artist among jazz pianists in the countdown, because another artist who was more important as a songwriter is still to come. But I think Oscar is probably the greatest jazz pianist that ever lived, and he does get the highest personnel bonus for that group.



This guy defines what it means to be a virtuoso. He plays with blazing speed but always still under such control. He could improvise better than just about anyone, but always kept the groove. Simply amazing.



I love the video of “Boogie Blues Etude” where the other members of the band are just staring in awe and presumably thinking they aren’t even needed there.

 

[turnjose7]

88. Steppenwolf (107 points)

Total number of songs: 28

Average song score: 3.36

# of 5-point songs: 5 (Disappointment Number [Unknown]; Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam, live; Magic Carpet Ride; Magic Carpet Ride, live x2)

# of 4-point songs: 9 (Born to Be Wild, live; Corrina, Corrina, live; Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam; Hey Lawdy Mama, live; Resurrection; The Pusher; Tighten Up Your Wig; Tighten Up Your Wig, live; Twisted, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Disappointment Number (Unknown); Don’t Step on the Grass, Sam, live; Hey Lawdy Mama, live; Hodge, Podge, Strained Through a Leslie; The Pusher, live; Rock Me



I don’t think I have anything particularly interesting or insightful to say about Steppenwolf. They were simply a great rock band. John Kay’s voice is classic.



Of course, they are probably best known for introducing us to “heavy metal thunder” and for that time period they were really heavy. They also made great contributions to psychedelic rock. But it was when they embraced their blues roots that I think they gave us their best stuff.



On that last noted, actually what I will say is that I don’t understand why The Second is not given more love. It is probably one of my favorite rock albums of the late 1960’s, outstanding from beginning to end. I really dig the 5-song bluesy jam that closes the album. Though maybe it just isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

 

[turnjose7]

T-86. Susan Tedeschi (108 points)

Total number of songs: 15

Average song score: 3.87

# of 5-point songs: 4 (Angel from Montgomery, live; Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, live; Voodoo Woman, live; You Got the Silver)

# of 4-point songs: 4 (700 Houses; Gonna Move; Hampmotized, live; It Hurt So Bad, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #7 vocalist Susan Tedeschi

Recommended listening: Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright; The Feeling Music Brings, live; Hampmotized, live; I Fell in Love; It Hurt So Bad; Just Won’t Burn, live



Obviously we will talk a lot more about Susan Tedeschi later in the countdown, but in my opinion she’s one of the greatest blues artists ever. A powerhouse singer, she actually finishes as the highest rated female vocalist in my musician countdown. While many of the above songs are covers (obviously drawing on great material like John Prine, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones), she is a very good songwriter as songs like “Just Won’t Burn” demonstrate. And her guitar playing is extremely underrated. I’ll touch on that more in the TTB entry.



I’ll just point out a couple of teasers from the above videos. Drummer Jeff Sipe, who I have mentioned before, helped write “Hampmotized” and the song foreshadows an upcoming entry. Ron Holloway, who plays sax on the above version of “The Feeling Music Brings” will also be appearing later in the countdown.



“Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” might be one of my favorite covers ever. It is probably a top 5 Dylan song for me, but Susan’s arrangement takes it to the next level. She also did a similar version with The Allman Brothers on a number of occasions.





T-86. Stevie Wonder (108 points)

Total number of songs: 27

Average song score: 2.81

# of 5-point songs: 3 (I Don’t Know Why [I Love You]; Superstition; Uptight [Everything’s Alright])

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Fingertips, Parts 1 and 2; For Once in My Life; I Was Made to Love Her; I Wish; Pastime Paradise)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #15 multi-instrumentalist Stevie Wonder

Recommended listening: Boogie On Raggae Woman; Fingertips, Parts 1 and 2; For Once in My Life; I Just Called to Say I Love You; I Was Made to Love Her; Uptight (Everything’s Alright)



When I said previously after the Sam Cooke and Otis Redding posts that we had nearly reached the cream of the crop in terms of soul artists and Uruk responded that we were already there, this is one of the artists that I was still thinking was to come. I guess some people might call his primary genre R&B or pop but I think of him as a soul artist, so that was the reason for my statement.



Regardless of how you want to define him, Stevie is a genius across many styles of music. Obviously he has a ton of hits that nearly everyone would recognize. I listed a lot of them above but there are still a ton more that I didn’t even get to.



Some of my favorite stuff that he does are the songs that heavily feature his harmonica playing. He uses it sparingly enough that it is sometimes easy to forget that is how he got his start, as a harmonica prodigy. But any song that features him playing harp automatically gets bumped a few notches for me.



This entry should probably include a shout out to The Funk Brothers, who contributed to so much great music. I think I mentioned James Jamerson in a previous post, but can’t remember for sure. Anyway, he comes in at #13 on my bassist list and while I didn’t consider him associated closely enough to any particular artist for a personnel bonus, he deserves some recognition here.



Finally, let’s bring Ms. Susan Tedeschi back to this post with an incredible cover. I may have posted that video before in another thread. But if I did, that’s ok, because it deserves to be posted again.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

T-86. Stevie Wonder (108 points)

I've spent an absurd amount of bandwidth on this forum talking about how I think Stevie Wonder is the greatest musical artist of the 20th Century - full stop. I won't repeat it here out of sympathy for the rest of the Free World having to read my drivel again.

He's my #1. Everyone else you post will be a step down for me

 

[turnjose7]

No doubt today's entry was a big one. The next one is even bigger. Long day tomorrow, but hopefully I'll be able to get it posted before I start in the morning. Some huge names coming.

 

[shuke]

Susan

 

[turnjose7]

T-233. Los Lobos (39 points)

Total number of songs: 11

Average song score: 3.18

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Just a Man, live)

# of 4-point songs: 0

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Evangeline, live; I Walk Alone, live; Mas Y Mas



Most would probably put Santana at the top of the rankings for Latin rock groups, and since they haven’t yet appeared you can surmise that they are higher on my list as well. However, my gut feeling rankings would actually put Los Lobos above them. Both bands can really jam and at their best, both are fantastic. But Santana can be a little hit or miss for me. Los Lobos is much more consistent, and I like pretty much everything they do.





T-233. My Morning Jacket (39 points)

Total number of songs: 12

Average song score: 2.75

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Off the Record, live)

# of 4-point songs: 2 (It Makes No Difference, live; Ophelia, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Dondante; Gideon, live; It Makes No Difference, live



A lot of people I know really like My Morning Jacket. I appreciate their style and their influences and really wish I liked them more than I do, but I just find their songs to be a little bit overrated. Which is maybe why two of the three songs that make it to the 4-level or higher in my list are covers (interestingly both by The Band).





T-233. Trigger Hippy (39 points)

Total number of songs: 11

Average song score: 3.18

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Dandelion)

# of 4-point songs: 3 (Don’t Wanna Bring You Down; Strung Out on the Pain; The Door)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Dandelion, live; Dry County; Tennessee Mud, live; Strung Out on the Pain



This is one I am guessing most probably haven’t heard of, though they are actually my favorite in this point group. Trigger Hippy is a band formed by Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and featuring Band of Heathens guitarist Ed Jurdi. The band has had a number of lineups, with various incarnations featuring Jimmy Herring, Jackie Greene, and Audley Freed on guitar, as well as Joan Osborne on vocals.



Actually, these guys should be ranked higher as I realized that I made an error in my rankings. Steve Gorman is in the top 20 on my list of favorite drummers and I think this body of work is significant enough that it should have earned them at least a partial personnel bonus, but I neglected to give them those points. I’ll make a note to correct that if I ever rerun the list.





T-233. Weather Report (39 points)

Total number of songs: 7

Average song score: 2.14

# of 5-point songs: 0

# of 4-point songs: 0

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #5 bassist Jaco Pastorius (partial bonus)

Recommended listening: Birdland, live; Delores/Portrait of Tracy/Third Stone from the Sun, live; Elegant People, live



Weather Report becomes the band that benefits most from the personnel bonus thus far on the list. Despite really liking jazz fusion, I am not a huge Weather Report fan. Obviously they are insanely talented and Joe Zawinul is a virtuoso on keyboards, but I just find the instrumentation too distracting.



Nevertheless, there is one instrument in the ensemble that I can’t get enough of, and that’s Jaco’s bass. He clocks in as my fifth favorite bassist and that may actually be underrating him. Dude was crazy, but also a genius. More on him to come.

RIP Wayne Shorter

 

[turnjose7]

While delayed, I promised the next post would have some major artists. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint.


T-83. B.B. King (109 points)

Total number of songs: 36

Average song score: 2.72

# of 5-point songs: 2 (Darlin’ You Know I Love You, live; The Thrill Is Gone, live)

# of 4-point songs: 7 (Back in L.A., live; How Blue Can You Get, live x2, The Thrill is Gone, live; Three o’Clock Blues, live; When the Saints Go Marchin’ In, live; You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #17 guitarist B.B. King

Recommended listening: Caldonia; Sweet Little Angel, live; Sweet Sixteen/Rock Me Baby, live; Three o’Clock Blues; Worry, Worry, Worry, live



Is there any musician that is a greater icon in their particular genre than Blues Boy King? There has quite possibly never been a more expressive guitar player. So much emotion was poured into every note of his playing, for which he gets a personnel bonus.



There are so many great tracks that one could highlight for B.B. it is hard to know where to start. Almost anything on the famous Live at the Regal album is incredible. Though I think I may actually like the Live in Cook County Jail album even better.



“Three o’Clock Blues” was his first big hit and I still think one of his best tunes. “Caldonia,” from the B.B. King in London album, also deserves mention. Among the musicians who play on that track are Steve Mariott, Peter Green, and Ringo Starr.



One thing I will say about King and maybe the reason he isn’t even a little bit higher is that he isn’t one of my very favorite blues vocalists. He certainly was a good singer and I know a lot of people really like his voice, but compared to some of the blues artists still to come his voice just didn’t have quite the same power. But that is a small criticism. The man is still a legend.





T-83. Booker T. and the MG’s (109 points)

Total number of songs: 34

Average song score: 2.85

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Green Onions, live)

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Medley: Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window/I Want You [She’s So Heavy]; Born Under a Band Sign, live; Green Onions; Melting Pot, live; Something)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #20 bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn

Recommended listening: Green Onions, live; Hip Hug-Her; Medley: Golden Slumbers/Carry the Weight/The End/Here Comes the Sun/Come Together; Melting Pot; Mo’ Onions



Yep, I have the entire McLemore Avenue album in my library. The bonus edition with “Day Tripper” and “You Can’t Do That” and several other extra tracks. Curious to hear what people think of it. Interestingly, the medley I like best on that album is not the one that has my favorite songs from the actual Abbey Road album.



Any discussion of Booker T. and the MG’s obviously begins with “Green Onions.” Most influential instrumental ever? I think you could make that argument.



All the members of this group were outstanding, including Booker himself, certainly. Al Jackson Jr. was in the running on my drummer list and Steve Cropper added a great sound on guitar. But it is Donald “Duck” Dunn who gets the personnel bonus here as one of my favorite bassists. He did a lot of great work with all kinds of artists including Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Levon Helm, and others, but this was his home, and they therefore get his bonus points.





T-83. Ray Charles (109 points)

Total number of songs: 33

Average song score: 2.70

# of 5-point songs: 2 (What’d I Say, Part 1; What’d I Say, Part 2)

# of 4-point songs: 4 (Deed I Do; Drown in My Own Tears; Sinner’s Prayer; What’d I Say, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #18 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (piano) Ray Charles

Recommended listening: Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’, live; Drown in My Own Tears, live; Georgia on My Mind; I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town; Mess Around; What’d I Say Parts 1 and 2



This was the other artist I was thinking of when I commented I wasn’t quite yet to the cream of the crop in terms of soul artists. Again, some might call his primary genre R&B or jazz, but to me he is soul.



Another artist for which it seems impossible to capture his genius and influence in just a few sentences. I mean, when your nickname is “The Genuis” how much more is there to say? Actually, this may be significantly underrating him as “What’d I Say” very easily could have received top 50 track bonus points.



In terms of some of these other songs, I did an entire multi-paragraph write-up of “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town” in my Allman Brothers thread (actually it featured prominently in two of the posts in that thread). Check it out as the song is really interesting and has quite the history. The other song that always gets me is “Drown in My Own Tears” which has some of my favorite vocals ever.

 

[krista4]

I love McLemore Avenue, but I'm a huge Stax fan and when you combine that with Beatles, I swoon.

 

[turnjose7]

82. Bert Jansch (110 points)

Total number of songs: 38

Average song score: 2.74

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Angie)

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Blackwaterside, live; Come Back Baby, live; Down Under, live; Rambling’s Going to Be the Death of Me; Trouble in Mind, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Angie, live; Blackwaterside; High Days, live; Needle of Death; Running From Home; Strolling Down the Highway, live



Hopefully people here are familiar with Bert Jansch, but he certainly isn’t the household name that most of the artists in the last few entries are. Jansch was a key figure in the 1960’s British folk revival and has been dubbed by some “the British Bob Dylan.” While he primarily played acoustic guitar on folk singer-songwriter type songs, he also had significant blues and jazz influences and played multiple instruments.



He is best known for his solo career but also was a founding member of the folk-jazz group Pentangle. His music in both incarnation was complex with unusual chords and irregular time signatures.



Jansch was famously an influence on Jimmy Page among others. If “Blackwaterside” sounds familiar, it’s because Page stole Jansch’s arrangement of the traditional folk song and made it into “Black Mountain Side.” He also influenced Donovan, Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and Neil Young. Neil said of him: “As much of a great guitar player as Jimi [Hendrix] was, Bert Jansch is the same thing for acoustic guitar... and my favourite."

 

[Long Ball Larry]

82. Bert Jansch (110 points)

Total number of songs: 38

Average song score: 2.74

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Angie)

# of 4-point songs: 5 (Blackwaterside, live; Come Back Baby, live; Down Under, live; Rambling’s Going to Be the Death of Me; Trouble in Mind, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: none

Recommended listening: Angie, live; Blackwaterside; High Days, live; Needle of Death; Running From Home; Strolling Down the Highway, live



Hopefully people here are familiar with Bert Jansch, but he certainly isn’t the household name that most of the artists in the last few entries are. Jansch was a key figure in the 1960’s British folk revival and has been dubbed by some “the British Bob Dylan.” While he primarily played acoustic guitar on folk singer-songwriter type songs, he also had significant blues and jazz influences and played multiple instruments.



He is best known for his solo career but also was a founding member of the folk-jazz group Pentangle. His music in both incarnation was complex with unusual chords and irregular time signatures.



Jansch was famously an influence on Jimmy Page among others. If “Blackwaterside” sounds familiar, it’s because Page stole Jansch’s arrangement of the traditional folk song and made it into “Black Mountain Side.” He also influenced Donovan, Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and Neil Young. Neil said of him: “As much of a great guitar player as Jimi [Hendrix] was, Bert Jansch is the same thing for acoustic guitar... and my favourite."

Needle of death is an amazing song

 

[turnjose7]

81. Blues Traveler (111 points)

Total number of songs: 19

Average song score: 3.12

# of 5-point songs: 2 (Crash & Burn, live; Mountain Cry, live)

# of 4-point songs: 4 (Alone, live; But Anyway, live; Closing Down the Park, live; Mulling It Over, live)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #9 miscellaneous/multi-instrumentalist (harmonica) John Popper

Recommended listening: 100 Years, live; Alone, live; Carolina Blues; Hook, live; Mountain Cry, live; The Mountains Win Again, live



In the days of my youth, I saw Blues Traveler live, opening for The Rolling Stones. At the time I didn’t really know much about them. I think I had probably heard “Run-Around” on the radio, but that was probably the extent of my familiarity with them. Keith Richards must have been similarly unimpressed at the time, because I distinctly remember an interview in which he was asked about the opening band for the tour, and he responded “I don’t know…Blues something.”



It wasn’t until years later when I got more into jam band stuff that I really began to understand this group and the music they played. For those who aren’t aware, these guys were the driving force behind the creation of H.O.R.D.E., the most famous of all jam band touring festivals.



These days I am a huge fan of this band. The things that John Popper does with a harmonica are insane and like no one else. I also think Chan Kinchla is one of the most underrated guitarists in all rock music.



Check out this amazing version of the Blues Traveler song “Alone” featuring John Popper, Jimmy Herring, Edwin McCain, and Oteil Burbridge from the Warren Haynes Benefit Concert.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I feel safe in saying this is the only list in history that has Blues Traveler ahead of Stevie Wonder. I do like BT, but…

 

[UncleZen]

These days I am a huge fan of this band. The things that John Popper does with a harmonica are insane and like no one else. I also think Chan Kinchla is one of the most underrated guitarists in all rock music.

I'm as big a fan of BT as anyone and I have to disagree about Chan. I think he is easily the weak link in the band. Now Brendan Hill, the drummer, is criminally underrated. Bobby Sheehan was one of my biggest inspirations on bass. Overall, I would have thought you would have them higher.

 

[New Binky the Doormat]

These days I am a huge fan of this band. The things that John Popper does with a harmonica are insane and like no one else. I also think Chan Kinchla is one of the most underrated guitarists in all rock music.

I'm as big a fan of BT as anyone and I have to disagree about Chan. I think he is easily the weak link in the band. Now Brendan Hill, the drummer, is criminally underrated. Bobby Sheehan was one of my biggest inspirations on bass. Overall, I would have thought you would have them higher.

yeah, really.

right up there with Jamiroquai.

 

[Psychopav]

I like where this is going... Nice thread, thanks!

 

[turnjose7]

Interesting. Of all the artists so far in the countdown, I didn't expect Blues Traveler to generate the biggest reaction. I would have assumed that other than a few jam band guys, people wouldn't have had a strong opinion one way or the other.

The next artist is one that I expected would generate more strong reactions.

 

[turnjose7]

80. Rush (112 points)

Total number of songs: 15

Average song score: 3.00

# of 5-point songs: 1 (Working Man)

# of 4-point songs: 6 (Finding My Way; Here Again; Need Some Love; What You’re Doing; Tom Sawyer; YYZ)

Top 50 track bonus: none

Personnel bonus: #18 bassist Geddy Lee; #4 drummer Neil Peart

Recommended listening: 2112; The Spirit of Radio; What You’re Doing; Xanadu; YYZ, live



This ranking is more a sign of respect than an actual reflection of how much I like the artist. All three members of Rush were certainly incredibly talented. This is reflected in the personnel bonuses for Geddy Lee and Neil Peart. Alex Lifeson was also a great guitarist. But I don’t really love listening to a lot of Rush’s songs. Their work that I enjoy most is their very early bluesy power rock. A lot of their more progressive stuff annoys me. And I hate, hate, hate Geddy’s vocals.



Nevertheless, the talent and influence or Rush in undeniable so this is where they fall on the list.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Interesting. Of all the artists so far in the countdown, I didn't expect Blues Traveler to generate the biggest reaction.

I don’t think it was a reaction to BT but more of a reaction to Stevie.

Obviously music is subjective but it’s hard to get behind a music ranking where BT > SW.

I know this isn’t a straight up ranking but some convoluted formula based on your personal music library - but something like that is going to make people take a step back and wonder (no pun intended) what’s going on here.

Obviously you have great knowledge and write ups and we have many similar tastes - your Allman Brothers thread was awesome - but this thread was always a bit difficult to dive into because in the end it’s based on your personal music library exclusively. Hopefully that doesn’t sound harsh - I’m not criticizing just trying to add a little perspective from those observing.

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

Recommended listening: 2112; The Spirit of Radio; What You’re Doing; Xanadu; YYZ, live

For casual listeners, the album "Moving Pictures" is a decent foray into the band. It contains two of the 4-point songs listed (Tom Sawyer and YYZ), and songs like Red Barchetta, Limelight and Witch Hunt from that album are also worthwhile.

 

[krista4]

I feel safe in saying this is the only list in history that has Blues Traveler ahead of Stevie Wonder. I do like BT, but…

I wasn’t going to say anything - personal preference and all - but I had exactly the same thought!