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Where does Lenny Kravitz rank? (1 Viewer)

So people think that Little Richard is more talented than Lenny?

And while I would never say that Lenny is as talented as Prince, I would argue that he’s close. 

 
FairWarning said:
The Cars, ELO (mainly Jeff Lynne), and NIN were far more influential than Lenny.  I think that plays better in music HOF discussions.  Now a group I think is a lock but isn't in is Three Dog Night.  Basically had a lot of hits but not real influential.  I think you need some of the latter.  
Lenny was a successful artist and is certainly cool as hell.   The HOF should be reserved for the truly special and I don’t think Lenny did anything significant.  

 
I should have left both parts of that post - there’s decent arguments for Little Richard being on the RnR Mount Rushmore and Prince is one of the single  most talented musicians ever.

 
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Prince and Lenny Kravitz is an interesting comparison. Both were multi-instrumentalists (IIRC, Lenny played every part in his debut album) but Prince brought something special especially with respect to his guitar playing. I agree that it is not really close, but maybe Lenny Kravitz is not getting enough recognition for his versatility and ability to write a good song. Both of those pale next to Prince but that's just about the highest bar you could name.

 
Prince and Lenny Kravitz is an interesting comparison. Both were multi-instrumentalists (IIRC, Lenny played every part in his debut album) but Prince brought something special especially with respect to his guitar playing. I agree that it is not really close, but maybe Lenny Kravitz is not getting enough recognition for his versatility and ability to write a good song. Both of those pale next to Prince but that's just about the highest bar you could name.
Yeah Prince is a good comp for what they brought to the table but Lenny just doesn’t quite have the flair, songwriting or vocal chops Prince did. But then again nobody really did. Lenny might be kind of a jack of all trades, master of none.

 
Acclaimed Music is a site that takes basically every year end list/ranking and every decade list/ranking and all the critics poll and all the 500 best songs ever! and such and compiles it into a consensus ranking. It's not perfect but it is a way of gauging criticial consensus.

Lenny Kravitz All Time Album Ranks

  • Let Love Rule #1674 (#30 album of 1989)
  • Mama Said #2085 (#34 album of 1991)
Prince All Time Album Ranks

  • Sign O' the Times #30 (#1 album of 1987)
  • Purple Rain #47 (#1 album of 1984)
  • 1999 #207 (#3 album of 1982)
  • Dirty Mind #419 (#6 album of 1980)
  • Parade #661 (#10 album of 1986)
  • Around The World in A Day #1439 (#20 album of 1985)
  • Lovesexy #2492 (#48 album of 1988)
  • O(+> #2656 (#47 album of 1992)


I'm guessing the staunchly pro-Prince folks were in high school/college in the late 80s/early 90s? Maybe Lenny Kravitz at his very best is comparable to Diamonds and Pearls era Prince in that specific early 90s era (even then give me Prince all day long) but saying the two are anyway close is IMO ridiculous. Prince has released some of the greatest songs albums of all time. Lenny Kravitz has released 35 different takes on "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "It Ain't Over Til It's Over".

Here's where their songs fall by that Metric

All Time Rank - Artist - Song Title

  • 31    -    Prince    -    When Doves Cry
  • 168    -    Prince    -    Purple Rain
  • 175    -    Prince    -    Kiss
  • 179    -    Prince    -    Little Red Corvette
  • 199    -    Prince    -    Sign 'O' the Times
  • 396    -    Prince    -    1999
  • 1259    -    Prince    -    Raspberry Beret
  • 1380    -    Prince    -    Let's Go Crazy
  • 1404    -    Prince    -    When You Were Mine
  • 1508    -    Prince    -    If I Was Your Girlfriend
  • 1879    -    Prince    -    I Wanna Be Your Lover
  • 2026    -    Prince    -    Controversy
  • 2136    -    Prince    -    I Would Die 4 U
  • 2242    -    Prince    -    Alphabet St.
  • 2271    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Are You Gonna Go My Way
  • 3048    -    Prince    -    I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
  • 3152    -    Prince    -    Pop Life
  • 3179    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    It Ain't Over Til It's Over
  • 3446    -    Prince    -    Erotic City
  • 3486    -    Prince    -    Sexy M.F.
  • 3499    -    Prince    -    Cream
  • 3758    -    Prince    -    The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
  • 4104    -    Prince    -    Gett Off
  • 4598    -    Prince    -    U Got the Look
  • 5196    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Always on the Run
  • 5564    -    Prince    -    Diamonds and Pearls
  • 5608    -    Prince    -    Dirty Mind
  • 6282    -    Prince    -    Batdance
  • 6466    -    Prince    -    Darling Nikki
  • 6510    -    Prince    -    Adore
  • 7109    -    Prince    -    7
  • 7134    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Fly Away
  • 7502    -    Prince    -    Sometimes It Snows in April
  • 7555    -    Prince    -    Mountains
  • 7598    -    Prince    -    Girls & Boys
  • 7629    -    Prince    -    Black Sweat
  • 8305    -    Prince    -    The Beautiful Ones
  • 8691    -    Prince    -    Paisley Park
  • 8925    -    Prince    -    Joy in Repetition
  • 9937    -    Prince    -    Housequake
     
 
Isaac Hayes is in the HOF. No freakin way does he deserve it and not Lenny. John Lee Hooker, Al Green, Donna Summer, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett… all great and deserving. But not more talented than Lenny. 
 

It’s almost as if being a glam rock artist hurts his legacy. Where if he were a traditional R&B/soul artist, there would be no question. 

 
never thought of Poison as "glam" even though they did the eye make up, lipstick, etc.

more "hair metal crossover" but if they are glam - they are very unlike the earlier glam groups
'80s glam is indeed very different than '70s glam as understood by the people who went through '70s glam (I didn't, but I think one can tell the difference in the two genres).

 
1. Lenny Bruce

2. Lenny Briscoe

3. Lenny Wilkens

4. Lenny Dykstra

5. Lenny Kosnowski

6. Lenny Sakata

7. Lenny Kravitz
I was gonna try, too. Lol. Bruce immediately came to mind. Props to pulling Dykstra out of a hat somewhere.

 
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To Tom Skerrit who  equated  John Lee Hooker to not as talented as Lenny Kravitz...see, a roomfull of engineering doesn't equate to talent...that being said...Lenny Kravitz is great...he opened up for the Stones, great show, Headlined a great show I seen 2nd row...great show....John Lee Hooker not on his level talent wise...Kieth Richards would kisk your acs...js.

 
Isaac Hayes is in the HOF. No freakin way does he deserve it and not Lenny. John Lee Hooker, Al Green, Donna Summer, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett… all great and deserving. But not more talented than Lenny. 
 

It’s almost as if being a glam rock artist hurts his legacy. Where if he were a traditional R&B/soul artist, there would be no question. 
Sam and Dave?  Are you talking about Hagar and Roth?  If so, they are not in the hall as individual artists. They are in the hall as members of Van Halen.

Edit:  I’m an idiot. 

 
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Sam and Dave?  Are you talking about Hagar and Roth?  If so, they are not in the hall as individual artists. They are in the hall as members of Van Halen.
BB, are you being serious here? He's talking about Sam and Dave, the soul act. I'm a soul man...Hold on, I'm comin'

They're in the HoF, IIRC.

 
Acclaimed Music is a site that takes basically every year end list/ranking and every decade list/ranking and all the critics poll and all the 500 best songs ever! and such and compiles it into a consensus ranking. It's not perfect but it is a way of gauging criticial consensus.

Lenny Kravitz All Time Album Ranks

  • Let Love Rule #1674 (#30 album of 1989)
  • Mama Said #2085 (#34 album of 1991)
Prince All Time Album Ranks

  • Sign O' the Times #30 (#1 album of 1987)
  • Purple Rain #47 (#1 album of 1984)
  • 1999 #207 (#3 album of 1982)
  • Dirty Mind #419 (#6 album of 1980)
  • Parade #661 (#10 album of 1986)
  • Around The World in A Day #1439 (#20 album of 1985)
  • Lovesexy #2492 (#48 album of 1988)
  • O(+> #2656 (#47 album of 1992)


I'm guessing the staunchly pro-Prince folks were in high school/college in the late 80s/early 90s? Maybe Lenny Kravitz at his very best is comparable to Diamonds and Pearls era Prince in that specific early 90s era (even then give me Prince all day long) but saying the two are anyway close is IMO ridiculous. Prince has released some of the greatest songs albums of all time. Lenny Kravitz has released 35 different takes on "Are You Gonna Go My Way" and "It Ain't Over Til It's Over".

Here's where their songs fall by that Metric

All Time Rank - Artist - Song Title

  • 31    -    Prince    -    When Doves Cry
  • 168    -    Prince    -    Purple Rain
  • 175    -    Prince    -    Kiss
  • 179    -    Prince    -    Little Red Corvette
  • 199    -    Prince    -    Sign 'O' the Times
  • 396    -    Prince    -    1999
  • 1259    -    Prince    -    Raspberry Beret
  • 1380    -    Prince    -    Let's Go Crazy
  • 1404    -    Prince    -    When You Were Mine
  • 1508    -    Prince    -    If I Was Your Girlfriend
  • 1879    -    Prince    -    I Wanna Be Your Lover
  • 2026    -    Prince    -    Controversy
  • 2136    -    Prince    -    I Would Die 4 U
  • 2242    -    Prince    -    Alphabet St.
  • 2271    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Are You Gonna Go My Way
  • 3048    -    Prince    -    I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
  • 3152    -    Prince    -    Pop Life
  • 3179    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    It Ain't Over Til It's Over
  • 3446    -    Prince    -    Erotic City
  • 3486    -    Prince    -    Sexy M.F.
  • 3499    -    Prince    -    Cream
  • 3758    -    Prince    -    The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
  • 4104    -    Prince    -    Gett Off
  • 4598    -    Prince    -    U Got the Look
  • 5196    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Always on the Run
  • 5564    -    Prince    -    Diamonds and Pearls
  • 5608    -    Prince    -    Dirty Mind
  • 6282    -    Prince    -    Batdance
  • 6466    -    Prince    -    Darling Nikki
  • 6510    -    Prince    -    Adore
  • 7109    -    Prince    -    7
  • 7134    -    Lenny Kravitz    -    Fly Away
  • 7502    -    Prince    -    Sometimes It Snows in April
  • 7555    -    Prince    -    Mountains
  • 7598    -    Prince    -    Girls & Boys
  • 7629    -    Prince    -    Black Sweat
  • 8305    -    Prince    -    The Beautiful Ones
  • 8691    -    Prince    -    Paisley Park
  • 8925    -    Prince    -    Joy in Repetition
  • 9937    -    Prince    -    Housequake
     
If comparing talent, it’s probably worth mentioning some of the songs that Prince wrote for other artists, such as Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor, I Feel for You by Chaka Khan, and Manic Monday by The Bangles.  Those were all massive hits. 

 

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