Who are your favorite musicians?

Post Reply New Topic

Not favorite bands, musicians. As in, your favorite guitarists, drummers, bassists, singers, or any other instrument player.

Mine are:

Guitarists: Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads (Ozzy, Quiet Riot), Dimebag Darrel (Pantera, Damageplan), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), James Hetfield (Metallica), TONY IOMMI (Black Sabbath), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave))
Drummers: Neil Peart (Rush), Danny Carey (Tool), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)
Bassists: Cliff Burton (Metallica), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), Geddy Lee (Rush)
Singers: Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave), James Hetfield (Metallica), Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)
Lyricists: Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), Zack de la Rocha (Rage Against the Machine, One Day as a Lion), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails)

Taylor Hawkins also did all the drum tracks for the latest Coheed and Cambria album, as Chris Pennie was still under contract with Dillinger Escape Plan.

That being said, here's mine:

Guitarists: Jeff Loomis(Nevermore); Bjorn Gelotte and Jesper Stromblad(In Flames); Dave Murray(Iron Maiden); Alex Lifeson(Rush); Mikael Ackerfeldt, Frederik Akesson, and Peter Lindgren(Opeth); Mark Morton and Willie Adler(Lamb of God); Dimebag; Kaki King; Ali Farka Toure; Ry Cooder; Robin Trower; Richard Thompson; Gerry O'Beirne.

Bassists: Geddy Lee(Rush), Andrew Harkin and Ed Kollar(The Prodigals), John Paul Jones(Led Zeppelin), Cliff Burton(Metallica).

Drummers: Neil Peart(Rush), Martin Lopez(Opeth), Gartdrumm(3), Chris Adler(Lamb of God), Josh Freese(A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails), Danny Carey(Tool), Brann Dailor(Mastodon).

Vocalists: Mikael Ackerfeldt(Opeth, Bloodbath), Devin Townsend(Strapping Young Lad), Rob Halford(Judas Priest), Chris Cornell, Randy Blythe(Lamb of God), Maynard James Keenan(Tool, A Perfect Circle), Dani Filth(Cradle of Filth), Ronan Harris(VNV Nation), Warren Zevon, Colin Meloy(The Decemberists), Chris Thile(Nickel Creek), Tom Waits, Ali Farka Toure, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Songwriters: Warren Zevon, Tom Waits, Colin Meloy(The Decemberists), Warrel Dane(Nevermore), Ronan Harris(VNV Nation), Andy M. Stewart, Dustin Kensrue(Thrice), Randy Blythe(Lamb of God), Roger Drawdy, Peter Garrett(Midnight Oil), Larry Kirwan(Black 47), Beth Patterson.

Other: Chris Thile- mandolin(Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers), Beth Patterson- Irish bouzouki, Anoushka Shankar- sitar.

I'm sure there are a whole lot more, but this is all I could come up with right now.

I realized I left out Claudio Sanchez entirely 2 seconds after I posted. He should be in the guitarists, vocalists, and songrwiting categories.

Verena Rehm. She performs the vocals for 8 of my favorite songs, including some of her Groove Coverage songs as well as a few songs she recorded with little known trance groups.

Here are the songs, in case anybody's interested:

With Groove Coverage:

"Moonlight Shadow"
"Poison"
"7 Years and 50 Days"
"Million Tears"

Others:

"Out of the Dark" (Age Pee)
"When The Rain Begins To Fall" (Age Pee)
"Big Bad Love" (Spring Break)
"Nasty Girl" (Renegade Masterz)

Claudio Sanchez is a great songwriter and lyricist. I also really dig Brann Dailor. Mastodon is one of the best modern metal bands. Their album Blood Mountain is the best, most unique metal album of the decade.

Guitarists: Luc Lemay(Gorguts, Negativa), Don Ross, Fredrik Thordendal(Meshuggah, Jonas Bryssling(Spawn of Possession), Robert Fripp(and the League of Crafty Guitarists), Mikael Åkerfeldt(Opeth), Adam Jones(Tool), Nick Sakes(Dazzling Killmen), Ron Jarzombek(solo album)

Drummers: Jean-Paul Gaster(Clutch), Dennis Röndum(Spawn of Possession), Steve MacDonald(Gorguts), Mike Smith(Suffocation), Bryan "Brain" Mantia(Primus), Zack Gibson(The Black Dahlia Murder), Blake Fleming(Dazzling Killmen), George Kollias(Nile)

Bassists: Steve Cloutier(Gorguts), Victor Wooten(Béla Fleck and the Flecktones), Les Claypool(Primus), Sean Malone(Cynic), Tom Jenkinson(Squarepusher)

Vocalists: Dax Riggs(Acid Bath, Agents of Oblivion), Maynard James Keenan(Tool, A Perfect Circle), Luc Lemay(Gorguts, Negativa), Mikael Åkerfeldt(Opeth), Neil Fallon(Clutch), Devin Townsend(solo, SYL, guest work), Motion Man

There are many others I love listening to, but I feel like these have had the most impact on me.

Too many to list, but off the top of my head: Kieth Emerson, Steve Howe, Geddy Lee, and Neil Pert, and Yoko Kanno.

Guitarist: Graham Coxon

Keyboard: Rob Collins

Drums: Janet Weiss

Singers: I couldn't possibly choose.

I had no idea Janet Weiss was anyone other than a Rocky Horror character, even though I have heard of Sleater-Kinney.

George Kollias is a beast of a drummer, and I've been listening to a lot of Nile lately. I'd say he's probably my favorite of Nile's drummers, which says something being among the likes of Derek Roddy and Tony Laureano. George's videos on double kick technique were really helpful to me. I also really like his single-foot blastbeats.

Guitar player:

Buckethead, Marc Ribot (John Zorn), Tommy Bolin (Deep Purple, Solo), Omar Rodriguez Lopez (Mars Volta), Jake E Lee (Ozzy), Santana, Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), John Frusciante (RHCP)


Bassist:

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), Trevor Dunn (Solo, John Zorn, Fantomas), Flea (RHCP), Bob Daisly (Ozzy), Paz Lenchantin, Glenn Hughes


Drummer:

Stewart Copeland (Sting), Jeff Burrows (Tea Party), Dave Grohl (Nirvana)


Singer:

Amy Lee (Evanescence), Jeff Martin (Tea Party), Mike Patton (FNM, Tomahawk), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Glenn Danzig (Misfits)


Songwriter:

Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Jeff Martin (Tea Party), John Zorn

I'm excluding the Beatles and the Who from this to make my choices more creative.

Vocals
Thom Yorke (Radiohead),
Win Butler (Arcade Fire)
Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead)
Bernard Sumner (New Order)
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Guitar
David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
Kevin Shields & Belinda Butcher (My Bloody Valentine)
Frank Zappa
Johnny Marr (The Smiths)

Bass
Les Claypool (Primus)
Simon Gallup (The Cure)
Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads)
Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
Paul Simonon (The Clash)

Drums
Neil Peart (Rush)
Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)
Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzman (Grateful Dead)
John Bonham (Led Zeppelin)
Brian Chippendale (Lightning Bolt)

Keyboards
Rick Wright (Pink Floyd)
Candida Doyle (Pulp)
Terry Adams (NRBQ)
Gillian Gilbert (New Order)
Regina Spektor

Violin/Viola
Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire)
Harriet Campesinos! (Los Campesinos!)
Petra Haden (The Rentals)
Megan Childs (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci)
Catherine Tully (Monkey Swallows the Universe)

Songwriting
Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd)
Ray Davies (The Kinks)
Morrissey/Johnny Marr (The Smiths)
Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices)
Trey Anastasio/Tom Marshall (Phish)

maynord from tool

Singers:
Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
Tom Araya (Slayer)
Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)
Till Lindemann (Rammstein)
Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil)
Jim Morrison (The Doors)
Lemmy (Motorhead)
Nergal (Behemoth)
Billy Idol
Udo Dirkschneider (Accept)

Guitarists:
Kerry King (Slayer)
Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria)
Scott Ian (Anthrax)

Bassists:
Peter Steele (See his section in singers)
Lemmy (Motorhead)

Drummers:
Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)
Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
Neil Peart (Rush)

Other:
Ashley Ellylon (Piano, Orchestration for Abigail Williams)