List of bands that everyone needs to listen to in order to call themselves musicians.

[Noseferatu]

What are some bands or albums that every rock musician should be required to listen to before he/she can call themselves a rock musician?? What are some things that are essential to know about music history?

[GianGian]

I would say that it is interesting to know a bit of american popular music history, simply because it is one of the most influential and the best ever in my opinion. The rock n roll timeline, how it started from blues, to r&b, to early rock n roll, rockabilly, elvis, then go to England, the beatles, blues rock. Also, it is good to know the parallels of this history, jazz history, and country history. I mean, at least until the 70s. If you listen to these stuff and learn a bit of these styles, you will sure cover the ground of a lot work you may become involved with.

[fu22ba55]

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

What are some bands or albums that every musician should be required to listen to before he/she can call themselves a musician?

I totally understand your question 100%, but it's worded kind of harshly. There's probably a kid who's 8 years old somewhere who's a total monster on the guzheng who's never heard Smoke on the Water.

Questions like this are a quagmire.

Here's some guzheng music by someone who's probably never heard any bands you consider essential. Would you still call her a musician?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EtbIWF_ynU

Words like artist and musician are highly subjective. Maybe you meant virtuoso?

[Darkstrike]

Here is the list


List-





-/List.

[Noseferatu]

Originally Posted by fu22ba55

I totally understand your question 100%, but it's worded kind of harshly. There's probably a kid who's 8 years old somewhere who's a total monster on the guzheng who's never heard Smoke on the Water.

Questions like this are a quagmire.

Here's some guzheng music by someone who's probably never heard any bands you consider essential. Would you still call her a musician?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EtbIWF_ynU

Words like artist and musician are highly subjective. Maybe you meant virtuoso?

I guess I did word it kind of harshly, and that isn't to say that she isn't a musician.


I actually meant this more for the rock guys.

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

I guess I did word it kind of harshly, and that isn't to say that she isn't a musician.


I actually meant this more for the rock guys.

Still, there is no one band that everyone should have listened to, to call themselves rock musicians.

Thats the great thing about music, it's what you make of it, not what someone else makes of it.

[bassic.science]

Spinal Tap.

[GianGian]

Haha, you edited and now my post looks silly. But that's ok

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by Noseferatu

What are some bands or albums that every rock musician should be required to listen to before he/she can call themselves a rock musician??

Rush.

What are some things that are essential to know about music history?

Geddy Lee was born on July 29, 1953.

[countrybass007]

Led Zepplin, The Who, and The 1910 Fruitgum Company.

[MrDOS]

Darkstrike nails it - thread complete

But do a search on essential listening -- you can never listen too much.

[Deluge Of Sound]

The Beatles are the only "essential" band I can think of (essential in that they transcend genre and style--everyone can find something to steal from the Fab Four).

Otherwise, you just gotta satisfy the sounds in your head.

[Mr wiggl3s]

In before idiots say only the beatles.

[JoeVictim]

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

In before idiots say only the beatles.

Fail.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by Mr wiggl3s

In before idiots say only the beatles.

Its true, dude.

They did (mostly) everything first, they did everything well, and they did it all in a short period of time. Even someone like me, who really only enjoys Revolver and doesn't play/aspire to anything like what they did, has to give 'em props on that.

[ThudThudThud]

Musical influences can come from all genres. My favourite guitard, Richard Thompson, lists people from polka, highland pipe bands, and big bands among his influences. One of the best bass lines I ever heard was played on a harp! I think the main thing is to keep your musical ears open and not exclude any music simply because it's not 'rock.' How many 'rock' players list Jamerson as an influence? Totally unrelated genres, but still fine musicianship.
The likes of Geddy Lee are really just playing the rock equivalent of "Bernadette" over rock music. I'm sure (given some kind of time wormhole) someone like Gene Krupa could sit in with Rush and not embarrass himself.

All music ( maybe not rap or country ) can offer the modern rock bass player something.

[YYZDMV46&2]

Rush and Dream Theater



Primus wont hurt either.

[StrangerDanger]

Lots and lots and lots of the Grateful Dead.

[Unrepresented]

I'm casting my essential rock music vote for Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The two of them had a huge hand in creating rock n' roll. There are tons of people who've improved on it since them, but they are the absolute foundation that you can't work without.

[JamcoPasamerson]

Listen to anything and everything you can. Classical, Baroque, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Latin, Polka, Klezmer, Gypsy, Opera, Asian, Funk, Rock-a-billy, Big Band, Mongolian Throat Singing (OK, maybe not that one).

Someone mentioned the Beatles and their diversity, the reason for this is a well rounded listening history. Back in the days when the Fab Four were growing up there were no radio stations that specialized in one type of music or another. Music wasn't categorized to the extent that it is now and had far less of a stigma attached to it. Music was music and your choice was to listen to what was available or go without.

Try to take something away from every experience. Remember, it is just as important to learn what NOT to do as what TO do.

Cheers and best of luck to you on your musical journey.