The Mount Rushmore of American music
The Mount Rushmore of American music
Who would be on your Mount Rushmore of American music?
Here are the rules:
1. You must select four people. Not three, not five, just four.
2. If your choices include a musical group, pick the one member of that group who you think best represents them.
3. All choices must be Americans. I love Bob Marley, but he needs to be on a different mountain. Same for the Beatles.
I will post my choices after I figure out who they are.
Here are the rules:
1. You must select four people. Not three, not five, just four.
2. If your choices include a musical group, pick the one member of that group who you think best represents them.
3. All choices must be Americans. I love Bob Marley, but he needs to be on a different mountain. Same for the Beatles.
I will post my choices after I figure out who they are.
- moldyoldie
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Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Very, very tough!
Woody Guthrie
John Philip Sousa
George Gershwin
Miles Davis
In the end I went with venerable composers and popularizers working in opposing genres as opposed to founders, mass media icons, or emergent innovators. The likes of Aaron Copland, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Chuck Berry, Richard Rodgers, Elvis Presley, W.C. Handy, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Scott Joplin, et al. had to be reluctantly culled.
Woody Guthrie
John Philip Sousa
George Gershwin
Miles Davis
In the end I went with venerable composers and popularizers working in opposing genres as opposed to founders, mass media icons, or emergent innovators. The likes of Aaron Copland, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Chuck Berry, Richard Rodgers, Elvis Presley, W.C. Handy, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Scott Joplin, et al. had to be reluctantly culled.
"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris
- Sydney J. Harris
Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Thanks. You just saved me 4 difficult decisions.moldyoldie wrote: ↑Sat Aug 24, 2019 11:47 amVery, very tough!
Woody Guthrie
John Philip Sousa
George Gershwin
Miles Davis
In the end I went with venerable composers and popularizers working in opposing genres as opposed to founders, mass media icons, or emergent innovators. The likes of Aaron Copland, Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Chuck Berry, Richard Rodgers, Elvis Presley, W.C. Handy, Bob Dylan, John Coltrane, Scott Joplin, et al. had to be reluctantly culled.
I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
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Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
FWIW here's mine.
1. Elvis Presley. No real explanation needed. The dominant voice of the first decade of Rock and Roll.
2. Berry Gordy Jr. - Along with the British invasion in the mid 60's, provided dynamic R&B and Soul music out of Detroit/Motown that helped propel Top 40 radio into the giant that it was in the 60's.
3. Buddy Holly - Who knows if he'd be as popular a choice if he'd have lived a full life and maybe faded into the past as most singers from the 50's did, But his influence was felt in popular music for at least 2 dacades after his passing.
4. Dick Clark - I'm sure some people would argue this choice, but Dick is the guy who main-streamed Rock and Roll and brought it into the living rooms of America each and every day in the 50's and early 60's with American Band Stand. Then of course continued weekly into the 70's if memory serves me correctly. Without his promotion Rock and Roll may have died on the vine.
I'm sure there are plenty of other worthy contenders, but in my opinion, without these 4 and their contributions, we may still be listening to crooners in 2019. Let the debating begin.
1. Elvis Presley. No real explanation needed. The dominant voice of the first decade of Rock and Roll.
2. Berry Gordy Jr. - Along with the British invasion in the mid 60's, provided dynamic R&B and Soul music out of Detroit/Motown that helped propel Top 40 radio into the giant that it was in the 60's.
3. Buddy Holly - Who knows if he'd be as popular a choice if he'd have lived a full life and maybe faded into the past as most singers from the 50's did, But his influence was felt in popular music for at least 2 dacades after his passing.
4. Dick Clark - I'm sure some people would argue this choice, but Dick is the guy who main-streamed Rock and Roll and brought it into the living rooms of America each and every day in the 50's and early 60's with American Band Stand. Then of course continued weekly into the 70's if memory serves me correctly. Without his promotion Rock and Roll may have died on the vine.
I'm sure there are plenty of other worthy contenders, but in my opinion, without these 4 and their contributions, we may still be listening to crooners in 2019. Let the debating begin.
Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Dick Clark benefited from Payola scandals.
Rock and Rock was dying in the early 60s, in fact there were plenty of articles and reports stating that. The British bands changed that, not Dick Clark.
Rock and Rock was dying in the early 60s, in fact there were plenty of articles and reports stating that. The British bands changed that, not Dick Clark.
- moldyoldie
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Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
While we're patiently waiting for Vic's promised choices and those of other music lovers here, I posed the same inquiry to my nearly 90 year-old dad who doesn't enjoy taxing his brain much these days. You may find his choices interesting, or at least mildly amusing.
Duke Ellington
John Philip Sousa
Frank Sinatra
Bing Crosby
He originally had Doris Day up on the mountain ("Que Sera, Sera" is one of his favorites), but amended that when I looked up at him and said, "You've gotta be kidding!"
Duke Ellington
John Philip Sousa
Frank Sinatra
Bing Crosby
He originally had Doris Day up on the mountain ("Que Sera, Sera" is one of his favorites), but amended that when I looked up at him and said, "You've gotta be kidding!"
"The primary purpose of a liberal education is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which to spend one's leisure."
- Sydney J. Harris
- Sydney J. Harris
Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Well, finally ...
Louis Armstrong
Robert Johnson
Hank Williams, Sr.
Chuck Berry
Louis Armstrong
Robert Johnson
Hank Williams, Sr.
Chuck Berry
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Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Johnson was a good enough singer and guitar picker, but too derivative for my taste. I'd put Charley Patton, Leadbelly, or Skip James ahead of Johnson.Vic Doucette wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 10:30 amWell, finally ...
Louis Armstrong
Robert Johnson
Hank Williams, Sr.
Chuck Berry
Re: The Mount Rushmore of American music
Overall, it would be a tough decision. Even for certain genres, it would still be tough