FEBRUARY | OPINION
industry, not only for concerts,
festivals and tours but also at
conferences, theme tunes and
even now at sporting events with
players having their favourite song
played when they score. So it got
me thinking. Regardless of your
musical tastes, who are the artists
that everybody should know, even
if you do not like them, the artists
that have influenced the course of
music, that in 50-100 years will be
named when studying 20th and
21st Century history?
I wasn’t looking for the
bestselling artists, or necessarily
the most talented, but those
who’ve shaped the course of music
over the years. Even if you look
how music has developed with the
artists during the 20th Century, it
has moved on from Elgar to Vera
Lyn, American swing, rock ‘n’ roll,
the start of pop music as we know
it, to modern romance and punk.
So I started my list of 20 artists
that everybody should know.
Whatever sort of music you like
now, these artists have influenced
their development. My own list is
below, but there are a further 20
artists I could easily argue should
be in it which are also shown.
The first two artists nobody
could disagree with, but after this
it is of course very subjective and
down to your own taste. So why
not have a think, discuss with
Above: Bowie, whose music
slayed until his final day; Right:
Dolly Parton’s star turn
your colleagues over lunch or with
friends in the pub and see how
different your own lists are.
Remember, this isn’t down
to your own favourites, or even
the biggest selling artists. As an
example, I have not included Take
That despite the millions of records
that they have sold as they were
purely a new format of something
that already existed.
However, although I don’t
think anyone would argue that
musically The Spice Girls were
the most talented of groups, they
did start Girl Power and possibly
are responsible for some of the
female successes that have since
followed. So my two lists are below
and I have started from the 1960s
onwards. Enjoy your discussions
and if you wish to share your final
conclusions I would be interested
to hear and please email me at
[email protected].
Our ‘Must-hear Music’ poll is
now online at accessaa.co.uk
event w i f i . com
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