Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David and Eva Price are thrilled to announce that the Broadway cast of JAGGED LITTLE PILL, with seven-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, will be hosting a virtual Broadway fundraising event to benefit the Biden Victory Fund, on Tuesday October 13, 2020 from 8:00-9:00PM ET (5:00-6:00PM PT). Featuring performances, conversations, and messages from special surprise guests, this officially sanctioned Biden Victory Fund Event supports the BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT campaign to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President of The United States of America. Tickets are available from $25.00, at bit.ly/JLPforBiden.
“I couldn’t be happier to express my passion for conscionable leadership in America with our Jagged Little Pill Broadway team,” said Alanis Morissette. “Each person within this musical is a force of nature and activism in their own right, and I am thrilled to come together to support TRUE democracy, and political and relational grace, with our whole JLP family.”
“Our show is all about encouraging action and making your voice heard,” said Price, Tiwary and David, who serve as Event Chairs alongside attorney and Broadway investor Andrew Byrnes. “So, we are thrilled to be adding our voice to the Biden-Harris chorus this election season, and we hope to inspire Americans to exercise their right to vote this November. We are indeed fighting for the soul of our country, and the cast of Jagged Little Pill is full of heart and soul.”
Contribution Levels for the Event are: Supporter: $25; Advocate: $100; Sponsor: $250; Champion: $1,000; and Co-Host: $10,000 (write/raise), which includes a virtual meet & greet with the cast of Jagged Little Pill.
An exhilarating new musical inspired by the themes and raw emotions laid bare in Morissette’s seminal album of the same name — which celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its release this year — JAGGED LITTLE PILL features an original story by Academy Award-winning writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully) that takes a fearless look at what it means to be alive in 21st century America. Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin) , JAGGED LITTLE PILL opened to critical acclaim on December 5, 2019 at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway, receiving a “Critic’s Pick” from The New York Times, who describes the musical as “redemptive, rousing and real… Jagged Little Pillstands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway.” Variety hails the show as “Triumphant! Not Since Rent has a musical invested so many bravura roles with so much individual life.” Rolling Stone awards the production “Four stars! JAGGED LITTLE PILL burns with passion. It’s essential medicine that must be swallowed and enjoyed so we can be cured. I want to see it again, and again.”
JAGGED LITTLE PILL features Movement Direction & Choreography by Olivier Award winner and frequent Beyoncé collaborator Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (“Apesh*t”; “Love Drought/Sandcastles” Live at The Grammys) and Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal, American Idiot). Starring as The Healys – a seemingly perfect family, who strives to hide the cracks beneath the surface when a troubling event shakes their community – are two-time Drama Desk Award Nominee Elizabeth Stanley as “Mary Jane,” Sean Allan Krill as “Steve”, Celia Rose Gooding as “Frankie” and Derek Klena as “Nick”; alongside Outer Critic’s Circle Honoree Kathryn Gallagher as “Bella,” Drama Desk Award winner Lauren Patten as “Jo,” and Antonio Cipriano as “Phoenix,” all of whom reprise their roles from the musical’s record-breaking, sold-out world premiere at American Repertory Theater. Completing the Broadway cast are Annelise Baker, Maiya Blaney, Yeman Brown, Jane Bruce, John Cardoza, Ken Wulf Clark, Keri René Fuller, Laurel Harris, Logan Hart, Zach Hess, Max Kumangai, Heather Lang, Ezra Menas, Kelsey Orem, Nora Schell, DeAnne Stewart, Kei Tsuruharatani and Ebony Williams.
The ongoing suspension of Broadway performances due to COVID-19 will continue until further notice. While a return date has yet to be determined, #JaggedLittleBroadway is now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased through January 3, 2021.
Personally curated by Elvis Costello, The Complete Armed Forces is the definitive statement of the legendary songwriter and musician’s revered and essential 1979 album, featuring the classic hits “Accidents Will Happen,” “Green Shirt,” “Oliver’s Army” and “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding.” Leaving no musical stone unturned, no lyric notebook unrifled through and no detail left out, this new super deluxe edition vinyl box set is a thorough excavation of Costello’s vault from this metamorphic period of his early beginnings, painting as complete a picture as possible of the events that led to the making of the album, its creation, and the wild success that followed for him, and his band The Attractions, and ignited his career. Armed Forces is explored across nine pieces of vinyl (3 12-inch LPs, 3 10-inch LPs and 3 7-inch singles), including a new 2020 remaster of the album, B-sides, alternate versions and outtakes, demos, and a slew of live recordings – including 23 unreleased live tracks taken from three especially riotous concerts.
Releasing November 6, The Complete Armed Forces will be exclusively available via Elvis Costello’s official online store and UMG’s online stores uDiscover and Sound of Vinyl, in two vinyl versions – 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram multi-color opaque vinyl. It will also be available digitally for streaming and download. The collection is proceeded today with the release of a three-track digital EP featuring unreleased live performances of “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?,” “Goon Squad” and “Pump It Up,” taken from the new live LPs, Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ’78, Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 and Europe ’79 – Live At Pinkpop.
Pre-order The Complete Armed Forces and stream the new live EP HERE.
This lavish box set fully embraces iconic designer Barney Bubbles’ epic pop-art packaging, including the paint-splattered cover artwork by Bubbles and Bazooka (used for the American release and included in the fold-out UK version) and features a unique origami cover that folds out to beautifully display the bold art and graphics and the six vinyl LPs, which are rounded out by three 7-inch reissues of the album’s singles “Oliver’s Army,” “Accidents Will Happen” and Nick Lowe’s “American Squirm” b/w “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?” This treasure trove contains seven custom notebooks with newly updated liner notes from Costello, totaling nearly 10,000 words, facsimiles of first-draft, handwritten lyrics and examples of his lyrical working methods from his personal archive as well as rare photos, memorabilia and concert ephemera. The notebooks offer fascinating insight into Costello’s songwriting process, showing the evolution from idea to finished work, while the liners detail the making of and stories behind the songs. The accompanying photos and memorabilia provide a vivid window into this exciting era. “Most of this record was written in hotel rooms or on a tour bus, scribbled in a notebook which rarely left my side or failing this, from fragments and phrases scrawled on paper cocktail napkins or hotel notepaper,” Costello writes in the liners.
The comprehensive set also includes a print of the vintage grenade and gun poster and the four original postcards of each band member. Additionally, Costello commissioned acclaimed artist Todd Alcott to create pulp novel book covers of songs from Armed Forces starring himself as the protagonist in a variety of precarious situations.
Armed Forces has been newly remastered by Costello and mastering engineer Bob Ludwig from the original analog tapes to match the sonic fidelity of the initial 1979 UK pressing. Striving for the utmost authenticity, they took care to match the feel and intention of the original mastering. “It sounds as close to the way it sounded to us in the studio as we could make it,” Costello recently revealed to MOJO. “That’s a beautiful thing.”
The album’s evolution is documented on the 10-inch, Sketches For Emotional Fascism A.K.A. Armed Forces, which assembles together B-sides, demos and alternate versions, making many of these songs available on vinyl for the first time in decades.
Costello and The Attractions live prowess is fully celebrated with several previously unreleased concert recordings that bookended the recording and release of the album. Along with selections from the band’s legendary 1978 Hollywood High show, the collection shows off what a powerful force of nature the band was with three additional shows including highlights from the notorious Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 and a Christmas Eve concert at London’s Dominion Theatre that same year, presented here as Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ’78. “Riot At The Regent is a souvenir from our days Down Under and a second snap-shot of the Attractions in action during six months either side of the recording of Armed Forces,” Costello pens. Continuing, “We played right up to Christmas Eve and certainly sound full of cheery spirit on ‘Christmas In The Dominion,’ playing a version of ‘No Dancing’ in an apparently spontaneous arrangement that sounds as if we had just heard Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ on the radio and decided to re-work my song with a similar approach before closing the stand with the same song with which we had opened it: ‘Peace Love & Understanding.’”
Costello’s full set at PinkPop in The Netherlands in 1979, titled Europe ’79 – Live At Pinkpop, is a thrilling concert that showcases the well-oiled band in fine form, exactly one year after their appearance at Hollywood High School, and sees them road testing songs that would end up on their follow up record, 1980’s Get Happy. All of the unreleased live recordings, taken from the original 2” multitracks, have been remixed by Costello’s longtime producer and mixer Sebastian Krys who recently mixed his forthcoming new album, Hey Clockface, and co-produced his 2018 GRAMMY® Award-winning album, Look Now.
Produced by Nick Lowe, Armed Forces was Elvis Costello’s third album and his second with The Attractions – Steve Nieve (keyboards), Bruce Thomas (bass) and Pete Thomas (drums) – following on from the immense success of their first effort, This Year’s Model. As a result, the songs for the album were written on the road while the band were on a non-stop tour where they were becoming tighter and tighter by the show. Moving away from the punk that inspired the previous record, Armed Forces, as Pitchfork wrote in their nearly perfect review of the album, “is extravagantly layered with dense instrumentation and rich, effusive textures,” adding “the production works to the record’s advantage, filling the songs out with bombastic power-pop arrangements and giving weight to their urgency.” At just 23 years old, the album cemented Costello’s legacy as one of the most gifted and articulate songwriters of his generation. Since it’s release it has only grown in popularity and stature, continually landing on best albums ever lists and finding new fans each year.
With The Complete Armed Forces, Costello has provided an exhaustive time capsule that lets us celebrate this timeless album and understand how it came to be.
THE COMPLETE ARMED FORCES TRACKLISTING
Armed Forces 12” LP
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Senior Service
3. Oliver’s Army
4. Big Boys
5. Green Shirt
6. Party Girl
SIDE B
1. Goon Squad
2. Busy Bodies
3. Sunday’s Best
4. Moods For Moderns
5. Chemistry Class
6. Two Little Hitlers
7. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?
Live at Hollywood High & Elsewhere 1978 12” LP
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
2. Mystery Dance
3. Goon Squad
4. Party Girl
5. Stranger In The House
SIDE B
1. Alison
2. Lipstick Vogue
3. Watching The Detectives
4. You Belong To Me
5. Chemistry Class (Live at The Warner Theatre, Washington D.C.)
Europe ‘79 – Live At Pinkpop 12” LP
SIDE A
1. Goon Squad
2. B-Movie
3. Green Shirt
4. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
5. Opportunity
6. So Young
7. High Fidelity
SIDE B
1 Lipstick Vogue
2. Watching The Detectives
3. Big Boys
4. Pump It Up
5. You Belong To Me
6. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?
Sketches for Emotional Fascism 10″ LP
SIDE A
1. Clean Money
2. Talking In The Dark
3. Wednesday Week
4. Tiny Steps
SIDE B
1. Crawling To The U.S.A.
2. Big Boys (Alternate Version)
3. Green Shirt (Demo Version)
4. My Funny Valentine
Riot At The Regent – Live In Sydney ’78 10” LP
SIDE A
1. Oliver’s Army
2. Waiting For The End Of The World
3. Big Boys
SIDE B
1. This Year’s Girl
2. You Belong To Me
3. Pump It Up
Christmas In The Dominion – Live 24th December ‘78 10” LP
SIDE A
1. (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
2. No Dancing
SIDE B
1. I Stand Accused
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?
“Oliver’s Army” 7″
SIDE A
1. Oliver’s Army
Side B
1. Big Boys (Demo)
“Accidents Will Happen” 7”
SIDE A
1. Accidents Will Happen
Side B
1. Busy Bodies (Alternate)
Nick Lowe & His Sound – “American Squirm” 7″
Side A
1. American Squirm
Side B
2. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?
Featuring frontmen Miles Kane (The Last Shadow Puppets) and Nic Cester (Jet), guitarists Graham Coxon (Blur) and Jamie Davis, plus Matt Bellamy (Muse) on bass and drummer Sean Payne (The Zutons). The Jaded Hearts Club are a new band mining the history of rock and soul music to create original interpretations of lost classics, Northern soul cult hits and jazz standards.
‘I Put A Spell On You’ is the latest track to preview the album after Northern soul banger ‘Love’s Gone Bad’, the life saving ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’, Marvin Gaye’s hidden gem ‘This Love Starved Heart of Mine (It’s Killing Me)’, boogaloo garage ‘Nobody But Me’ and the World War 2 Vera Lynn classic ‘We’ll Meet Again’.
The band formed in 2017 when Jamie Davis, a British guitarist living in Los Angeles who previously ran Coxon’s Transcopic Records label in England, wanted to book a Beatles covers band to play at his birthday party. The cost proved to be excessive and the available tribute acts were drab, so Davis had a back-up plan. “I realised I knew a bunch of half decent British musician friends living in L.A. so I thought I’d ask if they’d come together to form an early ‘60s Cavern-era Beatles band.”
They kept their plans a secret. So, when family and friends turned up at the party, they were shocked to see an all-star band rampaging through a Cavern Club era Beatles set. “The place went nuts,” smiles Davis, “and everyone had such a good time that we decided to do it again.”
If their debut gig was a big surprise, their second raised the bar in dramatic fashion after Stella McCartney asked Bellamy if the band would play her fashion show in Los Angeles in January 2018. They arrived to see an A-list crowd gathered to see them: Quincy Jones, Katy Perry, James Corden and even Ringo Starr were in attendance. And then things took a turn for the unbelievable. Paul McCartney strolled on stage, winked at Davis and led the Hearts through ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘Helter Skelter’. In the space of just two gigs, The Beatles covers band had effectively become the surrogate Beatles.
Things progressed in the same way that they had started. They played SXSW; a late night gig in Chicago after Bellamy had completed a stadium show with Muse; supported Roger Daltrey at The Royal Albert Hall in support of the Teenage Cancer Trust; and headlined London’s 100 Club. Expanding their repertoire to cover other classic British rock songs from the Sixties, the 100 Club show was a tribute to Davis’s late father, with all proceeds donated to the Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. The charity further benefited from the limited-edition vinyl only album ‘Live At The 100 Club’.
Back in Los Angeles, Bellamy and Davis wanted to develop the band further and started working on an album, with Bellamy producing at Red Room Studios in Los Angeles. The band decided to focus primarily on recording lost classics from the world of Northern Soul, supplemented by their raw, soulful takes on some famous standards from the era. The duo shifted through 3000 songs as they researched what material they should record.
“Living in L.A. it seems like no-one has heard of Northern Soul,” says Davis. “We just love the story of how the north of England fell in love with American soul music even after it stopped having hits and using that music as the soundtrack to a good night out.”
“I read somewhere recently, which made me laugh, that rock is the new jazz,” adds Bellamy. “It’s becoming an esoteric genre, but still with huge historical and cultural importance. Like jazz, which often reinvents old songs, The Jaded Hearts Club is continuing the tradition of how bands like The Beatles and The Stones started out – finding great soul and blues standards and recording them in a more modern style.”
The band’s motivation, states Davis, is simple. “It goes back to the purest point of why people started bands in the first place – a group of great musicians getting together to play for fun with no pressure. We’re doing it because we have a bloody good time.”
11x GRAMMY Award-winning superstar Bruno Mars is commemorating the 10th anniversary of his milestone solo debut, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS, with the announcement of a number of new RIAA certifications and much more.
Released October 4, 2010, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is now certified 6x platinum for U.S. sales exceeding 6 million. In addition, the album’s many hit singles and track releases have received new certifications, including “Just The Way You Are” (12x platinum), “The Lazy Song” (7x platinum), “Marry You (4x platinum), “Count On Me” (3x platinum), “Talking to the Moon” (2x platinum), “Runaway Baby” (1x platinum). In addition, the GRAMMY Award-winning “Grenade” has ascended to RIAA diamond status with 10x platinum sales, while both “Liquor Store Blues (Feat. Damian Marley)” and “The Other Side (Feat. CeeLo Green & B.o.B)” have earned gold certification.
The milestone 10th anniversary of DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is being celebrated with today’s premiere of a deluxe YouTube playlist featuring all of the album’s official videos newly remastered in spectacular 4K UHD alongside six brand new lyric videos produced for this occasion. DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS has long been a YouTube favorite, with cumulative plays of all official content now exceeding 4.5 billion. The upcoming anniversary is being further celebrated with social media campaigns on TikTok and Instagram.
The anniversary is being celebrated at the DSPs through a variety of playlist takeovers and cover features. In addition, an array of classic DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS merchandise is on sale now for a limited time at the official Bruno Mars webstore.
As if that weren’t enough, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS will be available in limited edition yellow vinyl on Friday, November 27th.
DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS marked the landmark debut of a remarkable new artist. The album – which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 – has gone on to achieve global album equivalent sales of 15.5 million. Now boasting more than 7.8 billion total streams, DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS is the longest charting debut album on Top 200 and #4 longest running of all time.
DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS received a wide range of honors and accolades to match its popular success, including GRAMMY Awards for “Album of the Year” and “Best Pop Vocal Album.” The album spawned a string of blockbuster hit singles and companion videos, including “Just The Way You Are,” “Grenade,” “The Lazy Song,” “Talking to the Moon,” “Marry You,” and “Count On Me.”
Indeed, “Just The Way You Are” and “Grenade” proved era-defining hits around the world, reaching #1 on the Billboard “Hot 100” and numerous singles charts around the globe. In addition, “Just The Way You Are” went on to receive the GRAMMY Award for “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance,” while “Grenade” was honored with three GRAMMY Award nominations, including “Record of the Year” “Song of the Year,” and “Best Pop Solo Performance.”
With worldwide sales of more than 130 million albums and more than 173 million singles, Bruno Mars is one of the best-selling artists of all time. His most recent album, the critically acclaimed, 3x platinum certified 24K MAGIC, made an impressive debut atop Billboard’s “Top Digital Albums” and “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” charts upon its 2016 arrival. The album includes the 7x platinum certified, #1 single, “That’s What I Like” – Mars’ seventh “Hot 100” chart-topper and first ever #1 on the “Hot R&B Songs” chart, affirming him as one of the few artists to have written and produced each of his #1 hits as well as to have a #1 song on the “Hot 100” from each of his first three studio albums.
Mars and 24K MAGIC proved the biggest winners at 2018’s GRAMMY Awards, winning all seven categories for which he received nominations, including “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” “Best R&B Album,” and “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.” Furthermore, “That’s What I Like” received the GRAMMY for “Song of the Year,” “Best R&B Song,” and “Best R&B Performance.”
Among his truly countless accolades, Mars is a 4x Guinness World Record holder, with his milestone 2015 NFL Super Bowl Halftime Show drawing a record-breaking total viewership of over 115.3 million. Mars also holds the world record as the “First Male Artist to Achieve Three 10 Million Selling Singles” and “Most Followed Male Chart-topper on Musical.ly,” while 2016’s 2x GRAMMY Award-winning, worldwide #1 collaboration with Mark Ronson, “Uptown Funk,” made history for the “Most Weeks at #1 on the U.S. Digital Song Sales” chart.
It’s sometimes difficult to think of our favourite music stars as being in any way similar to the rest of us. Aside from the fame, the notoriety, the talent and the fact that they have made such an impact on so many lives, there’s one most apparent difference.
Money. Yep, that’s a predictable and disgruntling topic but it’s one that is at the center or most of our lives. Whether or not it should be is a different matter altogether but the fact is that if we want to live full, healthy lives, then money has to be our focus.
And so when we think about our favourite music stars, that’s the big thing that sets them apart. They are nowhere near as worried about it as we are because they’ve got enough money to last them a hundred lifetimes.
So when we think about our own financial struggles and the irritating necessities that chip away at our bank accounts, we tend not to consider the possibility of famous musicians ever having the same thoughts.
But that’s not the reality of the situation. No matter how famous or how rich they are, they are still humans, just like us and that means that they do have to make the same considerations and decisions, even if it means less.
So you think about health insurance. So important, yet such a hard thing for most people to acquire. You would think it’s a right that every human being is entitled to but unfortunately it’s not treated as such, especially not in America. And it’s only getting worse.
And you might not think too much about Bob Dylan’s health insurance coverage, but he has it too, probably. And while he and other global superstars don’t struggle to afford it, that doesn’t mean they don’t have to jump through the same hoops to get it.
The trouble with that is that it’s fine once you make it, but getting to that stage puts you in a significantly more treacherous position. The fact is that most musicians, and most people who work in the entertainment industry in general, are self-employed.
And it’s not quite so simple for the self-employed, with inconsistent work to get access to healthcare as it is for people who are working full-time and getting a guaranteed weekly or monthly salary.
When you’re applying and you can prove that you won’t be inhibited from paying it in the future due to your primary source of income being a reliable one, you’re much more likely to be approved.
And when you think about it from this perspective, musicians really don’t have it all that easy unless they actually are the ones at the top of the pile. In the grand scheme of things, the top of the pile is very few people.
While Obamacare did make it a little bit easier for some of the lower-earning artists and actors to get access to some health insurance cover, that’s slowly being scaled back under the Trump administration and so people are struggling once again.
For those who are musicians but aren’t best-selling artists, what can they do? Well first of all, they can’t just decide that health insurance is not worth the expense because it’s arguably more important for them than the average citizen.
The positive side of it is that most of them are young enough to naturally be in good health. Of course there are a number of working musicians who are older than 65 and who can seek out a Medicare plan, but in general the less well-known musicians are young.
The most common issues don’t come from age-related health problems, they come from things like spending hours and hours at a time stuck in a hot, stuffy vehicle with three or four other people in close proximity.
From the crowded bars filled with drunk, boisterous, loud fans. From dragging heavy equipment around and dealing with the stress of not knowing whether or not you’ll get another gig or if the ones you have will actually pay you.
It’s a line of work that can lead to an abundance of health issues and so those involved absolutely need health insurance. There are certain resources available which can aid in the process of trying to access the coverage.
There’s the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) who have made it a priority to ensure that musicians who have yet to make a name for themselves will be protected. They also keep people up to date on any changes that occur which may affect them.
A lot of musicians who are represented by agencies will often get assistance from their union in this area, but for those who aren’t there is also the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) which offers consultations and advice for those without representation.
So in short, you would assume that musicians don’t have the same issues as you do when it comes to trying to get health insurance, but when you look at the bigger picture, most of them are likely struggling as much as you are.
The biggest names might be in good shape, but they don’t make up the largest portion of the industry by any stretch of the imagination.
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Canadian collective that is Bent Roads Tavern are revisiting their iconic campus days with the issuance of completely remastered and restored works in the form of The Legend of Bent Roads Tavern Volume 3 & 4 — and stand-out single “Steeples And Turntables III” — available now.
“Our sound is unapologetic,” frontman Collen Middleton offers of the seven-piece. “There’s flashes of protest punk mixed in with modern jazz, folk and roots.
“We got together in 2001 and now we’re catching new listeners up on the history of what we think is one of the most elusive corners of the Canadian music and cultural landscape.”
Music has the power to unite people from all walks of life and through listening to our favourite musicians, we are elevated to beautiful worlds. So, who are the best musicians of all time that brought the world sensational music and memorable performances? Of course, it is debatable and will be based on people’s preference in music genres. Surely, it’s not as easy as deciding who the best football club is or what the top slots online are. Nonetheless, here’s a list of the top 20 musicians of all time crossing all genres. You’re bound to be in agreement with this profound list.
1. Queen
Undoubtedly, Queen remains one of the world’s most important and influential bands. Their unique expression, anthemic and inspiring songs captured the world over. From “Don’t Stop Me Now” to “We Will Rock You”, Queen’s songs continue to find their way into the younger generation’s music library. Their songs have a way of sending goosebumps down your spine as you belt out the catchy words. The band consisted of Freddie Mercury (lead vocalist), Brian May (lead guitar), Roger Taylor (drums), and John Deacon (bass).
2. Madonna
Madonna is amongst one of the best-selling artists of all time and a cultural icon. Considered the Queen of Pop, Madonna was known for always reinventing her look, fashion, and music style. One thing is for sure, she always knows how to stay relevant and set new trends. Through her music, she pushed social boundaries and addressed many taboo issues. Madonna was definitely a pioneer in affording women the ability to explore their power and independence through music. If you think back to the 80s, you’d be forgiven for hearing songs such as “Like a Prayer” and “Papa Don’t Preach” playing in your mind as Madonna pretty much dominated the radio stations.
3. Whitney Houston
A true legend, Whitney Houston was always destined for greatness. The daughter of a famed gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of Dionne Warwick, and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, she was surrounded by powerful women. Whitney started singing in church where she consistently captivated the audience with her powerful vocals. At the age of 15, she was discovered by a photographer who admired her natural beauty and she then began modelling. It was Clive Davis who discovered Whitney, at the age of 19 and immediately signed her after he heard her perform at a nightclub. The rest as they say is history. Throughout her 20+ year career, Whitney sold out concerts, acted in hit movies such as “Waiting To Exhale” and “The Bodyguard”, and released hit after hit songs that still capture people today! Whitney has serenaded the world with songs such as “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing”, and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”. She has won over 415 awards in total, including Grammys, American Music Awards, Oscars, and more.
4. Mariah Carey
Since her debut in 1990, Mariah Carey has inspired and entertained the world with her powerful vocals. She incredibly possesses a five-octave vocal range that has stunned many people over the years. In 1988, the executive for Columbia Records listened to Mariah’s demo tape and signed her to the label. In 2006, Mariah went on to win three Grammy Awards, including the Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Along with her impressive singing career, Mariah has also acted in movies such as “Glitter” and “Precious”. There is no other like Mariah Carey and she has confidently paved the way for many young girls to belt their hearts out too.
5. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson was a singer, songwriter, and dancer dubbed the King of Pop. Jackson sold over 75 million albums in the United States, and he ranks no. 7 on the RIAA’s list of top-selling artists of all time. Along with his four brothers, they formed the group Jackson 5 who made pop history as the first group to have their first four singles hit no. 1. In 1982, Jackson released the famous “Thriller” album which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame along with the hit album “Off The Wall”. Of course, we have to talk about Jackson’s dancing and the famous moonwalk he did during his “Billie Jean” performance. The moonwalk quickly became a world phenomenon and still to this day, people are attempting to do their best rendition of this famous dance move.
Alt: Elton John performs during the first night of Sanremo Italian Song’s Festival at Ariston theater in Sanremo
6. Elton John
With hits such as “I’m Still Standing” and “Can You Feel the Love”, the classically trained pianist Elton John is hands down one of the top musicians of all time. John has accumulated 38 gold and 31 platinum or multi-platinum albums and he sold more than 250 million records worldwide!
7. Stevie Wonder
The uber-talented Stevie Wonder gave the world so much magic through his music. One of the world’s most loved pop icons, Stevie Wonder has made numerous albums, including “Talking Book”, “Innervisions”, and “Hotter than July”. He has had ten US no.1 hits on the pop charts and sold over 100 million records.
8. Eric Clapton
One of the most influential guitarists in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Eric Clapton became a significant singer-songwriter. He produced a great range of albums, including “Slowhand”, “Backless”, and the hit “Tears in Heaven” which was written after the death of his son.
9. Bob Marley
The Jamaican singer, musician and songwriter Bob Marley brought healing to this world through his music and activism. The reggae maestro gifted us with classics such as “One Love” and “No Woman No Cry”. Marley is a true legend of the 21st century and his image continues to adorn many t-shirts and walls with various other artists covering his songs too.
10. George Michael
George Michael released five studio albums, two compilation albums, one extended play, and 47 singles. The English singer sold over 100 million records worldwide. With hits such as “Faith” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, Michael deserves a spot on this top 20 list.
Other top musicians who made the top 20 cut
11. Fela Kuti
12. The Beatles
13. Simon & Garfunkel
14. Aerosmith
15. Billy Joel
16. Led Zeppelin
17. Bruce Springsteen
18. Nina Simone
19. Eric Clapton
20. Kenny G
There you have it, a list of the top 20 musicians of all time who have graced us with their incredible talent.
