My Top 10 Favorite Music Artists

Ten is tough! I've been spiritually emerged in the world of music for over 30 years now, so picking ten artists who have moved me the absolute most over this stretch of time really leaves some dynamite entertainers off my list.

By the way, though they are completely deserving of all the adoration they've received over the decades, I am omitting the usual suspects (the Beatles, Elvis, Zepplin, the Stones, Pink Floyd, Sabbath, and the like) because my focus is a bit more on modernity. My entire list spans from what was new when I was a child (80's) to what is new now. For the record, when it comes to those classic greats listed above, nobody touches the Beatles!

My 1st three honorable mentions:

Tori Amos - This witty, eccentric virtuoso is not only a dynamo on her instrument (piano) in a technical fashion, she is also a world-class composer, songwriter, and vocalist. So many wonderful melodies, she takes you to a new world with each song. Absolutely astounding!

Sade - Can it get any smoother? Sade is a Nigerian/English singer with a voice that can only be described as "sultry." Sade has topped the U.S. Charts with tasty grooves including "Smooth Operator", "The Sweetest Taboo", "No Ordinary Love", and "By Your Side."

Prince - Yes, the legend himself. One of the most creative and ambitious musical forces to ever grace our planet. Songwriter, singer, guitarist, dancer, visionary. I love the entire 1999 album...every last note of it! If it's been awhile, I suggest you re-introduce yourself STAT!

FAITH NO MORE

Fronted by vocalist Mike Patton, Faith No More was the poster child for the term "ahead of their time." One listen to their debut album, The Real Thing, and you knew you were being treated to something quite special. And though their popularity progressively waned over the course of their next three campaigns (Angel Dust, King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime, and Album of the Year), devout fans of this Bay Area outfit, including myself, would say the band only got better over time.

NO DOUBT

Ska, Punk Rock, Pop, Disco, Retro, Reggae, whatcha got? This Anaheim, California powerhouse just can't lose! Fronted by now famous solo artist, fashion guru, and software designer Gwen Stefani, the number of hit songs this band has put out in a relatively short period of time is absolutely staggering. Just A Girl, Spiderwebs, Sunday Morning, Don't Speak, Ex-Girlfriend, New, Bathwater, Simple Kind of Life, Hella Good, Underneath It All, Hey Baby, Running, In My Head, It's My Life... and this is spanning only Three Records!

I love this band's energy, mood, talent, stage antics, musical variety, and humble, "dorky" attitude. I anticipate that they will come back with a vengance very, very soon!

RATT

Yeah, that's right. I never said I wasn't a butt-rock geek! Hey, these guys got me through puberty, and I still find them to be the tastiest of all 80's rock bands, with Cinderella, Guns N Roses, and Skid Row following closely behind.

What I loved and still love most about Ratt was their consistency. They consistently put out good rock tunes. Great guitar work, tight rhythm section, and the best "hair metal" voice in the biz with front man, Stephen Pearcy.

Like Faith No More, these fellas are most popular for their early work; namely 1983's Round And Round. That song is merely the cover page of their large portfolio.

I'm sticking to my guns, people. Ratt is my numero ocho of all time!

Incubus - What a talent this Calabasas, California quintet is! I've seen them live twice and was floored each time. Frontman Brandon Boyd has such a unique and well controlled vocal, the songwriting is top of the class, and their lyrics are meaningful and inspirational.

Ben Harper - Chills. The man gives me chills. Songs like Another Lonely Day, The Gospel, and Mama cut right to the core. When I was first exposed to his music in the late 90's, I had an impression of him that was totally inaccurate. I sort of visualized a reggae/hippy type fella. But when I had the pleasure of attending a performance at The Back Yard in Austin, a new picture emerged. The man is a full-fledge Rock Star!

Nirvana - They helped change the face of rock music. With songs of social-political irritation and teenage rebellion, mixed with a heavy edge that wasn't quite punk, not quite metal, and not really folk... but a strange synthesis of the three, this Aberdeen, Washington trio fronted by the late Kurt Cobain blazed a path that no band has yet been able to fully walk upon.

And the Award For Best New Artist Goes To:

Corinne Bailey Rae - I don't know how you get your music. MP3 Download, CD, or however... GET THIS ALBUM!!! Every song is absolutely gorgeous and moving. This young Brit is the real deal! I can't stress this enough... Get her record! I'll include a purchase link for all my honorable mentions right before I reveal my #1 favorite musical artist of all time!

I'm pleased to present to you...

LETTERS TO CLEO

Another female-fronted rock band makes the list! Like No Doubt, this band is very well varied and produces phenomenal music. The similarities pretty much end there, though. LTC has a more edgy, dark, and indie sound. Kay Hanley's vocals are soft and sweet, but many times her lyrics are not. Her voice is full of resolve. You can tell she's a fighter. The drummer for this New England act is quite gifted, interesting, and a lot of fun to listen to. Musically, they are an extremely tight band. If you're not familiar with LTC, I'd say you owe yourself a listen!

KORN

Oh, yeah...these guys! With so much cookie-cutter garbage polluting the airwaves these days, it's nice to know that there's a band like Korn out there, constantly - and I mean constantly pumping out unique, quality music. With the thickest rhythm section my ears have ever heard, plenty of ingenius song structure, all the raw force of a nuclear blast, and a highly capable and eccentric Jonathan Davis at the healm, it's no wonder they've become icons in our culture.

And have you heard their Unplugged album? It is the best Unplugged ever done, I'm convinced. You go, boys!

Well, Hows About A Quick Halftime Show!

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VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Game on!

Nikka Costa

Have you ever seen or heard such style? Talk about a one-of-a-kind ROCK STAR! Nikka is soul. Nikka is passion. Nikka is amazing! Her more upbeat music is some of the biggest music and vocal you've ever heard. With songs like Everybody Got Their Somethin', Like A Feather, And Around The World, any party you throw is guaranteed to be a blast! But I believe her real magic lies in her more subdued, ballad-type songs. The combination of soulful vocal and dark melody gets me every time.

If you're unfamiliar with this California redhead, I feel honored to introduce you. It's your lucky day, indeed!

ALICE IN CHAINS

In my opinion, AIC is easily the best band to come out of the 90's Seattle grunge movement. I'll repeat that... EASILY the best. Maybe Nirvana is 2nd, or maybe Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. No matter. Whoever 2nd is runs a DISTANT 2nd, in my opinion.

Alice In Chains was fronted by Layne Staley, one of the greatest rock vocal talents to ever hit studio or stage. Combined with guitarist Jerry Cantrell's visionary blues-metal hybrid style and clean vocal harmony, drummer Sean Kinney's stellar cymbal and hi-hat work (and overall percussional mastery), and phenomenal bass by the Mikes (Starr and Inez), Alice in Chains was not merely a symbol of a movement... they were absolute virtuosos!

Since Layne's passing in April of 2002, the band has attempted to carry on the AIC name with a new lead vocalist. This has been met with many a mixed reaction from loyal fans. I personally think that changing the name of the band would be a more honorable move on Mr. Cantrell's part.

In any event, Alice in Chains is my fourth favorite musical act ever. Enjoy.

Jamiroquai - It's impossible to listen to these cats without dancing. Jay Kay is one of the most dynamic front men on Earth, with dance moves almost as slick and captivating as his voice. This British funk machine is a must for any great dance party!

Shakira - And while we're on the subject of great singer/dancers, how's about this little Colombian firecracker! With hip wiggling that would make Elvis blush, one of the most distinctive voices in all of popular music, and a huge musical range; from Latin to pop to rock to dance to hip-hop, Shakira's success across North America and beyond is, in my opinion, extremely well earned.

Outkast - Plain and simple, these guys are among the funnest and most unique artists on the planet! When you hear Andre 3000 puttin' his thang down, you don't know if you want to dance, laugh, or f@&k! Their retro, funky version of hip-hop adds some much needed fresh air in a world gone stale. I tip my hat to them for that.

And the award for best metal band goes to:

Chimaira - Got metal? This is my favorite metal band because they've got an element most metal bands lack... fun! Before my #1 is revealed, I'll show you a Chimaira (pronounced Ky-meer-ah) video. It's hard for me to describe good metal vs. bad metal, so I'll just show you some good metal!

7 Phenomenal Musical Forces Down, 3 Elite Artists To Go! Before You Scroll Down Any Further, Think of Your Top 3 Favorites. I Wonder If Any Of Them Are The Same As Mine. I Guess We'll Know Soon Enough!

Okay.

Go Ahead.

Peep My Top 3.

I Bet You're Gonna Love 'Em!

DEFTONES

These guys are everything a great band should be. They're super unique. They're lyrically clever. They're scary talented. They're moody. They're heavy, but only when it's situationally appropriate. They're calculated. They're patient. They're emotionally riveting.

And they're absolutely nothing a band shouldn't be. They're not hype. They're not cliche. They're not predictable. They're not cookie-cutter.

Abe Cunningham is the best drummer in rock music... period. His beats are methodical. His accents are surprisingly perfect. His use of silence is unmatched. His cymbal work is flawless. His tom work is just as good. And his kick rhythm rarely loops (it doesn't repeat itself).

The bass and guitars are clever, as are the compositions they create. The instrumental tones this band creates are the things dreams are made of.

And then there's the man... Chino. What can I say about this cat that would do him the justice he deserves? His mixture of sensitivity, cool-kid style, and start-a-riot-without-a-second-of hesitation energy make him one of the greatest front men in any band... any genre... any era.

If you respect this band half as much as I do, then you'd put them at #6! (Ha Ha!)

Hope you dig the videos!

I hope you dug that Deftones triple-shot. Are they one of your favorites? I'm getting excited to finish this lens! I can't wait to tell the world who my top 2 favorite musicians on this planet are.

If I seem a little dramatic, I guess that's because this truly is my favorite subject in the world. I'm a musician myself. Later on, I'll give you a link to my MySpace page so you can check my stuff out and, if you're so generous, leave me some feedback. I guess that's another motivation I have to get this lens up. I wanna get my stuff out there, too!

So okay. Let's find out who's at...

FIONA APPLE

She's sultry and sensitive. She's vicious and cruel. She's angelic and sweet. She's deep and dark... She's vulnerable......She's light.......She's a wonder.

Her music is a dark brand of modern-day slow jazz meets a violently broken-hearted sort of folk/pop, with just a touch of a gothic ballroom thrown in. She's a pianist, a poet, a singer. She's anti-bullshit. She takes her craft seriously... and it shows.

Each album seems to take her an eternity to write and release. Perhaps that's because she's released only three albums in nearly 13 years. Each one is a true masterpiece. Every aspect of her music, from instrumentation to song structure to lyrics to vocal, is very highly calculated and EXTREMELY well executed. She works with only the finest musicians, and so do they!

If you know Fiona solely for her early work, like Sleep To Dream, Shadowboxer, or Criminal, I very strongly urge you to look into her next two records, When the Pawn... and Extraordinary Machine. This Apple definitely sweetens as she ripens!

Enjoy these videos from one of the world's most gifted (and most underrated) entertainers.

Blind Melon - The late Shannon Hoon was one of the great vocalists in rock music. This band had the ability to put images in your mind as you listened. Very other-worldly and special. If you only know the song No Rain, you don't know Blind Melon. How that song became their defining one is beyond me. Buy the Soup album to hear what you've been missing!

Erykah Badu - This beautiful southern R&B queen has a wonderfully unique sound. Her music is tender, often times "floaty", and always smooth. When one of her songs begin, you immediately know you're listening to Erykah (changed from "Erica" because she believed that to be her "slave name"). She's simply a wonderful artist and comes with my full recommendation.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Like No Doubt, the Chili Peppers have achieved great success with a good variety of sound. They're rock, funk, hip-hop, pop, and a list of other styles rolled into one uniquely discernable concoction... a sound all their own. Flea is one of the greatest bassists in popular music, and the rest of the band ain't too shabby neither!

Other recommendations: Feist, Emiliana Torrini, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Eminem, Alien Ant Farm, and Zero 7.

I hope you've enjoyed this lens thus far. If any of the artists on my list are favorites of yours, as well, please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

Very quickly, let me say this. I thank you for reading my page and having a blast watching some cool videos. I'm not going to bother trying to describe my own music to you. That's not really what I do. I'd rather let folks like you do that for me. And I would most certainly and humbly appreciate any feedback you may have.

With that being said, I invite you to visit my MySpace Page and listen for yourself. If you have a MySpace account, add me as a friend! I'll include another link in my bio box. Thank you to pieces!

Okay, quick recap.

#10: Faith No More
#9: No Doubt
#8: Ratt
#7: Letters to Cleo
#6: Korn
#5: Nikka Costa
#4: Alice In Chains
#3: Deftones
#2: Fiona Apple

I love all 9 of the above bands and artists deeply. They've all gotten me through some of my life's most joyous moments... and quite a few trying times, as well. They're brilliant. They're beautiful. And I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone with a pulse.

And guess what.

I would, without a 2nd thought, trade in all 9 of them combined, PLUS every last one of my honorable mentions... for the artist who holds the elite spot on my list.

BJORK

This artist is NOT HUMAN. She's an anomaly. Her style is impossible to label. Her voice has no rival. I've seen good comedians and impressionists try to imitate her. They failed miserably. Her compositions have so much depth, you can literally listen to one of her songs for years and pick up on something you hadn't heard before. She is the most remixed artist on Earth.

Her appeal is worldwide, and it's massive. As stated in her amazing dvd biography, "She appeals to both the mainstream and underground... (She's) quirky, ever-changing, always surprising."

Sir Elton John calls her "The only true, innovative artist out there."

Her art is of a musical nature, a visual nature, and an influential nature. In metal magazine interviews, a great number of psychotic death metal musicians list her among their influences. I'd be willing to bet that about 85% of every artist listed above do, too.

Her portfolio is about as thick as they come. Her first recorded album came to be in 1976. She was 11 years old! Since then, she has recorded and toured with various bands, including Kukl, (Gling-Glo), and of course, the Sugar Cubes.

Bjork, Iceland's #1 musical export of all time, began her 1st true solo campaign with 1993's appropriately titled Debut. Since then, she's taken the world of international popular music by storm. But as this is not a biography lens, I'll shut up now and let you experience the greatest artist to ever live for yourself.

You may not agree with me. You may think she's weird. You may think her voice is odd, or her accent funny. You may think her style of dress is too bizarre. You may think a number of things about Bjork.

But I declare with great certainty that you will not think she's typical!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for viewing this lens and going through this journey with me. I hope you've enjoyed everything up to this point.

Now sit back, crank up your speakers or headphones, and treat yourself to the audio-visual feast I've prepared for you. Here she is. The one and only... BJORK!!!