Most influential musician, band, singer, songwriter, composer ever?

[Bossy Monkey]

A poll, as I recently said about something else, is practically inevitable. However, narrowing the list down to ten (or nine if I put on Other) is all but impossible, what with having all of human history to choose from. My first thoughts:
Mozart
Bach
Leadbelly
Woody
Hank
Mr Zimmerman
Chuck Berry
Beatles
U2
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Ok, I'm kidding on the last one, though if we're honest with ourselves, people like him and John Williams should probably be on the poll as being highly influential, even if not in the strictest sense very individual. So whatchasay? (Oh, the more serious candidate for the #10 slot, at least for me would be The Ramones.)

[Radical Activist]

1. Replace Woody with Pete Seeger

Woody Guthrie's legend is what it is today in large part because of Seeger promoting him. Pete did a lot to promote and organize more than one folk revival movement. He's the granddaddy of urban folk singer activists. His music is everywhere. I love Woody Guthrie, but from the standpoint of influencing what people play and hear, Seeger had more of a guiding hand.

[HornBuckler]

6. I like the fact Woody wrote songs - Pete not so much

And I can't believe Bob Dylan isn't on anyone's list yet... Good Gravy

[Bossy Monkey]

10. See #8 n/t

[leftofthedial]

15. Well, Woody wrote lyrics anyway

I adore him, but melodically, he was a prolific "borrower"

[DBoon]

2. Claudio Monteverdi

ushered in the Baroque era, replacing polyphonic music with the modern harmonies of homophonic music

Runners-up:

Bill Haley, for inventing Rock and Roll as a fusion of coutry and r&b

W.C. Handy, for bringing the Blues to a mass audience

[tjwmason]

12. Monteverdi also pretty much invented opera. n/t

[Bossy Monkey]

3. Meant to say "original," not "individual"; I swear I'm becoming worried

about my level of brain damage.:)

[Tikki]

4. Doug Colvin....AKA...

Dee Dee Ramone....


Tikki

[Starbucks Anarchist]

5. My choices:

Duke Ellington
Miles Davis
Robert Johnson
Lennon/McCartney
Hank Williams
Louis Armstrong
Charlie Parker
Dizzy Gillespie
James Brown
John Coltrane
Elvis Presley
Public Enemy

[scoey1953]

7. What about Bob Dylan?

Johnnys in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
Im on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the trench coat
Badge out, laid off
Says hes got a bad cough
Wants to get it paid off
Look out kid
Its somethin you did
God knows when
But youre doin it again
You better duck down the alley way
Lookin for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap
In the big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills
You only got ten

Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phones tapped anyway
Maggie says that many say
They must bust in early may
Orders from the d. a.
Look out kid
Dont matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes
Dont try no doz
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You dont need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
Youre gonna get hit
But losers, cheaters
Six-time users
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin for a new fool
Dont follow leaders
Watch the parkin meters

Ah get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance, learn to dance
Get dressed, get blessed
Try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Dont steal, dont lift
Twenty years of schoolin
And they put you on the day shift
Look out kid
They keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole
Light yourself a candle
Dont wear sandals
Try to avoid the scandals
Dont wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump dont work
cause the vandals took the handles

[Bossy Monkey]

8. See OP; who do you guess Mr. Zimmerman is?

:)

[scoey1953]

11. damn...missed that,... ok well good choice

My mind is elsewhere today...

[NashVegas]

9. Beethoven

..

[Squeech]

13. Agreed

Influential to me means inspires other creators in that medium. And Beethoven has long been the standard that other composers measure themselves against: Schubert, Brahms, Schoenberg, etc. all consciously emulated Beethoven.

You might also add Frank Zappa to the list, not only for his extremely heterodox approach to music, but also for his business practices, and of course his outspoken derision of the radical right.

[WCGreen]

14. Beethoven...

No one else even comes close.....