# Favorite Artist who is the Worst Influence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425 "2006-11-07T15:24:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/21 "2006-11-09T00:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] He’s a favorite of yours? :dubious: [/QUOTE] I’m a fan of his architectural designs—and his application of the [theory of ruin value](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruin_value)—and, on a personal level, he was head-and-shoulders above the level of most of the other fanatics in Berlin. On the other hand, of course, he still _worked for and with_ those freaks, and his hands are far from clean. Hence, I list him here. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/22 "2006-11-09T01:06:15Z")
Fair enough – thanks for responding. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/23 "2006-11-09T01:12:14Z")
Nirvana. I think they, along with Pearl Jam (not a favorite, ftr) spawned a lot of wannabees with less listenable tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Reginald\_Bumwipe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@Sir\_Reginald\_Bumwipe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Reginald_Bumwipe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/24 "2006-11-09T01:12:42Z")
Stephen King… I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan but I have to give him credit for writing at least a few good books. I can’t say the same for his numerous mini-mes like Dean Koontz, however. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/25 "2006-11-09T02:13:30Z")
Weezer. Their first two albums were fantastic, but they inspired every woe-is-me, no-one-loves-me, my-girlfriend-dumped-me, craptacular emo band in existence today. And I like Lou Barlow, but he’s guilty of to contributing to this mess as well. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/26 "2006-11-09T04:18:45Z")
Elvis FTW. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/27 "2006-11-09T04:21:38Z")
Whitman. As is observed in Strunk and White, “‘Spontaneous me,’ sang Whitman, and, in his innocence, let loose the hordes of uninspired scribblers who would one day confuse spontaneity with genius.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/28 "2006-11-09T13:47:21Z")
I don’t think it’s fair to blame Slim Whitman for that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/29 "2006-11-09T16:44:06Z")
Bauhaus, the band that’s considered the original goth rock band. That should be pretty self-explanatory. Green Day. Okay, they’re not one of my favorites and I don’t think they’re great, but they’re not that bad. But they inspired a wave of musical shit that hasn’t gone away. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/30 "2006-11-09T17:09:44Z")
Jack Kerouac. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/31 "2006-11-09T17:25:18Z")
[Varg Vikernes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varg_Vikernes) 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/32 "2006-11-10T14:55:24Z")
Oh, another one would be **Jim Morrison**. His moody, poetic, overwrought style was perfect for him and the Doors’ music, but the vast majority of people who emulate his style simply don’t have what it takes to pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425/33 "2006-11-10T15:04:57Z")
Mamma Mia. A great musical that has inspired more shit than I would believe possible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-artist-who-is-the-worst-influence/379425.md?page=1)