# If you could only hear one artist's or group's music for the rest of your life... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684 "2012-10-04T13:37:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/41 "2012-10-05T05:17:26Z")
Got to go with the Rolling Stones. ---
**Author:** ![JCorre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@JCorre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCorre)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/42 "2012-10-05T05:41:33Z")
The White Stripes ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/43 "2012-10-05T06:00:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > John Williams. I’m going to change my answer to Hans Zimmer. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/44 "2012-10-05T09:45:51Z")
I’ll go with Paul Simon as well. Although I gave strong consideration to Elvis Costello. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Hookit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71e660/32.png) [@Hookit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hookit)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/45 "2012-10-05T10:56:19Z")
I mean,if the objective is to be bored to death by easy listening elevator music,I could understand the Pink Floyd and Paul Simon choices. The very question is a ridiculous one.There isn’t a single artist/band who’s work I could listen to over and over and never get tired of,because eventually you will grow tired of it and even wind up hating it. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/46 "2012-10-05T11:00:03Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Lynyrd Skynyrd _Both_ songs? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/47 "2012-10-05T11:58:50Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > _Both_ songs? Curtis Lowe was the finest picker to ever play the blues. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/48 "2012-10-05T12:48:13Z")
Vienna Philharmonic. or Vladimir Ashkenazy. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/49 "2012-10-05T12:51:16Z")
Miles Davis His large varied catalogue and assortment of talented players make it a no brainer. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/50 "2012-10-05T13:00:11Z")
So many excellent choices in so relatively few posts. It’s made me change my mind. If I can only listen to one artist – just kill me. That would be preferable. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/51 "2012-10-05T13:42:24Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > Just the thought of this is absolutely depressing. I agree. I’ve been trying to answer this question for a while, but I can’t. In the last week I’ve listened to everything from Skrillex to Hank 3 to Damien Marley to Amon Amarth to the Berlin Philharmonic. I cannot answer this question. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/52 "2012-10-05T13:45:04Z")
Joni Mitchell. Second and third choices: Diana Krall and Carol Wellsman. Carol Who? Well, I fell in love with her. There would appear to be a certain sameness in my choices. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/53 "2012-10-05T15:43:40Z")
Jimmy Buffett ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/54 "2012-10-05T17:21:27Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > The Church-mainly because their catalogue is varied enough in terms of styles to continue to keep me entertained, and that I am still deciphering their lyrics even after 30 years of listening to them. I rarely come across anyone who has heard of The Church, letalone likes them. I agree with you about the lyrics; particularly the ones that seem to be about other beings. I love The Disillusionist - very creepy: They say that he’s famous from the waist down But the top half of his body is a corpse His gold won’t buy him sleep His poverty runs so deep In winter he cracks, in summer he warps ---
**Author:** ![Musky\_Moon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90db22/32.png) [@Musky\_Moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musky_Moon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/55 "2012-10-05T19:28:50Z")
Without question, The Smiths. A decent size catalogue. The only band I’ve never wavered on even once. I can throw on a Smiths album right now and know that I would be happy to throw another one on right after. The Cure is my only runner-up. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/56 "2012-10-05T20:34:00Z")
Tough one, but if it’s “artists”, I think I’d have to say Bernard Sumner as that gets me both Joy Division and New Order with Electronic as a nice bonus. That or Blixa Bargeld, which gets me both Bad Seeds and Einsterzende Neubauten. Robert Smith would get me The Cure and my favourite Siouxie album… If I had to stick to one group, it’d be Swans. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/57 "2012-10-05T22:48:45Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I rarely come across anyone who has heard of The Church, letalone likes them. I agree with you about the lyrics; particularly the ones that seem to be about other beings. I love The Disillusionist - very creepy: > > They say that he’s famous from the waist down > But the top half of his body is a corpse > His gold won’t buy him sleep > His poverty runs so deep > In winter he cracks, in summer he warps Their 1988 album, _Starfish_, was pretty big in the US. “Under The Milky Way” was even a Top 40 hit. I heard a lot of Church on the college radio station back then (WVUA 90.7 ‘The Voice of The Univ. of Alabama!’) 😉 “Reptile” and “Antenna” were two other great songs on that album. _Gold Afternoon Fix_ is another great album from The Church. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/58 "2012-10-05T23:24:23Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > I agree. I’ve been trying to answer this question for a while, but I can’t. In the last week I’ve listened to everything from Skrillex to Hank 3 to Damien Marley to Amon Amarth to the Berlin Philharmonic. I cannot answer this question. Isn’t it, though? I didn’t want to even answer it, and I haven’t even heard all of The Magnetic Fields’ music yet. They were introduced to me by someone not too long ago. It has been interesting reading all of the responses. ---
**Author:** ![Isaacedwardleibowitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecb155/32.png) [@Isaacedwardleibowitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isaacedwardleibowitz)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/59 "2012-10-05T23:41:59Z")
Prince, no question. ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684/60 "2012-10-05T23:46:13Z")
John Zorn – incredibly prolific, encompasses a wide range of styles, and leans primarily to the avant garde end of the musical spectrum. Of course it also helps that I’ve been listening to him for 15 years and not only have I not scratched the surface of collecting all the music he has put out, but I also have not NEAR listened to the stuff I do have enough to appreciate all of its multiple levels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-could-only-hear-one-artists-or-groups-music-for-the-rest-of-your-life/636684.md?page=4)