# Is Bjork "the most important pop musician of her generation"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948 "2003-09-06T16:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/1 "2003-09-06T16:44:57Z")
I mean she’s OK and has produced some nice songs and videos, but the “most important pop musician of her generation”? Is there some validity to this? From [Salon- All hail the ice queen - As Bjork releases an extraordinary career retrospective, it’s time to crown her as the most important pop musician of her generation.](http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2003/09/06/bjork/index_np.html) > [@](#): > > In 1993, the former lead singer of the Sugarcubes, a popular alternative rock band from Iceland, released an album called “Debut.” So began the most extraordinary musical trajectory of the decade. Ten years later that singer, Björk, is the queen of contemporary music. She has released four solo albums, each one expanding the bounds of what seems possible in popular music. In my experience, no other active musician inspires as much respect in other musicians. A forthcoming documentary titled “Inside Björk” features testimonials from artists as diverse as Thom Yorke, Missy Elliott, Elton John and religious composer John Taverner. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/2 "2003-09-06T16:49:18Z")
Right.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: She isn’t even in the Top 100. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/3 "2003-09-06T16:50:30Z")
Certainly sounds like unjustifiable hype to me. Good, yes. Different, yes. Most important? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/4 "2003-09-06T16:50:40Z")
You’d have to load her down with an awful lot of qualifiers to call ehr the “most important” anything. I’d say pop musicians are gauged by how many other well-known musicians are influenced by them; in Bjork’s case, I’m drawing a blank. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/5 "2003-09-06T17:00:02Z")
She might be called the most important pop musician of her generation to come from Iceland. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/6 "2003-09-06T17:13:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar \* > \*\*She might be called the most important pop musician of her generation to come from Iceland. \*\* Which is equivilent to being **King of Nothing**. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/7 "2003-09-06T17:15:42Z")
As my lactose intolerant cat would say after drinking some milk: ::hulk…hulk…huuulllk…bleaachhh:: There, all better now. ---
**Author:** ![Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@Live\_Better\_Electrically](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Live_Better_Electrically)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/8 "2003-09-06T17:19:37Z")
That kind of reductionism is meaningless. Most important in what regard? No one would agree on the criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/9 "2003-09-06T17:39:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Live Better Electrically! \* > \*\*That kind of reductionism is meaningless. Most important in what regard? No one would agree on the criteria. \*\* Well, in the “screeching, generally unintelligible lyrics” department, then, yes, she is the most important singer of her generation. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/10 "2003-09-06T17:44:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Well, in the “screeching, generally unintelligible lyrics” department, then, yes, she is the most important singer of her generation. \*\* Touche.😛 😃 ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/11 "2003-09-06T18:09:50Z")
UGH. I think that pretty much covers it for me. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/12 "2003-09-06T19:00:06Z")
> [@](#): > > She might be called the most important pop musician of her generation to come from Iceland. Yeah, _might_ is the key. Sigur Ros might actually contend for the title of best pop musician from Iceland. If you can’t be the most important in Iceland, I tend to doubt world domination is eminent. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/13 "2003-09-06T19:27:26Z")
No, Kate Bush is, unless you count her as from the previous generation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/14 "2003-09-06T19:35:16Z")
Well, I think she is the most important person ever to wear a swan. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/15 "2003-09-06T20:17:13Z")
I think the veracity of that statement depends entirely on how much you like Bjork. Apparently, it is true for whoever wrote that article. For the rest of us, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/16 "2003-09-06T21:50:59Z")
I don’t really like Elvis, but he was obviously the _most important_ music artist of his time. I’m not all that fond of Michael Jackson, but you could say the same thing about him. But Bjork? As Krokodil points out, the only real measurement of “importance” in pop music is how much you change the industry or influence other musicians. She’s had basically no big impact that I can discern. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/17 "2003-09-06T22:05:43Z")
Bjork is weird, Bjork is different, that’s about it. I really like _Human Behaviour_, but beyond that, I find her songs amusing. Her VIDEOS are really, really good, however… she definitely goes the extra mile to show what she wants to show. But most important? Nah. That title is reserved for Wesley Willis, God bless his immortal soul. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/18 "2003-09-06T22:32:31Z")
The only album I ever bought of hers I returned. I don’t think I’ve ever returned an album other than that one. So in my book, she is one of a kind at something at least. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/19 "2003-09-06T22:37:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*I don’t really like Elvis, but he was obviously the _most important_ music artist of his time. I’m not all that fond of Michael Jackson, but you could say the same thing about him. > > But Bjork? As Krokodil points out, the only real measurement of “importance” in pop music is how much you change the industry or influence other musicians. She’s had basically no big impact that I can discern. \*\* I dunno, but the Sugarcubes song “Birthday”, where she got that low growl/high pitch wail thing going on, sends shivers down my spine. Like her or not, you’ve got to give her credit for having an amazing voice. RickJay, Michael Jackson is probably the most irrelevant pop musician of my generation. Commercial success isn’t a measure of importance and influence. Look at the Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop. Their influence didn’t hit pop culture untill 92 or so, and when it hit, it hit in a big way. All the thousand of garage bands who put out 45s in the pre-hippy days are influencing countless garage bands (and those faux garage bands like White Stripes) today just like the Velvets and Iggy inspired Nirvana and Sonic Youth in the last decade. I think Bjork’s influence will be heard more in the future. Anyway, Bob Marley’s the most important pop musician of all time. He’s a prophet to millions of people around the world. Elvis might have been more important if he croaked when he was still skinny and rockin’. 🙂 Jon ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948/20 "2003-09-06T22:59:49Z")
Well, I like how **nitroglycerin** put it. I have no idea how you measure the importance of a musician. Is Bjork important politically or socially, like Bob Marley is or U2 might be? I’m gonna say no. Has she influenced a great number of other musicians, like a Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Elvis, etc? Not I can think of. I don’t know of anyone who even _tries_ to sound like Bjork. “Most important pop musician” strikes me as one of those things a music critic says to demonstrate how smart he is. It’s a grand, sweeping prouncement that’s totally subjective. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-bjork-the-most-important-pop-musician-of-her-generation/199948.md?page=2)