# Multiple choice: Choose the best musical artists from Michigan **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249 "2011-01-11T19:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [January 11, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/1 "2011-01-11T19:22:03Z")
It would be cool to see polls from other states as well, so feel free to post your own state’s poll. (tip: go to Wikipedia and search for “music of [state]” for some ideas). I limited mine to 20. Select as many as you like. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/2 "2011-01-11T19:35:47Z")
Stevie Wonder is a musical genius, m_ **f** _! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/3 "2011-01-11T19:48:41Z")
I picked \*\*Madonna \*\*and **White Stripes** , and will humbly add **The Verve Pipe.**. There’s a lot more to them then “The Frrrosshhmen” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/4 "2011-01-11T19:51:16Z")
I reached Aretha and stopped reading. Who could possibly be better than her? ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/5 "2011-01-11T19:58:44Z")
I did the same as **Alessan** , but then I saw Stevie and I had to vote for him as well. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/6 "2011-01-11T20:08:43Z")
I voted for Aretha, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Eminem, Madonna and Stevie Wonder. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/7 "2011-01-11T20:12:30Z")
Lot of good artists on that list. I voted for a bunch. And you forgot **The MC5**. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/8 "2011-01-11T20:15:46Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > It would be cool to see polls from other states as well, so feel free to post your own state’s poll. What’s the point in competing for second place? 😃 Proud Michigander here. I gave Motown a lot of love (Aretha, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder) but also paid homage to the city’s excellent rap (Eminem) and rock (White Stripes) heritages. In retrospect, I would have voted Madonna, too. It’s not like voting for her dilutes the strength of my other votes. Michigan (well, really, Detroit) was also one of the birthplaces of electronic/techno music, but there really well-known artists identified with that. [QUOTE=Soul Brother Number Two] Stevie Wonder is a musical genius, m_ **f** _! [/quote] This really doesn’t get referenced enough - nice work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/9 "2011-01-11T20:19:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Lot of good artists on that list. I voted for a bunch. And you forgot **The MC5**. Good call. Funny story about them: One time I was home from college over winter break staying with my mom and we were watching a VH1 countdown of the top 100 groups of all time. The MC5 were on there. Their segment begins with footage of them at a concert and suddenly, right as it’s said on the TV, my mom yells out, “KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKERS!” My 22-year-old self was flabbergasted - turns out she had seen them a bunch of times at clubs downtown. It was the first time I realized that my mom, who was listening to Barry Manilow when I was a kid, was actually COOL at one point. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/10 "2011-01-11T20:19:02Z")
A few thoughts: - Michigan is just a music Mecca, jeez! - Didn’t know Al Green was from Michigan… - Like Alessan - Aretha and stop. But then there’s…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/11 "2011-01-11T20:23:48Z")
I can’t vote. Although I can appreciate that artists such as Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, The Four Tops, etc. are much more talented than Ted Nugent, I would much rather listen to Ted Nugent. And Alice Cooper is in my top 10 of all time. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/12 "2011-01-11T21:37:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Lot of good artists on that list. I voted for a bunch. And you forgot **The MC5**. Damn, I sure did. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/13 "2011-01-11T21:39:17Z")
[How could you forget…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_(album)) ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/14 "2011-01-11T21:40:33Z")
Kenny Burrell. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/15 "2011-01-11T21:40:39Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > A few thoughts: > > - Michigan is just a music Mecca, jeez! > > - Didn’t know Al Green was from Michigan… > > - Like Alessan - Aretha and stop. But then there’s…😉 Regarding Al Green, I didn’t either. Now that I look up his bio, though, it seems he was born in Arkansas and his family moved to Grand Rapids when he was in his teens. mmm ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/16 "2011-01-11T21:51:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Lot of good artists on that list. I voted for a bunch. And you forgot **The MC5**. Not to mention the **Bay City Rollers**. 😉 I voted for Bob Seger, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Madonna (even though I identify her more with NYC than MI), Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder. I could have voted for more, but kept my list to my top five. I like some of the artists that I didn’t vote for more than Bob Seger, but I have always identified BS as a Michiganer from the start of his career, so he gets identification points. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/17 "2011-01-12T02:02:32Z")
Only one vote for Kid Rock surprises me - is he not big outside of Michigan (he’s HUGE here)? mmm ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/18 "2011-01-13T18:31:37Z")
Stevie Wonder, Aretha, & the Temptations. I didn’t know so many wonderful magicians came from Michigan. ---
**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:** [January 13, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-choice-choose-the-best-musical-artists-from-michigan/567249/19 "2011-01-13T20:23:21Z")
I don’t know if anyone told you this, but you forgot **MC5** … 😃