# Who is the greatest American rock MUSICIAN of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2015, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423 "2015-09-09T12:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/21 "2015-09-09T16:43:20Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Oh dear, excuse me if I’m wrong. But didn’t the OP request musicians who were born and raised in the USA? > > Oh wait. Jimi Hendrix was an export from the UK? Really? I always thought he was a Yankee. No? > > Oh shoot! I best go back to sleep. I need it. Yes, I believe up\_the\_junction was using a bit of sarcasm there. Hendrix is indeed U.S. born and raised. He went to England to get some traction for his music career because no one quite knew what to make of him in the U.S. A woman may have been involved as well. Having formed The Experience with two Brits, his little business trip to the U.K. was a success, and he returned to the U.S. in triumphant fashion. That is, until I decided I couldn’t include The Experience in my GARBOAT poll because of the Brit majority, adding a posthumous blemish to his illustrious (but too short) career. Without wiki or google getting involved, I think that’s the gist of it. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/22 "2015-09-09T16:50:08Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Neil and Joni are both Canadian. Sorry. I didn’t read the OP closely enough. Absurd, but that’s what the OP says. Get ready for the All Bruce and Jimi Weekend ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/23 "2015-09-09T16:59:52Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > How can you think of anyone besides Elvis? Certainly nobody was more influential. No doubt, Elvis is the tip of the rock n’ roll spear. The one who pushed rock n’ roll from an emerging music form to a cross-cultural phenomenon and shorthand for “teenager” in the media of the day. But “greatest musician” feels like more than that. Songwriting, innovative production, techical ability on instruments. Owning who you are and the impact you have. People respect Elvis’s music and phenomenon, but musician’s don’t cite Elvis Presley as a musician, other than being a brilliant vocalist with two distinct registers for ballads and rock. Michael Jackson is a similarly huge cultural phenomenon, but wrote a lot of his music and was a technically brilliant singer and dancer and producer, etc. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/24 "2015-09-09T17:10:43Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Get ready for the All Bruce and Jimi Weekend Bruce: I dunno. So clearly the Elder Statesman these days, alongside Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, a few others. THE guy you want leading your Hall of Fame or tribute concert. But, man, I wish he had a bit of _danger_. He’s dark, in a storyteller-literate sort of way. But not in a _rock n’ roll danger_ sort of way. That’s one thing Dylan had going for him to go with his literate folk music: he sang a Fuck You in many of his songs, from groups, to specific girlfriends, etc. He was never afraid to be a dick. My $.02. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/25 "2015-09-09T17:17:16Z")
I think Little Richard certainly deserves a mention. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/26 "2015-09-09T17:20:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Bruce: I dunno. So clearly the Elder Statesman these days, alongside Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Aretha, a few others. THE guy you want leading your Hall of Fame or tribute concert. But, man, I wish he had a bit of _danger_. He’s dark, in a storyteller-literate sort of way. But not in a _rock n’ roll danger_ sort of way. That’s one thing Dylan had going for him to go with his literate folk music: he sang a Fuck You in many of his songs, from groups, to specific girlfriends, etc. He was never afraid to be a dick. > > My $.02. I agree totally about Bruce. As much as I love Dylan though, it’s his lyrics above all the rest of his abilities. He used too much existing music that others had collected. I’m looking for the whole musical package. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/27 "2015-09-09T17:21:05Z")
Todd Rundgren and Dave Grohl need to be in this conversation. They both can play everything and have made whole (great) albums single-handed. Time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/28 "2015-09-09T17:31:55Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I’m conflicted on Chuck Berry. His influence on pretty much every rock musician in the last 50 years cannot be overstated…but as a performer he leaves something to be desired (perhaps not back in his heyday, but definitely in the several decades since). For crying out loud. Chuck Berry is 88 years old! Of course he isn’t the performer he was 60 years ago. You want to penalize him because he’s one rock musician who \*didn’t \*die when he was 27??? I think it’s time for a dark horse, so I nominate [James William Guercio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_William_Guercio). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/29 "2015-09-09T18:04:03Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I agree totally about Bruce. > > As much as I love Dylan though, it’s his lyrics above all the rest of his abilities. He used too much existing music that others had collected. I’m looking for the whole musical package. Dude, Dylan is the pioneer / Elvis of rock music emerging as an art form, and as a political voice vs. teenybopper stuff. He’s next-stage Elvis, with cross-cultural impact and a shadow miles long. Hard to top, unless you add Hendrix’s guitar mastery, production skills… ---
**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:** [September 9, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/30 "2015-09-09T18:19:14Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Todd Rundgren and Dave Grohl need to be in this conversation. They both can play everything and have made whole (great) albums single-handed. Time will tell. Ditto Adrian Belew. Both Belew and Rundgren (I’m not as familiar with Grohl) shine as singers, songwriters, guitarists, multi-instrumentalists, and producers; have worked solo and in bands; and their work includes both catchy pop and esoteric artsy-fartsiness. But they’re not as iconic or influential as the biggest names in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/31 "2015-09-09T18:29:23Z")
I’ll have to nominate Prince, even though I loathe the stuck-up selfish little bitch. It speaks volumes that Prince is even suggested for this “rock” survey, when he’s best known as an R&B/soul/funk/hip-hop artist. The key word is “musician”, which implies mastery of a wide range of different instruments. Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix were revolutionary, but limited to electric guitar (though that’s kinda like saying Dmitri Mendeleev was “only limited to chemistry”); people like Dylan and Springsteen are great songwriters/composers, but their technical musicianship is above average, at best. As for Elvis, did he even play an instrument? I don’t think he even wrote his own songs. Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin don’t count because they have nothing to do with rock music. If not Prince, then consider Frank Zappa – legendary singer, composer & multi-instrumentalist with a vast and diverse collection of works. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/32 "2015-09-09T18:31:34Z")
I’m taking it that since Eddie Van Halen can’t be President, he’s not eligible for even an Honorable Mention prize? I second the Dick Dale nod above. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/33 "2015-09-09T18:35:28Z")
Chuck Berry. Tom Petty. Jerry Lee Lewis. Killer rock n’ roll songwriters and performers, all. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/34 "2015-09-09T18:37:43Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I’ll have to nominate Prince, even though I loathe the stuck-up selfish little bitch. It speaks volumes that Prince is even suggested for this “rock” survey, when he’s best known as an R&B/soul/funk/hip-hop artist. Prince’s rock _bona fides_ is completely legitimate, though – especially during his mid-80s heyday. And he was doing a lot of rock covers during his live shows through at least the mid-90s. And of course, this video seals it. See, Dani Harrison approves as well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/35 "2015-09-09T18:38:42Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Chuck Berry. > > Tom Petty. > > Jerry Lee Lewis. > > Killer rock n’ roll songwriters and performers, all. Jerry Lee was not a songwriter. Great all arounder though. Especially if you ask him. Tom Petty I find too derivative, and programmatic. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/36 "2015-09-09T18:45:47Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Duane Allman +1 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/37 "2015-09-09T18:54:38Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Jerry Lee was not a songwriter. Never heard “High School Confidential”, I take it. > [@](#): > > Tom Petty I find too derivative, and programmatic. Is this **drad** -speak for “had too many hit songs”? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/38 "2015-09-09T19:18:04Z")
If we’re nominate Dave Grohl, then you gotta mention Kurt Cobain. The grunge movement wouldn’t have been the same without him. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/39 "2015-09-09T19:24:28Z")
My vote’s for Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/40 "2015-09-09T19:49:29Z")
Two names that should be in the discussion that haven’t been mentioned yet are Billy Joel and Paul Simon. They may not be rock enough for some, but if we’re including Stevie Wonder among others I’d say they belong. However, it’s gotta be Dylan at the top. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423.md?page=3)