# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/81 "2015-09-11T00:42:52Z")
Frank Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/82 "2015-09-11T00:49:55Z")
The Ukulele Lady went to hear Jackson Browne at the City Winery in Manhattan not too long ago; he appeared with Shawn Colvin and Judy Collins. According to her, he didn’t take a swing at either of them the whole time they were onstage. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/83 "2015-09-11T03:49:59Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Look, Elvis wins this hands-down. He brought black blues music to the masses. Do you think of Elvis as a **musician** , though? I think of him the way I think of a movie star rather than an actor. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/84 "2015-09-11T04:35:19Z")
> [@Wilson](#): > > 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, Even my mom doesn’t think Billy Joel is “rock enough” and she gave up popular music after Neil Sedaka. He’s a perfectly fine song craftsman in the pop/Tin Pan Alley tradition, but few things are more painful than watching him try to “rock”. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/85 "2015-09-11T10:52:54Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > consider Frank Zappa – legendary singer, composer & multi-instrumentalist with a vast and diverse collection of works. Yea, Frank Zappa for me. Brilliant composer. Very underrated. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/86 "2015-09-11T13:56:13Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > 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. I agree with this post and would also like to include Jeff Tweedy as another example. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/87 "2015-09-11T17:34:13Z")
Well, I’ve read through the thread. I’ve tried to consider the alternatives, but as long as success and influence are large factors: it’s still Hendrix for me. The primary rock 'n roll instrument is the guitar, and anyone who’s honest with themselves measures guitar (and by association, rock) in Pre-Hendrix and Post-Hendrix terms. He changed the form’s primary instrument that much. If that wasn’t enough, he was an excellent song writer and arranger, and worked in the studio as well as anyone. Three years was enough for him to secure his legacy. In fact, it’d take me some convincing to make me not see him as simply “greatest rock musician”. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/88 "2015-09-11T17:45:54Z")
I can’t believe it took until page 2 to get to FZ. But then he made up some ground. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/89 "2015-09-11T18:13:58Z")
Another vote for Prince. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/90 "2015-09-12T11:50:35Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > … Both Belew and Rundgren … 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. I vote early and often for Ry Cooder for the same reason that Adrian Belew and Todd Rundgren are mentioned. They are all make the Top 100 lists as technically masterful musicians, but RC has worked across more of the genres that rock and roll used to be, before corporatised rock and radio started making everything sound like Nickelback. He’s used his super-powers for good in promoting these marginalised regional music traditions and continuing to write political music. Upsetting the grown ups is still the entry level requirement for separating the tyre-kickers from from significant participants in any field, especially music. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/91 "2015-09-12T14:35:56Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > I vote early and often for Ry Cooder for the same reason that Adrian Belew and Todd Rundgren are mentioned. > > They are all make the Top 100 lists as technically masterful musicians, but RC has worked across more of the genres that rock and roll used to be, before corporatised rock and radio started making everything sound like Nickelback. > > He’s used his super-powers for good in promoting these marginalised regional music traditions and continuing to write political music. Upsetting the grown ups is still the entry level requirement for separating the tyre-kickers from from significant participants in any field, especially music. And: - Was the person Duane Allman saw playing slide which influenced Duane’s focus and mastery of it. - Showed Keith Richards how to play in Open G, the guitar tuning that Keef used from Honky Tonky Woman on, and which is the sonic foundation of the Big 5 (Beggars thru Exile + Some Girls). Legendarily, Cooder actually showed him the Honky Tonk riff; Richards wrote the song using it and took writing credit. Similar controversy to Paul Simon using existing South African riffs in some Graceland songs. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/92 "2015-09-12T15:45:53Z")
OK, I was definitely asleep at the switch. Carole King is a great musician but I wouldn’t describe her as a rocker. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/93 "2015-09-12T16:24:20Z")
For me it has to be _ **Prince** _. Very talented multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader–his only peers are Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Frank Zappa, and maybe Sun Ra. From '79-'92 he had a very good run, hit a lull, then came back ten years ago with a strong album that wasn’t “pushed” by the Grammys. Had Hendrix lived, I think he’d be number one, but for sheer talent vs. longevity vs. output, Prince can’t be topped. ---
**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 12, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/94 "2015-09-12T16:45:40Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > OK, I was definitely asleep at the switch. Carole King is a great musician but I wouldn’t describe her as a rocker. One performer, onstage with his/her instrument and nothing/no one else, I’d say she’s a contender. She was the standard-bearer for the whole “singer-songwriter” movement. If she was in one venue and James Taylor was in the one next door, I’d have a hard time choosing. “Rock” is a squirrely thing to define, and Carole King is certainly rock in a way that she isn’t jazz or country. She’s no Janis Joplin, but Janis without a backing band (Does anybody hold that “Mercedes-Benz” song up as a high water mark for Janis?) wasn’t quite Janis Joplin either. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/95 "2015-09-12T17:03:26Z")
There are Three Canadians on this list of Greatest American Rock Musician of all time? Young, Mitchell, and Peart… interesting. ---
**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 12, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/96 "2015-09-12T17:08:58Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Yes indeed. His music was truly superb. However, his woman beating escapades will always remain a terrible, terrible … I don’t know what to say. > > How can those things ever be explained or forgiven or … oh shit! What a terrible stupid thing to do. Not just because they ruin his life. But also because they ruing the lives of the women that he beat on. At the very least, he would need to suffer in proportion to the amount of suffering he cased those ladies. How else could he ever begin to pay back? How? Baffling. Just Bafflng. > > Is there anyone here who can attempt to explain such things? Holy Shit! > > It’s not even close for a woman to beat on a man. But given that most all men are so much physically stronger than women, the whole thing is just disgusting. Maybe it would make sense to banish this guy to some place far, far away? Very far away? I’m thinking maybe like Mars? Huh? > > I would just so much like to hear from someone who thinks such things could be justified. > > I would really like to see a “grudge match” with an unarmed female and an unarmed male - fighting it out … oh never mind. It just can’t make sense on any level at all. So ridiculous. “Escapades”? Plural? I’d only heard of one incident, an accusation about Daryl Hannah that is [far from definitive](http://home.comcast.net/~leslienoelani/TNI.html). Are there other instances where he’s been accused of beating a woman? ---
**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 12, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/97 "2015-09-12T20:42:58Z")
Tom Waits mentioned yet? He may be the best. Master of writing and performing. Is he rock? If it wan’t for Brian Wilson. Then there’s Hendrix, Todd Rundgren, Paul Westerberg ---
**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 12, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/98 "2015-09-12T20:46:52Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0Y97UQ_TD8c/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Waits - No Visitors After Midnight") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y97UQ_TD8c) ---
**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 12, 2015, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/99 "2015-09-12T21:16:50Z")
This is my analysis: By eliminating Neil Young and Joni Mitchell as Canadians, and Marvin, Stevie and Smokey for being black basically. and eliminating Coltrane and miles etc. as “Jazz” you have skewed the whole North American contribution out of its strengths towards a narrow band of other guys competing with the English, who were much more prodigious then. (Look at a list of top billboard recording artists of the “Rock” era and see where those three black artists stand. They account for a significant percentage of the whole record sales GDP itself!!! They define “Rock” in a way a lot of white artist might not, even Elvis, if you take the tonnage of records sold.) This is distinct from the liverpool London scene which produced a huge concentration of great overall musical creators within a few square miles of each other. So we get Brian Wilson, Hendrix Todd Rundgren, Tom Waits, Alex Chilton, Paul Westerberg, Robert pollard, Mark Eitzel, Elvis Presley. maybe. Because we are defining a lot of the best out of it. But you could say Stephen Stills was one of our greats but he just burned it out so quick. And that’s typical of the scene. Roger McGuinn? Maybe? Jerry garcia? Too diffuse… ---
**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 12, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423/100 "2015-09-12T21:37:14Z")
Then you got Chuck Berry, good choice Dylan, I can’t place him above Neil Young musically, though, so it ruins it for me. Zappa, a little too “specialized” Duane Allman: An instrumentalist, but not noted composer or singer [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-american-rock-musician-of-all-time/730423.md?page=6)