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[The Pope]

So GAF who is the greatest musician of all time. "Great" is a very lose term so in order for discusions sake "greatest" is the person(s) who has composed a piece(s) or sung a song(s) that even after years of listening you still cannot get enough of. I can appreciate that Bach, Beethoven and Mozart were probably the greatest musicians to ever live in terms of there contribution to music but in reality only Beethoven's Emperor and a few of his piano Sonata's are regulars on my play list.

So who is your GOAT musician. If I had to rank them by listening time and preference.

1)Sergei Rachmaninoff - His Piano Concerto's are remarkable. It took me at least a few listens to finally love them. When a poll was done of the worlds best performance Pianists from Lang Lang to Bronfman to see who they viewed as the best pianist of all time Rachmaninoff came out on top - by far. However Rachmaninoff's own compositions are what really set him apart. Just so much emotion can be understood from his compositions. The heartbreakingly beautiful Adagio Sestenuto in Piano Concerto no.2, the rage of the run-up to and of the Ossia Cadenza, Cheerfulness of the 3rd movement of Piano Concerto no.3. I can and never will tire of his compositions.
https://youtu.be/rEGOihjqO9w https://youtu.be/aFkAwFDZGHk
https://youtu.be/4E7XHOotTX0
Many more of course including his most famous Preludes in C and G minor.

Following Rach would be in no paticular order
-Billy Joel
https://youtu.be/gxEPV4kolz0 + Goodnight Saigon
-Queen
https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ
-Johnny Cash
Everything by him
-Miles Davis
Everything by him
-Frank Sinatra
My Way plus most of his covers and collaborations
-Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Marche Slav, Piano Concerto no. 1
-Camille Saint-Saens
The Carnival of Animals
-Dmitri Shostakovich
Composed the best Waltz (Waltz no.2) and according to me the the second most beautiful piece of music ever written.
https://youtu.be/JlMHjo7Jwhk
Probably going to regret not putting Chopin or

Spoiler

Kendric Lamar

Edit: David Bowie is also someone I never tire of hearing.

 

[Borgnine]

Yeah it's Bach.

 

[n00bsauce87]

Would you put Prince in that no-particular-order list?

I'd like to think there's an argument to be made there for him

And now that I think about it, Chuck Berry (father of Rock) and Ray Charles and his ability to use the Gospel sound from the 50s-70s and infuse it into blues, jazz, pop and rock n roll

 

[The Pope]

Yeah it's Bach.

As a contributor maybe.However very little of his work does anything for me. Well Tempered Clavier, his Cello Suites and The Brandenburg Concertos are his best but even then I cannot continuously listen to them.

 

[Laevateinn]

Paganini was so good people thought that he was in league with Satan.

 

[The Pope]

Would you put Prince in that no-particular-order list?

I'd like to think there's an argument to be made there for him

Yeah probably. I would put him ahead of Dillon, MJ and the Beatles for instance. I also love Bowie so I would probably add him as well.

 

[The Pope]

Paganini was so good people thought that he was in league with Satan.

I never knew this. Truly underepresented in contemporary discussion of pre Baroque music.

 

[Puck Beaverton]

Here is a small list of people:

Miles Davis
Frank Zappa
Captain Beefheart
Brian Wilson

 

[Rushersauce]

Miles Davis put me in a coma of eargasm with Kind of Blue.
So, Miles Davis is definitely one of the greatest musicians to have ever step on the face of the earth.

 

[Carl2291]

Elvis Presley
Michael Jackson
Beethoven
Mozart
John Williams

Spoiler

Nobuo Uematsu

 

[Goldmund]

I never knew this. Truly underepresented in contemporary discussion of pre Baroque music.

Probably because Baroque music was long dead before he was born.

 

[Zach]

[...]

Brian Wilson

I'm listening to "Good Vibrations" right now!

 

[the1npc]

Frank zappa

 

[moggio]

You mean apart from Frank Zappa, right?

 

[Vanillalite]

This is a question?

 

[Borgnine]

The answer is still Bach but I'll say Stevie Wonder. Certainly one of the best of the 20th century.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

Did OP really say Billy Joel?
wut

 

[ZOONAMI]

Prince is up there for all around being able to do everything and is arguably the greatest guitar player, ever.

 

[capitalCORN]

Steve Reich: Invented electronic music.
For the rest:

Autechre.
Massive Attack.
Leonard Cohen.
Kool Keith.
Elliot Smith.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

All time: Bach

Modern Day: Prince

 

[pablito]

Whenever I think about this I usually give it to Miles Davis

 

[Secret Character]

If I were to choose some musician that I believe transcend ordinary and wander into legendary status, here is who I would choose:

1. Moondog
Blinded as a youth, this German musician/composer spent his entire life writing music and learning various instruments. He has so many recordings of his works that it's nearly impossible to pin down one thing of his to listen to, but his 1969 self titled album is incredible, cover to cover.

2. Buckethead
Nobody makes the guitar sound like Buckethead does. Another musician that has really made his instrument an extended part of himself. There are literally hundreds of hours of his work and some of it is just insane.

3. Gregory Porter
Ex-football player Gregory Porter writes his own music, which is incredible when you consider how natural his jazz feels. The man has a voice that is smooth as silk and his words can be extremely moving as well. Jazz has been transformed by him, and he'll be a giant of the genre for decades to come.

4. Gustav Holst
Easily the greatest composer of the early 20th century, Gustav Holst is most known for writing the Planets Suite, which is a monumental piece of music. His string writing is some of the best of the classical genre.

5. Danger Mouse
Writer/Producer Danger Mouse has worked in more genres of music than most people even realize. Everything he touches has this polished feeling of great sound. He understands mixing and layered music that no other producer out there does.

I know I'll think of more, but these are the immediate stand-outs to me.

 

[hobblygobbly]

It's tough to pick of all time, but for the 20th century in my opinion it's Rachmaninoff and Miles Davis.

 

[pretty done]

I actually laughed out loud at Billy Joel

Anyway it's Stevie Ray Vaughan

 

[Goldmund]

Frank Zappa is probably the closest the 20th century got to a Mozart-like genius. Master and masterful mocker of all genres of music of his time.

Since it doesn't matter, I'll nominate Arnold Schönberg/Schoenberg, especially for his various piano pieces. It's immediately clear that he wasn't a pianist, they don't fit your hands like a glove as a Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Chopin, Debussy or what-have-you piece would, and the notation often makes no sense if it is to be performed by a human on an instrument called the piano, -- but the complexity (intellectually and emotionally) is out of this world and while you can't really get there as a performer or listener, it's never quite out of reach either.

 

[commish]

Apparently I've been missing out on Billy Joel.

 

[Human Resources]

Edgard Varèse

plus you can type his name with one hand, which is also awesome

 

[mrhyderager]

Elton John has to be somewhere in this conversation, I think. Not at the top but somewhere in there.

 

[Omadahl]

I'll throw Chopin into the mix. His music feels so personal and really resonates with me.

 

[moggio]

Frank Zappa is probably the closest the 20th century got to a Mozart-like genius. Master and masterful mocker of all genres of music of his time.

re. Frank Zappa.

Here's a highly recommended documentary for anyone interested in his compositional methodology:

Frank Zappa - Peefeeyatko

 

[AlteredBeast]

Lol. Come on, people. It is, without question, Paul McCartney. He may not be your favorite Beatles member, but he is the best musician.

 

[Snowybreak]

Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Miles Davis, and Donald Fagen.

Fagen and Becker's composition lead to some of the most amazing music in the form of Steely Dan.

 

[moggio]

Lol. Come on, people. It is, without question, Paul McCartney. He may not be your favorite Beatles member, but he is the best musician.

George Martin was the best musician in the Beatles.

 

[Secret Character]

George Martin was the best musician in the Beatles.

And the best writer, too.

 

[Clefargle]

I dont know about greatest, but mozart was incredibly proficient

 

[Man with Knife]

Dr. Dre

 

[Tall4Life]

thom yorke
chris martin
matt bellamy
liam gallagher

in that order

 

[Hux1ey]

Bruno Mars.

 

[John Kowalski]

It's Poppy.

 

[Summer Haze]

Tony Iommi

 

[TheOohChild]

George Martin was the best musician in the Beatles.

 

[torre_avenue]

Kanye West.

 

[UncleMeat]

Glad to see Zappa getting some love, he's my favorite. Next would probably be Beethoven and then Herbie Hancock.

re. Frank Zappa.

Here's a highly recommended documentary for anyone interested in his compositional methodology:

Frank Zappa - Peefeeyatko

Thanks for posting, will definitely check this out later.

 

[Heroman]

Kendrick Lamar

 

[uncelestial]

As far as talent embodying a single human body, I would nominate Jimi Hendrix.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5sx5h_jimi-hendrix-killing-floor-live-mon_music

A groundbreaking guitarist, production visionary, performer, songwriter, and lyricist. He came to shock the world and he did.

 

[JasonUresti]

Steve Reich: Invented electronic music.

If you ignore people like Raymond Scott "inventing" it decades earlier than him.

 

[Hyun Sai]

I will give it to Bach. From his clavier and organ work to the orchestral suites, I can't never be tired of it.

The Passacaglia by Power Biggs (up to around 8 minutes in the link) is the most beautiful thing I heard, ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpZfvlWJbjg

 

[SpaceWolf]

Daniel Beddingfield.

 

[JTripper]

Lol. Come on, people. It is, without question, Paul McCartney. He may not be your favorite Beatles member, but he is the best musician.

.

 

[Hux1ey]

Daniel Beddingfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x2MeK1d-Ww