The 50 Greats: 5-1

5. Bob Marley

The Rasta-Man
Genre: Reggae
Years Active: 1962-1982
Key Songs: “Stir it Up”, “No Woman No Cry”, “One Love”

The music of Bob Marley always brings me a mellow vibe, and an image of cruising in a warm tropical place. Perhaps jamming to chilled songs like “Jamaican Rum”, where you just feel like everything is going to be alright. Marley practically introduced the sound of reggae to the world. With its rock-steady approach he brought a blend of good harmony, rhythmic percussion, and powerful lyrics. To me he is an icon of free-thinking, a world of peace and unity, and a world of higher enlightenment. He sang with such passion, in his raspy voice in songs like “No Woman No Cry” or “Redemption Song”. One can’t help but either sway their head to the rhythmic style of the reggae or be moved by his influential significance. He was another great loss to the world of music and the fight for a better life, yet his music continues to live on and inspire people.

4. Led Zeppelin

Rock Gods of the 70s
Genre: Classic Rock
Years Active: 1968-1980
Key Songs: “That’s the Way”, “Going to California”, “Over the Hills and Far Away”

I’ll never forget when I began my obsession with Zeppelin. I was on a plane on my way to California, when I first heard their song “Going to California.” It was just so fitting, I loved everything about the song, and I kept repeating it the entire week... After that moment I began to understand and love everything about Led Zeppelin. My biggest regret is that I did not appreciate them sooner. I remember in high school and even early in college, I always thought of Led Zeppelin, as an extreme heavy metal band, and let me stress, “I hate Heavy Metal music!”. I consider myself pretty open to music but if there are two genres I simply cannot stand it’s Country and heavy metal. It wasn’t until I got out of college that I really began to understand the significance of Led Zeppelin. Their music is the essence of Rock and Roll, ranging from heavy, bluesy, psychedelic, reggae, folk, etc. They are without question in my opinion the most versatile band there has ever been. Sure they may be considered the pioneers of heavy metal music, but their innovation ranges far beyond that. The genius of Jimmy Page, cannot go unmentioned as he pioneered all sorts of new sounds and techniques by fusing all styles of music. His experimentation with the guitar ranged from the 12-string, to the violin-bow, to all sorts of distortion making him one of the most innovative guitarists, perhaps along with Hendrix. To complement Page, was the brilliant lead singing and lyrics of Robert Plant. His voice defined Rock and Roll, with a similar Mic Jagger style, yet a much cleaner voice. No one could quite hit a note or a screech quite like Plant could. He also brought a mystical style to Zeppelin, which was another thing I loved about the band. They had unique imaginations, always referencing Lord of the Rings, and creating a fictional style of their own. There is hardly a Zeppelin song I do not like. I gained a further appreciation after watching live DVDs of them in concert, and seeing their chemistry and power on stage. I sometimes consider them as a symphonic orchestrated rock band. They had a certain sense of artistry that could not be covered. They’re music is as inspirational as it gets, with rocking songs like “Over the Hills and Far Away” or chilled songs like “That’s the Way” or “Bron-Yr-Aur”. It is music that is ideal for any situation!

3. Pink Floyd

The Masters of Psychedelic
Genre: Classic Rock
Years Active: 1965-1994
Key Songs: “Goodbye Blue Sky”, “Breathe”, “Us and Them”

The style of psychedelic rock is without question my favorite style of music. It has such a chilled, trippy, jamming, transcending sound to it that always makes for good and easy listening. And if there was one band that deserved the creation of the sound, it would have to go to Pink Floyd. Current bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, and Wilco have all taken a similar approach to their music, no thanks to the innovation of Pink Floyd. Starting back in the mid 1960s, they introduced a heavy style of psychedelic rock, with the lead of the drugged out Syd Barrett. Sure the guy was a musical genius, but he was also as crazy as they got. It wasn’t until his disappearance in the late 1960s, that the band really began to explode. With the lead of David Gilmour and Roger Waters, Pink Floyd shifted to a more chilled style of psychedelic rock. Along with Zeppelin, Floyd was the defining rock band of the 1970s, with a string of platinum albums such as “Dark Side of the Moon” which is my favorite album of all time. After that came continuous success with “Wish you were Here”, “Animals”, and the “Wall”. After the 70s, the band began to fall into decline, and eventually broke apart. Yet it was their music of the 70s, that truly defined the band. The music of Pink Floyd is the type of music you just get lost in. I always tell people to just let the music take you away, well Floyd is just the music to do that. It takes you on a trip or a ride. They are one of those rare bands, where you could just stop everything and just listen. Songs like “Goodbye Blue Sky” or “Us and Them” or “Breathe” are simply hypnotizing. I’ll always remember when I was first turned on to Floyd in my late college years; I’d just lie on my bed at Beech Tree and just listen to the music. Just like Led Zeppelin, it’s a type of music that can hardly be covered. It has a unique artistry to it that is far too complex for any other person to imitate and truly give it the credit it disserves. Only Floyd can be Floyd, and there are no other bands quite like it.

2. Mozart

The Music of Beauty
Genre: Classical
Years Active: 1700s
Key Songs: “Symphony No. 25 in G Minor”, “Symphony No 8”, “Concerto No 20”

There is no music more beautiful than that of Mozart. He is without question the greatest composer ever to have lived, and although he lived only a short life, he has composed more than 600 masterpieces of classical music. I remember the first time I learned of Mozart was as a child, watching the film, “Amadeus” with the family. The movie is now one of my favorite films of all time, and tells the intriguing story of the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The film has now become a family holiday tradition, where we can admire not only the music of Mozart, but the life of Mozart. I feel that my knowledge of classical music is nowhere near that of other genres, yet I am still sure that Mozart will always be my favorite classical composer. His music is divine, original, masterful, and the epitome of beauty. The notes of his music flow so smoothly together, with instrumentation that complements one another unlike any other music. As Salari put it, “any note out of place, would entirely ruin the work”… It is perfection to the fullest! He was an artistic genius, known for writing a piece without error, only 1 draft, as if the music were all in his head already and all he was merely writing it on paper. His music defines the Romantic era, with a power to freeze you, entrance you, and simply astonish you. The sad truth is that I have yet to really come to understand Mozart, as I have other artists on this list, yet the fact that he is number 2 on this list, already shows my lasting and enduring love of his masterful music.

1. The Beatles

The Greatest Band of All Time
Genre: Classic Rock
Years Active: 1960-1970
Key Songs: “A Day in the Life”, “Flying”, “Across the Universe”

Oh where do I begin? As a child, the Beatles were introduced to us by my father, a hippy of the 60s, who would sing and quote their music constantly. He later showed us the film, “Yellow Submarine”, which was when we first began to appreciate the songs of the Beatles. The movie was a cartoon to us, with great songs like, “Lucy in the Sky”, “Nowhere Man”, and “Sergeant Pepper”. We watched the film obsessively and began our infatuation with The Beatles. Throughout grade school and high school I always appreciated The Beatles, and always kept them at the top of my music selections, yet it wasn’t until college that I had a reawakening to their music. I remember the moment clearly. It was my sophomore year at Maxwell Terrace, and I had just returned back to my apartment after a long truck drive from Fort Wayne. I remember dropping in on the guys, catching up a little, having a smoke, then going to my room to chill. I played my Beatles collection, lied in my bed, and on came the song of all songs, “A Day in the Life”. At the point I felt myself suddenly transformed. As if not only my taste in music had changed, but my life had changed. The music of the Beatles had become the defining sound of my re-awakening days at Maxwell. My days of stimulation, freedom, and pure ecstasy! It was every emotion possible! Happy songs like, “Ob-la-di”, sad songs like “Eleanor Rigby”, angry songs like, “Revolution”, love songs like, “Two of Us”, trippy songs like, “Flying”. The sound of the Beatles is very broad, and they can be credited with a contribution to almost every style of Rock and roll. Starting in the 1960s, they began with a popish sound with their hit songs, “I want to Hold your Hand”, or “Can’t Buy me Love”. They later expanded their range with folkish songs like “Norwiegien Wood” or “In My Life”. In the late 60s, they decided to really test their music, by introducing a completely new style with their psychedelic releases of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Clubs Band” and “Magical Mystery Tour”. The albums were instant successes and the Beatles established themselves as the ultimate Icons of Rock Music and Pop Culture. Each of the four members played an essential contributing roll to the band. John Lennon, was the leader with his passionate lyrics and harmonic voice. Paul McCartney, brought great music with his creative songwriting, amazing voice, and original guitar pieces. George Harrison, brought a powerful guitar skill to the band, which can be truly appreciated in songs like “While my Guitar Gently Weeps”. Finally there was Ringo Starr, the percussionist, who also wrote songs and harmonized with the rest. The Beatles mixed great sounding music with great harmonizing vocals. Their psychedelic style is my favorite, yet the truth is I like every Beatles song. I have spent the last 15 years of my life, studying and learning the Beatles, and my appreciation continues to grow. They are without doubt the most influential band of all time and without doubt my favorite band of all time.