Is Stevie Wonder the best artist of all time?

[stalkerforlife]

Probably.

Absolute genius.

Just as good live as in the studio.

I'm going to teach my kids to like artists like him, while their classmates will be like "Turn down for what!"

Wonder = top 5 GOAT, at the very least.

ISN'T HE LOVELY.

[Smook A.]

Not the best ever, but he's certainly up there. I think the title for the best artist (or musical group) of all time can be a toss-up between The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, or Madonna.

[NumberSix]

Not the best ever, but he's certainly up there. I think the title for the best artist (or musical group) of all time can be a toss-up between The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, or Madonna.
Who even listens to Michael Jackson?

[AngelEyes]

He's definitely on the Mount Rushmore of music artists. I would put him over Michael Jackson, Elvis, Madonna because I think he's more well rounded than they are. As a writer and a musician he blows them away.

[AngelEyes]

Probably.

Absolute genius.

Just as good live as in the studio.

I'm going to teach my kids to like artists like him, while their classmates will be like "Turn down for what!"

Wonder = top 5 GOAT, at the very least.

ISN'T HE LOVELY.

He is one of the few artists who I think is legitimately a genius. I think he's probably the greatest artist from the 1970's.

[Overdrive]

Single Artist, he's up there, but keep in mind that most handmade music is a group effort and even Stevie couldn't do all his albums alone.

There were alot of great bands in his peak and even within those bands there were singular musicians and songwriters that showed talents.

If we simply go by artists going by their solo moniker Stevie, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, James Brown and Elton John are on top, but as said keep in mind that these guys always had great musicians behind them and in John's case even a co-writer for his hits.

Elvis was great for the evolution of music and I love his stuff, but he was merely a voice and an image. Madonna? She's a money machine, but she's only an image, she's not even a great interpreter. She does good shows and fits the evolution of the music business, though.

Michael Jackson is tough. He had a lot of talent obviously. Not on the other's level, but he sold himself better than anyone else mentioned except for maybe Madonna and went bigger than anyone, again except Madonna and Elvis.

Another canditate would be Bob Marley. A big talent and revolutionary. He and his band made some carribean dance hall music into a world wide phenonemon, attached with an image that wasn't about selling out, being big or anything like that. Well 35 years after his death they put him on soda cans...

[masonanddixon]

Nah Phil Woods is the GOAT.

[iamgine]

Stevie can be up there if you like his music and his voice.

Most of his stuff kinda sucks and he's an average singer.

Anyways it's a matter of taste.

[masonanddixon]

Stevie can be up there if you like his music and his voice.

Most of his stuff kinda sucks and he's an average singer.

Anyways it's a matter of taste.

Stevie has 3 perfect albums in the pop/rock genre. He was probably Motown's greatest pop/rock artist, and a far more talented musician than Marvin gaye.

[Overdrive]

Stevie has 3 perfect albums in the pop/rock genre. He was probably Motown's greatest pop/rock artist, and a far more talented musician than Marvin gaye.

Which ones are perfect to you? "Songs.." is a given I guess. It's definately his strongest, but I wouldn't call it perfect - I doubt there is a "prefect" album out there and imo only one comes really close.

It's very well crafted, but Stevie has alot of material that doesn't push the album(s) forward. Saying if you ommit a song that isn't quintessential the album wouldn't get really worse and incohesive.

[masonanddixon]

Which ones are perfect to you? "Songs.." is a given I guess. It's definately his strongest, but I wouldn't call it perfect - I doubt there is a "prefect" album out there and imo only one comes really close.

It's very well crafted, but Stevie has alot of material that doesn't push the album(s) forward. Saying if you ommit a song that isn't quintessential the album wouldn't get really worse and incohesive.

Songs in the Key of Life
Talking Book
Innervisions

Innervisions was revolutionary at the time and still is...some absolutely beautiful songs on there.

[Overdrive]

Songs in the Key of Life
Talking Book
Innervisions

Innervisions was revolutionary at the time and still is...some absolutely beautiful songs on there.

Talking Book got his best song imo, but the rest of the album is too much filler for me. The other two are great overall.

[masonanddixon]

Talking Book got his best song imo, but the rest of the album is too much filler for me. The other two are great overall.

Which song? Big Brother? Thats a GOAT level tune.

[Overdrive]

Which song? Big Brother? Thats a GOAT level tune.

Superstition, but I'm a rock musician so that suits my habit better. It imo really stands out. He's using the same overall concept for "Maybe your baby", but that song is more dragging. The brass section & the clavinet make that song his most energetic overall, even more than the great "Sir Duke".

Big Brother is awesome, too, but half of the songs on that album would put me to sleep if it wasn't for the rest.

btw about Marvin Gaye vs Stevie: If you're comparing them as artists it doesn't matter how proficient one is on their instrument(s) else Prince or Trent Reznor would be #1 by wide margin, because they can use a plethora of instruments. Vision is way more important than hitting keys, fretting strings or pressing buttons when it comes to those people and that's why I seriously would leave Madonna out of the equation. She has no vision.

[masonanddixon]

Superstition, but I'm a rock musician so that suits my habit better. It imo really stands out. He's using the same overall concept for "Maybe your baby", but that song is more dragging. The brass section & the clavinet make that song his most energetic overall, even more than the great "Sir Duke".

Big Brother is awesome, too, but half of the songs on that album would put me to sleep if it wasn't for the rest.

btw about Marvin Gaye vs Stevie: If you're comparing them as artists it doesn't matter how proficient one is on their instrument(s) else Prince or Trent Reznor would be #1 by wide margin, because they can use a plethora of instruments. Vision is way more important than hitting keys, fretting strings or pressing buttons when it comes to those people and that's why I seriously would leave Madonna out of the equation. She has no vision.


Yeah and I play saxophone and jazz and I can tell you Stevie is far more skilled than Gaye, who is purely a vocalist.

[Overdrive]

Yeah and I play saxophone and jazz and I can tell you Stevie is far more skilled than Gaye, who is purely a vocalist.

As said. Artist for me doesn't come down to instrumental skillselse I'd put guys like Vai up there.

And the mentioning of me doing music wasn't to field some kind of authority, just to show why Superstition is my most prefered song of his.

[Smook A.]

Who even listens to Michael Jackson?
:roll: Are you kidding? Just about 2-3 weeks ago his Off The Wall album was in the top 10 for iTunes. Out of the names I listed (Madonna, Elvis, and The Beatles) Michael is probably the most listened to TODAY. Don't even bullshit around like that.

[Draz]

Who even listens to Michael Jackson?
Most overrated piece of shit in history

[L.Kizzle]

Yeah and I play saxophone and jazz and I can tell you Stevie is far more skilled than Gaye, who is purely a vocalist.
Yo, did you just call Marvin Gaye "just a vocalist?" Jackie Wilson is purely a vocalist.

Gaye started out as a session musician at Motown. He's credited as a drummer on various early Motown tunes like the Marvalete's "Mr. Postman" and Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" and writer for "Dancing In The Streets" by Martha & the Vandellas. And he played piano and percussion on the majority of his own recordings.

[Smook A.]

Most overrated piece of shit in history
Not even

[Overdrive]

:roll: Are you kidding? Just about 2-3 weeks ago his Off The Wall album was in the top 10 for iTunes. Out of the names I listed (Madonna, Elvis, and The Beatles) Michael is probably the most listened to TODAY. Don't even bullshit around like that.

After being trashed and blackballed by the music business for 15 years they decided to make him into a cashcow once again after his death. No surprises here.

Doesn't mean he's more influental right now than the other dead (top selling) artists. Elvis was milked to the max, so now it was decided to make a cheesy produced philharmonica album with crappy duets.

[Smook A.]

After being trashed and blackballed by the music business for 15 years they decided to make him into a cashcow once again after his death. No surprises here.

Doesn't mean he's more influental right now than the other dead (top selling) artists. Elvis was milked to the max, so now it was decided to make a cheesy produced philharmonica album with crappy duets.
Michael was the media's absolute favorite. Tabloids and the press would go after him like no other artist ever.

[Overdrive]

Michael was the media's absolute favorite. Tabloids and the press would go after him like no other artist ever.

Yeah, because he did sensationalistic shit that didn't have alot to do with his art. Don't think Jacko did concept art with practical jokes. He was a prankster, but it seemed like he had mental issues.

Media, especially tabloids are assholes. He wasn't their darling, they simply used him.

[sirkeelma]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNHBT7wjqVI

:bowdown: