Who are youre major musical influences
QuestionHigh five
...NIN & Tool also
Burt Bacharach, Serge Gainsbourg, Stephen Malkmus, Mark E. Smith
yoooo we should chat
But Burt fan over here!
Some people in college would try to give me shit for playing stuff like Bacharach or the Carpenters or Lee Hazelwood or Scott Walker but dammit I knew what was right.
Bobby Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Conor Oberst for lyrics. Jeff Buckley, Rob Halford, Robert Plant, Brendan Urie, Gerad Way for singing. John Frusciante, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Neal Schon, fuck it too many guitar players. There’s some of them! Oh Elliott Smith and The Beatles(first band I ever heard). Can’t forget them.
Heck yeah we love a good Elliot Smith reference. Dude loved the Beatles was an insanely influential songwriter too.
Oh yeah totally
You should definitely check out Colter Wall. Look up his first Brewery Sessions on YouTube. Specifically the song Kate McKannon.
Given who your first two influences are, I can pretty much guarantee you'll love him. His songwriting chops are great, and he's just got the craziest voice. He was 19 or 20 when that was filmed!
Colter wall is amazing. His album little songs is my go to for car rides
Will do thanks for the recommendation!
I'm 64. For most of my life I'd have said Beatles, DP, Zeppelin, Floyd. But these days it's Neil Young, Tom Petty, George Harrison. Great, great songs and lyrics. And I can sit down and learn a few songs each night if I want. My days of spending weeks trying to nail epic solos are long gone and TBH I don't really miss them.
What does dp stand for
Deep Purple
Google it for the cool answer…
Already did…
Deep Purple
Neutral milk hotel and modest mouse are pretty big inspirations
Also franz ferdinand, the weakerthans, and mewithoutyou (their later stuff mainly)
Isaac Brock is a genius
Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt, Radiohead, Tom Waits and a whole host of psych bands.
Woo-hoo
Kurt Cobain, Mike Patton, and Monty Colvin.
Mike Patton 🗣🗣🗣
Mike Patton is possibly the most underrated musician ever
Periphery, Veil of Maya, Slaughter to Prevail, Killswitch Engage and Bullet For My Valentine.
I find myself regurally going for those bands styles whenever I'm writing.
Elton John, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Bowie
Same. Also inspired by Queen and The Beatles
The Devil makes Three, Watchhouse, the Dead South. Not that anything I’ve written comes out sounding anything like any of them. I want a kind of melancholy vibe, a la Watchhouse.
Tori Amos, Lady Gaga, Sarah McLachlan, Paula Cole, En Vogue, Cranberries, Natalie Merchant, Alanis Morissette, Ani Difranco, Jewel, Madonna
Blink 182 was the reason I started writing songs and learning guitar. After that, I got a lot of inspiration from Minor Threat, The Casualties, Alkaline Trio, Iron and Wine, New Found Glory, Dashboard Confessional, Ace Enders (Early November and I Can Make a Mess), and I'm sure a whole lot more. Those were the big ones that probably shaped my songwriting the most though.
Mine would have to be Melanie Martinez, Tate Mc Rae and Arianna Grande
Bob Dylan, when it comes to songwriting specifically. There's a reason that all of those legendary 1960s songwriters and rock stars were so heavy into Dylan.
I think his electric trilogy is a must listen for anyone wanting to be a songwriter. He made all of those just between 1865 and 1966. Pretty crazy.
101 years of songwriting!
Shit lol. I'm leaving it.
In terms of artists sonically similar to what I want to achieve: The Beatles, Beach House, Weyes Blood, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, David Lynch, Angelo Badalamenti, Hans Zimmer. Though most of my inspiration comes from non-musical media.
I’d like to hear this, based on your picks.
Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and N.W.A
Listening to Untitled Unmastered as I read this. Kendrick is a mastermind
LCD Soundsystem, Beatles, Tame Impala, a bit of Steely Dan, Burial, Oneohtrix Point Never, Four Tet, Kraftwerk, Jeff Buckley, Frank Zappa, Sufjan Stevens, Crystal Castles, Portishead, The Strokes, Mr. Oizo…ideally a blend of a bit of everything.
Sufjan Stevens is incredible!
Alter Bridge, Alice in Chains, Dream Theater, Jethro Tull, King's X
Weather Report, George Duke, Jamiroquai, Steely Dan, and The Police.
There's a lot more but as groups/artists I'd point to these immediately. Each of them inspired something new for me and still feel like the marks for where I want to be for myself. I wish I could write fusion instrumentals like Zawinul or Duke. I wish I could write lyrics that are beautiful even when it's ridiculous - or just about a sentiment without it feeling too meta for the existence of the song.
Those frank zappa albums with george duke are my favorites.
Smiths, arctic monkeys, caetano veloso, Clube da esquina
John Frusciante(solo material), Nightwish, Cradle of Filth, Epica, Moonspell
Frusciante is a genius. Living legend imo
I started writing because of Taylor Swift and she’s still my biggest inspiration lyrically and medically. But I also got inspired by Boyz 2 Men, Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross. So I’ve kinda fused R&B and Pop and it’s super fun
I know it's a typo but I can't stop thinking about someone being influenced by Taylor Swift "medically". "My prescription for your lupus is to just Shake It Off".
Hahahah I didn’t even see. I meant melodically lolllo
Haha, that's what I figured.
Tbh, I didn’t think it was a typo. Swifties, man.
Glad to see her represented, I’m not a crazy fan (especially with how she’s become a little exploitative) but there is no denying her incredible songwriting capabilities. Some of it’s exclusive to her style - like the quickly-sung lyrics with that bright energy and excessive use of the vowel ‘i’ - but a lot of it is just her being a pro at writing music that is catchy as hell and lyrics that resonate with people who have gone through heartbreak.
I bet your music sounds great with all those other artists infused! 👍🏻
It bothers me how people think songwriting is strictly lyrics. It encompasses so much more than that and she’s able to convey complex emotions in simple ways. One of her new songs “loml” is so heartbreaking and I’ve been listening to it a lot because I’ve been going through a heartbreak for the past year
I’m sorry to hear about your heartbreak - loml is a solid track with a great turn of phrase. And yeah it’s definitely interesting - the assumption with writing is that it’s lyric focused. But it’s the opposite when people listen - that’s music focused and lyrics are often ignored.
I appreciate songs that balance both (and people who keep an ear for it).
Yeah I usually prefer songs with a good melody over good lyrics. It’s hard for me to absorb everything all at once though so I need a few listens before I can have a proper opinion on a song g.
The Beatles, Queen, Aerosmith, Nirvana, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Buzzcocks, Zeppelin, Purple, Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Status Quo, Pink Floyd, KISS, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, MDC, The Exploited.
AJJ with a sprinkle of Will Wood (& Cricket!)
Brandi Carlisle ❤️
I take a lot of inspiration from Tom DeLonge and Billie Joe Armstrong
Bob Dylan, Beatles, Dar Williams, Richard Shindell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, Jim Croce, Ani DiFranco.
Frusciante, deftones, John Lennon, Leonhard Cohen, bill withers, Chelsea wilde, ex:re / soap and skin, Fiona apple.
If I could press a button and be able to write and sound exactly like Elliott Smith, I would.
If you find that button hmu.
thank you for asking i will tell you! the velvet underground / lou reed, elvis costello, elliott smith, the beatles, the strokes, buddy holly, donovan, dylan, strawberry switchblade, the cure, david sylvian, margo guryan, tim buckley, john lennon, everly brothers, lovin’ spoonful, silverchair recently. but yeah pretty much lou reed
i should be hunted for sport for not mentioning joy division
Mine would be pierce the veil, Hawthorne Heights, Paramore, all time low, the Smiths, siouxsie and the banshees, sleeping with sirens, the cure, the church, happy Mondays, a day to remember, sunny day real estate, the stone roses, falling in reverse, hole, Soundgarden, savage garden, lana del rey, fugazi, minor threat, fall out boy, bush, alabama
I don’t even think i could name this many artists
I'm influenced by a lot of obscure artists I don't give two shits if it's popular their music has an everlasting influence on my life
And also tech n9ne, insane clown posse, Radiohead, Rammstein, Avril Lavigne, local h, candlebox, ever clear, the killers, tame Impala, foster the people, halfnoise, no doubt, echo and the bunnymen, R.E.M, husker du
Gillian Welch, Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, Wilco, & a long list of small indie acts you've never heard of & a bunch more you have lol...
I'm all over the place. Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, JPEGMAFIA. There's definitely more but those are the key influences, I'd say.
Depends on the genre because I jump around a bit, but it looks a bit like:
Paramore, Underoath, Fall of Troy, Dance Gavin Dance, A Day to Remember, Interpol, The Strokes, The Fratellis, The 1975, etc.
Kiss-they're my childhood soundtrack as my dad would play them all the time as he's a huge fan. I don't listen to them as much anymore but always feel nostalgia and love towards their songs.
Korn, Cradle of Filth, Nirvana, The Doors, Aerosmith, CSNY, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young...that's for the oldies...
Nowadays: BIBI, lots of breakcore artists inspire me daily, Jeebanoff
Mac Miller, Tom Waits, Robin Pecknold, Alejandro Garcia, Frank Ocean, and Marvin Gaye.
Qotsa, Tom Morello, Earl Klugh, Rodrigo Y Gabriella, Tito Puente, Nirvana, Tool, George Benson to name a few
Blaze foley, don henley + glen Frey, Kurt cobain, and rem
Doug Martsch, Stephen Malkmus, Michael Stipe, Isaac Brock, and Leonard Cohen.
Bill Evans, Stravinsky, Hype Williams (Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland), Bjork, Jess Pratt
Howling Wolf,Johnny Thunders and Ry Cooder.
Tom Waits, Tom Robbins, and Tom. T Hall
For writing it has to be The Beatles, CSN&Y, Jim Croce, James Taylor
Tom Delonge, Bruce Springsteen, Brandon Flowers, Sam Fender, Bono, and Avicii
RHCP, Beatles, Blink 182, Gorillaz, NOFX
Nirvana, Måneskin, Radiohead, Stewart Copeland and Aaron Paulsen
Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Ravi Shankar
The killers iron maiden
Jefferson airplane, Paul kantner/grace slick stuff, grateful dead, Beatles, stones, talking heads, ween, Phish, country Joe and the fish, Harry nilsson
Michael Glabicki, Thom York, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Not gonna lie I take a little bit from most songs I’m a fan of. There’ll always be something that sticks out a bit more than the rest and I’ll keep it in mind for the next time I write.
I listen to and make a range of everything so it’s pretty difficult to list off individual artists. Good music is good music regardless of genre. Mix and match, be unique.
Evan Felker, George Jones, Dean Dillon, Tyler Childers, Charley Crockett
Charley rules!
Lyrically? The National and this Argentinian band called Él Mató A Un Policías Motorizado. Sonically? Radiohead, Paramore, Interpol and a bunch of other ones
Oasis, the Killers, Third Eye blind,
Kurt cobain
Arctic monkeys, mac Demarco, tame impala, oasis
Carlos Kleiber, Georges Pretre, The Carter Family, Fairuz (Lebanese Barbara Streisand), Stephen Sondheim, Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Egyptian composer), Post Malone
Portugal the man, black keys, glass animals, Pink Floyd
The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Silverchair, Deftones, Kacey Musgraves, Adele, Tom Petty, Led Zepplin, Incubus, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, (Early) Coldplay, Chris Stapleton.
Brett Dennen, Eric Hutchinson, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Hozier
10,000 Maniacs, Warren Zevon, Roxy Music, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Daft Punk…..
basically any project Mike Kinsella has been involved in, but mostly his solo stuff
Drive by truckers james McMurtry bruce Springsteen chris knight guy clark
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, Rolling Stone Magazine, downbeat magazine, Stereo Review Magazine, my music teacher jazz aficionado Joe Acerra, Cleveland’s underground fm radio of the 1960s, CKLW am radio, the folk music scene of Geneva on the Lake of the’60s, early Christian folk/rock circa 1969-76, and oh yes some performers: Tom Scott saxophone, Hot Tuna w/Jefferson Airplane, Boots Randolph, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Peter Paul and Mary, The Four Seasons, JS Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Glenn Gould, Paul Simon, Roger McGuinn and the Byrds, Paul Stookey, the music of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the 1970s, and the hymnal “Hymns” (ed., Paul Beckwith, 1967 edition), and Love Song/Maranatha sampler albums from Calvary Chapel 1970-1977.
Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin come to mind
Rush, blink 182, alkaline trio, motion city soundtrack, third eye blind
Benny Carter, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, Leonard Bernstein, Thelonious Monk, Donald Fagen, Miles Davis, Paul Simon.
Lennon/McCartney, Rivers Cuomo, EVH, and Justin Hawkins
Regina Spektor, Jake Ewald, Bren Lukens, and Austin Getz are big ones for me
Honestly just the idea that music has no rules influences me alottt
Taylor Swift and 90s female country artists like Reba and Sara Evans
Also, Dolly and Loretta ofc
Tom waits, Leonard cohen, heart, nirvana, Pat the bunny, smiths (fuck morrissey), AJJ, apes of the state, siouxsie, moldy peaches, cocorosie, holy locust, Beatles, Django Reinhardt, serge gainsbourg, Canailles
The Beatles (2nd half of the discog), Nirvana, Wilco, Radiohead, and Miles Davis
Radiohead, Sturgill Simpson, Sigur Ros, Tyler Childers, Pink Floyd
Yoko Shimomura
Boy George, George michael, Robyn, Nicola Robert’s, Ashley breathe, Shaniqua Shay
Alex Turner, The Horrors, David Bowie, Crystal Castles, the Cure and Tame Impala. Maybe MGMT too
If we're talking songwriting specifically, I'm keeping a playlist where I put a bunch of songs that I think are amazing for the quality of the songwriting: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1P1X7BKmI3Jo68toNQXnuL?si=mjtiEsHQR0iU7bpKpp7I5Q (it's meant for shuffle party, there's no particular order).
Anything from the Beatles to Radiohead, Kate Bush to Fiona Apple, Pearl Jam to PJ Harvey, Kick Drake to The Punch Brothers...
Lightning Hopkins, Hank Jr, Johny cash, greatful dead, and John Mayer
Sufjan, Dylan, Bob Marley, Cocteau Twins, Joni Mitchell, Damon Albarn
In This Moment, The Amazing Devil, Miracle Of Sound.
Steve Lacey, Blood Orange, Mndsgn, Tori Y Moi
Tool and Modest Mouse
Björk, Belanova, Gwen Stefani, Danny Elfman/Oingo Boingo, Paramore, Lene Lovich and I wanna say Nina Hagen but I don’t think it shows.
Tori Amos is a big influence on my lyrics too
Mac miller, Pat green, Bradley Nowell and Ofcourse a million more. But those are my big three.
Margot and The Nuclear So and Sos, The Decembrists, Nick Cave, The Antlers just to name a few.
Charlie Starr
powfu, rxseboy, jomie, ouse, and other lofi artists
Lennon-McCartney, Brian Wilson, Thom Yorke, Kurt Cobain, Kevin Parker, Tyler Okonma, Josh Homme, Bee Gee’s, Drake, Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Syd Barrett, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Andrew Schwab, Serj Tankian, Chino Moreno, Esperanza Spalding, Stevie Wonder, Jay Kay, Paul Meany, Ed Droste, Mark Foster.
This list is specifically my songwriting influences as opposed to influences on my style.
3 Doors Down, Deftones and Alice In Chains
Ace Frehley, Eric Carr, Peter Criss (KISS) and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)!
Porter Robinson, Zedd and Fox Stevenson are my top 3 ❤️
Incubus, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, Stone Temple Pilots, Michael Jackson, Alice in Chains, Mike Patton, Van Halen, and OutKast are my top artists.
Patti Smith
Crass
taylor swift, bleachers, finneas, elton john, jack antonoff, bernie taupin, måneskin, lana del rey, jonathan larson, ashe, reneé rapp
Oasis, nirvana ,Linkin Park ,the verve and cage the elephant. The prodigy when I do my computer game music. But when I pick up the guitar I always try to write something like noel G would. Particularly the b sides.
Forgot radiohead and the smiths
Biggest inspiration is Radiohead, no doubt! But I also highly enjoy (and am inspired by) the lyricisms of some rappers (like NF, Dax, Hopsin, etc). Though controversial, they definitely have a way with words, that’s not just meaningless mumble rap.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Billy Joel, Sam Cooke, Thin Lizzy, Warren Zevon, Jim Steinman, R&B guys like Eddie Floyd and Pickett etc, Prince, Split Enz, Cold Chisel, Bon-era AC/DC (no offence to Brian, that's just what I started with)
I feel like a lot of my influences would make one think I'm a 65 year-old grandad who doesn't listen to much music. Neil Diamond was an early one. Kenny Rogers. Then when I was a bit older, I got into the Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John, Bee Gees, Stevie Wonder. (Nothing wrong with any of these artists individually, but together they start to paint a picture.) A lot of softer, easy listening stuff as well.
These influences were a part of my formative years and will always be in my DNA, but my pallette over the years has expanded to include some indie rock, folk and Americana, some current pop. Though I've gotten out of the habit of listening to albums, so I'm less invested in specific artists these days than I am individual songs.
Some more recent influences:
Gordon Lightfoot. I unfortunately just started getting into him shortly before he died. I was never aware of just how many great songs he had. I intend to eventually do a deep dive further into his catalog when I have the time.
Taylor Swift. Not all her songs are perfect, but you can tell how much thought and effort she puts into them. She inspires me to up my lyric game. Also is probably the only artist these days of whom I will sit down and listen to a full album, so I can participate in the discourse. I guess by default, that makes her my favorite current artist. Don't call me a Swiftie, though.
So fuckin many
Periphery, Avenged Sevenfold, Casiopea, Bach, Nobuo Uematsu, Miki Matsubara, Himiko Kikuchi, George Strait, Keith Whitely, Motoi Sakuraba, Koki Kando, Guthrie Govan, Chick Corea, Merle Haggard, Shoji Meguro, Chopin.. Just to name a few
Jon bellion
The Misfits and Green Day
Around '99 or 2000, I read an article that said the Smithsonian website had free music to download. I went all in on the Lomax recordings, downloading hundreds of pages of files and burning them to dozens of CDs. At the time I had a one hour commute each way to and from work and spent an entire summer listening to those discs. Traditional songs, blues, gospel, field hollers, kids, prisoners, church choirs... My entire musical world changed, crazy as it sounds.
I've been writing my own style of folk and 'roots' music ever since.
That said, I grew up with Black Flag and 80s hardcore, then grunge, then classic rock (Beatles, Floyd, Zeppelin, Neil Young, etc), then Ben Folds, Radiohead, Tool. And around then is when I did that Smithsonian thing. Later I got into Miles Davis, Coltrane, Mingus.
But for the most part I attempt to write 'traditional' Americana with a lyrically modern edge.
The Beatles, Paul Simon, Buddy Holly, Billy Joel, Elliot Smith, Bob Marley, Nirvana, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, David Bowie, and Bob Dylan.
My Chemical Romance
Boywithuke, edsheeran, etc.
Lol strap in because this list is all over the place:
The Beatles Led Zeppelin Elvis Presley Marty Robbins Colter Wall John Denver Johnny Cash Secondhand Serenade Micheal Jackson
🤙🏼🤣🎶
Each song has different influences depending on the genre, but every one of them has a little piece of Billy Joel somewhere. He IS the piano man, after all.
George Harrison, Tony Molina, Wilco, Elliott Smith, Joni Mitchell, They Might Be Giants, Built to Spill
Nirvana, Beatles, L7, Kino
The Cure and Nirvana
Stevie Ray Vaughn Carlos Santana B.B. KING DAMIAN MARLEY BOB MARLEY & ME, MYSELF
Depeche mode, Agnes Obel, Alan Parsons
Invent Animate, Thornhill, Loathe, Sleep Token
Twenty One Pilots, Silent Planet, Kanye West
Supertramp, The Doors, Pearl Jam, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Keith Richards, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, and Richard Hell
Mew, Helmet, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Tears For Fears, Porcupine Tree, Silverchair, Imogen Heap, Yes, the Soil & the Sun, Sleep Token, STP, Foo Fighters, Our Lady Peace, In Clover (Indie Rock from MD, not metal band)
Mrtallica, Megadeth, Death and Led Zeppelin
Phish, Ween, Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Prince, The Beatles, Wire, Fugazi, Grateful Dead, Spacemen 3, The Ramones, Husker Du, Funkadelic
Stravinsky
J Dee and Madlib
Les claypool, between the buried and me, System of a Down
Conor Oberst and Max Bemis. 2 of the most need to get their shit together musicians in the industry lol
Coldplay, The Script, Imagine Dragons, The Score, Avicii, Alan Walker, The Weeknd
Kurt, Paul and John, and Thom York.
Bjork, Sophie, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, ARCA, Thrice, ISIS, Nine Inch Nails, Disclosure
Nirvana , The Smashing Pumpkins, Kanye West
your
Kpop. Yeah, that’s it
Lil peep, juice wrld, xxxtentacion, and honestly just any musician who seemed to struggle with depression
Mine would be Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, John Mayer, Jason Isbell, and Elvis, to name a few.
Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Nirvana