In my 2024 book, MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECORDING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS, using the metrics of Popularity (i.e., records sold; concert draw; career longevity), Influence (on the music and culture, in both the short-term and long-term), and Major Awards/Honors Won, Bob Dylan was ranked #2. Coincidently, he was also ranked #2 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s celebrated list. Why? Quite simply, Bob Dylan profoundly changed popular songwriting, recording, singing, and the greater society and culture. With such masterworks as “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, “Like a Rolling Stone” and countless others, Dylan demonstrated that songs could be about Anything at all, and not simply love won and love lost. When “Like a Rolling Stone” was released in 1965, his record company and radio deejays didn’t know what to do with it— it was six minutes long; should it be edited down? Should the song be stopped mid-stream and then flipped over? Suffice to say, it became not only an enormous hit (#2 on Billboard), but it gave artists permission to record much longer songs (than the typical 2-3 minute singles) and helped give rise to album-oriented artists (Dylan being one of the first and most important) and new FM music radio stations. Likewise, his vocal style— soon there were a host of artists who fell outside the “pretty voice” mainstream— from Jagger to Donovan, Lou Reed to Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen to Tom Waits. As far as Dylan’s impact on the greater culture, it is hard to overestimate that, beginning with his early ‘60s influence on the Civil Rights and anti-war movements as he was an enormous force on college campuses, them morphing into, perhaps, The most important counter-cultural figure later in the decade and into the ‘70s, even if this was a mantle he never sought. Who are some of the many artists who have paid tribute to his influence on their own development? Start with the Beatles (certainly, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison), Johnny Cash, Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith, Tom Petty, Gerry Garcia, Bono, Cohen, Waits, John Prine, even Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, and Sly Stone (and there’s just not enough space to go on). Honors and Awards? The Grammys and Rock Hall induction do not set him apart, but what other songwriter has won a Nobel Prize in Literature, putting him alongside such greats as Faulkner, Hemingway, Eliot, and Morrison? He’s won national honors from France and Spain, Sweden and the U.S. he is taught in universities from Harvard to Cambridge to Oslo. But, best of all, listen to the music, as I’ve done all my life, and maybe read along with my newest book, DOIWN THE ROAD WITH DYLAN – LIVING WITH THE SONGS, available online at BookBaby Book Shop. Thanks for reading.
Category: 1970s
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In 2020, as the pandemic was breaking all over the world, I stepped away from full-time teaching after four decades in the classroom and took up writing, releasing my first book, MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECORDING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS, an encyclopedic music history in 2024. It has done remarkably well, with genuine reach and staying power. Recently I finished and published a second, more personal work, DOWN THE ROAD WITH DYLAN – LIVING WITH THE SONGS, that mixes memoir, music, and history, as I weave my own story and an overview of U.S. history these past 65 years with a loving homage and cogent analysis of 100 songs written and sung by music legend Bob Dylan. My hope is that you will read my latest work, especially if you were moved by MUSIC TITANS. These weekly posts are simply a way to get out the word about my books; I hope you help me in that endeavor by “liking” and “reposting”, sharing with your friends and family, perhaps gifting. You can find both books at BookBaby Book Shop. If you leave a Review on my Book Shop book page, that will give my book an enormous boost, as well. Thank you for your kind support. Steve
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Music Lovers Special
With the holiday season here, I hope you will consider gifting my book, MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECORDING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS, to the music lovers in your life. MUSIC TITANS ranks and profiles the most consequential recording artists of the past century using a clearly explained algorithm based on popularity (records sold, concert attraction, longevity), musical and cultural influence, and major awards won. You will find artists of all genres included – from Rock to Country, Jazz to Pop, R&B to Hip-Hop, Blues to Folk, Classical to Electronica, and more.
MUSIC TITANS has been lauded by music industry insiders – music publisher Peter Burke called it “an absolute masterpiece!”; Grammy winning producer Jeffrey Weber wrote, “I love this Book!”; while producer Bill Bentley said, “Steve Williams…comes through with flying colors.” Reviewers have used words like “comprehensive,” “accessible,” “insightful,” “immersive,” “entertaining,” “perceptive,” and “fun” in describing it.
MUSIC TITANS is available (and at discount prices) at Amazon, BookBaby Bookshop (my publisher), and at several other online sites. Thank you! – Steve
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Greetings and Blessings! In my last post I mentioned that I have finished my newest book, Lifelong Companion: My Journey through 100 Dylan Songs, and am beginning the search for an agent and a publisher. Lifelong Companionmay be characterized as a hybrid memoir, mixing music history and criticism with memoir and an overlay of recent U.S. history.
To whet your appetite, here are just a few Dylan and book-related facts. Bob Dylan hails from Minnesota and is 84 years old; he continues to record and play live. His big break occurred when he was 20 and received a glowing NY Times review, leading to a Columbia recording contract. His first album of mostly covers flopped, but he became a folk sensation with “Blowin’ in the Wind”, a big hit for Peter, Paul & Mary, and the release of his second LP. I’ve been following him closely since 1965 and have seen him in concert a dozen times, meeting him in Santa Monica in 1979. It is estimated that Dylan has sold over 125 million records. His most celebrated LPs are The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963), Bringing It All Back Home (1965), Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Blonde on Blonde (1966), and Blood on the Tracks (1975). Though not known for his singles, 1965’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is widely considered one of the most ground breaking, influential singles of all-time. One of the most covered songwriters in history, some of his best loved songs include— “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”, “The Times they Are a-Changin”, “Chimes of Freedom”, “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, “Mr. Tambourine Man”, “Desolation Row”, “Visions of Johanna”, “Just Like a Woman”, “All Along the Watchtower”, “Lay Lady Lay”, “ I Shall Be Released”, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, “Forever Young”, “Tangled Up in Blue”, “Every Grain of Sand”, “Blind Willie McTell”, “Mississippi”, and countless more.
Dylan has won Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe. He is in the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame. He has been honored by the governments of France, Spain, Sweden, and the U.S. His work is taught in universities, from Harvard to Texas to British Columbia. He’s even been awarded a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize in Literature. I’m thrilled to tell the story of how my life has intersected with Dylan’s music these past 60+ years. I’m hopeful my book will be available soon. Thanks for reading.
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In September 2023, a new state-of-the-art concert venue opened in Las Vegas, the Sphere. The first band to play there was U2 and currently the Eagles are in residence. Both bands are featured in MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECORDING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS, an encyclopedic music history compendium, widely available at Amazon and most online outlets. Here’s a very brief excerpt from MUSIC TITAN’S entry on the EAGLES—
In the 1970s, no other American band so captured the zeitgeist as did the Eagles. They took a narrow genre, country rock, and made it mainstream, transforming country music itself in the process. Along the way, they released two of the most iconic, best-selling albums of all time.
Originally, they were four separate musicians who had migrated to L.A.; they came together to back Linda Ronstadt and formed a band, signing with David Geffen’s Asylum. Glen Frey, rhythm guitarist, and Don Henley, drummer, wrote most of the songs and handled most of the lead vocals. Bernie Leadon played guitar and brought a country sensibility while Randy Meisner added bass. Their 1972 debut featured “Take It Easy,” which put them on the musical map… Don Felder joined the band in ’74, bringing his considerable guitar skills to the mix, and, the following year, the Eagles broke through with One of These Nights, which featured three Top 10 hits. Leadon soon departed over creative and personal differences, to be replaced by the harder-rocking Joe Walsh. In early ’76, they released Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), and the album surprised the world, leaping off the shelves and continuing to sell for years, eventually vying with Michael Jackson’s Thriller for the title of all-time U.S. bestseller. Later that year, they released their fifth LP, the superlative Hotel California. The title track has become mythic, with its lyrical exploration of the underbelly of the American Dream, its iconic intro, and its Walsh-Felder dual lead guitar outro, which was deemed by Guitarist magazine the finest guitar solo in history….as of this writing (despite the death of two key members, Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner), the Eagles carry on.
Suggested Songs:
Desperado (1973)
One of These Nights (1975)
New Kid in Town (1976)
Hotel California (1977)
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Here is an excerpt on the best-selling American band, The EAGLES, as we in the Philadelphia area celebrate the Super Bowl winning football Eagles. This excerpt is taken from my music history/reference book, MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECORDING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS—
In the 1970s, no other American band so captured the zeitgeist as did the Eagles. They took a narrow genre, country rock, and made it mainstream, transforming country music itself in the process. Along the way, they released two of the most iconic, best-selling albums of all time.
Originally, they were four separate musicians who had migrated to L.A.; they came together to back Linda Ronstadt and formed a band, signing with David Geffen’s Asylum. Glen Frey, rhythm guitarist, and Don Henley, drummer, wrote most of the songs and handled most of the lead vocals. Bernie Leadon played guitar and brought a country sensibility while Randy Meisner added bass. Their 1972 debut featured “Take It Easy,” which put them on the musical map… Don Felder joined the band in ’74, bringing his considerable guitar skills to the mix, and, the following year, the Eagles broke through with One of These Nights, which featured three Top 10 hits. Leadon soon departed over creative and personal differences, to be replaced by the harder-rocking Joe Walsh. In early ’76, they released Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), and the album surprised the world, leaping off the shelves and continuing to sell for years, eventually vying with Michael Jackson’s Thriller for the title of all-time U.S. bestseller. Later that year, they released their fifth LP, the superlative Hotel California. The title track has become mythic, with its lyrical exploration of the underbelly of the American Dream, its iconic intro, and its Walsh-Felder dual lead guitar outro, which was deemed by Guitarist magazine the finest guitar solo in history…
Through much of the ’70s, the Eagles gave rock fans who were uncomfortable with the glam of Bowie, the metal of Zeppelin, and the disco of the clubs somewhere to go musically, but, as the decade waned, punk and new wave emerged. Perhaps the Eagles could have dominated the charts for decades, perhaps not, but internal conflicts were pulling the band apart…Henley once quipped they’d reunite when “Hell freezes over.” Sure enough, in 1994, back together, they released the LP Hell Freezes Over and resumed touring. In 2016, co-leader Frey died; there have been other lineup changes, including the 2023 passing of Meisner, but, as of this writing, the Eagles carry on.
Suggested Songs:
Desperado (1973)
One of These Nights (1975)
New Kid in Town (1976)
Hotel California (1977)
MUSIC TITANS remains on sale in both paperback and eBook formats through Amazon, B&N, BookBaby, and other online stores. Thanks for reading.
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A strong case can by made that the 1970s, more than any other, was the decade of the LP. I would argue that the album as a full-length art form really reached its peak at this time with such gems as Marvin Gaye’s brilliant political/social meditation, What’s Going On, while Stevie Wonder, who won three consecutive Best Album Grammys, could be honored as having the decade’s best for either 1973’s Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life from ’76. And what about David Bowie whose creative peak was in the ’70s- certainly The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, his 1972 masterwork, is one of the most celebrated of all-time. Joni Mitchell’s Blue, from 1971, is today widely viewed as perhaps the finest example of the personal/confessional style of singer-songwriter art, while Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks is also lauded for its uniquely personal tone. Others might also make an argument for Springsteen’s Born to Run, for Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, for the Eagles’ Hotel California, or Led Zeppelin’s untitled 4th album.
I’m going to make the case, though, for The Dark Side of the Moon, which recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary, as the album of the ’70s. This was the apex of the second incarnation of Pink Floyd who were originally seen and heard as Syd Barrett’s quirky psychedelic pop band playing the likes of “Arnold Layne” and “See Emily Play”. When mental illness forced Barrett to retire, the Floyd’s music began to evolve in a more sonically arresting direction with richer, muscular guitar work from Barrett replacement Dave Gilmour, the jazzy-classical tinged creations of keyboardist Richard Wright, and the arresting lyrical preoccupations of Roger Waters. With Nick Mason on drums, Dark Side… was Pink Floyd working as a harmonious unit (which never would happen again) and firing on all four cylinders.
The idea was to create a concept album, Waters has said, revealing how life’s pressures on the band, and, by extension, on us all take us again and again off the path of a life well lived. The album begins and ends with a heartbeat, and some have heard that as representative of a human lifespan from birth to death. In between are a number of brilliant tracks that seem to represent some of the issues we all face in life- the debilitating effects of modern day speed and hurriedness (“On the Run”); the inexorable passage of time with its attendant sense of loss and regret (“Time”); the contemplation of life’s mystery and mortality (Clare Torry’s wordless wail over Wright’s “The Great Gig in the Sky”); greed and the love of all that money can buy (“Money”); a reflection on the various walls that divide humans and their tragic consequences (the lovely yet haunting “Us and Them”), the specter of mental illness (ever present in Pink Floyd’s music after Barrett’s tragic fall, as heard in “Brain Damage”) and the ambivalent denouement of “Eclipse”.
Whether The Dark Side of the Moon is the apex LP of recording history or is an overrated prog-rock creation is debatable and, ultimately, a matter of taste; but there is little debate about the numbers- it is believed to be among the 5 biggest sellers of all-time (estimates are as high as 45 million copies); no album has stayed on the Billboard album charts as long as Dark Side… ; and it has been included in the U.S. National Recording Registry. Still, that is the least interesting thing about the LP. That it has profoundly touched millions (and continues to do so today) is what elevates The Dark Side of the Moon to greatness.
-Steve Williams (8/31/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #41
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There’s no shortage of brilliant releases in the 1970s. Some of the great songs that are not on the list of five classics include- Simon & Garfunkel’s Grammy winning swan song, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”; “Maggie May”, Rod Stewart’ s semi-autobiographical tune that launched him as a superstar; “American Pie”, Don McLean’s 9-minute epic that has stimulated countless interpretations ever since; the Temptations’ funky psychedelic, award winning 1972 masterpiece, “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone”; Stevie Wonder’s funky signature song, “Superstition”; iconic disco staples, “Dancing Queen” (ABBA) and “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees); “Go Your Own Way” from Fleetwood Mac’s relationship breakdown classic, Rumours; and the Clash’s “London Calling” at decade’s end.
Here then are the five- “What’s Going On”, Marvin Gaye’s self-produced, socially conscious protest song that broke the Motown mold in 1971 and set the stage for one of the most celebrated LPs of all time. Both the single and the album of the same name consistently show up on lists of all-time greats.
“Stairway to Heaven” from Led Zeppelin’s untitled 1971 4th album is widely considered one of the great rock classics of all-time. With its slow, gentle acoustic build and its rousing, raucous finish behind Jimmy Page’s celebrated electric guitar solo and Robert Plant’s frenetic falsetto-like vocal, “Stairway…” is one of the most played songs of all-time and has been honored by the likes of the Rock & Roll and Grammy halls of fame, the Kennedy Center, VH1, the RIAA, and Rolling Stone magazine.
1971 also saw the release of John Lennon’s “Imagine“. A Library of Congress National Recording Registry selection, the song has been lauded for its plea for humanity to imagine a better world into existence, free of greed, violence, political and social divisions. The song has also been blasted, in some quarters, for what’s been seen as an anti-religion stance and for its pie-in-the sky naivety. There’s no doubt, however, that the song has touched many millions.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by British rockers Queen has only grown in popularity since its 1975 release and is today recognized by many as a progressive rock masterpiece. With a mix of tempos and styles (like “Stairway to Heaven”), the Freddie Mercury penned song features a melodramatic, if obscure, murder ballad type lyric, a hauntingly melodic piano, a couple of Brian May guitar solos, the celebrated opera inserts that somehow work, and, of course, Mercury’s inimitable vocals which manage to sell the whole thing.
Finally we have “Hotel California” the best-loved Eagles’ song, the 1977 title track from their most successful studio LP. The song is celebrated for its cryptic, yet highly evocative, lyrics of personal and social loss and decay; for Don Henley’s moving vocals; and for the lengthy two-guitar outro by Don Felder and Joe Walsh which Guitarist magazine named the best “guitar solo” ever. “Hotel California” won a Grammy for Record of the Year.
-Steve Williams (8/28/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #40
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He was 13-years-old when first we heard of Little Stevie Wonder, the blind, harmonica wielding genius who rocketed to the top of the Billboard charts with the largely instrumental “Fingertips” in the summer of 1963. Signed by Motown‘s Berry Gordy Jr., a few years earlier, the young boy was a prodigy, proficient also on piano and drums. With his royalties held in a trust ’til he turned 21, in 1971 he was ready to renegotiate his contract, just in time for what has been called one of the greatest runs in recorded music history.
Starting in 1972 with Talking Book, Wonder (who no longer went by “Little”) released four consecutive classic albums, the last three capturing the coveted Album of the Year Grammy, a feat never before, or since, accomplished by anyone. Wonder celebrated his new contract with a fiercely independent artistic vision. Playing the bulk of the instruments himself, Talking Book is a keyboard heavy disc, featuring his funky signature tune “Superstition” and the ballads “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)”. A year later came Innervisions, with its rich mix of piano, synthesizer, and drums; it’s all Wonder in its composition, playing, singing, and production, a brilliant rock-soul-pop tour-de-force that touches on themes of racism, drug abuse, poverty, love and loss. Standout tracks include “”Living for the City”, Higher Ground”, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”, and the heartbreaking “All in Love Is Fair” which shows off what a brilliant vocalist Stevie is, on top of everything else. In ’74 came the third LP in the series, Fulfillingness’ First Finale, probably the least celebrated of the three but still another award winner. Songs in the Key of Life followed two years later, a double album and one that Elton John called “the best album ever made.” The Library of Congress, Rolling Stone magazine, and VH1 all seem to agree on its musical excellence and cultural importance. “Sir Duke”, “As”, and “I Wish” are probably the most loved tracks.
There would be more hits in the future, notably 1984’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, but we’ve heard less and less from Wonder in recent years. Still, to call him one of the greatest recording artists of all-time is a no brainer. He’s been honored with 25 Grammys, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, by the rock and songwriters halls of fame, the Kennedy Center, and by the United Nations for his work promoting peace.
-Steve Williams (8/24/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #39
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In 1972, when he burst into America’s consciousness as that red-haired, androgynous, British space-age rocker, he was quite polarizing- too far-out and “weird” to be taken seriously by many; and a quickly revered, almost prophet-like cult figure embraced by others. Time may have dimmed or distorted the way so many thought and felt about David Bowie, an almost cartoonish character, some half-century ago, but in retrospect it seems clear that the actual music he produced in the decade of the ’70s stacks up well against any other artist you care to name. A whole series of brilliant albums, beginning with 1971’s Hunky Dory (his fourth release and not really discovered by most ”til a year or two later), today considered an all-time classic by a number of publications, featuring the philosophic opener, “Changes”; the inimitable “Life on Mars?”, considered by many his greatest song; the humorous heartfelt ode to his son, “Kooks”; and more- not a bad song among the lot. This was followed by his breakout character and LP, Ziggy Stardust (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars), the alien rocker who warns of earthly disaster and calls on a messianic Starman. It’s still Bowie’s most famous and best loved character and album, featuring such cuts as “Five Years”, “Moonage Daydream”, the above mentioned “Starman”, and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”. He followed up Ziggy with his harder edged American cousin, Alladin Sane (gems include “Time”, “Panic in Detroit”, “Lady Grinning Soul”, and the title track); let’s not forget his ode to George Orwell’s 1984, Diamond Dogs (“Rebel Rebel” or the lesser known but brilliant “Sweet Thing” suite); his plastic soul Young Americans; the flinty 1976 transitional classic, Station to Station; or his experimental collaborations with Tony Visconti and Brian Eno, the so-called Berlin Trilogy of Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger to close out the decade. It’s an impressive collection of music, but, if you don’t know it, don’t take my word for it. It’s all worth a serious listen.
Today, the late David Bowie is recognized as one of the most significant recording artists of all-time, and he would go on to release more arresting music- 1980’s Scary Monsters; his unforgettable duet with Queen’s Freddie Mercury, “Under Pressure”; his best-selling Let’s Dance; the under appreciated Heathen (check out “Slip Away” and “Slow Burn”). He was gone too soon. When the jazzy, experimental Blackstar was released on his 69th birthday, few realized it was Bowie’s public goodbye, for two days later he died of cancer. On the most celebrated track, “Lazarus”, we hear Bowie’s thin but oddly resonant voice bidding us to look up and see him, scars and all. He was a genuine, fearless original.
-Steve Williams (8/21/23) Greatest Recording Artists Blog Post #38
