Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: The Complete List

what the fuck is this stupid list 

I thought this list was a load of CRAP until I saw who your #1 is.

don't you people know how to read?

"That, and because these types of lists are entirely subjective and unaccountable."

... he was clearly trying to make a point. LEARN TO READ AND RESPECT.

I hate you internet people. I hate you.

my nigguh willie hung far dong is holdin down that top spot like a true pimp 

This is gibberish. Total nonsense, not even worth paying attention to.

Congratulations on creating one of the most shallow, high-school-general-music-history-survey-course-lists ever compiled.  I suppose it was too much to hope that anyone writing for your site would be able to tell the difference between a pop icon, an historical figure and a musician.  That's five minutes of my life I never get back.  I'm embarrassed FOR you, and I want my 5 minutes back.

SILVIO RODRIGUEZ? pobres gringos que viven del MTV..

this must be a joke, if it is, its a good one. if not this people at LA Weekly are retarded

There are a couple names I've never heard of, but that doesn't mean they're not worthy of inclusion. The list itself is perfectly fine- until we reach No. 1, which obviously is a joke. All of the other known names are revered and acclaimed acts, regarded as some of the best of all time. Plus, I think "musicians' here is just another term for artist. Like how the Rock and Roll hall of Fame is not just about rock.

Pop stars are seldom "musicians."  Perhaps this title should be "Top Ten Musicians I Can Think of, as Told by LA Weekly."  I'll accept that.

This needs to be renamed, "Top 20 Musicians of All Time, Based on Our Myopic Opinion of Music History and Complexity."

this list is a very bad joke, cause we take music pretty seriously -even though I agree the whole intention of building such a list across genre is so silly you end up with Miles Davis or Mozart below, who??. But, really: NO COLTRANE? (I repeat: NO COLTRANE???!!!), NO MINGUS, and NO ELLINGTON?? Caetano Veloso deserves better than 14 as well and you know what silly me for even replying.

are you out of your mind??? 

No Led Zeppelin????

There are inclusions worth being in this list but William Hung? That's an insult to the great artistes included here. There's a huge difference between a musician and an entertainer. Maddona, MJ, Elvis are entertainers. Where's Stevie Wonder? Coltrane? Jobim? Ridiculous!

This list is inane.  The inclusion of Madonna & Elvis make it void & null.  They are neither musicians or composers.  Are you guys interns or do they actually pay you to do these lists?

What next? The "Top 20 Human Beings of All Time"?

I can't think why anyone would even bother reading your list. I certainly didn't.

As I scrolled through this list, I shouted expletives at my computer screen the way one would shout at a TV playing a teen scram flick. As stupid as list are, how stupid can a list be? But when I got to #1, I raised my fists in to the air and let out a howl of victory. #1 justified the existence of the list.  #1 gave credence to my shouts of derision. It was at that moment that I realized that at 7:30AM, the coffee had kicked in and I got the joke.

LOL! The people getting mad at this list are hilarious! I actually took the time to read the comments and could tell this was a joke way before I got to William Hung.

For example, look at what they wrote about Michael Jackson: "People made a lot of jokes about Michael Jackson before he died; about the way he spoke, the color of his skin, his fondness for zoo animals and children, the clothes he wore, the women he married, the names he chose for his kids, his penchant for grabbing his nuts, his sentimental streak, his plastic surgeries, and his acting talents, or lack thereof. But when he died people made fewer of those jokes."

I mean seriously, how are you idiots taking this so seriously? How are you not getting that they are just harmlessly trolling us? Better yet why do you need to read lists in order to validate your musical tastes? People suck so much, I swear!!!

all kinds of fail. your lists are usually funny, this one is just feels like you were embarrassed to present it. halfway thru i guessed correctly that beethoven and beatles would be the top spots, btw, you could tell by the tokenistic approach it had to other genres of music while reaffirming orthodoxy. william hung came too late to cover up the rest of it

After going through a few 'lists' on your extremely pretentious and douchebaggy website, I have decided not to peer into its heathen contents any further. Good day.

bach is better than mozart. talent is worthless and doesn't equal good music, unless if one makes the mistake of referring to someone who makes good music as talented.

Where is Hank Williams? You didn't put one country music singer on your list you biased assholes. This is an example of why I wouldn't wipe my ass with your paper. All you print is clichéd crap that's relevant to an ever-shrinking clique.

u put biggie but not pac? never reading laweekly again. you guys are a bunch of fucking fags

This is the list of grate legends in music industry no one beat them ..

<A href="http://www.jamie-beeman.com/">Jamie Beeman Music Singer</A>

WTF why is LA Weekly filled with trolls? I live in NYC so I don't get it, is it some kind of insider joke or maybe I'm just too mainstream to get it. I'll just assume they're trying to be ironic and stab my hand with a fork to get the pain of knowing about this website off my mind.

This list is missing Pavement

hahaha wow this list is such BULLSHIT

this list is lame ass shit, there is no Led Zeppelin... fuck you assholes

Thick people in LA pretending to know about music. How endearing.

madonna is better than bach... duh.. dont question this list!!!

This list has to be one of the most unintelligent things i have ever witnessed. First things first, most bands or individuals on this list should be dead or have deceased members. Beethoven has influenced music far more than any other group and/or individual on this list. Not only is william Hung's music bad, he looks like he got beaten by his parents for dishonoring his famry.

William fucking Hung is the greatest musician of all time, EVER?! Someone please fucking shoot me.

stupidest fucking list

Jimi is number one hands down.

Bob Dylan is complete crap.

these types of lists are entirely subjective and unaccountable. -Ben Westhoff

so you've had a bit of a think about it, and you think that madonna is better than bach? insane.

When writing a joke column, one should remember to make it funny.  Recycling the "prefab four" joke about the monkees in your write up on the Beatles?  What is that about?  It wasn't that funny 40 years ago.

But wait, it isn't a joke column.  The writers want plaudits for mentioning world musicians Americans have never heard of.  OK.  So you are saying I am super hip, so respect me, but I'm just kidding here (except when I'm not) so don't get on my case?  Typical hipster double think.