Tell someone your favourite artist and there will always be a person that disagrees. No matter what, someone will always have a different opinion and will likely be willing to argue this for hours because music has become an intrinsically massive part of society. It can craft entire personalities and become a part of someone's identity or culture; by simply seeing someone’s favourite artist, you can tell so much about them. There are millions of different people worldwide all making what they consider to be music (and while some do it significantly better than others), it will all appeal to at least one person. So, with that thought, I set out to discover exactly what music my peers actually enjoy and more importantly why. What was it about these artists that really made people like them so much and more importantly, why are some artists liked more than others despite them being so similar? Now of course, not every artist made the cut but were very close, so I thought it fair to mention some brilliant artists that it killed me not to write about. So as a way to hopefully bring attention to some incredible artists (that I urge anyone to listen to)they are: Amy Winehouse, Jeff Buckley, Hozier, Childish Gambino
10. Fleetwood Mac
So rare is it to find a band that manages to span a wide range genres multiple times and master each one so excellently. It's also so rare to find a band where all members are so unbelievably talented both musically and lyrically, but Fleetwood Mac manages not only to deliver but to set a standard that I don’t personally think, any band has come close to achieving in terms of songwriting. The band is what I’d imagine if Shakespeare and Wordsworth formed a band: every song has an incredible feel; like you are being read a literary masterpiece. These lyrics are directly influenced by the troubled marriages and romances within the band (it would take an hour and multiple sheets of paper to describe all the drama between the everchanging members) and it’s evident through both the delivery and creation of the lyrics that they are more than just words. So many of their songs are direct messages between the constantly shifting members of the band as though they are actively yelling at each other within the songs. The arguably greatest and most well-known work by them though would have to be ‘Rumours’, their second studio album after the still incredible debut album ‘Fleetwood Mac’. Rumours is just masterpiece after masterpiece with the 39-minute collection of potentially some of the most thought-provoking and enjoyable songs ever written. ‘The Chain’ will forever be a memorably song that hides Stevie Nicks’ anger behind an upbeat and surprisingly fun drumbeat. ‘Second-hand News’ follows the same trend of hiding strong, well-written lyrics behind a fun and catchy bassline and drum beat – this is something Fleetwood Mac excels at. However, just because Rumours is an absolute masterpiece does not mean it defines the band entirely. After all, this list is about brilliant artists, not brilliant albums. Even if we were to exclude Rumours, Fleetwood Mac still have some great and highly underrated songs (Sara is a personal favourite of mine). The timeless band is a perfect pick for any occasion, and they so seamlessly fit any mood in a way that explains their massive popularity. Overall, for the infinitesimal amount of people who have somehow not heard of Fleetwood Mac, I urge you to give them a listen.
9. One Direction
If you were to ask 7-year-old me on my opinion on One Direction when they broke up, I would have said they were just a cheesy boy band that I would never be caught listening to. Nowadays however, that answer has almost definitely changed (only in some ways, the cheesy bit is still true). It's safe to say that One Direction were a hit – that's actually an enormous understatement. In fact, their fifth and final album ‘Made in the A.M’ was the second fastest selling album of 2015 at a time where interest in boy bands was predicted to decline. On the surface, the band seemed very much like your average boy band that would have fit right into groups like Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. But if you were to look a little deeper and listen a whole lot more, you’d find that they were much more diverse, instead drawing inspiration from bands such as Queen, Coldplay and the aforementioned Fleetwood Mac. Behind the catchy (and still undeniably corny) lyrics was the potential for so much more and it's no surprise that following the band’s breakup, most of the artists became successful. Since their X-Factor induced formation in 2010, the band has and likely always will be an international success with all of its members including the late Liam Payne likely to find even greater success by shying away from their boy band roots.
8. Enhypen
In all honesty, until this article, I was completely blind to Enhypen’s existence. I’d heard the name once or twice but had never really ever chosen to dive a little deeper. I can say with full confidence that there are quite a few people reading this in the same place as me. But if there is even a slight twinge in your brain that says you might like them, listen to them. They are fun, they are enjoyable, they are fresh and new while still having a hint of familiarity. Each song was so full of energy and raw strength in a way that’s both powerful and exciting and it makes every listen feel so much more engaging and interesting than most bands. I could feel as though I was fully enjoying the music rather than just listening to it mindlessly in the background; their music drew me in constantly and even when I was just listening to write about it, I found myself having a good time. As someone massively uncultured in the K-Pop scene, I’d often being scared to try the genre because I didn’t really know where to start or who was good. For anyone in the same boat, try Enhypen. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
7. Queen
Quite frankly, it would be hard to find something wrong with the British rock band, Queen. I’d argue that the band’s entire discography has absolutely no song that isn’t liked by at least one person in the world, all thanks to the combined brilliance of the band’s members, Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor. I could go on for hours about how the band and its members have become such symbols of identity and self-love (especially with Freddie Mercury’s status in the LGBTQ+ community) through their new and ground-breaking personality as a band and as people individually. They dared to change the status quo and succeeded massively. The band were more than just cookie-cutter musicians and performances such as their renowned Live-Aid concert in 1985 that was later voted as the greatest gig of all time. I would be willing to bet that out of all the students at Notre Dame, there is not a single one that has not heard at least one Queen song and disliked it (in fact, I actually invite anyone who does to find me and explain why). And it's probably all because of this uplifting and liberating influence hat the band had. Mercury was not afraid to challenge everything he stood for, especially in a time where freedom over love was such as taboo and criticised thing. I can wholeheartedly say that Queen, the band that defined glam rock, were wrong when they sung “Here we stand, here we fall, history won’t care at all.”
6. Michael Jackson
The King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson is one of music’s most recognisable faces and even more recognisable voices. His peculiar life and eccentric stage presence defined him as one of the 80’s most well-known star, and it's why his fame has prevailed even to today. Hailing from a musical background, the ‘Skinniest Jackson’ was easily the most renowned amongst his brothers in the Jackson 5. He established himself as an incredible performer at an early age and this continued much into his adulthood with the Moonwalk and gravity defying stances that have become instantly recognizable (and that definitely aren’t as easy as they look, believe me). While there were some massive changes in between his band and solo work in terms of music (amongst other things), it's clear that he stayed true to his roots; he made sure to acknowledge where he’d come from. This is probably why he sounds so good, he knew what worked and drew inspiration from it to the maximum effect. I’ve heard people say that all his music sounds the same and ever song is just a rerelease, but I couldn’t argue more. A lot of his music does sound very similar, but this isn’t an insult or in any way an issue. In a genre often dominated by boring or repetitive nonsense (I won’t say names, but I can think of at least one star now), he really stands out.
5. ABBA
Mamma Mia. Waterloo. Super Trouper. Slipping Through my Fingers. Chiquitita. I have to stop myself because if I kept naming great ABBA songs, this article would never release. The band’s success in the Eurovision song contest transformed them overnight into a powerhouse of brilliant music. On the surface, the band had always seemed like a more upbeat version of Fleetwood Mac but really, they were full of just as much drama. A great deal of their later and much more emotional music was very clearly influenced by the divorces that occurred between the two couples, and (as sad of a thing that is) it made the music all the more impressive. Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Benny Andersson have collectively made some of the 70s and 80s greatest hits that have long infected and ruined the minds of DJs and disco enthusiasts everywhere; their arguably most famous (and dare I say overrated) songs Mamma Mia and Dancing Queen are likely some of the most common karaoke songs of all time. Their command over the UK music as well as their unavoidable existence among thousands of soundtracks – including the musical Mamma Mia which features only ABBA songs – have cemented their place among some of the greatest bands of all time for years to come.
4. The Beatles
If I had to pick one word to describe The Beatles, it would have to be ‘eternal’. They are the quintessential timeless band. John, Paul, Ringo and George (and the lesser-known Pete) have created some of the most emotional yet enjoyable songs of all time that I hope and know will never fully be forgotten. Most ‘timeless’ bands will likely retain popularity for around 100 years and will eventually drift away into obscurity, but I can wholeheartedly and very confidently say that will never happen to The Beatles. Their songs are the absolute pinnacle of songwriting, and they have made some of the most influential anthems of all time (I would still consider The Long and Winding Road to be one of the greatest songs to have ever been created). Their blend of rock, pop, folk and – mostly due to the influence of certain illicit substances that are evident in Strawberry Fields Forever – psychedelia has become instantly recognisable and eternally popular - all because they were willing to try new things. Their acceptance and encouragement of more experimental and unknown methods crafted music as a whole and have directly influenced the creation of so many other bands: Pink Floyd, Oasis, Freddie Mercury and thousands more. I urge anyone who hasn’t gotten around to listen to the historic monument of a band – you are missing out. Don't worry if you don’t listen to them soon though, it’s not like they are leaving the public eye anytime soon. I know I mentioned it earlier, but you definitely need to listen to ‘The Long and Winding Road’.
3. Radiohead
I won’t deny it, I’m disappointed to be writing about Radiohead now, not because I dislike them but because if it were up to me, they would be at the top of the list. I can vividly remember the first time I heard Fake Plastic Trees and since then, they have and will always be in my eyes, the greatest band of all time. Their blend of anguished alt rock, unsettling electronica and their earlier moody grunge have long established them as one of the greatest alternative bands of all time. While never really out of the mainstream (despite what many fans try to convince themselves), the band have recently gained newfound popularity at the hands of social media and even though this has led to a new flock of fans that misinterpret the band (they are not ‘the band of agony and despair’), I do think it's good for new people to experience the talent that Thom Yorke, Johnny and Colin Greenwood and Ed O'Brien have achieved. They have managed to craft some of the most heartbreaking and downright soul crushing songs of all time with the aforementioned Fake Plastic Trees and Motion Picture Soundtrack having the power to actually ruin my mood and yet I still find them so addicting. Every song comes with the feeling of hearing it for the first time, yet still every album gets better after every listen; I must have heard In Rainbows and Pablo Honey about 40 times each now: I will never get tired of them. Following the release of Pablo Honey (which contains a song that I think everyone has heard and I don’t think I need to name) and the absolute masterpiece that is The Bends, maybe the greatest Radiohead album of all time, they released OK Computer. This amalgamation of experimental and mind-bending symphonies paired with thought-provoking interpretive lyrics capable of bringing even the strongest to tears is still what I would consider to be the greatest album every created. The album is filled to the brim with thought-provoking and engaging tracks about alienation (both figuratively and literally), fear, hope and death all told through the melodically unsettling and depressingly dry voice of Thom Yorke and backed by the musical genius attributed to the other members ( Johnny Greenwood’s backing instruments are easily recognisable). I know that if I were to keep writing about this roulette of emotions that is Radiohead, I would never be able to pull myself from the keyboard so for mine and your sake, I will close this by stating that if you ever want a moving band to wallow in, pick up a copy of The Bends/Kid A/Amnesiac and enjoy every single minute of it.
2. Stray Kids
Prior to this, I’ll admit that I had never ever listened to a single Stray Kid’s song and never really intended to. I had nothing against them, I’d just never gotten round to it but having listened to what I’d like to call a good amount: I was missing out. There’s a fun and wildly excited energy in almost every song that makes listening to them wildly enjoyable and new (they are also the only band I’ve found with such an intense song about Cheese). With 8 different members, it would be safe to expect the music to sound cluttered or a little overwhelming but that just simply isn’t the case, each voice is recognisable enough to create separate identities while still creating a single brand and joint sound. Do I think this is my style of music by any means? No. In fact, far from it but did I have a great time listening to Stray Kids? Without a doubt! They just have a great tone to each song that makes them easy to digest and easy to enjoy, it would be almost impossible to listen and not have at least a slightly good time. They helped remind me that music doesn’t just have to be about something sad or extremely emotive, music can just be fun. According to a fellow Notre Dame student, they are a very versatile group of very talented musicians who manage to bring together lots of different genres while still keeping their own style, something clear from my listens and something that is massively impressive in today’s often repetitive music scene.
1. Taylor Swift
Let's face it, we all knew she would be first. Whether you like it or not, it’s undeniable that she is one of the most popular and influential artists of the recent age, her control over the pop scene is almost impossible to avoid. She has long dominated the mainstream music industry and ignoring the many varying opinions on her music, especially the new albums, she is successful. In fact, that's an understatement: it is estimated that her songs have over 150B streams online. She has and likely will (depending on her new albums which have been economically disappointing to say the least) always hold the music industry like a vice with the massive collection of Swifties that have invaded every corner of the music scene (I am not criticising her in this, the Swifties hopefully can’t come after me). Her older material which explored country roots helped to establish her potential which was later fulfilled by the success of Red, Fearless, 1989, Reputation and all following albums prior to the release of her two newest releases that safe to say, have not quite had the same critical reception as her other albums.
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