Top 5 solo artists

[BigFin]

Solo artists - someone who writes and performs their own music and plays an instrument whilst doing so.

In no order

Elton John
Stevie Wonder
Bob Dylan

Trying to figure out the other 2. Maybe a country singer? (I know Michael Jackson has a lot of song writing credits, but I finds that a little fishy. Sometimes he'll be on the piano, but rarely, so I didn't include him for those reasons.)

 

[Chewbaccer]

Top 5 is hard. Here’s my list now, but it changes often

1. Waylon Jennings
2. Hank Williams Sr
3. John Prine
4. Robert Earl Keen
5. Kris Kristofferson

Many others were hard to leave off

 

[BigFin]

Top 5 is hard. Here’s my list now, but it changes often

1. Waylon Jennings

I was thinking Waylon. I'll probably add him.

 

[Chewbaccer]

I was thinking Waylon. I'll probably add him.

If you’re going by importance, Hank Sr. Probably needs to be there.

I might be wrong, but I thought Elton John has a guy wrote most of his songs for him?

 

[RP-29]

A few others that need to be in the discussion:
-Hendrix
-Prince
-Tom Petty

 

[antone112]

 

[BigFin]

If you’re going by importance, Hank Sr. Probably needs to be there.

I might be wrong, but I thought Elton John has a guy wrote most of his songs for him?

EJ wrote the music, and his writing partner wrote the lyrics.

 

[BigFin]

A few others that need to be in the discussion:
-Hendrix
-Prince
-Tom Petty

Are at least 2 of them frontmen for a band, rather than solo artist (The Heartbreakers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience)?

 

[RP-29]

Are at least 2 of them frontmen for a band, rather than solo artist (The Heartbreakers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience)?

Every solo artist has "a band" that plays with them - unless you're in pop/dance or rap where the music is 100% synthetic. Petty, Hendrix, Prince, Elton, Dylan, Stevie, etc. all had hired musicians to help them to perform live. Some musicians named their hired help.

 

[outofyourmind]

David Bowie
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Buck Owens

 

[kburjr]

Steve Goodman
Woodie Guthrie
Dolly Parton

 

[kburjr]

David Bowie
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Buck Owens

You laugh, but did Elvis or Frank ever record a song they wrote?

 

[outofyourmind]

You laugh, but did Elvis or Frank ever record a song they wrote?

OK
Replace those 2 with...........
Liberace
Buddy Holly

 

[BigFin]

Every solo artist has "a band" that plays with them - unless you're in pop/dance or rap where the music is 100% synthetic. Petty, Hendrix, Prince, Elton, Dylan, Stevie, etc. all had hired musicians to help them to perform live. Some musicians named their hired help.

When your listed as a band, everyone is less interchangeable, and the other members have input. The solo artists backing group can change frequently, and they pretty much work at the discretion of the artist. Petty had classified solo albums apart from the band, though, so that's my argument why TP&tH wasn't a solo act. (I never cared for him.) Also, all 3 members of the Jimi Hendrix Exp are i nthe Rock n Roll HoF. But they were so short lived, who knows what would've happened.

 

[RP-29]

When your listed as a band, everyone is less interchangeable, and the other members have input. The solo artists backing group can change frequently, and they pretty much work at the discretion of the artist. Petty had classified solo albums apart from the band, though, so that's my argument why TP&tH wasn't a solo act. (I never cared for him.) Also, all 3 members of the Jimi Hendrix Exp are i nthe Rock n Roll HoF. But they were so short lived, who knows what would've happened.

If you want to play your game under your semantics, go for it. I was contributing under your definition of a solo artist.

Solo artists - someone who writes and performs their own music and plays an instrument whilst doing so.

Petty, Hendrix and Prince each were the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for their music - regardless of what each person called their "band".

Pete Loeffler is the songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitarist of the three-man band Chevelle and I personally like his music better than anyone else cited in this thread. He's not as famous as those mentioned, so I didn't bother giving him a shout-out before, but I'm doing it now. Pete Loeffler is a friggin awesome musician and deserves more props than he gets.

 

[fknhippie]

BB King and some other blues musicians need some recognition.

 

[BigFin]

Solo artists - someone who writes and performs their own music and plays an instrument whilst doing so.

This was to separate an artist from merely a singer/performer, like Garth Brooks or Michael Jackson.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I went with artists who still perform, or have recently performed as a solo act.


In no particular order:

Paul Simon
Tom Waits
Joni Mitchell
Neil Young
Bob Dylan


Honorable mention:

James Taylor
Van Morrison
Stevie Wonder
Neil Diamond
Billy Joel

 

[molsaniceman]

BB King and some other blues musicians need some recognition.

where it all began

 

[shopson67]

where it all began

Hold my beer....