NME.COM will exclusively present a minisite dedicated to the 20 most influential artists in history, as voted for by the rock stars of today.
The list was compiled by NME over the period of a year, during which some of the most important contemporary artists of today gave their opinions on which musicians had exerted most influence over the current music scene – with interesting results.
David Bowie leads the list, followed by Radiohead, who have pipped The Beatles into third place.
In an exclusive interview, David Bowie said: “I’ve always cited who my influences are. I felt it was important for people to be able to see how things are put together at any given stage. I let people know what’s going through my head. I’ve been quite vocal about that through the years.
“It often amuses me to see bands who lie about who they’re listening to, because they don’t want people to know who their real influences are. They leave a trail of red herrings. It’s disingenuous, to say the least. I’ve always loved the process – to see how things are put together.”
The full interview is carried in this week’s issue of NME, in the shops in London tomorrow (November 28) and the rest of the UK on Wednesday. Readers will also receive a fab free ‘Under The Influence’ CD, featuring tracks from artists included in the issue.
Our minisite will be unveiled tomorrow (November 28), with NME.COM readers having the opportunity to say what they think about the list. To whet the appetite, here’s the Top 20 rundown:
Recommended
1. DAVID BOWIE
2. RADIOHEAD
3. THE BEATLES
4. PUBLIC ENEMY
5. MILES DAVIS
6. KRAFTWERK
7. SEX PISTOLS
8. EMINEM
9. NICK DRAKE
10. THE SMITHS
11. STEVIE WONDER
12. APHEX TWIN
13. SCOTT WALKER
14. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS
15. THE FLAMING LIPS
16. BOB DYLAN
17. MOS DEF
18. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
19. BECK
20. JOY DIVISION
Click back here for our minisite tomorrow.