Underrated Icons
Which artists do you think are underrated icons?
I mean we have the obvious Icons like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Barbra Stresiand etc
It's all down to opinions, so there is no right or wrong answer.
Here are mine
Dusty Springfield - First female to crack america and pretty much was one of the very first British females to be successful. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have Adele, Amy Winehouse etc.
Kate Bush - Like Dusty, she was really one of the first British females to blow up but Kate created her own style of music and pretty much her own world. While Dusty set the standard for White Soul Singers, Kate set a huge standard for Female Pop Singers in general. She was banned in New Zealand for being too sexy, something Madonna would later embrace in her career years later.
Rihanna - She is always changing her style and she has amazing hits. Every era is different and it never feels repeated. While she is influenced by acts like Madonna, she is having other Females be influenced by her due to putting Barbados on the map for success and to bringing a flavour of so many different cultures of music in her music.
Gwen Stefani - Before the likes of Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne, Gwen was the ultimate Rock chick of the 90's. Her quirky style, her unique voice and her creative songwriting led to the birth of No Doubt and then her own solo career. But Gwen knew how not to be too controversial and still kept it real. Her infamous Blue Hair, the Harajuku girls and the huge brand that is LAMB, I personally feel Gwen will very much be remembered in Pop/Rock Culture.
Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez - Lisa was controversial and often seen as a tragic soul. But erase that and your left with an amazing rapper (forget Nicki Minaj for a second) and being the brains behind one of the most successful girlbands. Sadly she died and was never able to continue her Legacy into a solo career. But before the likes of Eve and Lil Kim, she was breaking boundaries of Women in R&B and Rap. How many artist do you know promote safe sex by wearing comdoms on your glasses?
I mean we have the obvious Icons like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Barbra Stresiand etc
It's all down to opinions, so there is no right or wrong answer.
Here are mine
Dusty Springfield - First female to crack america and pretty much was one of the very first British females to be successful. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have Adele, Amy Winehouse etc.
Kate Bush - Like Dusty, she was really one of the first British females to blow up but Kate created her own style of music and pretty much her own world. While Dusty set the standard for White Soul Singers, Kate set a huge standard for Female Pop Singers in general. She was banned in New Zealand for being too sexy, something Madonna would later embrace in her career years later.
Rihanna - She is always changing her style and she has amazing hits. Every era is different and it never feels repeated. While she is influenced by acts like Madonna, she is having other Females be influenced by her due to putting Barbados on the map for success and to bringing a flavour of so many different cultures of music in her music.
Gwen Stefani - Before the likes of Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne, Gwen was the ultimate Rock chick of the 90's. Her quirky style, her unique voice and her creative songwriting led to the birth of No Doubt and then her own solo career. But Gwen knew how not to be too controversial and still kept it real. Her infamous Blue Hair, the Harajuku girls and the huge brand that is LAMB, I personally feel Gwen will very much be remembered in Pop/Rock Culture.
Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez - Lisa was controversial and often seen as a tragic soul. But erase that and your left with an amazing rapper (forget Nicki Minaj for a second) and being the brains behind one of the most successful girlbands. Sadly she died and was never able to continue her Legacy into a solo career. But before the likes of Eve and Lil Kim, she was breaking boundaries of Women in R&B and Rap. How many artist do you know promote safe sex by wearing comdoms on your glasses?
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Comments
Great songwriter, singer, visually interesting, has experimented with different styles of music.
Courtney Love will always be in Cobains shadow, for me shes not an icon but each to there own.
I don't consider her an icon, more like an underrated one.. if that makes sense. I agree she'll probably be forever known as Cobain's mental wife but her band Hole have made some amazing albums over the years. Great lyricist too, only have to look at a song like Doll Parts to see what a great writer she is. Though I understand your point.
Agree, but with the new ND album this summer maybe she'll see some recognition? Not just Gwen but Tony, Adrian and Tom too!
I'd like to add Debbie Harry to the list. It constantly baffles me as to why she doesn't get the recognition she deserves. She's become somewhat of an underground icon, but she deserves far more. Amazing woman.
Agreed - without Debbie there'd be no Madonna
Need i say more?
Pioneering female singer-songwriters like Cyndi Lauper, Linda Ronstadt and Pat Benatar are all too often overlooked for their male counterparts- case in point the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame snubbing all three (very unfairly!)
He's really never been fashionable (he'll never win the Brit Award for outstanding contribution for example), but he's had a profound and lasting impact on music mainly behind the scenes for most of his career, has done more to promote music from around the world than most of the rest of the music business put together, and does at least as much for humanitarian causes as Bob Geldof and Bono but without the same kind of profile in the media.
That's why I chose Peter Gabriel. Although he had quite a bit of commercial success a LONG time ago, he doesn't get the coverage a lot of other artists get (Morrissey, Paul Weller, Bob Dylan etc) and most people under the age of about 35 today in my experience have no idea who he is.
I agree! I don't think she's ever out the papers
I'd say Kylie, been listening to loads of her music today, she's fantastic :cool:
Whenever he's hit the bigtime he hit the self destruct button, disappeared, changed direction and started again.
He is revered by many of the Blues / Rock guitarists, past and present. Not so much the public, shame as they have missed one hell of a talented musian.
Dusty In Memphis (considered her best album) didn't chart over here and she was ignored from 1969-1987. Her 70's output is great - esp See All Her Faces and Cameo albums.
She's certainly one of the finest singers of all time - I just wish she was more successful in the 70's and beyond
Not true, back in the day people where into The Beatles and/or The Stones or Motown. Dusty was just not cool.Hindsight is a wonderful thing.