What are your top 10 favorite musical artists/bands/composers?

[Warmsignal]

I used to listen to their album, I think it was called Grimisy Park or something? It never really stuck with me. You have to really be a fan of that type of vocal delivery, and the distortion their guitars use is the crunchiest of crunch. The 80s type of Depeche Mode scene just never was my bag. I was a 90s kid. I was into grunge, and pop punk and regrettably, nu-metal. 

[tripredacus]

This order seems OK, I don't think it matters. I always have a hard time coming up with non-genre specific lists like this and I have to remember not to include current interests, rather favorite meaning what you always go back to.

1. Morbid Angel
2. Metallica
3. Atari Teenage Riot
4. Three 6 Mafia
5. Glenn Miller
6. Yoko Kanno
7. Johann Strauss II
8. Yes
9. Death
10. KMFDM

[dhaabi]

I wasn't really anticipating to reply to this post, but I did finally finish working on a personal top 100 albums list after working on it casually for about nine months. It's not exactly what this thread is about, but I figured I'd share it somewhere, and this thread seemed best.

Here is the post on imgur. I created four templates—by alphabet, by release date, by genre, and by nationality.

I had certain criteria for my list:
- one album per artist
- no compilations from numerous artists
- no soundtracks

If you have any recommendations based on my choices, I gladly welcome them!

[supremeusername]

1. Kanye West
2. Radiohead
3. Can
4. King Crimson
5. Pink Floyd
6. Fishmans
7. Frank Ocean
8. Miles Davis
9. Autechre
10. Viper the Rapper

I wasn't really anticipating to reply to this post, but I did finally finish working on a personal top 100 albums list after working on it casually for about nine months. It's not exactly what this thread is about, but I figured I'd share it somewhere, and this thread seemed best.

Here is the post on imgur. I created four templates—by alphabet, by release date, by genre, and by nationality.

I had certain criteria for my list:
- one album per artist
- no compilations from numerous artists
- no soundtracks

If you have any recommendations based on my choices, I gladly welcome them!

Lots of great shit on this list. I gotta ask though: what made you put Jesus Is King over every other Kanye album?

I'll recommend you:
- Susumu Hirasawa - Kyuusai no gihou (aka. Technique of Relief)
- The Weeknd - Trilogy (compilation of albums House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence)
- Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
- Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Can - Future Days
- The Stooges - Fun House
- Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
And if you want some weird hip-hop, try Viper - The Hiram Clarke Hustler

[wartoy]

1.Blue Oyster Cult
2.Rush
3.Faith No More
4.Primus
5.Alt-J
6.Death Cab for Cutie
7.Poe
8.Pink
9.Foreigner
10.J. Roddy Walston and the Business

[98dgreen]

1.Black Sabbath
2.King Diamond/Mercyful Fate
3.Rivers of Nihil
4.Alice in Chains
5.Death
6.Dixie Dregs
7.Iron Maiden
8.Obscura
9.Archspire
10.Between the Buried and Me

[medisto]

The top 10 list changes all the time for me, but these are some solid entries that make the list most of the time

1. Ministry
2. Swans
3. Those Poor Bastards
4. Slayer
5. Bolt Thrower
6. Brainbombs
7. Napalm Death
8. Sonic Youth
9. Lifelover
10. Mudhoney

[dhaabi]

Lots of great shit on this list. I gotta ask though: what made you put Jesus Is King over every other Kanye album?

I'll recommend you:
- Susumu Hirasawa - Kyuusai no gihou (aka. Technique of Relief)
- The Weeknd - Trilogy (compilation of albums House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence)
- Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
- Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Can - Future Days
- The Stooges - Fun House
- Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
And if you want some weird hip-hop, try Viper - The Hiram Clarke Hustler

I haven't listened to Kanye's extensive discography, as I still need to listen to Graduation, 808s, MBDTF, and Donda 2. Something about Jesus Is King just has a nice, cohesive listening element to it, though. I also really like Yeezus, but I remember there being some tracks that I thought weren't too successful in its back end. If Donda had been halved, I'd probably have a higher opinion for it too. Generally, I think that a project which is more concise and focused on its themes are more successful. Additionally, I also find myself seeing the beauty in more gospel-focused pieces at times. "God Is" is one of my favorite Kanye tracks. I also enjoy The Life of Pablo too, but I consider it a project that becomes less successful as it continues, as its back half struggles and largely loses my interest.

Susumu Hirasawa - Kyuusai no Gihou
Not familiar with Hirasawa in particular, but I have previously heard some P-Model songs that I enjoyed. I can definitely hear the similarities between some tracks and the soundtrack for Paprika, especially with the album's opening track Town-0 Phase-5. World music is okay at times, but it's never something I ever find myself actively listening. I did enjoy this album, though. Also, I started watching the Berserk anime after listening to this album not realizing that Susumi Hirasawa contributed music to its soundtrack, and I immediately recognized it once the vocals began.

The Weeknd - Trilogy (House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence)
As a note, I did not listen to these three projects in one sitting. They were originally released as separate works, and that is how I view them. Overall, they're all solid albums to play. Each album has at least a couple of standout tracks I found throughout listening.

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin is an artist I definitely should devote time to listening to their backlog. I've only really ever listened to Drukqs and Come to Daddy prior to listening your suggestion. With that said, this album provided enjoyable background music, although nothing in particular caught my attention.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
I'm actually glad you suggested this album. Early throughout my listen, I was reminded of "Peacebone" from their previous album while listening, although I wasn't sure what exactly the song was or the song's artist but clearly remembered its music video and sound. Up until this point, that was the only song of theirs which I had listened. I found Merriweather to be a great listen with its fun and upbeat moods and will explore more of the artist's releases in time. I've listened to it three or four times already.

Can - Future Days
Personally, I am not the biggest fan of long, drawn out tracks, so the 20-minute album closer wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed in its entirety. With that said, I first didn't really enjoy Future Days at all, but I gave it numerous listens. Finally, after re-visiting it about a week later on my fourth listen, I enjoyed it a lot. The opening minutes to "Bel Air" were nice especially. Did it need to be a 20-minute song, though? Probably not.

The Stooges - Fun House
I have not listened to very much rock and early punk from the '70s. That being said, Fun House was not something that immediately caught my attention. I did enjoy "Dirt," though. It's not to say that this album was bad, but I certainly need more listening experience throughout this moment in time for both rock and punk genres.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Being straightforward, I just don't think I am a fan of the group. I've heard some singles prior to this album listen—and they're okay—but their collective works are not something I would ever find myself visiting on my own. The songs for Paul's Boutique maintain that level of energy that they're known for, but it's not a sound for me with none of the tracks making a stand-out impression or even a favorable sound. After a new album listen, I generally will re-visit tracks that caught my attention, but I couldn't do that with this album.

Viper - The Hiram Clarke Hustler
This was interesting. I haven't listened to much of cloud rap or other sub-genres of experimental hip-hop aside from some Lil B long ago. Going into The Hiram Clarke Hustler, it was definitely something that didn't quite connect with me at first. However, after a subsequent listen, I found myself enjoying each track, with the latter few tracks in particular seeming most successful to me. This isn't an album I would actively play, but it's still something I appreciate and enjoy.

I gave each of these albums at least two full listens (with most receiving more) before making any sound judgement. Overall, I enjoyed the suggestions.

[supremeusername]

I haven't listened to Kanye's extensive discography, as I still need to listen to Graduation, 808s, MBDTF, and Donda 2. Something about Jesus Is King just has a nice, cohesive listening element to it, though. I also really like Yeezus, but I remember there being some tracks that I thought weren't too successful in its back end. If Donda had been halved, I'd probably have a higher opinion for it too. Generally, I think that a project which is more concise and focused on its themes are more successful. Additionally, I also find myself seeing the beauty in more gospel-focused pieces at times. "God Is" is one of my favorite Kanye tracks. I also enjoy The Life of Pablo too, but I consider it a project that becomes less successful as it continues, as its back half struggles and largely loses my interest.

Susumu Hirasawa - Kyuusai no Gihou
Not familiar with Hirasawa in particular, but I have previously heard some P-Model songs that I enjoyed. I can definitely hear the similarities between some tracks and the soundtrack for Paprika, especially with the album's opening track Town-0 Phase-5. World music is okay at times, but it's never something I ever find myself actively listening. I did enjoy this album, though. Also, I started watching the Berserk anime after listening to this album not realizing that Susumi Hirasawa contributed music to its soundtrack, and I immediately recognized it once the vocals began.

The Weeknd - Trilogy (House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence)
As a note, I did not listen to these three projects in one sitting. They were originally released as separate works, and that is how I view them. Overall, they're all solid albums to play. Each album has at least a couple of standout tracks I found throughout listening.

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin is an artist I definitely should devote time to listening to their backlog. I've only really ever listened to Drukqs and Come to Daddy prior to listening your suggestion. With that said, this album provided enjoyable background music, although nothing in particular caught my attention.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
I'm actually glad you suggested this album. Early throughout my listen, I was reminded of "Peacebone" from their previous album while listening, although I wasn't sure what exactly the song was or the song's artist but clearly remembered its music video and sound. Up until this point, that was the only song of theirs which I had listened. I found Merriweather to be a great listen with its fun and upbeat moods and will explore more of the artist's releases in time. I've listened to it three or four times already.

Can - Future Days
Personally, I am not the biggest fan of long, drawn out tracks, so the 20-minute album closer wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed in its entirety. With that said, I first didn't really enjoy Future Days at all, but I gave it numerous listens. Finally, after re-visiting it about a week later on my fourth listen, I enjoyed it a lot. The opening minutes to "Bel Air" were nice especially. Did it need to be a 20-minute song, though? Probably not.

The Stooges - Fun House
I have not listened to very much rock and early punk from the '70s. That being said, Fun House was not something that immediately caught my attention. I did enjoy "Dirt," though. It's not to say that this album was bad, but I certainly need more listening experience throughout this moment in time for both rock and punk genres.

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Being straightforward, I just don't think I am a fan of the group. I've heard some singles prior to this album listen—and they're okay—but their collective works are not something I would ever find myself visiting on my own. The songs for Paul's Boutique maintain that level of energy that they're known for, but it's not a sound for me with none of the tracks making a stand-out impression or even a favorable sound. After a new album listen, I generally will re-visit tracks that caught my attention, but I couldn't do that with this album.

Viper - The Hiram Clarke Hustler
This was interesting. I haven't listened to much of cloud rap or other sub-genres of experimental hip-hop aside from some Lil B long ago. Going into The Hiram Clarke Hustler, it was definitely something that didn't quite connect with me at first. However, after a subsequent listen, I found myself enjoying each track, with the latter few tracks in particular seeming most successful to me. This isn't an album I would actively play, but it's still something I appreciate and enjoy.

I gave each of these albums at least two full listens (with most receiving more) before making any sound judgement. Overall, I enjoyed the suggestions.

Wow, I'm surprised you listened to everything I recommended, multiple times too. I tried picking albums that were similar to your list, but I wanted to keep it one genre per album (I saw Frank Ocean so I recommended The Weeknd, The Stooges cause I saw Fugazi and Pixies, Beastie Boys cause I saw MF DOOM and other alternative hip-hop, etc.). If I'd known, I would probably have recommended you more experimental shit besides Selected Ambient Works and the Beastie Boys one. I just added those cause they're a part of the essentials.

[ferraroso]

Off the top of my head (I'll probably soon regret not including some people in here)

1 - Sakai Izumi (ZARD)
2 - Raul Seixas
3 - Chico Buarque
4 - Tonico & Tinoco
5 - Racionais MC's
6 - Belchior
7 - Do As Infinity
8 - Cidade Negra
9 - The Carpenters
10 - Bach

[Reckoning]

Not going to number them because I'll spend an hour typing this up if I think that hard about it.

Tool
Soilwork
Katatonia
Kalmah
Angel Dust
Dry Kill Logic
Within Y
The Duskfall
Faktor Straha
Strapping Young Lad

And since I can't keep it to just 10

Turmion Katilot
Violent Work of Art
Windir
Ancient Existence

And a special shoutout for my local shit
Nevermore
Rorschach Test
The Curse of Western Culture
Crossing Crusades

[oldgamerz]

I run my own radio station with over 21,000 great songs, and I love them all but here are some artist that stand out to me as some of the best of the best

1: Dokken 2: Dio 3: Rainbow 4: Black Sabbath  5: Ozzy Osbourne  6: Winger  7: White Lion 8: Motley Crue   9: Queenscyche 10: Van Halen  11: Poison 12: Guns 'n' Roses  13: Lita Ford 14: Pat Benetar   15: Von Grove   16: Saxon  17: Winger    18: Jefferson Airplane  19: Starship   20: Fleetwood Mac   21: Bon Jovi  22:Metallica   23: Queen  24: Ted Nugent  25: AC/DC  26: The Beatles  27: The Rolling Stones, 28: The Animals 29: Kansas 30: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 31: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 32: Bob Dylan 33 Rush 34:Bob Segar & The Silver Bullet Band 35: Iron Maiden 36: Iron Butterfly 37: Deep Purple 38: 39: Jefferson Starship 40: Heart 41: Stevie Knicks 42: Bryan Adams 43: Journey 44: Steve Perry 45: Linkin Park 45: 3 Doors Down 46: Red Hot Chili Peppers 47:Golden Earing 48: Steppenwolf 49: Nazareth 50: Humble Pie 51: Blackfoot Sue 52: Blood Sweat & Tears 53: Blackfoot 54: Loverboy 55: Europe 56: Elton John 57: David Bowie 58: Billy Joel 59: The Police 60: The Kinks 61: The Romantics 62 The Ramons 63: Motorhead 64: The Grass Roots 65: The Who 66: Ratt 67:The Guess Who 68:Elvis Presley 69: Elvis Costello 70: The Four Tops, 71: The Temptations 72: Marvin Gaye 73: Lionel Richie 74: The Commodores, 75: Earth Wind & Fire 76: The Ohio Players 77: Santana 78: The Doors 79: The Eagles 80: America 81: Seals & Crofts

 82: The Steve Miller Band 83:War 84: Bo Diddley 85: B.B King 86: Jimi Hendrix, 87: Cream 88: Chuck Berry 89: Little Richard 90: Stevie Wonder 91:Ray Charles 92: Berry White 93: Lenny Kravitz 94: Madonna 95: Tiffany 96: Euroithmics 97:Bob Marley 98: Bullet For My Valentine 99: Five Finger Death Punch 100: Megadeth 101: U2 102: Coldplay 103: R.E.M. 104: Marvin Sapp 106: Kirk Franklin 107: Richard Marx 108:Extreme
109:Eric Carmen 110: Eric Clapton 111: Stevie Ray Vaughan 112: Janis Joplin 113: Aretha Franklin 114: Donna Summer:

115: KC & The Sunshine Band 116: The Jeff Healy Band 117: Britney Spears, 118: Backstreet Boys 119: NSYNC 120: New Kids On The Block 121:Staind 122: Rob Zombie 123: Marylyn Mansion 124: Alice Cooper, 125 Jet 126: Seether 127: Breaking Benjamin 128: All American Rejects 129: Volbeat 130: The Mama's & The Papa's 131: Sting 132:Hailstrom 133:Full Devil Jacket 134: Rod Stewart 135: Crow 146: The Black Crowes 146: Daughtry 147: Johnny Cash 148: Merle Haggard 149: Hank Williams Sr & Jr 150: Dolly Parton 151 :George Michael 152: Yngwie Malmsteen, Jackal 153: Michael Bolton: 154: The Barenaked Ladies 156: Blink 182 157: Smash Mouth 158:Cinderella 159: Accept 160: Scorpions 161: Foreigner 162: Led Zeppelin 163: Don Dokken 164:Rise Against 165:

and those are just a vary small sample