At the End of the Day, the Best?
Attention. The Dog has a matter of cultural significance for your consideration. Who is the greatest living figure in popular music who is not a household name?
Before we can proceed, we must define terms. What is popular music? That could encompass everything other than classical music. But in order to prevent our inquiry from becoming unwieldy, let’s limit ourselves to the non-classical music of the English-speaking world. And let’s also steer clear of the grand traditions of Broadway and the specialized realm of jazz.
Next, what is a household name? For present purposes, let’s define that as a name immediately recognizable to the general public of the United States. In that way, we can avoid the daunting task of tracking everyone who is — or is not — very famous somewhere. Also, let’s assume that if a musical group is a household name, its members and ex-members likewise qualify as such, even if they may be less familiar in their individual capacities.
Now comes the really hard part. What does it mean to be great and how should it be measured? That’s endlessly debatable. But here are some possible criteria:
— Someone with a career of long standing, going back more than a generation.
— Someone whose achievements as a songwriter include a substantial body of work with finely crafted lyrics and beautiful melodies.
— Someone who is an outstanding performer on a musical instrument.
— Someone with a stirring and memorable voice.
— Someone who remains a creative force, having continued to tour and release new material in recent years.
— Someone who is highly respected in music circles and has broadly influenced others in the field.
So who best fits the bill?
Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t done enough research and would lack the discernment to express a reliable opinion even if I had. But it may well be (more…)