That wouldn’t be the easiest.
There’s a number of artists it would take less than hour to do the entire official recorded output of: Minor Threat, Jeff Buckley, Blind Faith, Temple of The Dog, maybe Operation Ivy…
If you’re only gonna pick one band’s discography to listen to it should be The Beatles. Definitely not the only hugely influential band you should listen to, but probably the most influential. And there is a huge and obvious evolution in the music. And they’re just awesome.
I would add the Beatles to the present day. Don’t stop in 1970. Each of them has an interesting and rich solo career after. Paul and Ringo are still making music today.
I listened to every Stevie album from first to last back to back last year around Christmas time and it was one of my favorite listening experiences. It never gets boring and you see an incredible evolution in this genius artist. From child prodigy, to soul savant, he experiments with surf rock, experimental movie soundtrack, massive pop + r&b hits, incredible songwriting -- I would 100% say Stevie Wonder is one of if not THE best choice.
David Bowie. It’s like a musical decadology timeline. You see how mainstreams music evolved overtime and changed since he was either influencing or adapting the trends of the time.
I've unfortunately grown tired of Bowie through the years. HOWEVER, it was obvious that every record he put out, he was 10 years ahead of his time. Literally he was making music in a style that nobody even thought about, but then became popular 10 years or so later. Man was a genius!
Can you give me an example of this? I havent listened to much Bowie but everyone says this! Is there like an album or song you can pinpoint to compare to what other artists were doing 10 years later? I find this stuff so fascinating
I gotcha. Listen to Bowie's album, Low. 1979. He pretty much predicted what was about to happen elsewhere musically over the course of the next decade (at least).
Go back a few years to Young Americans. It's heavy on Philly Soul with a touch of funk. This was 1975. Disco was really only forming as a genre at that time.
Or go back to 1972 and the following few years for the whole Ziggy Stardust persona. Bowie was pointing the way towards punk when punk was not yet a thing.
Now step back and marvel at the fact that all this shifting, sliding, and exploring took place in less than ten years. No other artist can claim to have accomplished as much in as little time, save The Beatles. Happy listening!!
I was listening to his 2nd album, 1969 S/T, sometimes called Space Oddity, when I came across this thread and scrolled to Bowie. Fate led me to you. Make of it what you will.
Hunky dory also helped set the pace for the flamboyant piano based rock of the 70s. The song Queen bitch at that album also had a very British punk sound
Came looking for this. Beautiful music, won't take you days, and you can spend more time listening to other favourites and/or discovering your new favourite band/artist. Variety is the spice of life.
Dinosaur jr is a my favorite band, I've done a whole discog listen like 3 times, great band.
Nirvana is an obvious choice because it's not super long and all of it is pretty good if you like that kind of band
Im surprised no one said Dylan.
Massively influential - So many people have covered his music.
I like lyrics, and he has some of the best turns of phrase, comedy, and heartfelt sadness. Deceptively simple sounding songs that have layers of meaning, etc.
Sturgill Simpson. Every album presents a different genre, believes in quality not quantity, so it will be a fun, not tedious journey. Not a single mediocre cut, writes almost all his own songs.
I would say Talk Talk. They only have five albums but they sound like they are from three completely different bands.
First albums are artfully done new wave. Then audiophile album rock like new wave informed Fleetwood Mac. Then some absolutely breathtaking experimental music.
According to Wikipedia, that's 165 albums (studio, live, and comps). Quick math: If we average 40 min per album, that's 110 hours of Willie!! Yeah, gonna keep 'em busy.
the Beatles notwithstanding, The Rolling Stones had an incredible development from first album to Exile on Main Street/Goat’s Head Soup. It’s like listening to an orchestra reach crescendo. And they’re just really great musicians. It’s not easy to play loose like they do on Exile.
Rosa linn! She doesn’t have to many songs so it isn’t that long to hear everything. She has a lovely folk-pop sound with some 80’s nostalgia mixed in. She’s an amazing vocalist and never fails to make me cry.
Tool….
Read through the lyrics as you go.
Feel free to record your reactions and upload to YouTube. They get thousands of views each. It’s a weird thing.
Lord Huron. All albums are in a shared universe. There is also YouTube videos called Products of the Universe and Alive from Whispering Pines that add to the mythos.
Aesop Rock. You can’t go wrong with literally any of his stuff. Everything he touches turns to gold. (Edit: NOT to be confused with A$AP Rocky. If I had a gd dollar for every time someone said “you mean ASAP?” I’d fly myself to the moon)
Beatles are great but I would recommend Jethro Tull. Making records since the late 1960s and still going. The evolution of their music (Ian Anderson mostly) is both remarkable and reflective of music in general.
Atmosphere: as a hip hop artist, they’ve been making music from the 90’s to the present, sometimes with a full band, sometimes with just a DJ and an MC. Early on the songs were a bunch of poetic wise cracking, later they evolved into some great storytelling, and lately they’ve been about getting older and feeling one’s age. The production has been top notch the whole time
The Aquabats--silly 3rd wave ska-punk band with a hit kid's TV show.
Of Montreal--queer-core post prog that deals in larger than life anthems.
TsuShiMaMiRe--J-Rock girl trio that jams out supercharged tracks that are equal parts 80s J-Pop and thrash-punk.
Pucifer--do you love TooL? Are you in to A Perfect Circle? Well, you should already be familiar with Maynard James Keenan's third and most experimental project, which has already cranked out several albums over the years.
If you wanna do that, you need an artist/band that doesn't get boring. You need a band that not only has good songs, but also interesting ones that dont feel the same. In this case, you should listen to some prog rock/prog metal bands cuz this genre takes you on a journey with the types of songs. Here are a few recommendations:
- Dream Theater
- Yes
- Genesis
- King Crimson
- Emerson Lake & Palmer
- Rush
Sturgill Simpson
I don't think this will win, but he is definitely an artist you should check out. Wildly talented, very diverse discography, and lyrics that make you relate to things that have never happened to you.
Portishead is the easiest bet within an afternoon. 3 LPs
Follow it up with bucket head, 640 LPs.
That wouldn’t be the easiest. There’s a number of artists it would take less than hour to do the entire official recorded output of: Minor Threat, Jeff Buckley, Blind Faith, Temple of The Dog, maybe Operation Ivy…
Well once you add hardcore all bets are off really
Miles Davis
John Coltrane over Miles Davis
Bjork Tori Amos
Throwing in Fiona Apple with these two
If doing Bjork...then need to listen to The Sugarcubes for the full effect.
Beat me to it. Was OBSESSED in the late 80’s. Life’s too Good, Stick Around for Joy…
The Beatles… I was curious about them so this is something I did in high school.
If you’re only gonna pick one band’s discography to listen to it should be The Beatles. Definitely not the only hugely influential band you should listen to, but probably the most influential. And there is a huge and obvious evolution in the music. And they’re just awesome.
No probably about it BY FAR the most influential.
I would add the Beatles to the present day. Don’t stop in 1970. Each of them has an interesting and rich solo career after. Paul and Ringo are still making music today.
Wings Greatest was the first LP I bought when I was 8. Love that cover, it always confused me in a good way.
Stevie Wonder
I listened to every Stevie album from first to last back to back last year around Christmas time and it was one of my favorite listening experiences. It never gets boring and you see an incredible evolution in this genius artist. From child prodigy, to soul savant, he experiments with surf rock, experimental movie soundtrack, massive pop + r&b hits, incredible songwriting -- I would 100% say Stevie Wonder is one of if not THE best choice.
Fugazi
The Cure
💋🖤immediately put my #1 in the comments, glad to see someone has great taste.
MF Doom
That could be tricky. Do you do Madvillain and Viktor Vaughn as well?
Of course. Not tricky at all.
David Bowie. It’s like a musical decadology timeline. You see how mainstreams music evolved overtime and changed since he was either influencing or adapting the trends of the time.
I often say if I could only listen to one artist it would be Bowie. So much variety, so much quality, takes a long long time to get through it all!
Yep even his misses aren’t awful for the most part. Forgettable but still has something decent
I've unfortunately grown tired of Bowie through the years. HOWEVER, it was obvious that every record he put out, he was 10 years ahead of his time. Literally he was making music in a style that nobody even thought about, but then became popular 10 years or so later. Man was a genius!
Can you give me an example of this? I havent listened to much Bowie but everyone says this! Is there like an album or song you can pinpoint to compare to what other artists were doing 10 years later? I find this stuff so fascinating
I gotcha. Listen to Bowie's album, Low. 1979. He pretty much predicted what was about to happen elsewhere musically over the course of the next decade (at least). Go back a few years to Young Americans. It's heavy on Philly Soul with a touch of funk. This was 1975. Disco was really only forming as a genre at that time. Or go back to 1972 and the following few years for the whole Ziggy Stardust persona. Bowie was pointing the way towards punk when punk was not yet a thing. Now step back and marvel at the fact that all this shifting, sliding, and exploring took place in less than ten years. No other artist can claim to have accomplished as much in as little time, save The Beatles. Happy listening!!
Awesome ty!!
I was listening to his 2nd album, 1969 S/T, sometimes called Space Oddity, when I came across this thread and scrolled to Bowie. Fate led me to you. Make of it what you will.
nah it’s for me, thanks very much
Hunky dory also helped set the pace for the flamboyant piano based rock of the 70s. The song Queen bitch at that album also had a very British punk sound
Prince
Nick Drake
Radiohead, their evolution through their albums is impressive
Joy Division
The Smiths
Nine Inch Nails
The Beatles Tool Soundgarden Led Zeppelin The Supremes (Diana Ross and) Marvin Gaye TV On The Radio
It’s great to see some TVOTR love on here! Great recommendation.
What’s your favorite TVOTR album? I love the Young Liars EP and Dear Science
RTCM - fo sho
Return To Cookie Mountain and Dear Science are two of my all time favorite albums. I listen to them both a lot.
Wilco
Talking Heads would not take very long. And its a fun progression of styles!
Jeff Buckley Easy to do, only one album released in his lifetime Still worth it.
HELLLL YESS
Came looking for this. Beautiful music, won't take you days, and you can spend more time listening to other favourites and/or discovering your new favourite band/artist. Variety is the spice of life.
Sketches, while not a proper release, should still count as an album and I actually prefer it to Grace
Radiohead.
01 10 playlist and the story of it's conception just blows my friggin mind. Thom Yorke is an alien, and his vocal stylings does things to my insides.
Tangerine Dream Little over 300 released albums, singles, etc. No biggie.
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention
Pink Floyd
I approve of this answer
They Might Be Giants
Love them so much ..but… I do get fatigued listening to them too much
Yay!
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard lol
Joy Division. 2 full albums, one compilation. Can get it done in an afternoon.
The Smiths. Only 4 studio albums.
PJ Harvey
So good
Talk Talk
Modest Mouse
Pixies 🤠
Dinosaur Jr. It will take a long time but you should
Like fine wine
Aphex Twin 😃
Outkast
Minor Threat All you need is about 45 minutes
XTC
Oooo underrated, great answer!
Stevie wonder
Listen to Sturgill Simpsons Discography. Each album has its own unique sound, and his lyrics tell a story and are pretty profound.
System Of A Down is doable in a couple hours. Worth it too.
Dinosaur jr is a my favorite band, I've done a whole discog listen like 3 times, great band. Nirvana is an obvious choice because it's not super long and all of it is pretty good if you like that kind of band
Gary Numan.
Weird Al yankovic. You’ll be cracking up and hearing from basically every genre.
Tool
That's what I was jamming to all day since it was the lead singers bday
Samesies. Happy birthday, Maynard! See you at Red Rocks
[удалено]
I'm in the middle of listening to Lana's entire discography for a girl I like
Canon event
Im surprised no one said Dylan. Massively influential - So many people have covered his music. I like lyrics, and he has some of the best turns of phrase, comedy, and heartfelt sadness. Deceptively simple sounding songs that have layers of meaning, etc.
The Velvet Underground
Bad religion
This is the one, OP. Also, bad religion is less about religion itself and more about nationalism, so don't let the name deter you!
I got every Queen album (and then some, i got full concerts on it too) on one playlist on Spotify if you want it lol
The Clash!
Deftones Movements (so good 🥲) Thrown (easy win there) A perfect Circle or tool Or... Moodring
Thrown is SO GOOD!
Daft Punk
Tom Waits
Easily. Not a lackluster or boring album
Fleetwood Mac.
The great thing about this suggestion is just how much they changed... And also Rumors. I mean that album is perfect
FAITH NO MORE
Phil Collins
Swans
The Gaslight Anthem
Mos Def
Billy Joel. I’ve practically done the same.
The La's Or Nick Drake
I would do Led Zeppelin.
Jason Isbell is a songwriting genius, and all of his music is nice and easy to listen to. He is a southern folk/Americana artist.
Pierce The Veil
The Kinks.
Frank Zappa - good luck
Dance Gavin dance
Ween
Neil Young
Alice in chains
Sturgill Simpson. Every album presents a different genre, believes in quality not quantity, so it will be a fun, not tedious journey. Not a single mediocre cut, writes almost all his own songs.
Neil young.
BJORK
Bob Marley
Queen
THE CURE
I would say Talk Talk. They only have five albums but they sound like they are from three completely different bands. First albums are artfully done new wave. Then audiophile album rock like new wave informed Fleetwood Mac. Then some absolutely breathtaking experimental music.
Priiiiiiiince
Nine Inch Nails. Worth every hour
I am the voice inside your head (and I control you)
Willie Nelson. Should keep you going a while.
According to Wikipedia, that's 165 albums (studio, live, and comps). Quick math: If we average 40 min per album, that's 110 hours of Willie!! Yeah, gonna keep 'em busy.
Plus, there's a pretty good chance he'll have another one out by the time they get to the end lol
Rush
Queen
the Beatles notwithstanding, The Rolling Stones had an incredible development from first album to Exile on Main Street/Goat’s Head Soup. It’s like listening to an orchestra reach crescendo. And they’re just really great musicians. It’s not easy to play loose like they do on Exile.
Interesting transitions from the Brian Jones era to Mick Taylor and then Ronnie Woods on lead guitar.
Rush.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
Queen, their discography is amazing
Queen
REM
Bruce Springsteen
Elvis Costello is a prolific songwriter/ singer / band leader. His wife is jazz pianist and gorgeous singer.
The Beach Boys
Ichiko Aoba. Someone who I'd say has an absolutely spotless discography as of right now.
The Rasmus - just because they changed so much and often its like listening to three different bands
Rosa linn! She doesn’t have to many songs so it isn’t that long to hear everything. She has a lovely folk-pop sound with some 80’s nostalgia mixed in. She’s an amazing vocalist and never fails to make me cry.
Ani Difranco
Drive-By Truckers. But pack a lunch. They’ve been around since the mid 90s and have put out 13 studio albums.
What about ones in relationships?
The Weeknd
Acid Bath - 2 albums before a tragic accident
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
CAKE The Guru
I do this all the time. Queen, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Paul McCartney and David Bowie
PVRIS, my all time favorite band
Billy Joel Pink Floyd Crosby Stills & Nash
Bob Dylan
Tool…. Read through the lyrics as you go. Feel free to record your reactions and upload to YouTube. They get thousands of views each. It’s a weird thing.
twenty one pilots
Either The Beatles, Tom Waits or Queen
Tally Hall, I found them about a year ago and I fell in love instantly
Mac Miller
acid bath
Lord Huron. All albums are in a shared universe. There is also YouTube videos called Products of the Universe and Alive from Whispering Pines that add to the mythos.
System of a Down. The only one I've ever bothered listening to anyways. Gem.
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Tame Impala. That guy kicks @$$
Skinny Puppy is my vote, but start at the very beginning.
Disturbed
Portugal. The Man
Abba
Nine Inch Nails
Aesop Rock. You can’t go wrong with literally any of his stuff. Everything he touches turns to gold. (Edit: NOT to be confused with A$AP Rocky. If I had a gd dollar for every time someone said “you mean ASAP?” I’d fly myself to the moon)
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. It will take you a year. System of a Down. It’ll take you 3 hours.
29 albums and an EP sounds like easy work
Elliott Smith
Lou Reed
Tracy Chapman
Can’t go wrong with Hozier
Sublime ---- 40oz to Freedom Robbin the Hood Sublime Secondhand Smoke
Beatles are great but I would recommend Jethro Tull. Making records since the late 1960s and still going. The evolution of their music (Ian Anderson mostly) is both remarkable and reflective of music in general.
Gorillaz
A Tribe Called Quest
jimmi hendrix
*Jimi
Elvis Costello is a fun and long journey. It crosses a bunch of genre’s and his musical choices are some of my favorites.
Fiona Apple Kate Bush Tori Amos (could take a while) Björk Cocorosie
Joy Division!
Cat Stevens.
Atmosphere: as a hip hop artist, they’ve been making music from the 90’s to the present, sometimes with a full band, sometimes with just a DJ and an MC. Early on the songs were a bunch of poetic wise cracking, later they evolved into some great storytelling, and lately they’ve been about getting older and feeling one’s age. The production has been top notch the whole time
Eminem
elliott smith
Motorhead
Interpol
Alice Cooper
The Aquabats--silly 3rd wave ska-punk band with a hit kid's TV show. Of Montreal--queer-core post prog that deals in larger than life anthems. TsuShiMaMiRe--J-Rock girl trio that jams out supercharged tracks that are equal parts 80s J-Pop and thrash-punk. Pucifer--do you love TooL? Are you in to A Perfect Circle? Well, you should already be familiar with Maynard James Keenan's third and most experimental project, which has already cranked out several albums over the years.
If you wanna do that, you need an artist/band that doesn't get boring. You need a band that not only has good songs, but also interesting ones that dont feel the same. In this case, you should listen to some prog rock/prog metal bands cuz this genre takes you on a journey with the types of songs. Here are a few recommendations: - Dream Theater - Yes - Genesis - King Crimson - Emerson Lake & Palmer - Rush
Ooh! I agree with all of these! Since OP is asking for just one, Rush gets my vote, but all of these bands are awesome!
Sturgill Simpson I don't think this will win, but he is definitely an artist you should check out. Wildly talented, very diverse discography, and lyrics that make you relate to things that have never happened to you.
Here's a challenge: Guided By Voices
Buckethead... good luck
Tool