greatest american artists?? (Page 1 of 2)

If someone was to ask me this and I never had time to think, I would have to say

The Eagles.
Elvis ( like you said)
Metallica ( might not be totally original but totally great and influenced so many bands)
iggy pop?? ( is he american or does he just sound like one now?)

well, theres a few

Ken

Hi last Rebel,
Although we are a small Island and our music is Traditional.
We were and are still heavely influenced with  American C /W.
Also the folk scene here was very much based on American Singers.
I  also had Albums of Diana Ross, Drifters, Four tops, Tammy Wynette, Foundations, Dione Warwick.
Dolly, Linda Ronstadt. Hank, Croce, Young Gosh so many to numerous to mention.
I also sang a song way back " Now That The Buffalo's Gone" Buffy ST Marie!
I think she was an Indian Lady. I often did wonder what happened to her.
People always asked me about that song, after i sung it. Back then i had the voice to do so. I also loved " The first time ever i saw your Face" Cannot remember who sang that one at the time.
Sure God love, your to young to remember most of these
but yes! we knew lots of your great artist.

Slán

Old Doll.

"Ths First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was by Roberta Flack,
a singer from USA.

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Nirvana! They haven't mentioned Pearl Jam or Soundgarden either!

Well here's some good Hank Williams ones to look for, if you need titles:

You Win Again

The Lost Highway

Ramblin' Man

Jambalaya

Move it On Over

He's actually a good writer, and if you can ever get a hold of something besides 'Hey Good Lookin' (which is a good song, not knocking it by the way but its kind of like AC/DC and 'highway to hell', just because you know that song doesn't really mean you know anything at all about the bad). "Weary blues from waitin'" "The Lost Highway" "I heard that Lonesome Whistle"... just some of my favs.
Its the 'legend of Hank Williams that really makes him such an icon (he was famous, but nearly as much as now untill he died) He was born in Alabama with spinebifeda, learned to play guitar from an old blues player name Rufus Payne, AKA 'tee-tot', so he had an appreciation for the style. He married Ms. Audry, and had a son, but partly because of his back pains, and the mysterious heart ache (no-one really knows WHO he was singing about in all them sad songs) he took to drinking, got addicted to his pain medicine, and died in the back of his cadillac on the way back to montgomery after an unsuccesful surgery. Long before he ever  became 'famous' he did tours all over the south with his band 'The Driftin' Cowboys', and them coming to town was a pretty big deal back in the day. He also had an alter ego fo sorts called Luke the Drifter under which (in great contrast with the honky tonkin' songs he wrote as Hank Williams) he wrote and sang a long list of gospel songs.
Because of his short life and unexpected death, the great contradictions of his character, and the ramblin' man persona, he became sort of a tall tale type hero. Someone once said that 'The legend far exceeded the man', but in spite of all that he was a good writer and singer.....
And anyway I've babbled way too long, but maybe that satisfied some curiosity. lm Srry for it being so lengthy, I'm sure you weren't THAT interested lol

All You Need is Love

Ok I am showing my age again with some of these but what about:

The Everly Brothers
Mamas and Papas
Simon and Garfunkel
Peter, Paul and Mary
John Denver
Glen Campbell
Buddy Holly
Roy Orbison

All greats and certainly musical influences for me.

Roger

well doc phil i think what i meant was the best known on a global scale, which american artists have achieved the most international fame... and then it is a two fold question on opinion who was the best...
To me there are quite a few country guys i love (Hank and Cash and Willie and Waylon to name a few), but are they as famous in other places as here??

All You Need is Love

Not to mention Springsteen, Grateful Dead, Tom Petty and Tom Rush and Harry Chapin....

Back in the late 50's an American artist :Sonny Boy Williamson ventured of to europe and recorded two records with The Animals. Also in the mid sixties two artists did the same. Muddy Waters and Chester Burnett aka. Howlin Wolf
did a recording in London. The album is known as "Muddy and The Wolf" It's a battle of the blues and is great listening.
  Muddy's bandmates were; Otis Span, Mike Bloomfield,Paul
Butterfield,Donald Dunn, Sam Lay, Jeff  Carp,andPhil Upchurch, all Americans.   In Howlin Wolfs band were Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Hubert Sumlin, Jeff Capp, Ian Stewart. Waters and Burnett were well known in the USA at the time and tested the water in Europe and were succesful. Clapton and Burnett have some banter on the recording and it's Burnett teaching Clapton about a little slide trick on the guitar. If you can find the CD
I highly recomend you buy it as it has some great listening
of two great blues artist from the USA.

  Take Care.

Oldnewbie ,
Neil Young is Canadian.................

Yeah, I know he is from Canadia, I guess I lost the point of the thread...

but he does own property in Montana (I think), and he is a "North American" as opposed to a European?

(I'm reaching here, I know...)

Show the father of grunge some love! 

Brownie MaGhee sang it best " The Blues had a baby and the whole world called it Rock and Roll".

... Badeye.