Phantom's Top 500 Musical Icons

Declan A Walsh

Over the post-Christmas weekdays, Phantom was counting down between 10am and 7pm the Top 500 Musical Icons. This was culled from listeners Top 5 Icons.

It culminated yesterday evening with the Top 10 Musical Icons. When they got to the Top 5, they played a number of songs for each icon, including almost a full hour for the No. 1.

I was listening to it when I could. I made a special effort yesterday afternoon!

The Top 10 was:
10. Joe Strummer
9. Damon Albarn
8. Noel Gallagher
7. Bruce Springsteen
6. Jim Morrison
5. Morrissey
4. Kurt Cobain
3. John Lennon
2. Bob Dylan
1. David Bowie

The highest placed female was P.J. Harvey at 39.
The highest placed Irish person was Phil Lynott at 36.

Here is the full list:
http://www.phantom.ie/page/190.192.423/4124/0/Phantom-500

If you go through the list, you will see an amazing eclectic list.

Have a look and see what you think.

mrsdewinter

Damon Albarn *and* Liam Gallagher in the Top Ten? That's a lotta love for a pretty 'meh' era in music.

Declan A Walsh

mrsdewinter wrote: »

Damon Albarn *and* Liam Gallagher in the Top Ten? That's a lotta love for a pretty 'meh' era in music.

Just for accuracy, it was NOEL Gallagher that was in the Top 10 - chief songwriter, guitarist, leader and sometimes lead singer of Oasis, as well as his own solo project - High Flying Birds. Liam Gallagher was at No. 31 - he was the main singer in Oasis as well as the frontman of Beady Eye.

mrsdewinter

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Just for accuracy, it was NOEL Gallagher that was in the Top 10 - chief songwriter, guitarist, leader and sometimes lead singer of Oasis, as well as his own solo project - High Flying Birds. Liam Gallagher was at No. 31 - he was the main singer in Oasis as well as the frontman of Beady Eye.

Argh - I'm morto! Still. I'm not sure I'd have put either of the Gallaghers in there...

Declan A Walsh

Would anyone care to discuss some or all of the following placings, i.e. disappointingly low, too high, surprised at their presence, surprised at being above someone else, etc. etc.
No. 492 Bon Scott (former ACDC vocalist)
No. nowhere Brian Johnson (longtime vocalist with ACDC)
No. 478 John Taylor (Duran Duran)
No. 415 Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
No. 372 Simon le Bon (Duran Duran)
No. 393 Alan Wilder (only non-original member of Depeche Mode - left since)
No. 297 Eric Clapton
No. 162 Beyoncé
No. 32 Paul McCartney
No. 31 Liam Gallagher

dirkmeister

To say I'm puzzled by number 141 would be an understatement.

Max Headroom

I turned back to Phantom from Nova for obvious reasons.....but i'm wondering if i made the right choice now after listening to (some) of the top 500.....i'm not sure i want to be associatad with people that , not only listen to Beyonce, but actually rate her 338 places higher than some serious artist/writers...........maybe this is the way phantom are heading...Jay Z.....no Tom Smith......

Ol' Donie

Roy Orbison is 299

Bez is 141.

Good poll.

Mr Pseudonym

Phantom has a tiny listenership (audience share <1%) - less than Sunshine, less than 4FM. Of that, how many participated in this poll? I would venture, not many. Therefore, having it be a 500 Musical Icons list is just madness! It's purpose is also vague: I don't especially rate Beyonce, but you'd have to say that she is one of a handful of iconic pop acts of the last two decades; a fellow called Mozart had a pretty big effect on music, and I don't think he made the list. So, I think it should have been 100 Rock/Indie Icons, or something similar.

Slutmonkey57b

I don't agree, I think the smaller listeners pool made for a better list because there's more opportunity for variance.

Imagine the same poll on 2fm or fm104, the top spots would probably be all one direction members.

Max Headroom

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

So, I think it should have been 100 Rock/Indie Icons, or something similar.

My bad........i'm sure i heard it referred to by John Caddell as "Ther 500 ROCK icons" list......soz.....

Mr Pseudonym

Max Headroom wrote: »

My bad........i'm sure i heard it referred to by John Caddell as "Ther 500 ROCK icons" list......soz.....

I don't understand... It's called "Phantom 500 - Icons" on their website. If Caddell did refer to it as "Rock icons", it would strengthen my point

ghostdancer

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

If you go through the list, you will see an amazing eclectic list.

it's not really. it's an overwhelmingly classic rock/indie-rock list, with a few of the usual token rap/dance acts that indie-rock fans like thrown in.

but that's basically Phantom's musical outlook in general, so I was hardly expecting an appearance from Juan Atkins or Carl Craig, let alone the founding and important members of a whole range of other genres....

Declan A Walsh

ghostdancer wrote: »

it's not really. it's an overwhelmingly classic rock/indie-rock list, with a few of the usual token rap/dance acts that indie-rock fans like thrown in.

but that's basically Phantom's musical outlook in general, so I was hardly expecting an appearance from Juan Atkins or Carl Craig, let alone the founding and important members of a whole range of other genres....

But the following are all on the list: Luke Kelly, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Jackie Wilson, Woody Guthrie, Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Gil Scott Heron, Robert Johnson, Ennio Morricone, Donna Summer, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Giorgio Moroder, Annie Lennox, Sly Stone, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Joan Baez, Smokey Robinson, Quincy Jones, Willie Nelson, Billie Holliday, Jimmy Cliff, James Brown, Howlin Wolf, Liam Clancy, Christy Moore, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, Nina Simone. None of those examples fit easily or at all into the kind of classifications you are talking about and there is such a variety of music styles there such as: jazz, soul, country, pure pop, folk, swing, blues and old-style rock and roll.

Max Headroom

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

But the following are all on the list: Luke Kelly, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Jackie Wilson, Woody Guthrie, Sam Cooke, Muddy Waters, Gil Scott Heron, Robert Johnson, Ennio Morricone, Donna Summer, Otis Redding, Elvis Presley, Giorgio Moroder, Annie Lennox, Sly Stone, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Joan Baez, Smokey Robinson, Quincy Jones, Willie Nelson, Billie Holliday, Jimmy Cliff, James Brown, Howlin Wolf, Liam Clancy, Christy Moore, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, Nina Simone. None of those examples fit easily or at all into the kind of classifications you are talking about and there is such a variety of music styles there such as: jazz, soul, country, pure pop, folk, swing, blues and old-style rock and roll.

You left out Bono there Ted...................:D