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John Lennon

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:31:18 GMT

"He had the quickest mind that you could ever ask for, fast and funny." -- David Crosby "He really didn't give a fuck about anything else apart from him and The Beatles and his songs." -- Noel Gallagher "It was his band. He was the original member. I don't think John is getting anything he doesn't deserve." -- Ringo Starr "It was as if he knew that he had a short time." -- Yoko Ono Brian Wilson Can’t Live Without: Let It Be – “When I’m scared and lost, I play this album and it gets me cool. I first heard it in 1970 and I couldn’t believe how great The Beatles looked on the cover. John’s voice blew me out…and just the way the songs blended together. It’s an album I play every couple of weeks for spiritual guidance.”

Elvis Presley

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:54 GMT

"Before Elvis there was nothing. When I heard Heartbreak Hotel, I thought, This is it." -- John Lennon Essential Recording: From Elvis in Memphis

David Bowie

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:43 GMT

"I thought that's what rock'n'roll should be all about - too much make-up, setting things on fire and pissing off parents." -- Marilyn Manson Boy George Can’t Live Without: The Man Who Sold the World – “I have always been into lyrics and words, ever since I was a kid; I would walk around the streets with a transistor on my ear and I would learn the words to every song that came out. And that record was the most unusual record I’d ever heard. It was like Fucking hell, what is this about?”

Keith Richards

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:33 GMT

"He's made out of something that music likes to be around." -- Tom Waits "I think he stands for the right to be yourself - even against overwhelming odds. He's a crusader." -- Johnny Marr Peter Buck Can’t Live Without: Exile on Main Street – “This was the first album I just obsessed on. It gave me everything I ever wanted in a record. It was mysterious. I loved that way they were putting all their influences in. It gave me the feeling that there was this mystery and adventure that went with a record.”

Kurt Cobain

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:25 GMT

"His music is powerful, very intense. That sort of power is rare. Not many guys like him come along." -- Bruce Springsteen Essential Recording: Nevermind

Madonna

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:14 GMT

"I thought she was God. I liked the way she pressed buttons in people." -- Pink Essential Recording: Ray of Light

Bono

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:50:04 GMT

"God pretends to be Bono on his day off." -- Robbie Williams "He taught young people that they do have the power to change the world." -- Kofi Annan Neil Hannon Can’t Live Without: Unforgettable Fire – “I was a deranged U2 fan with one of those horrible t-shirts, and U2 gave me my ambition, if not my style. This was the first album I really got into – I love the sound, all of it is a bit impressionistic. The textures are obviously very Eno-inspired.”

Bob Marley

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:58 GMT

"What would my Top 10 records be? Ten Bob Marley albums." -- Ian Brown Essential Recording: Exodus

Joe Strummer

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:47 GMT

"He was a joy, always. Even when he was depressed, he was a joy. He had a conscience." -- Pete Townshend "The pedestal belongs to Joe Strummer." -- Billie Joe Armstrong Sharleen Spiteri Can’t Live Without: Sandinista! – “Sandinista! is so underrated. There’s a lot of waffle, but the crossover of rocksteady basslines, big beats, Studio 1 production sounds, big-room sounds and the mixing of that with pop and rap, and talking over it, even using samples, is very brave.”

Bob Dylan

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:41 GMT

"He sang like an old geezer - this ancient voice in a young man's body." -- Bono "Picasso is the only character you can compare him to." -- Bono Rod Stewart Can’t Live Without: Bob Dylan – “This was a huge influence on me. I used to dress like him. I had the harmonica, the fucking hat…everything. In My Time of Dyin’, Man of Constant Sorrow, Talkin’ New York…I used to sing all those songs.”

Morrissey

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:31 GMT

"His lyrics for The Queen Is Dead have never been bettered by anybody." -- Noel Gallagher Essential Recording: The Queen Is Dead

Johnny Cash

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:23 GMT

"If we want to know what it means to be mortal, we need look no further than the man in black." -- Bob Dylan Essential Recording: At Folsom Prison

Oasis

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:49:13 GMT

"How can you not love him? Anyone who can write something like Songbird is basically alright by me." -- Chris Martin "All the people that kids look up to now are bland, faceless fucking police officers. Liam should be given a knighthood!" -- Noel Gallagher Mani of the Stone Roses Can’t Live Without: Definitely Maybe – “It’s not intellectual music, it’s just like bam, immediate, three chords, bridge, chorus, right in your face. That’s what people want.”

Paul Mccartney

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:48:26 GMT

"Sometimes I would listen to what he has done and it would scare me, his music is so powerful." -- Brian Wilson "If he fell on the piano, by the time he had picked himself up he would have written three songs." -- Donovan Graham Coxon Can’t Live Without: Abbey Road – “I always say Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles album out of habit. But Abbey Road came out the year I was born – 1969. Also, they had got through their problems with The White Album and Let It Be, and this was a really good goal after two deflections. McCartney’s singing is amazing, much better than Lennon’s. McCartney was just as avant-garde, but he was exploring it rather than mouthing off about it.”

Eminem

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:48:17 GMT

"A giant. I respect him a lot. He is number one, no question." -- 50 Cent Essential Recording: The Marshall Mathers LP

Freddie Mercury

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:48:09 GMT

"Live Aid was perfect for Freddie. He could ponce about in front of the whole world." -- Bob Geldof "Freddie always looked and behaved like a star long before he actually was one." -- Brian May Essential Recording: A Night at the Opera

Mick Jagger

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:48:01 GMT

"Jagger is the perfect rock star. He's rude, ugly-attractive. He's brilliant." -- Elton John Essential Recording: Sticky Fingers

Robbie Williams

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:45 GMT

"I think everything about Robbie Williams is fantastic, except the voice and the songs." -- Morrissey Essential Recording: Sing When You’re Winning

Jimi Hendrix

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:35 GMT

"Before Hendrix, I wanted to be a footballer." -- Robert Smith Essential Recording: Electric Ladyland

Tupac

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:23 GMT

"You felt like he meant it and it came from his heart." -- Eminem Essential Recording: Me Against the World

Kylie Minogue

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:17 GMT

"Without punk there would be no Kylie Minogue because she was the perfect punk." -- Pete Waterman Essential Recording: Fever

Thom Yorke

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:47:08 GMT

"Thom Yorke and the rest of Radiohead are the Kafka and the Beckett of our generation." -- Brad Pitt Essential Recording: OK Computer

Noel Gallagher

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:59 GMT

"He's the best songwriter in the world. End of fucking story. What else is there to say?" -- Liam Gallagher Essential Recording: (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Michael Stipe

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:50 GMT

"Michael's got a very special kind of voice. It exudes comfort. But he's also got a very fun, bad kid aspect." -- Patti Smith Essential Recording: Automatic For the People

George Harrison

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:35 GMT

"His quiet sensitivity always seemed so noble. His songs seemed sweeter and deeper than the rest. He was the secret weapon." -- Dave Grohl Essential Recording: All Things Must Pass

Bruce Springsteen

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:26 GMT

"I'd like my life to be like a Bruce Springsteen song. Just once." -- Nick Hornby Essential Recording: Born to Run

Sid Vicious

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:17 GMT

"Sid was the least vicious and least screwed-up person that I'd ever met. Hence: Vicious." -- John Lydon Essential Recording: Never Mind the Bullocks…Here’s the Sex Pistols

Elton John

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:46:02 GMT

"I shoplifted an Elton John t-shirt once, and my stepfather took away my Elton John gig tickets. It fucked me up for life." -- Courtney Love Elvis Costello Can’t Live Without: Peachtree Road – “Elton’s new album is a songwriter at the top of his game. There are a couple of melodies which are up there with his best, particularly My Elusive Drug. I also love some of those delicate songs from way back, such as Sixty Years On….”

Kate Bush

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:54 GMT

"There was this time during my teenage years when everyone was doing ecstasy and going to raves, and I was at home listening to Kate Bush. On ecstasy." -- Alison Goldfrapp Essential Recording: The Hounds of Love

Syd Barrett

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:45 GMT

"He simply had a vision no one else understood - an extremely unique brain, with or without drugs." -- Graham Coxon Essential Recording: The Piper At the Gates of Dawn

Marvin Gaye

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:35 GMT

"When I first heard Marvin Gaye, it hit me over the head like a rock. It was like everything you have ever felt, but all at once." -- Alicia Keys Essential Recording: What’s Going On

Rod Stewart

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:25 GMT

"Bar none, he's the best singer I've heard in rock'n'roll. He's also the greatest white soul singer." -- Elton John Essential Recording: Every Picture Tells a Story

Britney Spears

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:14 GMT

"Everybody loves to take the piss out of her, but she brings joy to a lot of people. And she's got a nice ass." -- Steven Tyler Essential Recording: In the Zone

George Michael

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:45:07 GMT

"I like George Michael, I always have. I thought he was the mack." -- Fred Durst Essential Recording: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

50 Cent

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:58 GMT

"He has an aura that's been missing since we lost Pac and Biggie; the authenticity, the realness behind it." -- Eminem Essential Recording: Get Rich Or Die Tryin’

Ian Brown

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:51 GMT

"Liam didn't know what the fuck he was going on about until The Stone Roses, he could totally identify with Ian Brown." -- Noel Gallagher Essential Recording: The Stone Roses

Jack White

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:44 GMT

"I am so jealous of that guy. Motherfucker knows rock'n'roll like sugar knows ice cream." -- Ryan Adams Essential Recording: Elephant

Justin Timberlake

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:37 GMT

"I'd love to work with Justin Timberlake! But I told his record label and they said, Oh, very funny." -- Iggy Pop Essential Recording: Justified

John Lydon

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:39:48 GMT

"All the hype about the Sex Pistols was totally deserved. Johnny Rotten was the one I identified with - he was the sensitive one." -- Kurt Cobain "What made the Sex Pistols different was Johnny, because he was a total anti-star." --Sid Vicious Noel Gallagher Can’t Live Without: Never Mind the Bullocks…Here’s the Sex Pistols – “It came out when I was 11. If you think that all punk music was supposed to be anti-music, Never Mind the Bullocks sounds like a pop album in comparison. My mum hated it and it had to be really good if she didn’t like it. She even used to hide the record from me, so I had to buy it on tape and hide it in my pocket.”

James Hetfield

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:14 GMT

"Metallica? Those guys rock." -- Slash Essential Recording: The Black Album

Michael Jackson

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:44:05 GMT

"I could never decide whether I wanted to be Michael Jackson or marry him. He's a fucking genius." -- Amy Winehouse Essential Recording: Thriller

Neil Young

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:43:51 GMT

"The guy just inhabits the damn music. It doesn't matter if he looks like Ebenezer Scrooge." -- Bonnie Raitt Essential Recording: After the Goldrush

Marc Bolan

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:43:36 GMT

"He had a genius for singing gobbledegook and making it sound very cool." -- Lloyd Cole Essential Recording: Electric Warrior

Dave Grohl

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:43:28 GMT

"If I was to write a book about Dave Grohl, it would be called There Goes My Hero." -- Krist Novoselic Essential Recording: One By One

Axl Rose

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:43:16 GMT

"He's a great frontman, and great frontmen are hard to find. But he's also...Axl. And you have to deal with that, too." -- Slash Essential Recording: Greatest Hits

Pete Townshend

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:43:07 GMT

"He was this windmill orchestra with a couple of Howitzer cannons on the side." -- Jeff Beck Essential Recording: Tommy

Missy Elliott

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:42:45 GMT

"She's an inspiration, such a rare talent. That's why I named my daughter after her. She's the bomb." -- Damon Albarn Essential Recording: Da Real World

James Brown

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:42:39 GMT

"I invented rock'n'roll. Jimi Hendrix was my guitarist. James Brown was my vocalist." -- Little Richard Essential Recording: Live at the Apollo

Manic Street Preachers

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:42:32 GMT

"I hope Richey is up there with Kurt Cobain, jamming a Fall song." -- Nicky Wire Essential Recording: The Holy Bible

Lemmy Kilmister

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:42:07 GMT

"Fuck Elvis and Keith Richards. Lemmy's the king of rock'n'roll." -- Dave Grohl Essential Recording: Ace of Spades