Do you ever wonder what music might sound like today...

[bwind22]

Do you ever wonder what music might sound like today if certain events had never happened? What if Bob Marley or John Lennon never got shot? What if Kurt Cobain never killed himself/got murdered in a massive conspiracy (whichever you choose to believe.)? If Brad Nowell from Sublime didn't overdose? Tupac? B.I.G.?

Think about all of the awesome songs that were never written... What kind of music would those guys be making today? And more importantly, how would they be affecting what music currently sounds like?

Obviously there's no answer, but it's something I think about on occasion so I thought I'd throw it out there for some discussion.

[Dude Guadalupe]

The only reason that those guys are so great is because they never had a chance to do something completely retarded. If they were all still alive, we would probably hate them.

It sucks that they died, but it really was a good carreer move.

[The STE]

The only dead musician I really wish were still around is Joe Strummer. Streetcore was a posthumus album and is one of my top five favorite albums of all time, so I can only imagine what great stuff he would be putting out if he were still around. I mean, yeah, it'd be nice if Lennon or Marley or Cobain hadn't died, but I think Lennon had gotten about as good as he was going to get, Marley is at least as influential in death as he was alive, and was kinda spotty musically, and Cobain definately has the aura about him he has because of his suicide. There's some other singers/musicians I'd like to still have around, Layne Stailey, for example, and the guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd who died in the plane crash, but Strummer's the only one where I think "man, he'd be crushing everything else out right now if he were still alive."


Actually, I take that back. I think Frank Zappa is definately someone who'd be benefitial to have around right now. Besides the fact that he was a really unique and unbelievably talented musician and composer, we need someone like him who's both politically active and intelligent about it like Zappa was. I hear about a lot of stupid shit (WM3, various music censorship-related things, the music backlash from Columbine, et cetera) and think "too bad Frank Zappa's not around, a lot of the people representing the musicians are idiots"(except the WM3 cause).


So, really, the only two guys I really wish were still around are Frank Zappa and Joe Strummer, but for different reasons. When Tom Waits dies, I'll wish he were still around as well.



EDIT: Okay, I just noticed that I didn't really answer the question that started the thread. But I don't feel like changing my answer.

[illdojo]

The only dead musician I really wish were still around is Joe Strummer.
I hear you.
I'm old, but not old enough to have seen The Clash or Bob Marley.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Alice In Chains and Nirvana.

[The STE]

I only saw Alice in Chains once when they were opening for KISS, and it was like the first week where they were performing without Layne Stailey, so they weren't so great.

[Elvis_Christ]

The only reason that those guys are so great is because they never had a chance to do something completely retarded. If they were all still alive, we would probably hate them.

It sucks that they died, but it really was a good carreer move.

Beat me to it dude. I totally agree.

[Doc Faustus]

Lennon could have become really redundant if he was pressured into output later in life. His death to me had a similar effect to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Easy Rider is over, Billy Jack is over and America is a warzone. Both of these things remind us of the fact that America was getting chaotic. A man who is culturally gigantic can just be struck down by a random nut. Cultural import makes you no less vulnerable than anybody else, which I think is a hard thing for a lot of people to remember. Lennon's death, its chaos and its statement on social mores was a work of art in its own twisted way, a message screamed into the ears of every American. The whole effect of Imagine is kind of like that of watching Easy Rider and TCM back to back.

[Despare]

People still would have moved on. I think the impact of these people releasing genre bending/music changing material was felt in the beginning of their fame. Sure there would be some good tunes and sure I'd like to have seen Sublime get bigger but I don't think any of the people you mentioned would be able to break any new ground.

[the_real_linda]

The only reason that those guys are so great is because they never had a chance to do something completely retarded. If they were all still alive, we would probably hate them.

It sucks that they died, but it really was a good carreer move.

thats what i always thought.....olo! :D u gotta die in ur prime to become a legend

[mikeymassacre]

Do you ever wonder what music might sound like today if certain events had never happened? What if Bob Marley or John Lennon never got shot? What if Kurt Cobain never killed himself/got murdered in a massive conspiracy (whichever you choose to believe.)? If Brad Nowell from Sublime didn't overdose? Tupac? B.I.G.?

Think about all of the awesome songs that were never written... What kind of music would those guys be making today? And more importantly, how would they be affecting what music currently sounds like?

Obviously there's no answer, but it's something I think about on occasion so I thought I'd throw it out there for some discussion.

Bob Marley died of cancer!