The editorial team at Britain's New Musical Express have shocked music punters as they named the 100 most influential artists in music today. Amongst some blindingly obvious exclusions (including icons such as The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones) are some Aussie acts that we are chuffed made the cut. Now before you get your knickers in a twist, remember that they key word is 'today' .
Writer Mark Beaumont’s defended the list to critics, saying in a recent blog post "These are acts whose influence is written in stone, the very bedrock of the form, but who aren’t necessarily directly informing the music being made today any more than Chaucer is influencing Buzzfeed.”
Topping the list were the enigmatic rockers Radiohead, followed by David Bowie and the man we all love to hate, Kanye West.
The article states “new bands with hints of Zep and the Stones just want to be Jack White; the Floydish psych freaks are, in fact, taking their cues from Tame Impala. Roughly 96 per cent of all new bands formed in the six months after Lonerism sounded exactly like Tame Impala.” Because of this they managed to snag no. 40 on the list.
Nick Cave took out no. 9 spot, with influence ranging from the 1970's to his now adventures with the Bad Seeds. “He’s in Alex Turner’s swivelling hips, Chilli Palma Violets’ frenetic baritone bawls, Lias Fat White’s wicked glare and Dale Snakeheads’ seditious snarl,” NME says. “Eagulls, Iceage and Savages channel the Birthday Party’s nihilistic assault.
In addition to these two great acts, the Triffids took out no. 86 on the list with NME stating that “Alongside Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds and the Go-Betweens, the Triffids were at the vanguard of the literate Australian rock movement that broke through in the ’80s, they were ambitious without being truly pop and would find kinship now with the heart-on-sleeve likes of Arcade Fire and Noah & The Whale, as well as Courtney Barnett’s louche indie-rock confessionals.”
Barnett added to this sentiment saying that “the good Australian bands are good because they’re just doing their own thing. But the Australian sound of the Go-Betweens and the Triffids is unmistakable and good.”
NME’s 20 most influential artists in music today
1. Radiohead
2. David Bowie
3. Kanye West
4. The White Stripes
5. The Strokes
6. The Flaming Lips
7. The Gun Club
8. Kate Bush
9. Nick Cave
10. The xx
11. The Smiths
12. The Breeders
13. Joy Division
14. The Clash
15. Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers
16. The Velvet Underground
17. Blur
18. Aaliyah
19. Neutral Milk Hotel
20. Prince
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