Who's the most recognizable musician?

[Bryan316]

Allright.... listening to the radio, flipped stations, and spotted out a particular band/artist in maybe 1-1/2 seconds. Coworker is stunned that I can recognize just about any song within seconds. Hey! What can I say? Heavy Metal Savant, baby!

So it got me thinking...

...who's the most recognizable, most easily identifiable artist you've heard? Examples:


Ozzy - If you can't tell it's Ozzy's voice, you're fuckin deaf.

Brian Johnson - The voice of AC~DC. Even Jim Breuer's impersonation is dead perfect! Only one man sounds like that, and you automatically know.

Ronnie James Dio - With exception for the singer of Wuthering Heights, I think the most unique voice in metal. Nobody really sounds like Dio, without trying to be a copy of Dio!

Zakk Wylde - There's just something about Zakk's style that is automatically wickedawesome. Like the guitar solo from Fozzy's last album... I didn't even check the track number to see which song was the one he appeared on, and I could tell it was Zakk!

Mike Portnoy - Even if he was playing in a Beatles cover band, it'd still sound like Mike! The tone of his drums, the style of his cymbal fills, the way his kit is miced... whatever it is, Portnoy is so easy to recognise.


Start naming them, peepulz!

 

[KingsGene]

Carlos Santana - his guitar tone is unmistakable....

 

[mtlheart]

Klause Meine
Bruce Dickinson

 

[kittybeast]

Klause Meine
Bruce Dickinson

You beat me to it!!! Those two guys you cannot mistake for anyone else!

 

[Bryan316]

^^^

Fuckin SIGNED.

 

[thedelicateflower]

...hmmm...i am not the greatest when it comes to the 'sound', but, give me a face and i could tell you who it is and what band he is from....i am very good at recognizing faces...(most of the time, anyways...i didn't recognize rhapsody's drummer after their show...grrrrrrrrrrr)

 

[sccaldwell]

...who's the most recognizable, most easily identifiable artist you've heard?

Hmmm...vocalists are easy, so I'll list all the "usual" instruments, too. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), most of my choices are more mainstream musicians:

Guitar: Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson*, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Petrucci
Bass: Billy Sheehan, Geddy Lee
Vocals: Roy Khan, Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers), Ted Leonard (Enchant), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Geoff Tate (Queensryche), John Arch (ex-Fates Warning), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Andy Kuntz (Vanden Plas)
Keyboards: Bruce Hornsby, Matt Guillory (Dali's Dilemma, James LaBrie)
Drums: Mark Zonder, Phil Collins, Paul Craddick (Enchant)

*Caveat on Eric Johnson...he occasionally does songs *intentionally* in other guitarist's styles, and then he isn't recognizable as himself, but as them.

BTW, I agree with Klaus Meine, Dio, and a couple of others already listed...was trying to list new ones.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Dan Swanö.

all the above too.. i just recognize songs i've heard before in the first 2-3 notes.

in the case of live performances like Rock In Rio, etc... i can tell you what song it is and what band just by the sounds of the crowd.

 

[mtlheart]

Udo Dirkschneider
For guitar I agree with Eddie Van Halen

 

[Bryant]

Allright.... listening to the radio, flipped stations, and spotted out a particular band/artist in maybe 1-1/2 seconds. Coworker is stunned that I can recognize just about any song within seconds. Hey! What can I say? Heavy Metal Savant, baby!

Start naming them, peepulz!

Mick Mars of Motley Crue. He is number one. Though I'm not a big MC fan, the first time I heard the Waaaahhh.... wuuaaahhh.... wuuuuuuuuaaahh of "Kickstart My Heart" on the radio I said to myself, that's a new Crue song even though Mick had never done many "whammy tricks." His tone is unique to him and MC.
Ozzy/Udo - Like these two or not, they sound only like themselves.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers - I'm not even fans of those guys, but talk about owning your own sound... they do. Very original.
Metal Church - No "typical" American powermetal there. Even with lineup changes, they have always had a sound that sounds LIKE Metal Church. I can't explain why.
Sade - getting way off metal here, but her weird jazz/pop/mediterranian style is pretty unique to her and her band.


Bryant

 

[alexofbodom]

Klause Meine
Bruce Dickinson

Machine Men singer sounds just like Bruce Dickinson...

-Hansi Kuersch (Blind Guardian)
-Peavey Wagner (Rage)
-Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger)
-Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth)

 

[Creeps]

LEMMY
Dee Snider
Alice Cooper
Ozzy

 

[shreddy]

I'm trying to pick some that weren't listed

Guitar: Uli Roth, Steve Vai, Alan Holdsworth, Satch, David Chastain
Bass: Steve Harris
Keys: Derek Sherinian, Jordan Rudess, John Lord
Vocals: Steve Perry, Russ Allen, Christina Scabbia, Amy Lee, King Diamond, Warrel Dane, Billy Corgan

 

[Pabla]

Dan Swanö.

all the above too.. i just recognize songs i've heard before in the first 2-3 notes.

in the case of live performances like Rock In Rio, etc... i can tell you what song it is and what band just by the sounds of the crowd.

Were you able to get "Nightfall Overture"? It kicks major a$$!

Back to the subject...
Bruce Dickinson
Klaus
Ozzy
Jon Bon Jovi
Alice Cooper
Danzig
Dio

 

[mtlheart]

Machine Men singer sounds just like Bruce Dickinson...

-Hansi Kuersch (Blind Guardian)
-Peavey Wagner (Rage)
-Chris Boltendahl (Grave Digger)
-Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth)

I'd say he sounds a lot like him, but I can tell the difference immediately.

 

[rottingflesh]

wow, you guys covered most of the ones i was thinking of

Ville Laihiala - Sentenced
Jim Morrison (though not metal)
Dave Mustaine - Megadeth
Axl Rose
Phil - Pantera
Maynard - Tool
Layne Staley - Alice in Chains

 

[edgeofthorns]

Jake E. Lee has a signature style. If you can't pick Jake's chuggin' riffs out, then you're tone deaf!
Ray Gillen is a standout vocalist! If you don't believe me, then go back and listen to Savatage's Strange Wings!

 

[Bryant]

Hmmm...vocalists are easy, so I'll list all the "usual" i Michael McDonald (

Dude that was a great inclusion. I missed your post initially. He deserves to be mentioned again. Very unique voice. I think the Steeley Dan guy as well as Don Henley and Stevie Nicks could be on that list5 too, now that I think about 70's stuff.


bryant

 

[Bryant]

Jake E. Lee has a signature style. If you can't pick Jake's chuggin' riffs out, then you're tone deaf!
Ray Gillen is a standout vocalist! If you don't believe me, then go back and listen to Savatage's Strange Wings!

That is also a great choice (Lee.) His rythm style is very unique !!


Bryant

 

[J-Man]

Been thinking on this one, yeah thinking and it hurt alittle. So here are my choices and some you may not recognize.

Male Vocals: John West, Jorn, Rob Evans(Deep Purle's first vocalist), Gregg Allman
Female Vocals: Tarja Turunen, Kimberly Goss
Guitar: Santana, Dickey Betts, Micheal Romeo, Chris Cafferty
Bass: Geddy Lee, Marco Heitala
Drums: Neil Peart, Jukka Nevalianen, Alex Holzworth
Keyboards: Richard Anderson, Vitalij Kuprij
There are many more but these are the most recognizable to me.