Batam - Singapore - Malaysia (Oct 2 - 10)

Let me share with you the trip I had couple of weeks ago to Batam island, Singapore, and Malaysia. I spent my vacation with my grandma, my auntie, and my uncle with his wife. This was my second visit to Singapore and my first to Malaysia. Below are our itinerary:

• We depart from Jakarta to Batam on Oct 2 using Air Asia flight service. We rode on their new aircraft: Airbus A330-300.
• We spent the night in Batam island at Harbour Bay Amir Hotel. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone due to their quite expensive rates and remote location. But this hotel might be suitable to anyone who wishes to depart to Singapore from Harbour Bay Ferry Terminal since the ferry terminal is just 10 minutes walk from the hotel.
  
• We departed to Singapore from Harbour Bay on Oct 3 in the morning. The ferry trip took us just 30 minutes. This is faster than departing from Batam Center.
• After arriving in Singapore, the next thing to do is finding a place to stay. Most accomodation are fully booked due to Lebaran holidays. We finally found a convenient studio apartment owned by Beach Hotel located near the Bugis Junction shopping area. We only spent one night there due to the quite expensive rate but we extremely loved the place.
• In the evening we took the MRT train to go to Raffles' Place. We took on Singapore River Cruise. The city is so beautiful in the evening.
• On Oct 4 in the morning we relocate to a rental apartment owned by an Indonesian at People's Park Centre in Chinatown. This place is a good place to stay since the food are suitable for our Indonesian stomach.
• In the afternoon, we went to Sentosa. We got the chance to visit the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon.
• On Oct 5, in the morning we went to Esplanade: Theatres On The Bay. A little tip for you: take the lift to the top of the esplanade. It's wonderful.
• In the afternoon, we visited the Merlion Park which is within walking distance from the Esplanade. Here, we can take photos of ourselves with the emblem of Singapore city.
• Still in the afternoon, we visited the well-known Orchad Road. We had our late lunch at the Food Republic at Wisma Atria.
• In the evening we checked out the night market of the Chinatown where we shopped for souvenirs.
• On Oct 6, we departed from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We used the overly convenient Aeroline bus service. The trip took us 6 hours. We bus stopped at Corrus Hotel, but we didn't stay there because it is too expensive for us. We stayed in the classic budget hotel, The Heritage Station Hotel, located in the historical Old Railway Station.
• We spent the evening browsing through Petaling Street, the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur. There's another good budget hotel here: Stay Orange Hotel.
• On Oct 7, we traveled to Petronas Twin Tower Skybridge in the morning. In the afternoon, we visited Genting Highlands via cable car. We hired a tour coordinator for our trips in malaysia. His name is Georga Salvam. He works for SIMA Travel & Tours. If you are on vacation in KL, you can contact him if you need his service. His number is +60 12 9023 851.
• On Oct 8, we took the Malacca Historical Tour with George, our tour coordinator. We checked out St. Peter Church, St. Francis Xavier Church, St. Paul Church, Christ Church, Famosa, Stadhuys, some other museums and Jonker Street. We loved the becak ride and the chicken riceball.
• On Oct 9, we returned to Singapore using Aeroline bus again. We returned to Batam that same day. This time we stayed in the confortable Hotel 89.
• I returned to Jakarta on Oct 10 but the rest prefer to spend another week in Batam island.

Well, I hope my information can be useful for those who wish to go to the same destination. Anyway, if you need a guide to go to Singapore or Malaysia, you can always contact me (you will pay for my expenses of course).

Uniknya Bahasa Melayu Malaysia

Indonesia dan Malaysia adalah dua negara bertetangga dengan bahasa rumpun yang sama, yakni Bahasa Melayu. Namun beberapa kata dalam Bahasa Melayu Malaysia terdengar sangat lucu dan aneh bagi orang Indonesia. Ada teman yang mau menterjemahkan? Hehehe.

20 Greatest Male Vocalists (1-5)

In recent years, I've spent much times reading about music and its history. That's why now I come up with this list of 20 greatest male vocalists in the music recording era. Perhaps some people will argue with me over this list, especially since I made it in the form of charts, but I guess it will open doors of lots of new discussion. I, myself, am not a musician or singer of any sort, but truly I am a music lovers. I have set some criteria in judging who should be put into the list:

• Vocal ability. A good singer is a singer with a technically good vocal. The greatest singers must be the singers with above average vocal ability.
• Star quality. You cannot be a greatest singer if you are not a star by yourself. You must have the ability that will make people worship you.
• Legacy. It's about influence, baby. You are measured by the influence you give to other singers.
• Fame. Even if you have the greatest vocal of all, it would be useless if nobody knows you.
  

Without further ado, let's start the countdown:

05. John Lennon (1940-1980)
Genre: Rock / Pop
Most Memorable Recording: "Imagine"
Followers: Ernie Halter, Tobias Fröberg, The Rosewood Thieves, Soraya, Keith Varon, Chris Tsefalas, Nellie McKay, Elan, Damien Rice, Jim Bravo, Benjamin Biolay, Amaral, Fernando, Bol, Andre Luiz, The Strokes, Chris Opperman, Ashley Park, Blessed Light, Kathy Fleischmann, Virgineers, Trashmonk, We All Together, Mark Lind, Chamber Strings, Micah Gilbert, Mind Reels, José María Cano, The Moles, Anton Barbeau, Kenny Howes, The Apples in Stereo, Yum-Yum, Sean Lennon, Gary Frenay, Andrew Wood, Scott Weiland, Brian Stevens, Ben Shepherd, Hector Peñalosa, Chris Cornell, Kurt Cobain, T-Bone Burnett, Terry Scott Taylor, Robin Zander, John Kay, Dwight Twilley, Three Dog Night, Tears for Fears, Matthew Sweet, Al Stewart, The Replacements, Mother Love Bone, Freddie Mercury, Let's Active, Julian Lennon, Lenny Kravitz, Robyn Hitchcock, The Fall, The Dream Academy, Cheap Trick, Chris Bell

Without question, John Lennon gave us some of the most enduring music of the previous century, yet everything he wrote appears destined for perpetual scrutiny. He left behind a massive catalog of some of the finest songs the idiom has to offer -- the bulk of which are acutely personal in nature. For the first half of the 1970s, Lennon was the angry and, at times, self-righteous protestor of everything from the war in Vietnam to getting out of bed. Songs such as "Give Peace a Chance," "Power to the People" and "Working Class Hero" -- powerful slogans and scathing indictments in their day -- have lost much of their bite, primarily due to their disturbing and perverse use in ad campaigns, something that would surely make Lennon purple with rage. The remainder of his solo output has a tendency to be spotty, but there are certainly some unmatched heights, from his perennial rocker "Cold Turkey" and signature song "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" to the tonsil-shredding masterpiece "Mother" and his pure pop comeback "(Just Like) Starting Over." With his trademark reverb-heavy vocals, the unapologetic exposure of his beleaguered emotions, and a lifelong fascination with the Chuck Berry riffs that initially inspired him, John Lennon gladly offered the world ringside seats to the overhauling of his psyche and, for a time, acted as an outspoken, prickly conscience to us all. His unfathomable murder in 1980 remains one of the most mourned losses in the history of rock 'n' roll.
Mike McGuirk

04. Bob Dylan (Born 1941)
Genre: Folk / Rock / Pop
Most Memorable Recording: "Like A Rolling Stone"
Followers: Rebecca and the Sunnybrook Farmers, Stereobus, Blue Dust Drifters, McCarthy Trenching, 1997, Dear and the Headlights, Yesterday's Ring, The Nightwatchman, Garland Jeffreys & Grinder's Switch, Cold War Kids, Dirt Road Logic, The Rosewood Thieves, Jewels and Binoculars, John Ralston, Patrice, Hotel Lights, Struck Down, The Drones, The Chrysler, Snakebite Orphans, Nightmare of You, Viking Moses, Brett Dennen, Slackstring, The Silent Type, Tom Brosseau, Elvis Perkins, Jennifer O'Connor, In the Country, Akron/Family, Stephen Fretwell, Ken Will Morton, T.K. Webb, The Only Children, Coque Malla, Karsten Rasim, Dietrich Kammer, The Falling Leaves, Ron Franklin, Vietnam, Holly Williams, Two Gallants, Andre Ethier, Langhorne Slim, Nathaniel Street-West, The Redwalls, Matthew Friedberger, Terry White, The Snake the Cross the Crown, The Fiery Furnaces, Deadstring Brothers, Phosphorescent, Elan, Jan Carlo DeFan, Damien Rice, Jason Isbell, Entrance, Steel Train, Jackie Greene, Lizzie West, Grey DeLisle, Our Religion, Mike Boyd, Gor Mkhitarian, Dorman, Keren Ann, Grey Revell, Thea Gilmore, Sixto Rodriguez, Lars Winnerbäck, Ulf Lundell, Octobre, Hoola Bandoola Band, Panhandle Pete, Aaron Persinger, Tom Marshall, Mason Jennings, Al Jones, Ike Reilly, Ferroblues, Prosthetic Aesthetics, Arlo Leach, Charlie Pangoniak, A.C. Cotton, Jaime Anglada, Meic Stevens, Tom McRae, River City Blues Band, Alastair Moock, Minibar, The Watergypsies, The Four Storeys, José Ramón San Juan, Jim Ramirez, Vending Machine, Raphael, Kevin Devine, Michel Montecrossa, Dashboard Confessional, Pete Bernhard, Lenore, Vashti Bunyan, Peter Kern, Eef Barzelay, Stefanie Fix, The All Golden, The Waybacks, Todd Grant, Little Wings, Kathy Fleischmann, Josh Ritter, Will Hoppey, Smokin' Grass, The Slip, Manfred Mann, El Destroyo, Phil Lee, The Baptist Generals, Echoboy, John Oszajca, Adam Snyder, My Morning Jacket, Bree Sharp, For Stars, Mark Erelli, Shannon Wright, Mary Lee's Corvette, The Crust Brothers, Tyler Burkum, Josh Joplin, Bocephus King, Matt Suggs, Bill Madden, Carlos Cano, Jörn Elling-Vuttke, Tim Easton, Gary Jules, Asteroid No. 4, Kyp Harness, Mike Lawson, Birddog, Jim Roll, Marah, SONiA, The Bacon Brothers, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Emily Sparks, Will Oldham, Connie Evingson, Micah Gilbert, Mojo Heroes, Bill Fox, Rivermen, Doug Hoekstra, Edoardo Bennato, Grace Braun, Gabriela, Kiko Veneno, Gianmaria Testa, John Bunzow, Damien Jurado, The Optic Nerve, Mary Lou Lord, Bill Callahan, Hayden, Sophie Zelmani, Mojave 3, Fred Eaglesmith, Deana Carter, Denzil, The United States of America, Mouse & the Traps, Teddy Morgan, Bobby Sichran, Austin DeLone, Warren Zevon, Chris Wilson, Eddie Vedder, John Vanderslice, Townes Van Zandt, George Usher, Derek Trucks, Travis, J.D. Souther, Sonny & Cher, Patti Smith, Mike Silver, Bob Seger, Mike Scott, Dave Schramm, Mark Sandman, Shawn Pittman, Gerry O'Beirne, Mott the Hoople, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, Roger McGuinn, Mike McCready, J Mascis, Nick Lowe, Los Lobos, J.P. Jones, Shannon Hoon, Jimi Hendrix, Ben Harper, Steve Harley, David Gray, Stone Gossard, David Freeman, Pink Floyd, Mark Eitzel, Dr. Robert, Francesco De Gregori, Carmaig DeForest, Jackie DeShannon, David Crosby, Eric Clapton, T-Bone Burnett, Duncan Browne, Captain Beefheart, Raimundo Amador, Kirtana, Jeff Buckley, Paul Westerberg, Los Secretos, Grant Lee Buffalo, Peter Nardini, Gasolin, Carlos Varela, Dan Bern, Bobby Sutliff, (Smog), Chris Kowanko, Freedy Johnston, PJ Harvey, Sheryl Crow, Country Joe & the Fish, The Wallflowers, Eric Ambel, Blind Melon, Don Michael Sampson, Stealers Wheel, Martin Simpson, Rotary Connection, Craig Nuttycombe, Barry McGuire, Phil Lynott, The Leaves, Barry Goldberg, Felt, Bill Fay, Rick Danko, Pete Atkin, Alpha Band, Nikki Sudden, Stackabones, Chuck Prophet, Jim Morrison, Santana, Michael McDermott, Joe Henry, Vic Chesnutt, Area Code 615, Zero, The Youngbloods, Neil Young, Yo La Tengo, XTC, World Party, Winter Hours, Jesse Winchester, Bob Weir, Was (Not Was), Tom Waits, The Velvet Underground, Suzanne Vega, Uncle Tupelo, The Turtles, Timbuk 3, Richard Thompson, Thin Lizzy, Them, Texas Tornados, Television, James Taylor, T. Rex, Sting, Rod Stewart, Al Stewart, Cat Stevens, Steely Dan, Squeeze, Bruce Springsteen, Joe South, Paul Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, The Silos, Jules Shear, John Sebastian, Doug Sahm, Leon Russell, Robbie Robertson, The Replacements, Lou Reed, Bonnie Raitt, Rage to Live, Gerry Rafferty, Procol Harum, The Proclaimers, John Prine, The Pretenders, Robert Plant, Tom Petty, Michael Penn, Graham Parker, Laura Nyro, Willie Nile, Randy Newman, Elliott Murphy, Joni Mitchell, Melanie, James McMurtry, Maria McKee, McGuinn, Clark & Hillman, Mazzy Star, Manfred Mann, The Lovin' Spoonful, Lyle Lovett, The Long Ryders, Lone Justice, Little Feat, John Lennon, Al Kooper, Kevn Kinney, John Kilzer, Paul Kelly, Rob Jungklas, Jules & the Polar Bears, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Vinnie James, Ian Hunter, Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Himmelman, John Hiatt, Don Henley, John Wesley Harding, Gunbunnies, Grateful Dead, Mark Germino, Bob Geldof, Jerry Garcia, Freiheit, Steve Forbert, Dan Fogelberg, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Flo & Eddie, Fish Karma, fIREHOSE, The Feelies, Fairport Convention, Melissa Etheridge, Joe Ely, Steve Earle, Dream Syndicate, Donovan, Dire Straits, Died Pretty, The Del Lords, David & David, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crazy Horse, Elvis Costello, Lloyd Cole, Bruce Cockburn, The Clash, Gene Clark, Tracy Chapman, Eugene Chadbourne, Exene Cervenka, Nick Cave, Peter Case, The Call, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Tim Buckley, Jackson Browne, David Bromberg, Billy Bragg, David Bowie, The Boomtown Rats, The Blues Project, Blue Rodeo, Chris Bell, The Beatles, Beat Farmers, The Animals, Phil Alvin, 10,000 Maniacs, Phranc, Leslie Phillips, P.F. Sloan, Phil Ochs, Geof Morgan, Mark Heard, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, Leonard Cohen, David Blue, Joan Baez, Steve Young, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Hillman, Rosanne Cash

Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is incalculable. As a songwriter, he pioneered several different schools of pop songwriting, from confessional singer/songwriter to winding, hallucinatory, stream-of-conscious narratives. As a vocalist, he broke down the notions that in order to perform, a singer had to have a conventionally good voice, thereby redefining the role of vocalist in popular music. As a musician, he sparked several genres of pop music, including electrified folk-rock and country-rock. And that just touches on the tip of his achievements. Dylan's force was evident during his height of popularity in the '60s -- the Beatles' shift toward introspective songwriting in the mid-'60s never would have happened without him -- but his influence echoed throughout several subsequent generations. Many of his songs became popular standards, and his best albums were undisputed classics of the rock & roll canon. Dylan's influence throughout folk music was equally powerful, and he marks a pivotal turning point in its 20th century evolution, signifying when the genre moved away from traditional songs and toward personal songwriting. Even when his sales declined in the '80s and '90s, Dylan's presence was calculable.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine

03. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
Nickname: "Satchmo"
Genre: Jazz / Pop
Most Memorable Recording: "What A Wonderful World"
Followers: Thomas Heflin, E Rick Rinaldi, Nathan Eklund, Sophie Milman, Matt Collar, Bobby Henderson, Thomas Gray, Floyd Campbell, Sam Wooding & His Orchestra, Sean Jones, Roberta Gambarini, Kenny Baker, Joe Hayman, The New Orleans Feetwarmers, Duke Heitger, Spirits of Rhythm, Ruben Rada, Ish Kabibble, Jeremy Davenport, Wendell Brunious, Snooky Young, Bob Wills, Terell Stafford, Cynthia Sayer, Nicholas Payton, Hot Lips Page, Wynton Marsalis, Dusko Goykovich, Gil Evans, Tommy Dorsey, Fats Domino, Magic Dick, Doc Cheatham, Billie Holiday, Benny Carter, Bix Beiderbecke, Kermit Ruffins, Paul deLay, The Original Salty Dogs, Wild Bill Davison, Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGhee, Pamela Polland, Clifford Hayes, Phil Wilson, Wadada Leo Smith, Khan Jamal, Alvin Alcorn, Jabbo Smith, Cootie Williams, Jack Walrath, Ross Tompkins, Cecil Taylor, John Stevens, Muggsy Spanier, Bob Scobey, Django Reinhardt, Enrico Rava, Joe Newman, Roscoe Mitchell, Lee Konitz, Jonah Jones, Harry James, Art Hodes, Terumasa Hino, Earl Hines, Erskine Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, Bobby Hackett, Stéphane Grappelli, Don Goldie, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Miles Davis, Kenny Davern, Bill Coleman, Buck Clayton, Clifford Brown, Ruby Braff, Lester Bowie, Bill Berry, Bunny Berigan, Charlie Barnet, Henry "Red" Allen, Tom Waits, Hoagy Carmichael, Nina Simone, Louis Prima, Harry Connick, Jr., Lonnie Johnson

"The Reverend Satchelmouth is the beginning and the end of music in America." So said Bing Crosby and how right he was because Armstrong is the single most important figure in twentieth century popular music. If there's an artist who wasn't directly influenced by his astounding improvisations, and most importantly, his phrasing, then he was influenced by those who were. Armstrong did more with time, nuance, and personality than whole armies of musicians. But forget about influencing others -- if his music doesn't fill you with tingles of joy and delight then you just may be dead. And don't fret if you are six feet under; Pops will be serenading you in heaven. For how can there be a heaven without Louis?
Nick Dedina

02. Frank Sinatra (1915-1998)
Nickname: the single finest interpreter of American standards
Genre: Pop / Jazz
Most Memorable Recording: "My Way"
Followers: Ray Quinn, Jonathan Poretz, Erin Boheme, Patrizio Buanne, John Stevens, Matt Dusk, David Campbell, Jamie Cullum, Michael Bublé, Götz Alsmann, Nicky DePaola, Ryan Dehues, Nestor Salgado, Bobby Wade, The Blue Dahlia, Bombay Jim and the Swinging Sapphires, David Leshare Watson, Eddie Metcalfe, Beto Cuevas, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Karel Gott, Jody Sandhaus, Nicky D., Pat Cisarano, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Tony Alamo, Danny Aiello, Smoking Popes, Joe Lee Wilson, Lakshminarayana Shankar, Hanna Richardson, Johnny Hartman, Mike Douglas, Duo Dinamico, Frank D'Rone, Scott Walker, Vic Damone, Norma Winstone, Jon Lucien, Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Dan Hill, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick, Jr.

Frank Sinatra was arguably the most important popular music figure of the 20th century, his only real rivals for the title being Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. In a professional career that lasted 60 years, he demonstrated a remarkable ability to maintain his appeal and pursue his musical goals despite often countervailing trends. He came to the fore during the swing era of the 1930s and '40s, helped to define the "sing era" of the '40s and '50s, and continued to attract listeners during the rock era that began in the mid-'50s. He scored his first number one hit in 1940 and was still making million-selling recordings in 1994. This popularity was a mark of his success at singing and promoting the American popular song as it was written, particularly in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. He was able to take the work of great theater composers of that period, such as Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers, and reinterpret their songs for later audiences in a way that led to their rediscovery and their permanent enshrinement as classics. On records and in live performances, on film, radio, and television, he consistently sang standards in a way that demonstrated their perennial appeal.
William Ruhlmann

01. Elvis Prestley (1935-1977)
Nickname: The King of Rock 'n Roll
Genre: Rock and Roll
Most Memorable Recording: "Hound Dog"
Followers: Johnny Lee, Conway Twitty, Ry Cooder, Dave Edmunds, John Fogerty, Ian Gillan, Roy Orbison, Stray Cats, Gene Vincent, Whirlwind, Eddy Mitchell, Brother, Howard Carpendale, Tony C. & the Truth, Nino de Angelo, Peter Kraus, Phil Gray, Kickstart

Elvis Presley may be the single most important figure in American 20th-century popular music. Not necessarily the best, and certainly not the most consistent. But no one could argue that he was not the musician most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. Viewed in cold sales figures, his impact was phenomenal. Dozens upon dozens of international smashes from the mid-'50s to the mid-'70s, as well as the steady sales of his catalog and reissues since his death in 1977, may make him the single highest-selling performer in history. More important from a music lover's perspective, however, are his remarkable artistic achievements. Presley was not the very first White man to sing rhythm and blues; Bill Haley predated him in that regard, and there may have been others as well. Elvis was certainly the first, however, to assertively fuse country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly. While rockabilly arrangements were the foundations of his first (and possibly best) recordings, Presley could not have become a mainstream superstar without a much more varied palette that also incorporated pop, gospel, and even some bits of bluegrass and operatic schmaltz here and there. His 1950s recordings established the basic language of rock and roll; his explosive and sexual stage presence set standards for the music's visual image; his vocals were incredibly powerful and versatile. Unfortunately, to much of the public, Elvis is more icon than artist. Innumerable bad Hollywood movies, increasingly caricatured records and mannerisms, and a personal life that became steadily more sheltered from real-world concerns (and steadily more bizarre) gave his story a somewhat mythic status. By the time of his death, he'd become more a symbol of gross Americana than of cultural innovation. The continued speculation about his incredible career has sustained interest in his life, and supported a large tourist/entertainment industry, that may last indefinitely, even if the fascination is fueled more by his celebrity than his music. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Related Posts:

• 20 Greatest Male Vocalists (6-10)
• 20 Greatest Male Vocalists (11-15)
• 20 Greatest Male Vocalists (16-20)
  
• 20 Greatest Female Vocalists (1-5)
• 20 Greatest Female Vocalists (6-10)
• 20 Greatest Female Vocalists (11-15)
  
• 20 Greatest Female Vocalists (16-20)

20 Greatest Male Vocalists (6-10)

In recent years, I've spent much times reading about music and its history. That's why now I come up with this list of 20 greatest male vocalists in the music recording era. Perhaps some people will argue with me over this list, especially since I made it in the form of charts, but I guess it will open doors of lots of new discussion. I, myself, am not a musician or singer of any sort, but truly I am a music lovers. I have set some criteria in judging who should be put into the list:

• Vocal ability. A good singer is a singer with a technically good vocal. The greatest singers must be the singers with above average vocal ability.
• Star quality. You cannot be a greatest singer if you are not a star by yourself. You must have the ability that will make people worship you.
• Legacy. It's about influence, baby. You are measured by the influence you give to other singers.
• Fame. Even if you have the greatest vocal of all, it would be useless if nobody knows you.
  

Without further ado, let's start the countdown:

10. Paul McCartney (born 1942)

Nickname: The most commercially successful rock star to date
Genre: Rock / Pop
Most Memorable Recording: "Yesterday"
Followers: Drug Rug, The Mellowmen, Ernie Halter, Tobias Fröberg, Keith Varon, Aerovons, Argument, Florapop, Heaven's Burning, John Cunningham, Virgineers, Scott McClintock, Ray Paul, We All Together, Allen Clapp, Ray Roche, Tom Petersson, Orange Cake Mix, Paul Bevoir, S.O.L., Push Kings, Brendan Benson, Papas Fritas, Willie Wisely, Gary Frenay, Ron Sexsmith, Ben Shepherd, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Jeff Murphy, Geddy Lee, Tom Kealey, Byron House, Les Claypool, Geezer Butler, Duncan Browne, Javelin Boot, Robin Zander, Billy Sheehan, Joey Molland, R. Stevie Moore, Emitt Rhodes, Chris Rainbow, Brian Protheroe, Pilot, Curtiss Maldoon, Van Duren, David Dundas, Blue, Barnaby Bye, Brent Bourgeois, Three Dog Night, Squeeze, Prefab Sprout, Billy Joel, Jellyfish, Michael Jackson, Nick Heyward, Cheap Trick, Eric Carmen, Bourgeois Tagg, Badfinger

Paul McCartney will forever live in the shadow of the Beatles -- every rock band lives in their shadow -- but he has still managed to amass a solid body of work over the years. His 1970 self-titled debut has all the scrappy charm he originally envisioned for Let it Be, and the frothy masterpiece Band on the Run is the mirror image of Lennon's confessional masterpiece Plastic Ono Band; both are definitive '70s albums. McCartney's solo work displays strong melodies and craftsmanship, but most of his lyrics can't match the sharp point of view he had on "Eleanor Rigby" or "Lady Madonna." During the '80s, his music started to sound too saccharine and bloated. He bounced back with Flowers in the Dirt, a strong collaboration with Elvis Costello, before re-exploring stripped-down rock and a respectable -- but ultimately pointless -- classical excursion. In 1999, McCartney recorded Run Devil Run, a joyous celebration of the early American rock 'n' roll that inspired him to pick up a guitar in the first place. Like Brian Wilson, who created brilliant "vapid surf music" with the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney has a pure pop genius -- he just makes complexity look so simple.
Nick Dedina

9. Little Richard (born 1932)
Nickname: The inventor of rock and roll
Genre: Rock and Roll
Most Memorable Recording: "Tutti Frutti"

Followers: John Mars, Nick Curran, Backbeat Band, Kid Thomas, Troy Shondell, Corey Glover, Marc Bolan, Lazy Cowgirls, Barry Goldberg, Jayne County & the Electric Chairs, Don Covay, Herman Brood, Billy Harper, Larry Williams, T. Rex, Sylvester, Doug Sahm, Mitch Ryder, Otis Redding, Queen, Freddie Mercury, Paul McCartney, MC5, Living Colour, The Flamin' Groovies, Esquerita, Bob Dylan, The Blasters, The Big Bopper, The Beatles, Katie Webster, Casey Jones, Eddy Clearwater

One of the original rock & roll greats, Little Richard merged the fire of gospel with New Orleans R&B, pounding the piano and wailing with gleeful abandon. While numerous other R&B greats of the early '50s had been moving in a similar direction, none of them matched the sheer electricity of Richard's vocals. With his bullet-speed deliveries, ecstatic trills, and the overjoyed force of personality in his singing, he was crucial in upping the voltage from high-powered R&B into the similar, yet different, guise of rock & roll. Although he was only a hitmaker for a couple of years or so, his influence upon both the soul and British Invasion stars of the 1960s was vast, and his early hits remain core classics of the rock repertoire.
Richie Unterberger

8. Sam Cooke (born 1931-1964)
Nickname: -
Genre: Soul / Rhythm and Blues
Most Memorable Recording: "A Change is Gonna Come"

Followers: Ryan Shaw, Heartland, Midwest City, Aaradhna, Slackstring, Willie Hightower, Lyfe Jennings, Aloe Blacc, Daniel Lemma, Jaheim, Governor, Rome, James Hunter, The Rance Allen Group, Eric Gadd, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Nash, Vince Montana, J.J. Malone, Rudy Love, Michael Henderson, John Ellison, Terence Trent D'Arby, Albert Washington, Howlin' Wilf, Baby Huey, Roy Hytower & Motif, Marilyn Scott, Spiritualized, Leon Haywood, Rick Danko, Dee Clark, Cornell Campbell, Buster Benton, Bobby Womack, Luther Vandross, Johnnie Taylor, Rod Stewart, The Staple Singers, Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, Steve Perry, The Neville Brothers, Aaron Neville, Ben E. King, The Jive Five, Walter Jackson, Freddie Jackson, Chuck Jackson, Jimmy Hughes, Herman's Hermits, Donny Hathaway, Al Green, Johnny Gill, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Bobby Day, Rita Coolidge, Arthur Conley, Gene Chandler, James Carr, James Brown, William Bell, Babyface, The Animals, Arthur Alexander, Rance Allen, Katie Webster, Little Johnny Taylor, Frankie Lee, The Holmes Brothers, Z.Z. Hill, Ted Hawkins

Sam Cooke was the most important soul singer in history -- he was also the inventor of soul music, and its most popular and beloved performer in both the black and white communities. Equally important, he was among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of the music business, and founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. Yet, those business interests didn't prevent him from being engaged in topical issues, including the struggle over civil rights, the pitch and intensity of which followed an arc that paralleled Cooke's emergence as a star -- his own career bridged gaps between black and white audiences that few had tried to surmount, much less succeeded at doing, and also between generations; where Chuck Berry or Little Richard brought black and white teenagers together, James Brown sold records to white teenagers and black listeners of all ages, and Muddy Waters got young white folkies and older black transplants from the South onto the same page, Cooke appealed to all of the above, and the parents of those white teenagers as well -- yet he never lost his credibility with his core black audience.
Bruce Eder

7. James Brown (1933-2006)
Nickname: The Godfather of Soul
Genre: R&B / Funk / Soul / Rock
Most Memorable Recording: "I Got You (I Feel Good)"

Followers: J.J. Grey, Prakash John, The Aggrolites, Max Mutzke, Toni Tornado, Diplomatics, Quantic Soul Orchestra, The Shreep, Westbound Train, Kokolo, Carleen & the Groovers, Ferroblues, Earthtone III, Cee Knowledge, Roosevelt Nettles, Breakestra, Aristocrats, Dirty Walt & The Columbus Sanitation, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, Swampadelica, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Moon Boot Lover, African Music Machine, The Mighty Imperials, The BellRays, Slum Village, The Neptunes, The Wha?, Kool DJ Herc, T-Mix, Kleeer, Little Royal, Ron Baker, Galactic, Peter Stone Brown, Trenchmouth, James Hunter, Guaco, The Delta 72, The Make-Up, Ectomorph, Jackie Shane, The Undertakers, Suga Free, T.J. Kirk, Karl Denson, Tim Duffy, Bobby Sichran, Earl Young, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart, Vernon Reid, Organized Noize, Vince Montana, Anthony Kiedis, Charlie Hunter, Norman Harris, Corey Glover, De La Soul, Terence Trent D'Arby, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Steve Conn, George Clinton, Eric B. & Rakim, Afrika Bambaataa, Freekbass, Wayne Kramer, Jimmy Castor, Baby Huey, Mellow Fellows, Acosta/Russell, Xavier, Hamilton Bohannon, Charles Wright, Khalèd, Walter "Junie" Morrison, Domenic Troiano, Mandala, Eddie Hazel, The Fatback Band, Dyke & the Blazers, Con Funk Shun, Brick, Archie Bell, ESG, Full Force, The Brand New Heavies, Pleasure, Defunkt, Jan Hammer, Richie Beirach, The Who, Talking Heads, Slave, Doug Sahm, Mitch Ryder, Prince, Parliament, The Ohio Players, Mother's Finest, Maze, Living Colour, L.T.D., Kool & the Gang, Rick James, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Isley Brothers, The Gap Band, Funkadelic, The Fantastic Four, Electric Flag, Earth, Wind & Fire, Morris Day, Joe Cocker, James Carr, Big Audio Dynamite, Aerosmith, Junior Wells, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Public Enemy, Paris, Kool Moe Dee, Kid 'N Play, Jungle Brothers, MC Hammer, EPMD, Digital Underground, Def Jef, Beastie Boys, Rob Base

"Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Mr. Dynamite" -- those are mighty titles, but no one can question that James Brown earned them more than any other performer. Other singers were more popular, others were equally skilled, but few other African-American musicians were so influential over the course of popular music. And no other musician, pop or otherwise, put on a more exciting, exhilarating stage show: Brown's performances were marvels of athletic stamina and split-second timing.

Through the gospel-impassioned fury of his vocals and the complex polyrhythms of his beats, Brown was a crucial midwife in not just one, but two revolutions in black American music. He was one of the figures most responsible for turning R&B into soul and he was, most would agree, the figure most responsible for turning soul music into the funk of the late '60s and early '70s. After the mid-'70s, he did little more than tread water artistically; his financial and drug problems eventually got him a controversial prison sentence. Yet in a sense, his music is now more influential than ever, as his voice and rhythms have been sampled on innumerable hip-hop recordings, and critics have belatedly hailed his innovations as among the most important in all of rock or soul.
Richie Unterberger

6. Michael Jackson (born 1958)
Nickname: The king of pop
Genre: Pop / Rock / Dance / R&B
Most Memorable Recording: "Beat It"

Followers: (S)he, Corbin Bleu, Sterling Simms, Mic Little, Amine, Toby Love, Under the Influence of Giants, Chelo, Mario Vazquez, Tigercity, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Suburban Legends, Slackstring, Kalimba, Lemar, Kevin Lyttle, Fefe Dobson, Souljahz, Maroon 5, Rubyblue, Soluna, Christina Milian, Cilvaringz, Llama, Amanda, Sandy & Júnior, T.O.K., Richard Lugo, Jyve V, Uri Geller, Sammie, Justin Timberlake, Profyle, Pharrell Williams, Skank, Ray J, Laura Miller, Teddy Riley, P.M. Dawn, Kevin Michael, Marques Houston, El DeBarge, Terence Trent D'Arby, Al B. Sure!, Usher, Bobby Brown, SWV, Charles & Eddie, Marlon Jackson, Jermaine Stewart, LaToya Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, Tevin Campbell, Bardeux, Rockwell, Roachford, Chico DeBarge, DeBarge, Eddie Murphy, MC Hammer

What more is there to say about the Almighty Gloved One? He's been through as many image permutations as Madonna, suffered much more media backlash, and survived both. Once a young, fresh-voiced star of family Motown outfit the Jackson Five, Michael forged a solo career for himself that blew the world -- and all previous pop stars -- away. With an ingenious blend of rock guitar riffs, funky Motown authenticity and viral dance beats, Jackson didn't just transform the face of pop music -- he literally overtook it and didn't relinquish control for years. Jackson's high, featherweight voice is a trademark in the industry, and it bites or purrs, depending on how he feels.
Kali Holloway

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