Which musician would have achieved more had they not died prematurely?
Comments
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Write-In
Steve Gaines.
So good he took lead vocals on You Got That Right from Ronnie (co-lead I know). Only did the one album, Street Survivors. Probably does one or two more albums with Skynyrd and goes solo.
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Write-In
Stevie Ray Vaughn.
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Jimi Hendrix
Cobain was nowhere near Jimi in terms of playing ability, but I think they both altered the trajectory of the instrument. Fender was going to soon announce the end of the Stratocaster production until Monterey Pop, probably the first few bars of "Killing Floor" was the turning point.
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Bradley Nowell
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Hank Williams Sr.
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Jimi Hendrix
I was going to add Ronnie Van Zant/Steve Gaines. Seemed like they were going to have at least another good album or two in them.
I voted Jimi because he was super ahead of his time and seemed like he was heading in the direction of doing more and more interesting shit.
I'd be really curious about what Cobain would have done. I honestly have no clue.
the truth is most if not all had probably peaked though.
Almost all probably have controversial political opinions if they're still alive.
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Kurt Cobain
Almost went with Wood. I think Cobain as others alluded, his preference for writing a heavy pop hit likely keeps grunge near the forefront of music a bit longer. Maybe we have better bands around now or at least the music industry doesn't ignore them as a result.
Buddy Holly is a good call, and I'd say Layne Staley. That guy feels underrated from a front man, voice perspective. Love the Mad Season stuff and it's interesting to theorize where things go, especially now, with those powerful voices.
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Jimi Hendrix
This really is easy. Hendrix was just getting started. He was going through a bit of a reset and never should have moved away from the original Experience power trio. Mitch Mitchell was nearly as much of a force in that setup as Hendrix was.
However...look at the way the harder end of the rock spectrum was evolving in 1970 and where it went. Does anyone really think Hendrix would've stood by and watched bands like Sabbath, Led, and Deep Purple leave him behind as a hard rocker? I believe that would've been his direction and it would've been glorious.
Morrison was talented but he was a fuck stuck and a clown. I used to have a disk of Hendrix jamming in some club. Pretty shitty jamming but that's jamming for you. Morrison got up there with him, noticeably, incoherently drunk, and made such a fool of himself that I had a hard time hearing even his Doors stuff for a while after. Man he sucked. You could tell Hendrix was embarrassed.
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Jimi Hendrix
I had that on vinyl…cringey…FHITA
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John Lennon
I have a hunch that Cobain had done all he could do.
