Grohl the most accomplished musician of the last 25yrs?

OzzyFan

Registered User
Sep 17, 2012
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David Grohl. Account for all his bands's success ( the hits, ~150million albums sold worldwide), all the people he's written music for and played with on albums(and in person), and all the albums he's sold, all the money he's earned($225mil net worth currently), is he not the most accomplished musician of the last 25yrs? Is anyone even close or debatable?

I'm asking because I was having this discussion with a friend, and I don't think anyone is really close.

For reference of people he's been credited working with, here is a link with endless musicians:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-grohl-mn0000180516/credits
 

clefty

Retrovertigo
Dec 24, 2003
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I mean, if you really enjoy generic, elevator music, sure. Otherwise:

trevino-head-shake.gif
 

Shareefruck

Registered User
Apr 2, 2005
28,875
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Vancouver, BC
Accomplished as in good or accomplished as in successful? I personally don't think he's the former, but he's a good candidate for the latter.
 
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aleshemsky83

Registered User
Apr 8, 2008
17,797
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I mean, if you really enjoy generic, elevator music, sure. Otherwise:
Foo Fighters are alright, but I dont listen to all their stuff. I have noticed people act like theres only a handful of bands its okay to like. Like pink floyd and ACDC or some other stuff is the only acceptable answer when I find those bands boring and/or annoying in general (I also do like some of their stuff)

Anyways, I dont know the answer to that, I especially don't keep track of sales numbers, but I definitely think Max Martin is the answer. The big star names hes written for is pretty long

I do have a lot of respect for Dave Grohl because of the fact that he admitted smells like teen spirit was nonsense instead of pretending the lyrics were real deep. More artists should do that, because of course 90% of lyrics are just that, nonsense.
 

Led Zappa

Tomorrow Today
Jan 8, 2007
50,344
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Silicon Valley
Including all his side projects? Absolutely one of the greatest.

As I feel I have to make clear often, I don't feel informed enough to comment on something like this that's relatively new, but that music making documentary was excellent. Definitely made me a big time fan.
 

Tawnos

A guy with a bass
Sep 10, 2004
28,820
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Charlotte, NC
This is going to seem contradictory, but while I have a ton of respect for his accomplishments, I don't consider Max Martin a musician. Or at least not an accomplished one. A central part of defining a musician is performance.

John Williams isn't an accomplished musician either, but he's certainly an accomplished composer.
 

BonMorrison

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
33,611
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Toronto, ON
From a success perspective in the rock industry, absolutely. He's been the face of modern rock (if it's good or not is a different discussion) for the past two decades and makes a genuine effort to keep rock music on on the map (again, the quality of said endeavors is a different discussion).
 

Xelebes

Registered User
Jun 10, 2007
9,013
595
Edmonton, Alberta
This is going to seem contradictory, but while I have a ton of respect for his accomplishments, I don't consider Max Martin a musician. Or at least not an accomplished one. A central part of defining a musician is performance.

John Williams isn't an accomplished musician either, but he's certainly an accomplished composer.

I don't understand this. Max Martin certainly is performing in the recordings, working the synthesisers and drum machines.
 

Pavelski2112

Bold as Boognish
Dec 15, 2011
14,492
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San Jose, California
I don't care much for his post-Nirvana career, but it's hard to knock him as a musician, and especially as a drummer.

I don't know if I'd call him the most accomplished of the past 25 years. Maybe if you're just talking about sales/earnings, but I don't think the quality of his work has been consistent enough to earn that title as a whole.
 

Say Hey Kid

The best all around player ever
Dec 10, 2007
23,621
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If you're only talking sales, Grohl and Jay Z are not in the top 4. They are Eminem, Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, and Taylor Swift.
 

member 51464

Guest
Crazy Taylor Swift is so successful in that timeline considering she was 2 years old a quarter century ago!
 

Archangel

Registered User
Oct 15, 2011
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Vancouver
Accomplished as in good or accomplished as in successful? I personally don't think he's the former, but he's a good candidate for the latter.

agreed. I do not think the OP understands what accomplished means. Even for record sales others have sold more and his music is pretty simple.
 

DeYarmond Edison

drinkingpinkrabbits
Apr 10, 2011
7,260
598
Bored in the USA
Foo Fighters are alright, but I dont listen to all their stuff. I have noticed people act like theres only a handful of bands its okay to like. Like pink floyd and ACDC or some other stuff is the only acceptable answer when I find those bands boring and/or annoying in general (I also do like some of their stuff)

Anyways, I dont know the answer to that, I especially don't keep track of sales numbers, but I definitely think Max Martin is the answer. The big star names hes written for is pretty long

I do have a lot of respect for Dave Grohl because of the fact that he admitted smells like teen spirit was nonsense instead of pretending the lyrics were real deep. More artists should do that, because of course 90% of lyrics are just that, nonsense.

It's not okay to like ACDC. Ever.
 

beowulf

Not a nice guy.
Jan 29, 2005
59,361
8,958
Ottawa
I mean, if you really enjoy generic, elevator music, sure. Otherwise:

trevino-head-shake.gif

I would not go that far.


Personally I would vote for with Trent Reznor.

Not only does have have his band NIN for which he does virtually all from writing, performing, etc all album songs in studio. He also did stuff with this wife (How to Destroy Angels).

He has also become sought after for his work on film scores/sountdracks and won a Grammy for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and an AMA award for Social Network.

The music from the 1996 game Doom is from him.

He is also known for producing other artists and writing songs for others. He also was named by either Time or Life magazine as the most influential musician one year.

This part of his wiki post really sums it up.

Reznor's work as Nine Inch Nails has influenced many newer artists, which according to Reznor range from "generic imitations" dating from the band's initial success to younger bands echoing his style in a "truer, less imitative way".[117] Following the release of The Downward Spiral, mainstream artists began to take notice of Nine Inch Nails' influence: David Bowie compared NIN's impact to that of The Velvet Underground.[118] In 1997, Reznor appeared in Time magazine's list of the year's most influential people, and Spin magazine described him as "the most vital artist in music."[13] Bob Ezrin, producer for Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Peter Gabriel, described Reznor in 2007 as a "true visionary" and advised aspiring artists to take note of his no-compromise attitude.[119] During a rare appearance at the Kerrang! Awards in London that year, Reznor accepted the Kerrang! Icon, honoring Nine Inch Nails' long-standing influence on rock music.[120] Steven Wilson of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree has stated that he is influenced by and much admires Reznor's production work, in particular The Fragile.[121] Timbaland, one of pop music's most successful producers in recent years, has cited Reznor as his favorite studio producer.
 
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beowulf

Not a nice guy.
Jan 29, 2005
59,361
8,958
Ottawa
Jonny Greenwood?

Radiohead plus all of his composing work?

He also has a fair bit of work outside Radiohead. Not sure if it is as mainstream but it seems to be well received. I must admit i don't know it as much.
 

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