By now we all know what Kanye thinks of himself, we’ve heard how he says he’s a musical genius. In this Goof’s opinion, he falls a little short of genius status. We’re not saying he isn’t a special artist, however, there are a others who pushed the boundaries of music and art. Let’s take a look at some real musical geniuses, whose discography covers multiple genre’s, took risks, and entertained the masses.
1. David Bowie
RIP man...RIP. Gone too soon, but a legacy left behind that will never be forgotten. With albums ranging from Space Oddity (1969) introducing us to “Major Tom”, to Young Americans 1975 and his obvious gospel influence, we see Bowie’s real range as a musician. Many people seem him as a man with a lightning bolt on his face who may have been a little weird, but he’s much much more than that.
2. Paul McCartney
Sir Paul, much more than just the 60’s mop-top teenage heartthrob. Paul has extended his music career far beyond The Beatles; formed Wings, with his then-wife Linda, and of course, his solo career which is still ongoing. How does he continue to write new music?
3. David Byrne
David Byrne, former front-man of The Talking Heads burst onto the scene in the early 70’s and has been turning heads in the music industry ever since. He not only understands music but also how people listen to it. Byrne once said in an interview “People often ignore them (lyrics) anyway.” Seems obvious once you look into a few of The Talking Heads hit songs, with lyrics like “I’m wearing fur pyjamas, I ride a hot potato” - Wild Wild Life 1986. Byrne has won Academy, Grammy, Golden Globe awards, and is in the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame
4. Prince
Another artist lost too soon, Prince entertained the world for years with his amazing musical talent spanning multiple instruments. The pride of Minneapolis graced this earth with 39 studio albums, your read that right...39! We also got 2 posthumous releases just in case we couldn’t get enough Prince. Prince is in the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame, UK music hall of fame, and The Rhythm and Blues hall of fame. One of the greatest pure musicians to ever live.
5. Beck
Did we put Beck on this list to spite our earlier mentioning of Kanye? Yes, well yes and no. Younger generations may not recognize Beck other than when Kanye infamously interrupted his award speech. However, Beck has and continues to push the boundaries of music with every release. Won album of the year in 2015 and has been nominated 3 times. Beck is an amazing talent and usually plays all the instruments on his albums himself. Is known throughout the industry as one who is always looking for a new sound, blending all sorts of genres unlike anyones we’ve seen. Has also done remix work for such acts as David Bowie and Bjork. With 14 studio albums under his belt and undoubtedly more on the way, there is plenty to dive into and look forward to!
