I don't stay current with music, something I'm actually proud of. I like Jason Isbell's Elephant.
It is so hard to respect music and narrow it down to 5 of anything. I'm trying to learn guitar...seven years in and I can almost find the strings, I'm that crippled...but for every great I think of, ten supremely talented artists come to mind. Then I realize that hacks like KidRock and Beyonce make all the money and a few days later I stop crying.
I've heard, recently, great musicians put forth the proposition that Prince, the Artist formerly known as, is silently one of our times greatest talents. I just want your extra time Frankie.
I love that you put James Brown out there. I can't go to five, but Bob Dylan is one of mine, as an artist. No albums, no bands.
I couldn't pick a 10k maniacs song out of a line-up, but Tigerlily is one of my favorite albums, solo Merchant.
The Grateful Dead wouldn't be one of my bands, but there are a few live recordings of theirs I've listened to consistently for decades. Jerry Garcia artist #2.
John Fogerty #3.
But what about Miles Davis? Reginald Dwight? Linda Ronstadt? Joe Walsh? John Coltrane?
And people flock to NBC over hacks like SeeLow and Adam Levine. Time for a cry. Thanks for sharing. So much good music, so little vinyl.