Ultimately, music isn't about talent, but about artistic expression. Popular music is full of musicians who may have not had the greatest skills, yet made a huge impact on music and the world. Groups like The Beatles, Nirvana, The Ramones...all great, but not exactly "virtuosos". This post isn't about these musicians. Nope, here we're going to talk about 5 musicians who had ridiculously amazing skills on their instruments. Hearing their music is both a jaw-dropping and exhilarating experience. Enjoy!

Buddy Rich

Billed as "The World's Greatest Drummer", Buddy Rich was an absolute terror on the drums. His speed, power, and technical skill leave listeners gasping for air, and drummers...poor drummers upon hearing Buddy's skill wish they could revert to the days when they had never heard of the guy. Legend has it that Buddy could play a perfect rhythm at age 1. He went on to child stardom as "Traps the Drum Wonder", and was leading bands by age 11. Fast forward to the 60's and 70's, Buddy had put together big bands of the highest order, and recorded several classic albums showcasing his amazing skill and his band's larger than life sound. Classic albums that show off his skills are the live albums "Big Swing Face" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", and studio albums "The New One!" and "The Roar of '74". Many of today's greatest drummers such as Neil Peart, Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Billy Cobham and Max Roach (and many others) were heavily influenced by Buddy Rich, and a few years after Buddy died, got together and recorded an explosive tribute album. See for yourself in this clip from The Tonight Show where Buddy does a drum battle with The Tonight Show's drummer Ed Shaughnessy (Who is certainly no slouch, either!)

Jaco Pastorius

Moving on from the world's greatest drummer, let's talk about the greatest bass player who ever lived, Jaco Pastorius. Getting his start in the mid 1970's playing with Pat Metheny, Jaco achieved fame when he released his 'Jaco Pastorius' debut album in 1976. Featuring a ridiculously amazing rendition of Charlie Parker/Miles Davis' "Donna Lee" (played entirely on a bass), plus the completely original "Portrait of Tracy", you could tell that this was the work of an amazingly talented player. In addition to his ability to play bass fast (lead guitar style), Jaco also had a very distinct style. He used artificial harmonics to extend the range of his bass, and the fretless instruments he used allowed for him to produce a very warm, almost synthesizer sound. In addition, many of his most famous songs feature his signature "growl" effect. His later work in Weather Report earned him even more fame, and towards the end of his life, he focused much of his energy on big band projects. Unfortunately, like many great artists, Jaco suffered from bipolar disorder, and possibly other mental illnesses, which turned out to be a contributing factor to his death. Jaco's debut album is an absolute must-own for any bass player, jazz fan or lover of mind-blowingly ridiculous instrumentation, and his work with Weather Report is considered some of the best material they ever released.

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie is considered by many to be one of the greatest trumpet players that ever lived. Getting his start playing in numerous big swing bands, Diz's loud, fast, unpredictable style was initially hard to like. In the early 1940's, working for Billy Eckstine, Dizzy got a chance to play with Charlie Parker. Playing with Charlie Parker resulted in the bebop movement, a radical departure from swing. It was in bebop where Dizzy finally had a chance to shine. No longer was he playing lines that were considered distracting: In bebop, Diz could play as fast, high, and as loud as he wanted. Pushing the envelope was what bebop was all about. During this time, Dizzy played with and mentored several other jazz greats including Miles Davis and John Coltrane. Diz was also credited with popularizing "Afro-Cuban" music, and in his later years become an American ambassador and mentor to musicians. Diz was one of the most beloved figures in jazz because of his amazing skills and warm personality. He even appeared on The Cosby Show and Sesame Street. Dizzy Gillespie's most mind-blowing recordings are from his time with Parker, although sadly, Diz performed all the time, but very few of those performances were ever recorded. Check out some of his classics like "Salt Peanuts", "Groovin' High" and "Shaw 'nuff" for a real aural treat. Here's Diz's take on the classic Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada".

Charlie Parker

The story of Charlie "Bird" Parker is one of the great tragedies in jazz. An amazing player with unmatched skill and technique and who was a key player in the evolution of jazz, died before his 35th birthday. Allegedly having no musical skill at a young age, and apparently being thrown out several bands for bad playing, Bird is said to have spent an intense 3-4 years of practicing up to 15 hours in a day. This intense study paid off, and Bird began to get steady work in big bands, including a stint with Earl Hines, where he met Dizzy Gillespie. Parker and Dizzy were soon playing together very regularly, and the bebop movement was born. Parker improvised based on harmonic structures, which was a completely new way to improvise. Bebop also emphasized blazing fast runs, which Parker was amazingly smooth at. He was an amazingly clean, fast, and powerful saxophonist--even while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Legend has it that during one of his recording sessions, Parker had to be held in place so he wouldn't fall over, and yet, despite being heavily intoxicated, he played his parts amazingly well. Miles Davis talks about Parker's personal demons quite a lot in his autobiography, yet emphasized Parker's amazing ability to play so well despite this. During Parker's sobriety, his playing took on a new level of sophistication and virtuoso technique. Some of Parker's classics include "Ko-Ko", "Yardbird Suite", "Ornithology" and "Relaxin' at Camarillo". Bird's album "Charlie Parker with Strings" is said to be his favorite recording. Here's a video of Parker playing his classic "Ornithology".

Al DiMeola

Getting started in the early 1970's in Chick Corea's fusion band, Return to Forever, Al DiMeola went on to be one of the most influential guitarists of the last 30 years. What was so amazing about Al DiMeola is that he could absolutely shred on guitar. Before there was Yngwie or Vai or Satriani, there was DiMeola. He was so amazingly fast and clean, and no one had ever heard the guitar played like he played it in his early career. His work with Return to Forever, his next few solo albums, and his legendary "Friday Night in San Francisco" (With Paco DeLucia and John McLaughlin) are all required listening for any aspiring lead guitar player. Of course, upon hearing these legendary recordings, you may just want to hang up your guitar and focus on the bass. Like many true musicians, Al DiMeola didn't become a parody of himself, and keep up with the shredding. He soon focused his efforts on various fusions of jazz, classical, and world music. While many consider his early albums to be his greatest work, there is no doubt that Al DiMeola has continued to evolve and grow as a musician, and of course, he can still play his old stuff with the same flair he had back in the 70's. For some raw guitar playing, check out the albums "Elegant Gypsy" and "Friday Night in San Francisco". The standout tracks on Elegant Gypsy are "Mediterranean Sundance" and the epic "Race With The Devil on Spanish Highway", on "Friday Night in San Francisco", well, just play it from beginning to end. Amazing. Here's a video of him playing Mediterranean Sundance with Paco DeLucia and John McLaughlin.

The decade that popular music began is largely forgotten today; unless it is considered for the Grammy Hall of Fame award. Deemed as “your parent’s music”, the croons of the 50’s are difficult if not impossible to find on your local radio band in 2010.

Having something to do with this might be the fact that the 1950s were a time of outright racism. But even as segregation grew, telling blacks and whites where they could venture in physical location - the dividing line between African-American and Caucasian music became incredibly obscured in both sound and showmanship. Indeed, the 1950's were a time of rapid change in the music world, yet, this period left behind some of the most beloved songs of the century. Here are 10 great songs from the 1950's:

Nat King Cole - “Unforgettable”

The cool crooning of Nat King Cole was heard throughout the airwaves almost every year of the 1950s; a rare feat for an African American at that time. “Unforgettable” was one of Cole’s first pop tunes and helped propel him to mainstream attention.

Chuck Berry – “Johnny B Good”

Chuck Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame largely due to the success of this song. Largely autobiographical, the song touched on the aspirations of many a teen in that day hoping to play a guitar “just like a ringing bell” and have his “name in lights.”

Perry Como – “Catch a Falling Star”

In 1958, Como’s “Catch a Falling Star” became the RIAA’s first ever, certified gold record. The smooth rendition by Como would also earn him the title of Best Male Vocal Performance at the Grammys.

Fats Domino – “Blueberry Hill”

With his up-tempo remake of “Blueberry Hill”, Fats Domino landed the #2 spot on the Top 40 in 1956, and managed to sell more than 5 million copies of the single. The song showcased Fats’ trademark twang-flavored and soulful voice.

Elvis Presley – “Jailhouse Rock”

The sensation of Elvis Presley was felt throughout the fifties, but no one song had the world dancing quite as much as “Jailhouse Rock.” Presley concerts were notoriously rowdy, but when the song was performed in Vancouver, a riot ensued from the audience’s enthusiasm.

Little Richard – “Tutti Frutti”

As with many of the other artists on this list, Little Richard has a more hits than can be counted for the 1950s. The best example of Richard’s screechin’ -screamin’ style comes in the flavor of “Tutti Frutti”, the #2 R&B song on the Billboard record charts in 1956.

Bo Diddley – “Bo Diddley”

The first recorded single from Ellas Otha Bates, “Bo Diddley” was both a hit and a point of conflict. While on the Ed Sullivan show supposedly performing the Merle Travis-written “Sixteen Tons”, Bo opted to sing “Bo Diddley” instead. While he may have lost the friendship of one of the most powerful TV show hosts of that time, the song garnered the support of thousands of Americans that heard the song.

Jerry Lee Lewis – “Great Balls of Fire”

In 1957, a song with the oft-considered blasphemous title “Great Balls of Fire” leapt to the #2 spot on Billboard pop charts. Although a very controversial song from a Christian raised Tennessian, the song later became the title of Jerry Lee Lewis’s own biographical movie.

Carl Perkins – “Blue Suede Shoes”

Before Elvis took it to a new level of success, Carl Perkin’s “Blue Suede Shoes” was one of the first “rockabilly” songs to reach mainstream success. Combining country and R&B influences with Rock, Perkins birthed a new style of music that would dominate the sound of the entire decade.

Johnny Cash – “I Walk The Line”

Johnny Cash defined Country music in the late 50s. His integration of humor and compassion for humanity into his songs made Cash an ideal performer for prison inmates. The #1 Country Billboard ranking song “Walk The Line” was a song with unique chord progressions and a story of devotion to one’s love.

Rock and Roll has suffered many criticisms throughout the years. Some depict it as loud, violent and misogynistic. And let’s face it, Guns ‘n Roses’s “Sex, Drugs n’ Rock and Roll” certainly did no favor to the critic’s perception of the genre, either, with lyrics like “I got really high and things got really slow.”

But even though Rock has taken some fairly stringent remarks throughout the years, the industry has survived. In fact, many fans would claim that twenty years after the genre’s inception, is the era that Rock and Roll took its stand as a form of artistic expression.

With activism and politically driven events dominating the news, Rock music of the 1970’s became the voice of the youth; expressing their distaste with the way their country was being run. It also became the time period of some of the greatest Rock albums the world has ever heard.

1. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

The rare trait of Dark Side of the Moon as a rock album is that it employs the use of many more instruments than the standard guitar, drum set and bass. Trumpets and other horns help to provide a rich, full sound that is largely absent in much of rock music.

The commercial success of the album prompted it to be remastered and rereleased numerous times since its debut in 1979.

2. Exile on the Street by The Rolling Stones

The beginning of the evolution of new rock. The dirty sound of this record is like no other, drawing upon blues, gospel and soul to create a musical template that many artists would try to recreate for years to come.

Although the album was largely a success, lead singer Mick Jagger would stray even further from his Rock roots in later releases.

3. Hotel California by The Eagles

I’m a younger guy that wasn’t even born when The Eagles were big. But back in 2002 I took a trip to Los Angeles with my dad and heard the title track from this album for the first time.

Both haunting and inviting, the song gave me a perception of a roaming lifestyle that I could easily imagine a rock and roll star living. The remainder of the album keeps that theme with storytelling songs like “Life in the Fast Lane” (a story of the consequences of living dangerously) and “Victim of Love” (a description of what can happen when you fall in love with the wrong person).

4. Fragile by Yes

With Fragile, the British group Yes created a soundscape that bridged the gap between progressive rock and folk music. Many critics have said that the album sounds jumbled with no coherence amongst songs, but I tend to think of the simple acoustic interludes as a time for sobering mind meditation between the hectic and complex rounds of “Tell the moon don’t tell the marcher.”

The steady ride of “South Side of the Sky” and “Heart of the Sunrise” are some of the coolest moments on this album.

5. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

If truth, honesty, and passion were money, Born to Run would have paid for itself. But as it were, in producing the album, Springsteen went into massive amounts of debt trying to recreate in the studio the sound and feeling of a live concert.

Fast-forward fourty years later, and Born to Run has paid off the debt, even managing to provide larger than expected dividends in critical acclaim.

The phrase “There’s nothing new under the sun” is just as applicable to music as it is anything else. And while many scholars have defined originality as something new and never seen before, allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment.

Consider the U.S. patent system and their methods for determining whether an item should be available for mass market. The patent office will typically award a patent to a person who proves their invention to be new. But in most cases, they will also give one to a creation that is ‘non-obvious, useful or industrially applicable.’

Now let us return to music. There are many music producers, past and present, that use samples of other artist’s recordings to create a new composition. Some use a full four-bar measure of an original and loop it. But I don’t find this method to be very artistic unless it is layered with another sample.

This is known as blending, and when done correctly - matching keys, pitches and rhythms between samples - it can be an extremely technical tool in DJing and record producing. But the problem is, very rarely is it done correctly. Using history as a gauge, it would seem that only one in every generation would be able to do it well.

The first of the pioneer in blending melodic compositions was DJ Shadow. In the movie Scratch, DJ Shadow said that looking for records ‘has almost karmic element of finding one record because it works so well with another.’ This is the sound that dominates majority of DJ Shadow’s first album, Endtroducing. Every sample that he uses blends seamlessly with the one before it.

“Building Steam with a Grain of Salt” is the first true song from the album. In this song, DJ Shadow blends the Lexia’s soulful ‘I can fly to the strangest land!’ vocals from “I Worship You” (The Jean Leccia Interpolation) with the opening guitar from Jermey Storch’s “I Feel a New Shadow” (From a Naked Window).

In the early 2000’s, another producer emerged from Columbus, Ohio named RJD2. I heard never heard another producer do what he does - taking an original record and reworking it into his own composition. On his song “1976”, he mixes the unlikely combination of a Spanish record (Sophy’s “Un Amor Original” from Yo Soy Una Mujer Y Una Santa) and a German Pop record (“Istanbul” from Cora’s self-titled album).

Just as DJ Shadow mentioned in Scratch, “The records that producers sample from are like a pile of broken dreams.” But if it is also true that “if you’re making records and DJing you’re adding to the pile of records you’re sampling from”, how can records that contain samples ever be called ‘not original?’

Good music has never been a subjective matter. In my pre-to-early-teens my father told me that whether or not I liked a song, I should appreciate it. At the time it didn’t make much sense, but as I got older and began to delve into the realm of music, I became aware of the passion that went into making music. Even if a song wasn’t a match with my particular taste in music that didn’t mean that it wasn’t good.

One such record not even in the running for any popularity contests was Marlena Shaw’s 1976 album Just a Matter of Time. By no means does the album have an original sound, but what it does, it does well. Of the many well-produced songs on the album, one stand-out track is ‘Love Has Gone Away’, which has an almost epic sound to it.

Mongomania by Mongo Santamaria was one of the Latin band’s less popular albums, but nonetheless it was still an exciting and powerful endeavor. Each solo, whether it be congo player, trumpeter or guitarist, poured their energy into their performance. Even if a listener is not a fan of the Latin genre such as myself, Mongomania is an album anyone can tell was made with a love for the artform.

The Dramatic’s What You See Is What You Get is one of my favorite albums of all time. Like Marlena Shaw’s ‘Love Has Gone Away’, ‘Hot Pants in the Summertime’ is another one of those epic songs that sounds the title and takes the listener to the summertime no matter what month he is in. The lyrics of the chorus – “Hey there girl! (Hey There…) You sure look good in those… Hot Pants, hot pants!” make it a feel good, carefree song that isn’t concerned with the politically correct way of approaching a woman. Similarly, the album’s title track ‘What You See is What You Get’ is just as real as real can get. It’s a story that holds true for most of us, as much as we would like to deny it.

Good music is truthful, no matter how difficult it may be for the listener. Most of us are bombarded by the fraudulent ulterior motives of others every day of our lives. Isn’t it nice to know that the voices of these old songs continue to resonate with us even today?

Soul and R&B have always been closely associated, and rightly so. The subject of both genres is typically love. They both carry a tune that is as rhythmic as it is melodic. But in my opinion, the difference is the way they approach music. One, R&B, appeals to the immediate ear - an audible sensation that may or may not last longer than a year. The other, Soul, could care less about what the listener wants. It is speaking from its, well, soul. And while this might be a bold statement, try listening to a Barry Manilow song right before something by James Brown (no offense to Manilow, he’s one of my favorite artists, just noting a comparison).

Anyway, for the purposes of this list, I stick with only the genre of Soul music. This is not a definitive list, but rather a list of soul albums that are must-haves for any fan of soul music. You can’t go wrong in purchasing any one of these albums.

Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On

An R&B album is supposed to have at least one love song, right? ‘What’s Going On’, one of the most personal albums ever, defied that convention by presenting Gaye’s beliefs on religion, a troubled society and The Vietnam War. It is one an album that is almost as relevant today as it was when it was released. The amazing reception of this album showed Gaye remaining on Billboard’s Top 100 list for over a year and selling over two million units.

Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life

How could an album that debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart, became certified Diamond by the RIAA and took the 1977 Grammy title for ‘Album of the Year’ not be on a top ten R & B album list? Taking perfectionism to a new level, Mr. Wonder managed to do the unthinkable by gathering some of the most illustrious musicians to play accompaniment on Songs in the Key of Life, such as George Benson and Herbie Hancock.

Curtis Mayfield – Superfly

Storytelling at its finest. Similar to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Whats Going On’, Mayfield’s approach to societal issues such as drug abuse made record executives wary about it’s reception. But it turned out that the honest and non-biased view of the addiction turned out to be the winning factory that caused the album to sell two-million of its singles, ‘Freddy’s Dead’ and ‘Superfly.’

Donny Hathaway – Everything Is Everything

As I sit here listening to this album, I begin to wonder what the world would be like today if songs like the ones on ‘Everything is Everything’ were still popular in the twenty-first century. It is amazing that a song which the sole lyrics consisted of ‘The Ghetto’ repeated over and over could propel Mr. Hathaway to stardom, but so much soul was packed into every iteration that anyone, white, black, Spanish or Asian could understand the implications of what was meant.

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul

When the longest love song on an album stretches nineteen minutes long, you know the artists has something to say. It is not some recycled rendition of baby-come-back-to-me but instead ‘my M.D. says slow down before you drive me to the ground’ heart-wrenching music. The album addresses feelings of devotion, letting go of failed relationships and sadness. Its amazing to understand that this album did not get released due to Haye’s debut flop, ‘Presenting Isaac Hayes.’

Michael Jackson – Off the Wall

Every artist has an album that propels them into stardom, and for Michael Jackson, ‘Off The Wall’ was just that. The smooth mix and blends of disco, funk, soul and pop were an unconventional and risky maneuver, but it paid off when the album earned Michael his first Grammy since the early 70s. Jumping basslines and bouncing guitars made this a dance album like no other.

The platinum lead single ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ was reportedly first hummed by Jackson himself while in his kitchen. Quincy Jones also had a heavy hand in the creation of the album, after the two formed a strong bond while on the set of ‘The Wiz.’

Al Green – Still In Love With You

Between Green’s sultry singing and emotion-packed lyrics is a place for the casual listener to easily get lost. Growing up my dad would always play this record, and even then I could tell there was something special about it, almost a peculiar kind of magic. Maybe that’s why many fans have deemed Green’s albums as ‘baby making music.’

The album’s title song managed to hit the number tree spot on Billboard and sold over a million copies.

James Brown - Live at the Apollo

It is unusual for a live album to get such high acclaim as ‘Live at the Apollo.’ What set this album apart from all other recordings, both studio-enhanced and not, was Brown’s high-energy, jump right off the LP personality. Brown was a live performer by nature, as demonstrated on tracks such as ‘Night Train’ and ‘I’ll Go Crazy’. After all, how can any artist that pays the owner (as Brown did with this album) not demonstrate a certain passion for music?

Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul

Selling over a million copies of an album was no small feat in 1968. Songs such as ‘Chain of Fools’ and ‘You Make Me Feel Like (A Natural Woman)’ quickly became feminist anthems and destroyed the stereotype that men were the only ones that could make a spectacular soul album. To put it bluntly, type “Queen of Soul” into your Google search field and see what comes up.

Sly and the Family Stone - Fresh

A definite delineation from the ‘normal’ funk, Sly set out to produce a much smoother funk (the preemptive ‘Gangster funk’ of Snoop Dogg?) than their previous effort ‘There’s a Riot Going On.’ George Clinton has named ‘Fresh’ as one of his favorite albums and Miles Davis reportedly made his band listen to ‘In Time’ repeatedly for thirty minutes.

Today has been one of those days where I haven't really done anything except browse the web. Of course, in my conquests of the internets, I came across a very interesting idea...cleaning your vinyl records with wood glue.

Here's the deal: Most wood glues contain a substance that is very similar to the chemicals used in vinyl records. This chemical is great for sticking to just about everything...except vinyl. So, basically you coat your record with glue, let it dry, then peel it off, taking all of the junk off your record and out of the grooves.

How cool is that?

Oh, here's my source. Read it carefully before attempting.

Of course, there are a few issues:

First, this is definitely an extreme measure, and a bit too much for cleaning most of your records. For light surface dust, just brush it. For dirt and oil that have been ground into the grooves, glue it.

Next, it takes some time. You have to wait a good 4-8 hours for the glue to dry, so you probably won't want to attempt this on a record you absolutely must listen to RIGHT NOW!

There is also the potential to damage your record. Drip some glue on the label, and now you have a bump that causes the record to lie less flat on the platter, potentially causing distortion.

Overall, this method for cleaning records is probably best used sparingly only on records that absolutely need it. If you treat your vinyl really well, you may never have to use this trick, but on the other hand, say you have something really great that has been neglected, why not try the glue technique?

Throughout their career Pink Floyd has been thrown into one genre of music or another. They have also helped to create completely new genres on their own. They have brought some genres to the forefront, and then had the good sense to allow their sound to evolve and avoid being pinned down to one sound. During the history of Pink Floyd their music has been referred to as pop, psychedelic, progressive rock, theatrical rock and stadium rock. A study in the history of Floyd is a look at many of the most important genres in rock history.

Pink Floyd started out as an R&B cover band in 1967 playing American standards. Their first show was nearly five hours long, but the band did not have five hours worth of material. They filled out their sets by extending the guitar solo parts of songs with Syd Barrett making strange noises on his guitar and the band going off into some sonic tangent.

Over time this habit of Syd's began to rub off on the rest of the band, and soon the band was playing whirling and swirling versions of standard tunes unlike anyone had ever heard before. Syd Barrett started writing songs right from the beginning and one of his first efforts, "King Bee", is a derivative of the music the band had been playing for months.

Syd continued to write pop songs, but the band would rarely play them live. When the band played live they preferred the 15 minute spaced-out jams like "Interstellar Overdrive" or "Nick's Boogie." When the Floyd played a local technical college one of the students offered to show strange formations of light over the band while they performed. Psychedelic rock was born.

When Pink Floyd released Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967, it was the perfect mix of pop songs and psychedelic ramblings. The album was enough to bring Floyd new fans and keep the psychedelic crowd happy. As the band moved forward, they released hit singles such as "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne". But once again, when the band played live they refused to play their hits. Audiences outside London were furious and pelted the band with drinks and debris.

The London audiences continued to flock to Pink Floyd shows in large numbers. Floyd became the house band at the eclectic UFO Club, and they became the premier psychedelic band in London.

In 1968 Syd Barrett was dropped from the band, and the next few albums show a transition. Albums such as A Saucerful of Secrets and Ummagumma show a band unsure of how to write pop songs, unwilling to release more psychedelic material and unable to forge a sound. The innovators of psychedelic rock had stalled.

There were some glimpses of things to come with such musical pieces as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" and "Careful with that Axe, Eugene", but they did not translate well in the studio. The live recordings released on Ummagumma gave fans a clearer idea of what Floyd was doing, and what they were doing was creating progressive rock.

In 1970 Pink Floyd released Atom Heart Mother. Songs such as "If" and "Fat Old Sun" could be categorized as pop songs, but when Floyd played them live they added parts to them that made the songs an adventure. The title track, "Atom Heart Mother Suite", can be called one of the first progressive rock songs ever. It is an ambitious 23 minute piece that moves through several parts and attempts to tell a story. It laid the foundation for what Pink Floyd was to become.

When the album Meddle was released in 1971, Pink Floyd had perfected the progressive rock format. The first side of the album is a series of songs that stands on their own, while the entire second side is the masterpiece of progressive rock known as "Echoes". With this album, Pink Floyd established progressive rock as a musical genre and bands such as King Crimson followed suit.

Pink Floyd had stopped writing pop singles in 1968 when their efforts to write a hit single without Syd Barrett failed. Their transition from psychedelic pioneers to the creators of progressive rock had established the band as a worldwide concert draw. Pink Floyd had learned from the Beatles, as most other bands of the era did, that an album does not need to be a series of singles.

When Dark Side of the Moon was released in 1973, Pink Floyd had helped to further yet another genre of music; the concept album. Pink Floyd had managed to mix their epic progressive rock format in with a concept that worked throughout the entire album. The album launched Pink Floyd into a whole new level of success and they began to fill stadiums all over the world. Roger Waters saw a chance to get even more of his message across and, in the process, create yet another musical genre that would become almost the sole domain of Pink Floyd for many years.

In the 1970's there were stadium rock shows being played all over the world, but there were few bands that could fill a stadium on their own. With Pink Floyd now playing shows to 50,000 people or more every night with no support act, the pressure to get the entire stadium involved in the show became intense. Roger Waters filled the show with props and effect lighting the likes of which no one had ever seen before. Pink Floyd had meshed their progressive rock format with a lavish live performance that became known as stadium rock. But Roger Waters was not quite done yet.

In 1979 Pink Floyd released The Wall with a very specific purpose in mind. Roger Waters had a story line in his head, and he recruited animator Gerald Scarfe to help bring some of his ideas to life. By the time Roger was done there was an album, a movie and a theatrical live performance that had never been attempted by any band before. Pink Floyd had taken the theatrical rock of Alice Cooper and Kiss to an entirely different level.

You would be hard-pressed to find a band that has had as many genre names attached to them as Pink Floyd. Floyd's music has been called pop, psychedelic, progressive rock, space rock, stadium rock, theatrical rock and self-indulgent. Whatever you call Pink Floyd's music, there is no denying the impact they had on the entire music industry. They perfected what others had started, and they created their own place in music by doing what they felt was right.

By November of 1967 The Pink Floyd had seen enough of the downward spiral of Syd Barrett. According to Rick Wright, the band tried desperately to get some help for Syd but Syd was not interested. In November of 1967 the band turned to long-time friend David Gilmour to step in and keep things rolling.

When he was asked to join Pink Floyd in January of 1968, Gilmour was in desperate need of money. He is asked to mimic Syd's guitar parts as much as possible while also singing Syd's vocals. Syd would sometimes sing the wrong words off key, or he would play the same note on his guitar for an entire song. By March of 1968 the band decided that Syd could not perform anymore and asked him to remain home and just write songs. On April 6, 1968 the band officially announced that Syd had left the group and David Gilmour had taken over the guitar and vocals work.

The first album David Gilmour appeared on was 1968 release A Saucerful of Secrets. Gilmour played on four of the songs from the record and split time on the song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" with Syd Barrett. The album sounded like a band that has lost its songwriter, but it also introduced the notion of soundscapes that would be the Pink Floyd sound for many years to come.

Immediately after the release of A Saucerful of Secrets, Pink Floyd was asked to work on a movie soundtrack that wound up being the Soundtrack for the Film More. Gilmour was given more writing credits and contributed most of the lead vocals on the record. Even though such Floyd staples as "Green is the Colour" and "Cymbaline" appeared on the record, it was a rushed effort that the band was unhappy with.

By the end of 1969, the band was moving more into pieces of music rather than songs and beginning to develop a reputation for being an album band rather than a pop band that made singles. In October of 1969 they released Ummagumma. The album rocketed to number 5 on the British charts and was the first Floyd album to make an appearance on the Billboard Charts peaking at number 74.

In 1970 Pink Floyd released Atom Heart Mother. Roger Waters described the title track as "the soundtrack to a movie that does not exist." Many people point to Meddle as the point at which Pink Floyd started to turn a corner and head towards the sound that would make them world famous, but if you listen to Atom Heart Mother you can hear the beginnings of a band that is starting to become comfortable in their songwriting. The title track to the album is an interesting piece of music that helped to usher in the era of progressive rock. Songs such as "If" by Roger Waters and "Fat Old Sun" by David Gilmour show a promise that had not been seen in previous Floyd efforts with Gilmour.

By the time Meddle was released in October of 1971, the band was desperate to write new material. The first song on the record was "One of These Days" and it was based on a bass guitar riff that David Gilmour had stumbled upon while playing with a tape delay. Other songs such as "Fearless" and "Pillow of Winds" were primarily written by Gilmour. When the band sat down to write more material for the album, Rick Wright hit a note on his piano that seemed to go on forever to Roger Waters. The band instantly began working on parts for what would eventually become their iconic classic "Echoes."

After releasing another film soundtrack in Obscured By Clouds in 1972, the band sat down to write what would eventually become Dark Side of the Moon. Nick Mason refers to the writing process as all of the band members working together towards a single end. The album became one of the best selling albums of all time, and it started Pink Floyd on a slide towards disaster.

After Dark Side of the Moon, the band released another classic album with Wish You Were Here in 1975. By this point the band began to question their own motivation, and they turned to writing about the past by creating an album dedicated to Syd Barrett and what Roger Waters believed the music industry did to destroy Barrett. Rick Wright referred to the album as his personal favorite of all of the Floyd albums. The recording of the album was marked by a visit from Barrett, who the band had not seen in years. Syd wandered into the studio during the recording of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and announced that he was ready to re-join the group. They all attended David Gilmour's wedding reception at the Abbey Road cafeteria that night, and the band never saw Syd again.

By the time Animals was released in 1977, Roger Waters had assumed all of the songwriting duties for the band. He wrote the lyrics, he dictated the marketing for the albums and the only other person that had a writing credit on the album was David Gilmour for his contribution to the song "Dogs." The band would argue to the point of physical fighting. Roger Waters wanted everything his way, and he was starting to wonder why he even needed some of the members of Pink Floyd in the first place.

During the Animals tour, Roger Waters began to develop a disdain for stadium shows and the fans in general. In Montreal he had spit on a fan, and nearly incited a riot by admonishing fans for bringing fireworks to shows and talking while the band was playing. David Gilmour was so disgusted by Roger's behavior that he refused to play the encore in Montreal and left it to Snowy White to play guitar.

The experience in Montreal caused Roger to imagine a large wall being put between the band and the fans. He brought his concept to the band, and it became the 1979 release The Wall. The album went on to become one of the best selling double albums of all time, and the subsequent tour was one of the greatest rock and roll live spectacles ever created. But the band lost money because of Roger's vision. When it came time to do a movie about The Wall, Roger dismissed the ideas of his bandmates and pushed ahead with his vision. The success the band had achieved had gone to Roger's head. During the recording of the album he fired founding member Rick Wright, but allowed Wright to stay on as a hired musician for the tour.

The Final Cut was released in 1983, and it lists only Roger Waters as a writer and producer. Waters was beginning to use more studio musicians and drummer Nick Mason was being left out of more and more sessions. Waters determined that there was no point to touring with the album even though Mason and Gilmour were prepared to hit the road. In 1984 Roger Waters announced that he was leaving the band, and Pink Floyd would cease to exist. David Gilmour had other plans.

Having a website about vinyl records, I occasionally attract folks from the audiophile crowd. Of course, this is great. When it comes to musical formats, audiophiles know where it's at (vinyl, duh!). Of course, there also seem to be a big group of audiophiles who don't seem to care that much about music. They just like the way it sounds on certain pieces of gear--not necessarily how much it resonates within you.

This is crap. Why listen to music then? Why not just listen to yourself talk? I mean, if I was a millionaire, you know I'd have a nice setup with McIntosh amps and JM Lab speakers, and a comfy seat set right up in the sweet spot, but this gear in no way effects how I feel about the music. I admit that having gear that can get LOUD without distortion helps a bit...loud music certainly does stir the soul, but whether you're listening on a $75 shelf system, or an iPod with headphones, or some krazy $50,000 rig, the music doesn't change.

Audiophiles love to debate about how all kinds of specifications (that are measured with precision instruments in labs) are SOOOOPER important to how the music sounds and how this piece of gear does this, or this piece of gear does that, and I'll admit (I like gadgets too), it's kinda cool, but the music isn't so much different based on what it's played through.

Where music is really going to affect you and nourish your soul--it's all psychological. It's all within you. If you connect with a piece of music, it doesn't matter what it's played through. What's going to make you feel good is everything that happens after the music leaves the speakers and enters your ears.

I'm a music lover, how about you?

Without African Americans, there is no American music. Some of the most raw, energetic, complex, and groundbreaking music that has ever been played was played by African Americans from the US. Everything we listen to today, in some way or another, was influenced by their musical vision and innovation.

Here are 18 musical innovations that we can thank these amazing musicans for.

The Banjo:

The Banjo

Invented by enslaved Africans in Appalachia, the banjo may not be a hugely popular musical instrument today, but it has proven to be an essential component of many types of American roots music. Roots music is a broad term that refers to music that was developed in the US, and is said to have spawned most forms of American music, including country, folk, jazz, blues, and to a certain extent, rock music too.

Blues:

John Lee Hooker

Evolving from slave-era work songs and spirituals, the blues were invented in African American communities in the deep south. Blues is a very open style of music that can be played in many different ways. Over time, various styles emerged in different locations, and these regional variations would eventually form the basis of what would become Jazz, R&B, and Rock and Roll. Blues is the most important innovation in American music, and it has been massively influential to musicians all around the world, most notably, English musicians in the 1960's such as Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

Jazz:

Thelonious Monk

Originating in the New Orleans area at the beginning of the 20th century, jazz is arguably the most profound American musical innovation, with just as much significance as European classical music. Jazz has of course evolved within itself many times over, with every evolution spawning even more musical innovations and innovators. While it's true that jazz was influenced in a way by European classical music, it has also remained very distinct. Jazz is the medium that spawned several other forms of African American music, and each era of jazz left a significant mark on the development of American popular music. Let's look at the various eras of jazz music and their effects.

Ragtime:

Scott Joplin

First heard at the very end of the 19th century, Ragtime music was a style of music innovated by freed slaves who worked in vaudeville. It was popularized by classically-trained pianist Scott Joplin. Ragtime music formed the basis for what would soon be called jazz.

Dixieland:

Louis Armstrong

Invented in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, what later became known as "Dixieland" jazz was a musical style played in bars and brothels in the Storyville area of New Orleans. Using musical instruments from European classical music, and influenced by the Blues, Ragtime, and various Latin and Caribbean music traditions, Dixieland jazz was the beginning of it all. One of the most famous musicians to come from this tradition was one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong.

Swing:

Count Basie

Swing music started gaining momentum in the 1920's with the musical innovations of people like Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Featuring large bands that played dance music, swing became the most popular American music from this time through the 40's. In addition, the swing era brought a more broad, and white audience to jazz, and many white musicians were beginning to play jazz music. People such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw introduced swing music to this wider audience, and opened the doors for people like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Bebop:

Charlie Parker

Bebop is an innovation within jazz that initially was exclusively played by black musicians. Bebop is credited for taking jazz away from popular music, and into more creative and innovative territory. Bebop is generally played very fast, and was not intended for dancing. It has even been claimed that bebop music was played so fast and with such virtuosity that white musicians could not play it. Some of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived came from the bebop movement. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gilespie, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach were masters of their instruments and legendary musical innovators.

Modal Jazz:

Kind of Blue

Before Modal Jazz, most jazz improvization was based on chord progressions. Modal jazz was based on modes (or scales), and shifted the emphasis of the music from harmonies to melodies. The most famous piece to come from the modal jazz movement was Miles Davis' groundbreaking "Kind of Blue". Many of the musicians that worked with Davis on Kind of Blue and other sessions, including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers were also influential on Modal Jazz. Herbie Hancock was another major player who released several albums in the 1960's that followed the Modal Jazz style.

Free Jazz:

John & Alice Coltrane

In the late 1950's musicians such as Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Cecil Taylor were playing a style of jazz that was rooted in bebop, but drew on on various forms of international music. In addition, this type of jazz relied less on the "rules" of tempo, timing, melody, and harmony. To some, the music was hard to listen to, and to others, it was a breath of fresh air. Free Jazz was very controversial, although an important piece in the evolution of Jazz. In the mid 1960's, John Coltrane also began playing free jazz and led younger musicians such as Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, and Sun Ra into the avant garde. Although not nearly as "free" as his later work, Coltrane's 1964 album A Love Supreme is one of the most profound musical achievements ever recorded.

Jazz Fusion:

Herbie Hancock's Headhunters

Mix the musical innovations of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and Sly Stone with people like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, and you have the birth of fusion--an electric version of jazz that drew heavily from rock, soul and R&B music. Innovated by Miles Davis on "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew", fusion became a powerful force in the Jazz world in the 1970's. Groups such as Weather Report, Tony Williams Lifetime, Return to Forever, and The Mahavishnu Orchestra took the jazz, r&b, and rock world by storm with this eclectic blend of all three. Herbie Hancock's classic fusion album "Headhunters" is one of the greatest works from the fusion era.

R&B:

Initially, R&B was more of a marketing term rather than a useful definition of a style of music. R&B was used to describe music (initially, at least) that was by African American musicians for an African American audience. The term came into existence during the Rock & Roll era, and it was a combination of jazz, blues, and gospel music--similar to rock & roll. In fact, some may claim that rock & roll and R&B music were the same thing, they just had different intended audiences.

Rock and Roll:

Bo Diddley

What became known as rock & roll music evolved from the blues, jazz, country, gospel and folk music. The earliest forms of Rock & Roll came from the late 1930's and early 1940's. People such as Big Joe Turner and Sister Rosetta Tharpe were probably the first to lay the groundwork for what would become rock & roll. The mid 1950's is when rock & roll really began to gain attention. People like Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry were some of the most important figures in the early development of Rock  & Roll, although the credit is usually given to Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.

Doo Wop:

Frankie Lymon

Rooted in African American vocal groups of the 30's and 40's, plus influenced by the blues and gospel, doo wop was one of the most popular forms of rock & roll/r&b in the 1950's and early 60's. The standout characteristic of doo wop music is vocal harmony. One of the most popular doo wop songs, and the one credited with the rise in popularity of doo wop was Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"? Other famous groups were the Monotones and the Diamonds. During it's heyday, this particular style of music was very popular amongst the youth of America. Towards the end of the doo wop era, many musicians of Italian descent started to produce their own version.

Soul Music:

James Brown and the Flames

Soul music began showing up in the 1950's as a combination of R&B, Doo Wop, and Gospel. This new style of music was yet another important innovation in American music. People such as Ray Charles, James Brown, and Otis Redding were some of the most famous performers to come from the soul movement. Soul, like many other styles of music had regional variants (Motown soul from Detroit, Memphis Soul, Chicago Soul), and has continued to evolve since its inception. The 1970's were a very important time for soul as it moved towards a more socially conscious message. Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield were some of the more visible figures in this movement, and the great James Brown laid it out beautifully with the classic "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud".

Jimi Hendrix's Guitar Style:

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix came from the blues, re-invented the guitar, and ended up being one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Ask any rock guitar player about Jimi Hendrix, and you'll hear nothing but love. Contemporary rock music, while not dominated by African American musicians, owes its entire basis to Jimi Hendrix's style. At the forefront of the psychedelic movement of the late 1960's, Jimi Hendrix was the catalyst for Funk, Jazz Fusion, contemporary rock, and even heavy metal. Nobody played guitar like Hendrix, and after Hendrix, the guitar was never the same.

Funk:

George Clinton and Funkadelic

With people like Sly Stone, James Brown, and George Clinton came the birth of funk. Influenced directly by Soul, Psychedelic rock and Jazz, Funk was a new style of music that was based on these other genres, yet much more danceable. Funk was well-known for its high-energy, and over the top performances. Funk went on to be influential to disco music, and spawned a world-wide funk craze where musicians of all kinds wanted to create their own unique version of this energetic and electric music.

Rap:

Afrika Bambaataa

In the late 1970's, after the Funk and Disco eras, a new cultural movement emerged from The Bronx in New York. This culture became known as the hip hop movement. DJing, MCing, beatboxing and breakdancing were all innovations that came from the hip hop movement. DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa are often credited as the pioneers of the hip hop movement, and the music that came from that movement, which many people refer to as rap. Artists such as Grandmaster Flash and the Sugar Hill Gang were also important figures in the development of hip hop music. Since the early days of hip-hop, rap music has gone on to become some of the most popular music among young people, both white and black, and has spawned countless variations in the United States and across the world.

1980's Pop:

Prince

In the 1980's, a new sort of pop music was spawned from 1970's soul and funk, plus a sprinkling of jazz, electronic, and rock to form music generally referred to as pop. Many of the performers who innovated this new kind of pop had also been a part of earlier soul and funk music. The biggest name to come from this era was Michael Jackson, although many others achieved massive commercial success during the 80's, including Prince, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston. 1980's pop gave birth to the greatest selling album of all time (Michael Jackson's Thriller).

Contemporary R&B:

Mariah Carey

Following the 1980's pop era, several new styles of R&B began to emerge. All-male groups such as Boyz 2 Men, Blackstreet, and Jodeci dominated the airwaves and MTV during the early 90's, and several all-female groups such as SWV, TLC, and also became popular around the same time. Several one-woman acts such as Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Lauryn Hill combined elements of soul and old-school R&B, along with more contemporary hip hop music into a new style of music that is still hugely popular to this day. Even over the past few years, some of the biggest musical acts in history perform this style of music: R. Kelly, Usher, Chris Brown, just to name a few.

Conclusion

As we can see, most of the musical innovations in popular American music are the products of African American musicians. In addition, their music has been profoundly influential on musicians all over the world.

Every time music hits your ears, take a moment to think about where it came from, feel it, and show some love.

-PEACE-

Early Hiphop: The Inception

The place: Bronx, NY. The year: 1973. Gang wars were in full swing, crime was rampant, and a man named Kevin Donovan, member of the Black Spades gang, made somewhat of a mecca to the nation of Africa.

Months later, Donovan returned to the Bronx a.k.a. 'Little Vietnam' as Afrika Bambaataa and began organizing his former gang the Black Spades into a movement called the Zulu Nation. The impact of this group would turn the gang-ridden streets of the Bronx River Houses into a unified neighborhood bleeding of culture.

As with many scientific breakthroughs, the Hip hop 'scratch' was created on accident. It happened when Theodore Livingston, a.k.a. Grand Wizard Theodore, was found blasting music on his record player by his mother. As she stood in the doorway reprimanding him, Theodore held the record with one hand, preventing it from spinning.

That was when he took notice of a strange and new sound - a rhythmic sound similar to a drum set. After his mother left, Grand Wizard Theodore experimented with it before introducing the scratch at a community party later that week.

In the early years, Hip hop was largely competition based. DJs would go so far as to cover the labels of their records to prevent others from seeing what they were using.

The repetitiveness of the single, foundational beat in any given Hip hop song can be credited to DJ Kool Herc. His contribution to Hip hop was to take the most interesting or danceable section of a song and loop it in order to give the breakdancers a chance to perform.

This idea very well might have been inspired by who is deemed the "Godfather of Hiphop", James Brown. Records such as "The Funky Drummer" and "Papa's Gotta Brand New Bag" have given inspiration for the energy that a lot of the early Hip hop fed off of.

DJing began to gain national exposure with the featuring of Grand Master DXT on Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" performance. This crossover of genres added a new dimension to the Jazz music.

In 1980 the Sugar Hill Gang released the first ever all-rap record under the title "Rappers Delight." Before it, rappers (or MCs) had been the ones to take the backseat to DJs; speaking over the microphone only to tell party-goers that their cars were illegally parked or their mothers were telling them to come home.

After it, Hip hop would become a worldwide enterprise.

The Golden Era

D.I.T.C. (Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Showbiz specifically), The Beatminerz as well as DJ Premier and Pete Rock can be credited with being some of the most influential beatdiggers / producers of the early to mid nineties, also known as the golden age of Hiphop.

Songs like "T.R.O.Y" by Pete Rock and CL Smooth and "Above the Clouds" by Gangstarr and have set the bar for the quality of a Hip hop beat. These songs have a sound quality that is absent from much of the albums today... the way the drums sound so real that in listening it almost feels as though you are at a live concert... the manner in which the samples have a crisp and undeniable tonal quality.

Another notable record is the 1997 released album "Endtroducing" by DJ Shadow. The album's make up is the majority record samples, but interestingly enough many of the songs have been used in movies and television shows. Since it's release, many DJs have attempted to do similar stand-alone instrumental albums, most notably RJD2's Deadringer and Prefuse 73's Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives.

It should also be noted that there are even more distinctions between beat diggers. While one beatmaker might only use first edition releases of a record, another might go so far as to sample from a CD when unable to find a particular piece of vinyl. Many purists think of this as cheating, and consider it as a detriment to the culture of Hip hop.

Present Day Hip hop

The late 90s saw a drastic change for Hip hop as the music changed from being largely sample based to synthesizers and keyboards. This change came due to a number or copyright lawsuits from the artists and their record labels that were being sampled.

The denial of sample usage began in 1991, when record executives became savvy to the fact that they could gain residual income from rappers using their music. After this, no one would be able to slay the giant of copyright infringement without a relatively big wallet.

Rap groups such as Public Enemy and Gangstarr were severely hurt by the new laws. When comparing their first album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" to "Fear of a Black Planet", a definite change can be heard, specifically in the number of sampled parts used in the song.

One lawsuit that did manage to lend some credibility to sampling came with the Beastie Boys being sued by James Newton for their use of his song "Choir" on their track "Pass the Mic." The judge ruled that the Beastie Boys had obtained sufficient rights to the six-second flute stab in question prior to its usage, and all charges were dismissed.

Artists such as Puff Daddy (now known as Diddy) paved the way for an even greater commercialization of Hip hop music. And while much of the music has strayed from it's Hip hop culture, many artists still do a decent job of remaining true it. Below is a listing of essentials from the last decade for any fan of Hip hop records.

RJD2 -Deadringer
Jay Z -Blueprint
Dr. Dre - 2001
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Kanye West - College Dropout
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
El-P - Fantastic Damage
Dead Prez - Let's Get Free
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx II
Common - Like Water for Chocolate

These records prove that beat digging and sampling are not dead, and never will be. The amount of red tape that must be cut might be greater, it's true, but it is necessary in order for Hip hop to return to the art form that it once was.