Dr Greenthumbs G13
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Between the two performers/groups I guess it would be a fairly close call for many people. Lynyrd Skynyrd has sold over 30 million albums and Neil Young has sold 25 million. It might not be by much but the edge goes to those Southern Boys.
If you take into account that the US has ten times the population as Canada and thus 10 times as many red neck crackers as Canada I'd say the clear winner is Mr Young (the grandfather of Grunge BTW, ie Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden etc.)
Skynyrd spawned such notable bands as ummm, let's see, uhhh, oh yeah, the Georgia Satelites and ummmm, uhhhh .............
Dr Gruber
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Im not going by sales/popular opinion, just by who I feel is a better songwriter. Its all a matter of opinion though when it comes to what music a person likes. Neil is just a more serious artist to me.
RoloTomassi
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That would suck
On the bright side I'll still be here to page, page 200 guys
, get to work.
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That makes complete sense .... that is why Neil Young, like most every other foreign performer, came to the U.S. and targeted the U.S. market. You want to make it sound like he remained in Canada and therefore his fan base was more limited. If anything if he was/is so spectacular he should have outsold Skynyrd since he has both the U.S. and Canadian market.
I don't know how you define; "spawned." If you meant an influence that then caused others to follow suit then you left out a bands that could be said to have followed in Skynyrd's footsteps. .38 Special was founded by Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes. Donnie is brother to Johnny Van Zant and Ronnie Van Zant, lead singers of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Molly Hatchet is another Jacksonville Band that in part got their start with the help of Skynyrd. Molly Hatchet cut their first demos in Lynyrd Skynyrd's 8-track recording studio using Skynyrd's equipment. Skynyrd got them their start. There were others too. Outlaws got their break because Ronnie Van Zant told Alan Walden (brother of Capricorn Records founder Phil Waldenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Walden) about the group and he joined with with Charlie Brusco as co-manager. Blackfoot was another who Skynyrd helped and let them use their recording facilities.
Other groups that came later have said they were influenced by Lynyrd Skynyrd. AC/DC have said Skynyrd influenced them in their early years when they played under different names and had not yet discovered their own sound. R.E.M. and The Black Crowes said basically the same. While Zakk Wylde never played Southern Rock he has said his early influences were Southern rock bands and Skynyrd's was one.
There is a long list of performers and bands that Skynyrd either directly helped or influenced in some way to some degree and because of that are at least in part responsible for their success.
But then you Canucks can brag about Gordon Lightfoot.
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It does appear that way.
Dr Gruber
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I dont think it matters where either artist was born, they both became international artists and had a huge fan base to sell to. I do think Neil is a way more infuential artist then Skynard because he may have started the grunge movement and most of the bands Skynard influenced sound just like them. Neil also influenced other genre's as well as a singer/songwriter and left his mark in many places. Neil is just a more rounded artist where Skynard is just one thing and one thing only. They do it well or they wouldnt have classic songs that have stood the test of time.
Let's not forget the Byrds, Neils's first band, Crazy Horse and Crosby Stills Nash & YOUNG ! Major contributors to the late 60's early 70's rock scene.
I'm sure Molly Hatchet will be nominated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame any day now, LOL.
If you want to brag about the South go down to Texax that's where the real men of rock come from. Buddy Holly, Stevie Ray Vaughan, ZZ Top,
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I guess it depends on how you look at things and consider popularity. Skynyrd album sales tops Neil Young album sales. You can say Neil Young influenced different styles of music than his own but then as I mentioned early influences of AC/DC and Zakk Wylde were Skynyrd and they did not go on to play Skynyrd style music.
Another way it could be looked at is look at Bernie Taupin. Elton John would never have been the major star Elton John became, but Bernie Taupin also wrote songs for a number of different performers and groups including Alice Cooper (hardly Elton John style music) and Heart.
There are different ways to measure greatness and influence and I guess this is a case where depending on which someone decides to use a compelling case can be made for either.
Dr Gruber
Well-Known Member
The funny thing is, for me anyway, i dont own an album(CD) from either of them. I will say this though....the most influential single artist in the history of Pop music is David Bowie by a long and wide margin. Not talking about sales, although im sure his sales are staggering...im taking about artists that have been influenced by him and genres of music created by him. Simply unbeatable.
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I guess that would depend on what you consider; "the real men" of Southern Rock. You don't get much bigger than the Allman Brothers Band, they were formed in Jacksonville Florida and later hung out in Macon Georgia.
Dr Gruber
Well-Known Member
Those boys could play...
they're blues men, nice try.
I seriously doubt either Florida or Texas even would consider themselves Southeners anymore.
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Not to swerve the topic any farther but I just wrote a message listing a number of old, some as in MANY DECADES PAST, blues artists who had far more influence on rock music than David Bowie ever did and for the second time today when I went to post the message my anti-virus / internet security program stopped the message from being sent.
Twice today I have received the message that this site has tried to access my credit card number. Last night I received a PM about a possible hack taking place here, a revenge act by a disgruntled former member. I never received the warning before saying that this site was trying to access my credit card number. I wonder what caused it to happen twice today?
Twice today I have received the message that this site has tried to access my credit card number. Last night I received a PM about a possible hack taking place here, a revenge act by a disgruntled former member. I never received the warning before saying that this site was trying to access my credit card number. I wonder what caused it to happen twice today?
Canadian special ops are just trying track you down, thank you for the feedback, your money is safe, your life, not so much.
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Thank you, I feel so much safer now. With those Canadian military guys of yours that wear skirts after me I know that if they show up all I'll have to do is show them a spider or a mouse and they will all screech and squeal just like the little girls they dress like and run as fast as they can all the way back North and across the border.
Yes, it appears they have been sanitized so that any reference to Double D's bribes, lies and such are gone
