1 Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of 5 members - David Gilmour (Vocals and Guitar), Syd Barrett (Vocals and Guitar), Nick Mason (Drums), Roger Waters (Vocals and Bass), and Richard Wright (Vocals and Keyboard). Barrett was replaced by Gilmour in 1968. ...read more. You can't get more unique than the band who tried to make an entire album using household objects, made one of the most mind blowing concept records of the 20th century, and has managed to master long psychedelic rock songs, such as Echos, Shine on you crazy diamond, Welcome to the machine and Pigs.
2 Bjork
Björk Guðmundsdóttir, (born 21 November 1965) is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer and actress. Over her four-decade career, she has developed an eclectic musical style that draws on influences and genres including electronic, pop, jazz, experimental, trip hop, alternative, classical, and avant-garde music. Bjork is distinct in every way. Her voice is unique, her singing style is unusual, and her personal style is funky. She was at an after hours club my friends and I were at a long time ago, with her hair done exactly like Princess Leah did in Star Wars. Have yet to see anyone else try that
Bjork isn't the 2nd most unique artist ever. She has some clear inspiration from artists like Radiohead and Joni Mitchell, however she still has one of the most interesting and unique styles in modern music.
Not my favourite artist but surely the most unique I've ever heard.
How can you not have a top unique artists list without Bjork?
3 Queen
Queen are an English rock band formed in London in 1970. The original lineup was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass guitar, vocals). Before forming into Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor had played together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury was a fan of Smile and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. He then joined the band in 1970, suggested "Queen" as a new band name, and adopted his familiar stage name. John Deacon was also recruited to complete the line-up. ...read more. They are good
4 Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995 and again from 2009 to 2012. He has also had commercial success as a solo artist.
5 Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey is a California based singer, songwriter, and model who currently resides in Malibu, California. She was born under the name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant to entrepreneur Robert England Jr. and Patricia Ann Hill in rural Lake Placid, New York on June 21, 1985. She has two siblings, Chuck and Charlie. She attended a catholic elementary school and was sent to a boarding school at age 15 to deal with her alcohol abuse. After high school she lived with her aunt and uncle in New Jersey for a year where her uncle taught her how to play guitar and performed in various nightclubs under the pseudonyms Lizzy Grant, Sparkle Jumprope Queen, and May Jailer. She later attended Fordham University and majored in metaphysics. She lived in Brooklyn for years after and competed in the Williamsburg Songwriting Contest where she met a rep for 5 Points Records and signed a $10,000 deal while still a senior at Fordham University. ...read more.
6 Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwoood (bass guitar), Phil Selway (drums), and Ed O'Brien (guitar). Musically speaking, this band is so unique. They manage to stay within a pop/rock sound but they make their music with great integrity-it's never the same thing between albums and Thom Yorke seems to use his music to develop as a person, making it that much more interesting to listen to.
7 Moby
Moby is an American musician, who has produced inventive new styles to various subgenres of electronic music, inspired by 1950's gospel as much as by modern rock, and musicians from New Order to David Bowie.
He first received mainstream attention with the classic club hit "Go!", and later went on to produce retro-80's style electronica such as Almost Loved and Find My Baby, philosophical songs including Extreme Ways and We Are All Made Of Stars, dark and soulful downtempo from Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad to Lie Down In Darkness, and uplifting ambient pieces like Homeward Angel and My Beautiful Blue Sky. Moby is still experimenting with new sounds to well-known forms of music, committed to maintaining the value of his best music.
Moby is a strong supporter of animal rights, and lives a strict vegan lifestyle. He is active in a number of charities, and has published several writings about the benefits of his lifestyle. I've known Moby all of my life, and can safely say that I have not found any artist even remotely like Moby. There's something about Moby that makes him stand out amongst other artists. Something that only he has. Something you can't quite put your finger on. Moby's music is the most unique, without a question.
8 Melanie Martinez
Melanie Adele Martinez is an American singer and songwriter. Melanie Martinez auditioned for the American television vocal talent show The Voice and became a member of Team Adam. Love her music, so unique!
9 Daft Punk
Daft Punk was a French electronic music duo consisting of producers Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter.
10 Fatboy Slim
The Contenders
11 Tool
Tool is an American alternative metal/progressive metal band, that was formed in 1990.
The band is set together between Maynard James Keenan (Vocals), Danny Carey (Drums), Adam Jones (Guitar) and since 1995 Justin Chancellor (Bass).
The band is known for their influences from electronic sounds and their overly complex and strangely structured songs.
They released their debut album "Undertow" in 1993 and later put out other famous albums, like "Lateralus" and "10,000 Days".
The band has established a legacy as one of the most well-known and beloved progressive metal and alternative metal bands of all time.
12 Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits, born December 7, 1949 is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor.
Waits has a distinctive voice, with this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, he has built up a distinctive musical persona . Tom Waits is not only one of the most unique artists of the last century, he has also come out with some of the greatest records ever. With albums like Bone Machine, Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs, he has mastered the art of combining blues-folkrock with his distinct gravelly voice and some of the most beautiful songwriting you will hear in your lifetime.
Most incredible 'doing' it his own way' artist who has ever lived in my opinion!
13 Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American musician, songwriter, composer, record producer, actor and filmmaker. Zappa is unique. I don't like it but it is undeniably unique.
The one and only
14 Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart.
15 Joy Division
Joy Division were an English post-punk band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band consisted of singer Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. The most unique.
16 The KLF
17 New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980, currently comprising Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman.
18 Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their leader Phil Lynott was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs, and the first black Irishman to achieve commercial success in the field of rock music. Thin Lizzy's most successful songs, "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", were all major international hits which are still played regularly on hard rock and classic rock radio stations.
19 Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, better known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American recording artist and actor from Cleveland, Ohio.
20 Cream
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup power trio consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, drummer Ginger Baker, and guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton.
21 Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is a German electronic music band formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970 in Düsseldorf. The band was fronted by both Hütter and Schneider until Schneider's departure in 2008.
22 Pixies
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances, but reunited in 2004. The group currently consists of founders Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering. Ripped off by everyone. Truly unique.
23 Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The members currently include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ) and Rob Bourdon (drums). Linkin Park are associated with a mixture of Alternative Rock, Hip Hop and Techno. Some of their influences include Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, The Roots and Aphex Twin.
The band rose to international fame with their debut album Hybrid Theory, which was released in 2000. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries. Their song ‘In the End’ is considered to be one of the best rock songs of the 21st century. Linkin Park has sold over 68 million albums worldwide and have won two Grammy Awards. They released 7 studio albums, and their most popular songs include “Numb”, “In The End”, “What I’ve Done”, and “New Divide”. ...read more. If you think this band is trash then there's something wrong with you. They have a lot of genres which are pretty great, of course not all songs they make are going to be good but if you take a look at some of their categories you will not be disappointed at all.
24 R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by lead singer Michael Stipe, lead guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills, and drummer Bill Berry.
25 Nirvana
Nirvana was an American grunge band that was formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987. Nirvana disbanded after Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. The drummer of the band, David Grohl, went on to start the Foo-Fighters, an alternative rock band.
The band was comprised of Kurt Cobain (Vocals, Guitar), Dave Grohl (Drums) and Krist Novoselic (Bass).
Nirvana is most well-known for their albums Bleach, Nevermind, In Utero and MTV Unplugged in New York and their songs "About a Girl", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "In Bloom", "Heart-Shaped Box", "All Apologies" and "Pennyroyal Tea". The band is known for being one of the most influential bands of all time. Together with Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, the band is part of the Big 4 of Grunge. ...read more.