Top 10 Most Diverse and Varied Music Artists
These bands are often very diverse and sometimes don't fit into a single genre.
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... read more Opera: Who Wants to Live Forever.
Hard rock: I Want It All, Hammer to Fall.
Rock: One Vision (and many more).
Glam rock: Now I'm Here.
Thrash metal: Stone Cold Crazy.
Blues: My Melancholy Blues.
Funk: Another One Bites the Dust.
Pop: A Kind of Magic.
..etc.
They definitely deserve the top spot, if only for their Hot Space album. While not their best album, it's extremely varied, showcasing Queen's proficiency in pop, rock, funk, disco, and R&B. Queen nearly perfected each of these genres on that album.
No other band could top this list. Queen is a unique blend of opera, glam, metal, hard rock, dance, and even pop.
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of the 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular... read more Overrated or not, you must admit they experimented with a wide range of music. They have standard pop songs like Please Please Me, but they also have the highly experimental Revolution 9.
David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress. He is credited for his experimental and creative musical discography which has won praise and accolades for many critics and fans... read more I almost voted for Queen, but I believe Bowie's diversity has been more consistent in quality than Queen's (remember Hot Space?).
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... read more Even within albums like The Wall, every song is quite different.
Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman"... read more They shouldn't rank too high, but they're certainly a diverse band. They can play power ballads, typical thrash metal, and more mainstream hits like Enter Sandman. Tracks like St. Anger and Lulu were polarizing, but they show the band experimenting and prove they deserve a spot on this list.
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Heavily influenced by Queen, they use the technique of overdubbing. They also incorporate large... read more I can't name another metal band that tried several metal subgenres and excelled in all of them, creating at least one masterpiece in each. Other metal bands have experimented but failed in at least one genre. In contrast, Blind Guardian created some of the best songs across multiple subgenres:
1. Symphonic metal: Wheel of Time, Sacred Worlds, The Throne.
2. Thrashy speed metal: Majesty, Banish from Sanctuary.
3. Progressive power metal: And Then There Was Silence.
4. Power metal: Mirror Mirror.
5. Heavy metal: Thorn, I'm Alive.
6. Acoustic folk ballads: The Bard's Song (In the Forest), Skalds and Shadows.
Additionally, many Blind Guardian songs can't be confined to any of these subgenres because the band also explored unusual subgenre combinations, and they made it work. For instance, what genre is Tanelorn (Into the Void) or Bright Eyes? I may never know.
Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has worked within many genres of music. If we're talking about varied music artists, Buckethead surpasses everyone on this list. He plays a wide range of genres: rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, and, of course, his experimental music. On Metallum, he is listed as "various." He has explored countless genres.
Damon Albarn is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known as the lead singer of the British rock band Blur, the co-founder, vocalist, instrumentalist and principal songwriter of the virtual band Gorillaz. He was born on March 23, 1968, in Whitechapel, London, England. Albarn... read more I was initially going to include Gorillaz and Blur, but Damon Albarn himself deserves a spot. He clearly enjoys experimenting with different bands and styles, as shown in the newer Hong Kong-themed Blur album.
Coldplay are a British pop rock band formed in 1996. The band consists of Chris Martin (lead vocalist and pianist), Jonny Buckland (lead guitarist), Guy Berryman (bassist) and Will Champion (drummer and backing vocalist). Manager Phil Harvey is often considered an unofficial fifth member. The band renamed... read more
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has... read more
Porcupine Tree are an English progressive rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. The band began essentially as a solo project for Wilson, who created all of the band's music.
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. They have pure punk tracks alongside reggae and rockabilly songs. I tend to prefer the punk stuff, but it's all good.
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce... read more Eminem is one of the most diverse artists, while other rappers focus solely on the U.S. and U.K. Even Asians (like me) know Eminem. In fact, Russia is one of his biggest fan bases.
The Mothers of Invention were an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows.
Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (Vocal), Jimmy Page (Guitar), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboard) and John Bonham (Drums) and was very much the child of Jimmy Page who even financed their first tour. He had tasted... read more
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first settled line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums)... read more Similar to David Bowie, you can love one of their songs and dislike another. When a band lasts this long, they experiment a lot with their music.
Not many people know this singer, but he's one of my favorites. He varies his music from folkier tunes to more punk-oriented songs, and he can also craft a good ballad.
Between the Buried and Me is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers, Jr.
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The members are Matt Bellamy (lead vocal, lead guitar, piano, keyboard), Dom Howard (drums, percussion) and Chris Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals). They've won several awards including 5 MTV Awards, 8 NME Awards, 2... read more
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian–French singer-songwriter and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million.
Alice in Chains is an American grunge/alternative metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley.
Slipknot is an American metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa in 1996. The band is best known as one of the pioneers of the New Wave of American Alternative Metal during the late 1990s - 2000s and are distinguishable by the band's clothing choices, consisting of black/red jumpsuits and horror inspired... read more Their third album onward includes many experimental tracks, ranging from heavy metal and hard alternative to hard rock, alternative rock, and soft rock. Their fourth album isn't even considered nu-metal, leaning more toward traditional metal while also incorporating thrash metal elements.
Judas Priest are a British heavy metal band that formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969. They are often referred to as one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and are even commonly called “The Metal Gods”, after one of the songs on their 1980 album “British Steel”... read more
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band was formed in 1985 under the name of "Majesty", only to change its name to Dream Theater later... read more