The 25 most stylish musicians of all time

[Carlisle Blues]

This appeared in a GQ article I was surprised to see some names, others fit right in and still missing a few:

Men's mag GQ named the 25 most stylish musicians of all time in its September 2004 Big Style issue. Their hotlist features an eclectic bunch, including everyone from current rockers like Outkast's Andre 3000 and Beck; been-around-forever stars such as Bowie, Dylan and Presley; and the live fast, die young idols like Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison. So who's missing? Well, how about a couple stylin' female musicians? Maybe there were just too many to list...

http://www.sheknows.com/articles/4377.htm

 

[DerMann]

Glenn Miller
Artie Shaw
Bing Crosby
Fred Astaire
Louis Armstrong

Oh, but they're nobodies, I'm sure. Especially compared to Andre 3000.

 

[Subvet642]

Without a doubt, Robert Palmer was the smoothest dressed of his era. He was wearing classically cut suits in the 70's when everybody else was looking like, well the 70's. Sadly, he died a few years back.

 

[Edward]

Yes, interesting that it is such a male-dominated thing.... but then, it is largely rock and roll (in the broadest sense) dominated, or perhaps I should say guitar-band dominated, and that does tend to be a very male arena for the most part (alas).

Ms Deborah Harry should be recognised as a style icon in the music world, in my opinion. Not to say that she always got it 100% right all the time, but it seems to me that her look and sense of style have been enormously influential upon all those who have come after.

Prior to her much publicised substance abuse realted and personal problems, I always appreciated Amy Winehouse's creation of a distinctive look (heavily rockabilly and early 60s girl band influenced, of course) that she made all her own.

It has to be said, however, that the most stylish artist I'm aware of who has broken through in the last year or two is Miss Imelda May. In addition to being one of the most humble, sweetest people you could ever hope to meet, Imelda is always immaculately turned out. It helps, of course, that she's drop-dead gorgeous, but the girl knows exactly what she's doing when it comes to clothing:

These really aren't the best of her outfits- I'm sure there must be better photos out there. Never less than utterly immaculate, even in nothing more than denims and a t shirt. Were she but not a married lady, I'd probably already have a restraining order. Anyhow....

As to the men, interesting that they zoned in on Simonon from the first generation punkers. While yes, he was certainly iconic, I should have thought that dear uncle Jope Strummer would have been more influential. Sid Vicious certainly was iconic; in retrospect, the swatika t shirts were probably somewhat ill advised, but who can argue with the iconic value of his My Way outfit?

And why no place for Joey and the other brothers Ramone? Seems to me that without those boys, the leather mc jacket / drainpipes combination that has been a rock and roll staple since the mid 70s may not have been around?

Nice to see Sinatra recognised, albeit far too tucked away in the list, as he had more style in his pinky than most of the rest put together.

A few that I think I would debate.... I'm far from convinced by Bryan Ferry.... but really, Paul Weller, and - worse - Liam "cross between a tramp and a soccer hooligan" Gallagher? No thank you, very much.

 

[John in Covina]

For the time Cab Calloway was always a most handsome and stylish band leader and singer. That guy could wear a tux and just radiate.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Gwen Stefani is missing

She is a very "Sweet Escape".

 

[Fletch]

Glenn Miller
Artie Shaw
Bing Crosby
Fred Astaire
Louis Armstrong

Oh, but they're nobodies, I'm sure. Especially compared to Andre 3000.

But remember, "time" begins with Elvis.

I like your thinking, but would substitute Tommy Dorsey for Miller and Lester Young for Armstrong. Glenn and Pops were well dressed but not men OF style. Their focus was not on their own visual image - tho it mattered - but on the total organization with Glenn, the spirit and heart with Pops.

TD's intense blue-collar machismo manifested itself in a personal style that had to be letter perfect - like his music. Prez, of course, was an early (and much classier) archetype of the zooted hepcat iconoclast.

Astaire sang (and played a respectable accordion), but his style really was an outgrowth of his dancer's personality. How about Sinatra instead? He learned a lot about style - sartorial and otherwise - from TD.

I will add Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael, both of whom designed much of their own clothing and had idiosyncratic, but refined, tastes. Coleman Hawkins was also a man of great taste, as confidently elegant in dress and speech as he was in his music.

Miles Davis went thru a purist Ivy League phase in the 50s, and always had his own style, changeable tho it may have been.

I might consider Max Raabe if he ever wore anything but evening clothes with his band. They are, however, faultlessly 1930s.

 

[shortbow]

Django gets my vote as numero uno.

 

[Macheath]

Astaire sang (and played a respectable accordion), but his style really was an outgrowth of his dancer's personality. How about Sinatra instead? He learned a lot about style - sartorial and otherwise - from TD.

I think feet and shoe taps should count as instruments. It is still "music" after all.

 

[Sefton]

They got it right with Charlie Watts. He always looked perfectly elegant in his suits-especially when standing next to the train wreck that is Keith Richards (except as noted in that one brief period in the late 60s and early 70s when Keith looked rather good).

 

[dhermann1]

"All time"

So I guess if the human race has been around for 250,000 (the emergence of Cro Magnon Man) then the first 249,950 years didn't exist, or there wasn't any music. And the guys (and gals) who strummed their lyres and tooted their Pan pipes in ancient Greece and Egypt never existed, not to mention Mozart and Bach. This misuse of the phrase "all time" just incenses me. It makes me practically go ballistic every time I hear it. It's sooo friggin' ignorant. :rage:

 

[Feraud]

So I guess if the human race has been around for 250,000 (the emergence of Cro Magnon Man) then the first 249,950 years didn't exist, or there wasn't any music. And the guys (and gals) who strummed their lyres and tooted their Pan pipes in ancient Greece and Egypt never existed, not to mention Mozart and Bach. This misuse of the phrase "all time" just incenses me. It makes me practically go ballistic every time I hear it. It's sooo friggin' ignorant. :rage:

Guys strutting lyres and tooting pan pipes are rarely stylish.

 

[dhermann1]

Guys strutting lyres and tooting pan pipes are rarely stylish.

They were in 400 BC, and in the right context, I'd bet they'd still be today!

 

[Marzipan]

What about Bryan Ferry? He always looks amazing.

 

[Lensmaster]

So I guess if the human race has been around for 250,000 (the emergence of Cro Magnon Man) then the first 249,950 years didn't exist, or there wasn't any music. And the guys (and gals) who strummed their lyres and tooted their Pan pipes in ancient Greece and Egypt never existed, not to mention Mozart and Bach. This misuse of the phrase "all time" just incenses me. It makes me practically go ballistic every time I hear it. It's sooo friggin' ignorant. :rage:

Mozart was quite a stylish guy in his time. Yes if they said "of the rock and roll era" this list would be reasonable. This just shows that people think of history in terms of their own memory. When I talk to young people about the 60's or 70's even they often say it was before their time so they know nothing about it. I tell them that's irrelevant to interest or knowledge. The Big Band era was thirty years before I was born but that doesn't stop me from knowing about it.

 

[just_me]

I think Dr. John is pretty stylish.

 

[kiltie]

Good call, just_me. I also REALLY dig Leon Redbone's get ups:


http://www.nighteaglecafe.org/artists/images/redbone.jpg
http://www.navidspage.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/leonredbone.jpg
http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/features/photos/performances/2004/06/05/images/01.jpg
http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/images/local/400/ddc00513-c480-4671-9d89-ceacac961943.jpg
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/211093.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2062/1528746870_d4eb5ce28c_o.jpg
http://www.photofeatures.com/leonredbone/images/thumbs/r30001a.jpg

Good stuff...

 

[just_me]

Kiltie - you are right.

 

[Feraud]

Redbone's got that classic bluesman's style.

 

[Tomasso]

They got it right with Charlie Watts.

:arated: