Your favorite popular music artist?

[Dr. Dread]

Richard Thompson.

I should get around to him someday.

[rockerreds]

The Byrds and Velvet Underground (tie)

[Haffner]

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, all the albums up to and including Down to Earth.

[hornteacher]

Beatles (and the solo careers of John and George)
Bob Dylan
Byrds
CCR

[Kullervo]

Kate Bush
The Blue Nile
Brian Eno
Yellow Magic Orchestra

[Dr. Dread]

Beatles (and the solo careers of John and George)
Bob Dylan
Byrds
CCR

Very nice!

[gomro]

Just curious.

Mine is still The Beatles, with Bob Dylan snapping at their heels. I wasn't into Dylan much until I read his Chronicles, Volume 1. Now I consider him a genius.

He needs to get to work on volumes two and three.

It would be hard for me to proclaim a "favorite" popular music artist, any more than I could single out a single composer of art music as the absolute "favorite."  The Beatles, sure, but there are a few others that come to mind first:

Peter Hammill/Van der Graaf Generator
Don Ellis
Magma
L'Orkestre des pas Perdus
Univers Zero

That's right off the top of my head. It's liable to change tomorrow.

[toledobass]

Right now? Stevie and Prince


Allan

[Brian]

Mine is still The Beatles,

Me too! Although Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, and Creedence Clearwater Revival are pretty close. Early Electric Light Orchestra is pretty good.
I also love Paul's new album.

[ChamberNut]

Beethoven.  He's very popular.

[Brian]

Beethoven.  He's very popular.

Hey! You're from Winnipeg. You should listen to Finjan.

[Bogey]

I will base this on the "popular" bands that I am actually trying to complete their discography:

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Peter Gabriel
Dire Straits

and I agree with you Brian, Simon and Garfunkel.  I am trying to track down some of their stuff on mono vinyl.  Heard it's excellent.

[Kullervo]

Prince

Prince from Dirty Mind to Sign 'O' the Times is awesome — I would have added him too, but I wanted to keep the list short.

[Dr. Dread]

Prince from Dirty Mind to Sign 'O' the Times is awesome — I would have added him too, but I wanted to keep the list short.

Yep. 

[Dr. Dread]

I will base this on the "popular" bands that I am actually trying to complete their discography:

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Peter Gabriel
Dire Straits

and I agree with you Brian, Simon and Garfunkel.  I am trying to track down some of their stuff on mono vinyl.  Heard it's excellent.

Dire Straits! Nice. I liked them before they went MTV.

[Dr. Dread]

Me too! Although Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, and Creedence Clearwater Revival are pretty close. Early Electric Light Orchestra is pretty good.
I also love Paul's new album.

CCR is definitely a contender.

[Bogey]

Dire Straits! Nice. I liked them before they went MTV.

Agreed.

[Bogey]

Other bands I "flirt" with but do not go after everything:

The Who
REM
Talking Heads
Early Elton
Chicago
Hendrix

[Brian]

CCR is definitely a contender.

There's a giant doing cartwheels, a statue wearin' high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.

[Brian]

and I agree with you Brian, Simon and Garfunkel.  I am trying to track down some of their stuff on mono vinyl.  Heard it's excellent.

Fortunately I still have some of the - would the word be traditional? - albums to enjoy for the first time.