Artists/Bands you can't live without

[Papy Oli]

After your years or decades of listening, what would be your ultimate list of artists/bands that you could not live without (all genres except classical), if not for their whole discography but at least several of their albums that you revert to regularly.

Let's go for max 25 names. Strictly 

Happy listing, and happy listening.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

First one of mine that comes to mind:

Richard Thompson   

[Mirror Image]

After your years or decades of listening, what would be your ultimate list of artists/bands that you could not live without (all genres except classical), if not for their whole discography but at least several of their albums that you revert to regularly.

Let's go for max 25 names. Strictly 

Happy listing, and happy listening.

Surely in the title of the thread you meant 'live' instead of leave. But let's see if I can come up with some sort of list:

Miles Davis
Thelonious Monk
Duke Ellington
Bill Evans
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Charles Mingus
John Coltrane
Wes Montgomery
Stan Getz
Bill Frisell
Paul Motian
Pat Metheny Group
Terje Rypdal
Kenny Wheeler
Pink Floyd
Genesis
Steve Hackett
King Crimson
Tangerine Dream
Rush
Vangelis
Kate Bush
Marillion
The Police
David Sylvian

[Papy Oli]

First one of mine that comes to mind:

Richard Thompson   

Thank you. I had one his live albums some years ago (Small Time Romance I think), will have to revisit him as well.

[Papy Oli]

Surely in the title of the thread you meant 'live' instead of leave. But let's see if I can come up with some sort of list:

title edited, hopefully, thank you 

Good list John, I have a few names at the bottom of your list to explore myself.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Thank you. I had one his live albums some years ago (Small Time Romance I think), will have to revisit him as well.

That's a good one.  Two of my favorites are Hand of Kindness and Mirror Blue.  Also a big fan of the ones that he did with his now ex-wife Linda Thompson.

Like Mirror Image, I would also add Kate Bush to my list (though I don't listen to her as much as I used to.  Then again, I haven't been listening to a ton of pop/rock lately.).

Bruce Springsteen would also go on that list.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

By the way, I put on Mirror Blue after typing the above to you; you're to blame!   

PD

[Sergeant Rock]

Emmylou Harris
Van Morrison
Grateful Dead
Janis Joplin
Dolly Parton
Blondie
Leonard Cohen
Tom Waits
The Doors
The Band
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Johnny Cash
Dire Straits
Jerry Lee Lewis
Little Richard
Julie London
Ramones
B-52's
Motörhead
Peter Paul and Mary
Linda Ronstadt
Roxy Music
Dusty Springfield
Warren Zevon
BOW WOW WOW

[71 dB]

King Crimson
Tangerine Dream

These two of course plus these (ladies first):

Carly Simon
Kesha formerly known as Ke$ha
S-Express
The Prodigy
Autechre
Jonny L

I stop here to keep the list short and meaningless. These eight are seriously important for me and represent nicely different music genres, The Prodigy and Jonny L being perhaps the closest artists on the list, but still different enough.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Emmylou Harris
Van Morrison
Grateful Dead
Janis Joplin
Dolly Parton
Blondie
Leonard Cohen
Tom Waits
The Doors
The Band
Bob Marley and the Wailers
Johnny Cash
Dire Straits
Jerry Lee Lewis
Little Richard
Julie London
Ramones
B-52's
Motörhead
Peter Paul and Mary
Linda Ronstadt
Roxy Music
Dusty Springfield
Warren Zevon
BOW WOW WOW

Emmy Lou and Dire Straits are favorites of mine too!     Need to revisit ELH.  Are you familiar with her Red Dirt Girl album Sarge?  One of the things that I love about her is her versatility music-wise over the course of her career.  Not afraid to try things and venture from traditional country (which I like too).

PD

[Papy Oli]

I'd be happy to live with that list only :

Mogwai
ZZ Top
Rodolphe Burger & Kat Onoma
Grant Lee Buffalo & Grant Lee Philips
Depeche Mode
Status Quo
Neil Young
Crosby Stills Nash
Turin Brakes
Creedence Clearwater Revival

****

Bob Dylan
Loudon Wainwright III
George Brassens
Serge Gainsbourg
Eric Clapton
Johnny Cash
Nick Drake
Lambchop
Chris Rea
Stone Roses
Gillian Welch
Metallica
Guns & Roses
Iron Maiden
Dire Straits

[Papy Oli]

That's a good one.  Two of my favorites are Hand of Kindness and Mirror Blue.  Also a big fan of the ones that he did with his now ex-wife Linda Thompson.

I'll bear those in mind thank you.

[Papy Oli]

1 - Van Morrison
2 - Blondie
3 - Julie London
4 - Ramones
5 - Peter Paul and Mary
6 - Linda Ronstadt
7 - Roxy Music
8 - Warren Zevon

Thanks for your list, Sarge.
1 - What would you recommend if Astral Weeks doesn't really work for me ?
2 - i should really listen to Parallel lines 
3 - Never seen that name, what's her music like ?
4 - in my list to explore
5 - Never heard their music either, must remedy
6 - What would be a good album to start with please ?
7 - Ditto please ?
8 - Ditto please ?

Thank you. 

[Papy Oli]

These two of course plus these (ladies first):

Carly Simon
Kesha formerly known as Ke$ha
S-Express
The Prodigy
Autechre
Jonny L

I stop here to keep the list short and meaningless. These eight are seriously important for me and represent nicely different music genres, The Prodigy and Jonny L being perhaps the closest artists on the list, but still different enough.

Thank you Poju. A good reminder I should listen to Tapestry as well at some point. What's a good entry point for Tangerine Dream please ?

edit:ignore that bit, i mixed up Carole king and Carly Simon..  I'll check Carly Simon as well 

[T. D.]

Less than 25 for now (may edit later). Jazz favorites, some obvious, others maybe less so, somewhat random order.

Thelonious Monk
Charles Mingus
Charles Parker
Earl "Bud" Powell
Tadd Dameron
John Coltrane
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Duke Ellington
Sonny Rollins
Clifford Brown
Eric Dolphy
Booker Little
Elmo Hope
Barry Harris
Kenny Dorham
Ernie Henry
Horace Silver
Hank Mobley
Fats Navarro
Sonny Blount 

Add-ons (non- and borderline-jazz):
Ry Cooder
Mose Allison
The Jam

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Any Bonnie Raitt fans out there?  I suspect that she'd be on my list.   

I love Van Morrison's Moondance album Olivier.

So many great jazz and blues singers.  I have some albums, but still so much to explore.  Not certain yet who I would want to be on your list.  Love Billie Holliday and Nina Simone, Koko Taylor....

PD

[vandermolen]

These two of course plus these (ladies first):

Carly Simon
Kesha formerly known as Ke$ha
S-Express
The Prodigy
Autechre
Jonny L

I stop here to keep the list short and meaningless. These eight are seriously important for me and represent nicely different music genres, The Prodigy and Jonny L being perhaps the closest artists on the list, but still different enough.

I also like Kesha/Ke$ha, especially her song 'Tik-Tok'

[TheGSMoeller]

Tom Waits
Bjork
David Bowie
Ray Lynch
Stan Getz
John Coltrane
Natalie Merchant
The Cure
Belle & Sebastian
Ween
Lou Reed
Astor Piazzolla (his non-classical stuff)
Yann Tiersen
Brian Eno

This list was complied quickly in my mind, I'm sure I could add more if I really thought about it, but I'm good with this.

[TheGSMoeller]

Gillian Welch

Fantastic! I saw Gillian Welch and her partner, David Rawlings perform at The Ryman in Nashville, it was amazing. My wife and I agree that in the three years we've lived in Nashville it's the best concert we've seen here.

[Sergeant Rock]

Thanks for your list, Sarge.
1 - What would you recommend if Astral Weeks doesn't really work for me ?
2 - i should really listen to Parallel lines 
3 - Never seen that name, what's her music like ?
4 - in my list to explore
5 - Never heard their music either, must remedy
6 - What would be a good album to start with please ?
7 - Ditto please ?
8 - Ditto please ?

Thank you. 

1. Moondance, Into the Music, Avalon Sunset are three of my favorites
3. She sings pop and jazz standards. This is, I think, her masterpiece:

[asin]B000V7KLPG[/asin]

6. Prisoner in Disguise
7. Avalon or Stranded
8. Stand in the Fire, a live greatest hits album, played in a very hard rock style.