00:00Welcome to WatchMojo! And today, we're counting down our picks for artists whose influence has
00:16largely permeated music culture, despite perhaps not being all that well-known to
00:21today's international public. We're saving solo acts like Nick Drake or Fella Cootie for another
00:27time. 10. Echo and the Bunnymen
00:52You've got to hand it to the English group Echo and the Bunnymen for choosing a unique,
00:56instantly-recognizable moniker. Of course, there's actually no one named Echo
01:01in the band, nor are there any Bunnymen to be seen. But Ian McCulloch's haunting,
01:07emotive vocals are a true standout for a band that's gone on to inspire
01:11hordes of other acts in their wake.
01:21Modern alternative rock bands like Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, and The Killers have name-checked
01:28Echo and the Bunnymen as an influence, particularly for melding goth and post-punk with a sound
01:33drenched in erotic darkness. And you know what? Songs like The Killing Moon and
01:38Lips Like Sugar just get better with age.
01:499. Badfinger
01:53For every musician's story of greatness, there are many others concerning bands that never
02:07quite achieved the heights for which they seemed to be destined. Badfinger was one of
02:12those groups, a successful band that was known for their association with the Beatles and
02:17their record label Apple Core. Despite their initial sales and critical praise, band management
02:32and legal issues ultimately caused Badfinger to implode. This is a shame because the band
02:38legitimately possessed songwriting and musical chops. Their power-pop sound can be heard today
02:43in bands as diverse as Oasis, and even Mariah Carey, who covered the band's hits without
02:49a few.
03:008. Melvins
03:13The grunge movement of the 1990s wasn't created in a vacuum. It was influenced by
03:19earlier bands that eschewed the traditional metal sounds of the day in favor of something
03:24different. Melvins was one such band. An intentionally unglamorous and idiosyncratic group that wasn't
03:31thrash certainly wasn't glam and possessed a devastating sound all their own.
03:43This sarcastic and self-aware attitude would prove hugely influential to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana,
03:49to the point where Kurt was given a production credit on Melvins' major label debut, Houdini. Today,
03:55Melvins' Black Sabbath and Kiss-influenced attack has itself majorly inspired heavy bands from all walks
04:01of life to give respect to one of the most uncompromising bands of an era.
04:077. Bauhaus
04:19Sometimes, you can easily see which genre was influenced by the work of a particular artist. Other times,
04:38there's a wide array of musicians who see the work of one group and take a major amount of inspiration.
04:44Bauhaus was a trailblazing goth rock outfit that actually experimented with many different sounds
04:50throughout their career.
05:01This, perhaps, explains why heavy metal bands like Celtic Frost, Doomy punk rockers, Amoebics,
05:07and industrial artists like Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy have all looked to Bauhaus.
05:14Singer Peter Murphy, in particular, was the blueprint for some of their ideas. Meanwhile,
05:19Bauhaus delved into everything from psychedelic funk to glam during their own history, refusing
05:25to stand creatively still for even a minute.
05:376. Soft Machine
05:44The musical collective Soft Machine exists at the nexus of jazz fusion, progressive rock,
06:02and exploratory improvisation. The eternally evolving group influenced a wide variety of artists.
06:08Producers in the hip-hop community sought out the band's 1970s recordings as a sampling source.
06:14Producers in the hip-hop community
06:27While Soft Machine's early work featured challenging psychedelia
06:31that was leagues beyond many 12-bar blues bands of the day,
06:35there's an intelligence to their work, too, an eagerness to push the boundaries of instrumentation,
06:40as well as the group's dynamic. Musicians ebbed and flowed throughout the band's revolving door lineup,
06:46all leaving their mark on Soft Machine's legacy.
07:005. Fanny
07:02There are a number of groups that are often singled out as trailblazers when it comes to showcasing women in rock and roll.
07:18The runaways immediately come to mind, but equally deserving is Fanny, who actually emerged much earlier.
07:24Where it all began 17, then we started a band.
07:30Their self-titled debut, released in 1970, is bluesy, gnarly, and chock-full of head-banging riffs.
07:36The arrangements and songwriting are also top-notch, while guitarist June Millington kicks out fiery licks that are nothing short of electric.
07:57The album was the first from an all-female rock band to be released on a major label,
08:02while big-name artists like David Bowie, the Go-Go's, and of course, the Runaways all expressed admiration for Fanny's work.
08:094. Bad Brains
08:15Did you ever question any of the things they taught you while you were at school?
08:24Washington, D.C.'s Bad Brains refused to be classified throughout their massively influential career.
08:30And why should they be?
08:32The band seemed to move effortlessly from some of the most blistering hardcore punk rock
08:38into jazz fusion-tinged heavy metal, straight funk, and laid-back reggae jams.
08:53Their kitchen-sync approach to genre resulted in an equally diverse array of bands being inspired by Bad Brains' work.
09:00The Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and No Doubt have come out as Bad Brains fans.
09:07It's easy to see why, especially if you check out the band's feral live gigs from the early 80s.
09:14Number 3. My Bloody Valentine
09:24Loud, soft, heavy, and fragile. This is somehow the sound of My Bloody Valentine.
09:43A cult rock band from the late 1980s that fit the bill in offering a true alternative to pop radio.
10:00The band's sound is often described as one of the first in shoegames, a subgenre that's heavily dependent on pedals and tone to create atmospheres of noisy discordance and melancholy glamour.
10:12There's an artistry to what band leader Kevin Shields and company created that was devastatingly unique for the time, while still sounding fresh today.
10:21Meanwhile, experimental rock acts like Radiohead, Deftones, and the Smashing Pumpkins all owe My Bloody Valentine a debt of gratitude.
10:29Number 2. The Zombies
10:38It's the time of the season when love runs high.
10:48As a part of the British invasion of the 1960s, the Zombies made their mark in the rock world with their first hit single, She's Not There.
10:57But their name rarely comes up alongside bands like The Beatles, The Who, or The Rolling Stones, despite their beautifully melodic Baroque pop.
11:18Their unique sound is an early predecessor of the Indian alternative rock movements that began to take form in the 70s and 80s.
11:25Artists such as Tom Petty, Dave Grohl, and Bell and Sebastian have credited The Zombies for their impact on their own music.
11:33If you've never listened to The Zombies, be sure to check out their album Odyssey and Oracle.
11:40Oh, and you're welcome.
11:42It's the time of the season for loving.
11:55Before we name our number one pin, here are some honorable mentions.
11:59Television.
12:00Proto-punk trailblazers.
12:02I spoke to a man down at the tracks.
12:13Blue cheer.
12:14The early sound of heavy metal starts here.
12:17A bottle working on summer just to try to earn a dollar.
12:24But Lord, I tried to call my baby, I tried to get a date.
12:31The Raincoats.
12:33Female.
12:34Feminist.
12:35Ferocious.
12:36Those buildings that saw the airplanes.
12:40That kissed the air in vain fantasy.
12:44Only loved at night.
12:48Wire.
12:49Art-punk experimentalism.
12:51The Flash is increasing.
12:52Looting.
12:53Burning.
12:54Rain.
12:55Rain.
12:56The Meters.
12:57Laying down nasty funk in the late 60s.
12:58The Meters.
13:00Laying down nasty funk in the late 60s.
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13:161.
13:17Sparks
13:18When I'm with you, I'll never try to break the informants.
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13:37You know a band has achieved true cult status when a filmmaker like Edgar Wright directs
13:57a documentary about them.
13:59But many music bands still don't know they exist.
14:03These were an indescribably weird band with an irresistible and lovable aura.
14:22This was despite keyboardist Ronald Mayle sporting one defiantly quirky choice of mustache,
14:28a visual focal point for a band that certainly wasn't solely relying on Image to sell their
14:33music.
14:34No, Sparks could play and write some great songs to boot.
14:38These were tunes that took power pop, disco, new wave, and hard rock and placed them into
14:44an idiosyncratic blender.
14:46The result was a career that would influence similar stylistically defiant bands like Faith
14:51No More and Franz Ferdinand.
15:04Are you a raving fan of any of these groups?
15:06Are there any that pique your interest?
15:09Let us know in the comments!
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