What does anybody think about the idea of genius in music? Misguided, elitist, uncritical? Or perhaps the best way to describe a person whose talent seems touched by something exceptionally far out of the ordinary?
I personally quite like the idea. Something of the divine in it. I struggle to think of Prince, for example, as not fitting the description.
For my money, from people still making music, I’d describe the below as geniuses
Joanna Newsom
Richard D James
PJ Harvey
Yep, Prince was a musical genius. You can say many things about him that would be negative but his talent cannot be denied. My drummer friend who doesn’t even really like Prince, was losing his mind recently about a live video where he went to the kit and was able to flawlessly pick up “a displaced back beat” ( 
) from nothing more than a crazy horn line.
A proper one man band, he could play so many instruments, and not just at a competent level. He was the fucking best!
Appreciate it isn’t entirely about technical proficiency, but a lot of it is, and I’m just not very interested in that.
Similarly the idea of a musical canon and “important records” and blah blah. Too often it devolves into enjoying music as if it’s a series of merit badges to be achieved, and it’s just a bit dull imo.
I like the website Genius though. That’s good.
Anyone can get somewhere with practice, but some people are born aot closer to it. I remember a guy I knew in uni who ended up doing a degree in music a year after picking up a guitar for the first time. He could just… do it.
There are two strands though, aren’t there? There is that rapid proficiency where you are just wired on a way that makes picking up the skillet easy (itself a combination of ear and dexterity), but also the creative streak of coming up with ideas that are unique and engaging.
I don’t think you have to be a genius to make good music, or art in general.
You can be as technically gifted as it gets on any one or multiple instruments and the art you create could still be completely devoid of any greatness. Sometimes you are literally Prince.
Nah doesn’t exist. Art is expressing yourself and some of the most meaningful can be done by people with limited skills and resources. Being able to play everything or do it easily is cool but often detracts and distracts from making something actually good
Definitely a thread in notable genius annotations
Kate Bush is a genius
don’t think it can be defined musically and isn’t really a thing.
I think all of these are really good but not sure what would make them a genius?
What’s the singer from Toploader called?
Some combination of their distinctive and enduring creativity, far beyond the reach of the enormous majority of people no matter the resources at their disposal and the outside factors or luck that go in their favour? Highly rigorous I’m sure you’ll agree.
From now on I’m refusing to listen to any music produced by non-geniuses
Not having it - our Joanna sounds like a strangled cat
Gene Yeeus
Think as a term it sort of underlplays the the work and process that goes into creating great art. Like she’s obviously got an incredible natural gift but Joanna Newsom didn’t sit down by a harp for the first time and write Sawdust & Diamonds. Whether it’s as a performer, musician, writer or whatever all of the people mentioned itt will be incredibly talented but also honed that talent over years of practice, trial & error etc.
when you think about what goes into making a videogame, musicians seem like such slackers, writing playing or singing a melody is one of the most basic things you can do
Dave Mustaine from Megadeth is a musical genius. Invented the spider chord and wrote Rust in Peace.
Also a complete dickhead. 