I didn't see any mention of any of these absolutely amazing artists in the list, so I decided to bring them into the conversations.
Michael Jackson is probably the greatest artist of all time. There was nothing he couldn't do. He recorded some of the most amazing songs ever. And his signature spin along with the move he basically created (which was the moonwalk) can never be challenged. I watched a documentary on him one time, and it showed women having to be taken out on stretchers just because they actually saw him with their bare eyes. One girl was clutching her Thriller album in her arms and could only say "Michael" all the way to the hospital. I don't think there's any superstar, whether they're an actor, musician, athlete, or anything else that has ever had that kind of effect on a person. It's also been well documented long before he died, that if he ever ended up in a pinch and needed cash, all he had to do was release another album. And with his talent, he could do that in his sleep. The closest any musician ever could have come was back in the 50's with either Elvis or the Beatles. But if you compare them side by side, there is no comparison. Michael Jackson is so far above them that comparing them is a waste of time.
Chester Bennington is one of, if not THE greatest metal musicians ever. I don't know of anyone else who can hold a scream for 17 seconds while changing note and octave partway into it. My all time favorite band is Disturbed. There's no question for me. But Linkin Park was a damn close second.
Coolio is a legend. He is up there with Tupac(RIP) and Snoop if not above them. Gangsta's Paradise is a song that sums up everything in life better than most rappers even care to do.
Sure these guys have mainstream success (name me one person who isn't aware of Gangsta's Paradise) while some are mainstream artists, but even those of us who listen to underground music almost exclusively know who they are and what kind of talent they have.
So I just have to say En Pace Requiescat to 3 of the greatest musical artists of our lifetimes. Dislike them or their music if you want, but there is no denying that they're legends with talent that can't be matched.
