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When One Artist Sparked Another’s Greatest Hit

When great artists listen, they don’t just hear, they transform.

By Sabrina Fernandez

Published 3 months ago in Wow

Some of the most iconic songs and albums didn’t come from thin air, they were sparked by the work of other artists. Sometimes it was a life-changing live show, sometimes a single lyric, and other times a style so unique it demanded to be reimagined.


Inspiration can come from a chord progression, a stage persona, a rhythm that lodges in the brain, or a voice that feels like it’s speaking directly to them. Music history is full of these creative chain reactions.


What begins as admiration can turn into reinvention, blending the old with the new until it becomes something entirely different. It’s proof that music is alive and well across decades, where each generation builds on the ones before, leaving their own mark for the next to discover.

  • 1

    Pearl Jam & Neil Young

    Eddie Vedder has called Neil Young “the godfather of grunge” and cited Cortez the Killer as a personal blueprint.

    Pearl Jam & Neil Young

  • 2

    Led Zeppelin & Willie Dixon

    Many Zeppelin blues-rock staples were directly inspired by (or reinterpreted from) Dixon’s Chicago blues.

    Led Zeppelin & Willie Dixon

  • 3

    U2 & The Ramones

    Bono said he learned how to write short, punchy songs from hearing The Ramones’ Sheena Is a Punk Rocker. The band even wrote The Miracle in tribute.

    U2 & The Ramones

  • 4

    The Clash & The Ramones

    Seeing The Ramones live in London in 1976 convinced The Clash to pick up their instruments and form a band.

    The Clash & The Ramones

  • 5

    Nirvana & The Pixies

    Kurt Cobain admitted Smells Like Teen Spirit was his attempt at “writing a Pixies song” with quiet verses and loud choruses.

    Nirvana & The Pixies

  • 6

    The Rolling Stones & Muddy Waters

    The Stones named themselves after a Muddy Waters song and sought him out in Chicago in 1964 to jam with him.

    The Rolling Stones & Muddy Waters

  • 7

    David Bowie & The Velvet Underground

    Bowie was such a Lou Reed fan that he carried a cassette of The Velvet Underground & Nico everywhere, playing it for anyone who’d listen.

    David Bowie & The Velvet Underground

  • 8

    Prince & Joni Mitchell

    Prince was such a fan he wrote her letters as a teen and later referenced her in The Ballad of Dorothy Parker.

    Prince & Joni Mitchell

  • 9

    The Killers & New Order

    Brandon Flowers channeled New Order’s synth-rock energy into tracks like Somebody Told Me.

    The Killers & New Order

  • 10

    Radiohead & Jeff Buckley

    Thom Yorke has said that recording Fake Plastic Trees changed after seeing Jeff Buckley live in 1994; he was so moved by his vocal style that he re-recorded the song in one take, in tears.

    Radiohead & Jeff Buckley

  • 11

    Fleetwood Mac's obsession with Brian Wilson

    Buckingham studied Pet Sounds intensely while producing Tusk, even trying to replicate Wilson’s layered harmonies in songs.

    Fleetwood Mac's obsession with Brian Wilson

  • 12

    The Smiths & T. Rex

    Johnny Marr was heavily influenced by Marc Bolan’s glam rock riffs when crafting The Smiths’ guitar style.

    The Smiths & T. Rex

  • 13

    Arctic Monkeys & The Strokes

    Alex Turner has said The Strokes’ Is This It inspired him to form Arctic Monkeys and write lyrics.

    Arctic Monkeys & The Strokes

  • 14

    The Beatles & Bob Dylan

    Dylan introduced The Beatles to more introspective, socially conscious songwriting, which shifted their music toward Rubber Soul.

    The Beatles & Bob Dylan

  • 15

    U2 & Joy Division

    Early U2 basslines and atmospheric guitar effects owe much to Joy Division’s Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner.

    U2 & Joy Division

  • 16

    Oasis & The Beatles

    Liam and Noel Gallagher wore their Beatles influence proudly, even mimicking album covers and melodic phrasing.

    Oasis & The Beatles

  • 17

    Bruce Springsteen & Phil Spector

    Springsteen modeled Born to Run’s “wall of sound” after Spector’s productions.

    Bruce Springsteen & Phil Spector

Categories:

Wow Celebs Pop Culture Retro Music

Tags:

music inspiration music evolution artists influence rock pop nostalgia
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