Is Ed Sheeran the greatest music artist of all time?

silliussoddius · 20-12-2021 6:16pm

Write your own Ed Sheeran song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTI4Y8WQBl0

Capt'n Midnight · 20-12-2021 6:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118352440#Comment_118352440

Near a tree by a river

There's a hole in the ground

Where an old man of Aran

Goes around and around

They may be placeholder rhymes but better than busker.

AckwelFoley · 20-12-2021 6:22pm

He's terrible. What has he done for music.

You can't compare him to these incredible artists

>>INSERT LIST OF ARTISTS THAT ARE A FAVOURITE AMONG THOSE THAT WANT TO BE COUNTER CULTURE AND EDGEY BUT INFACT NOBODY REALLY GIVES A TOSS ABOUT<<

The reality is its often subjective and I find that these debates are often overpowered by wankstains

Music develops. Some create, other copy or mimic.

Michael Jackson created and influenced many artists, but he himself was influenced by other artists.

Do I think Ed is the best artist ever, of course not, but I do like what he's tried to do in different genres.

His song with Bocelli is quite good. I think he tries to do different things, and he does it well

happyoutscan · 20-12-2021 6:30pm

He's *****, like these threads.

pimpmyhat · 20-12-2021 6:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118349906#Comment_118349906

Dodgy date on that cheese lad!!

NuttyMcNutty · 20-12-2021 6:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118349912#Comment_118349912

Think you forgot Prince there pal. Wrote, played, Produced and whatever else needed to be done, even showed his band members how to play what he wanted on any instrument.

Don't make them like they used to.

Hyperbollix · 20-12-2021 7:24pm

No he isn't. He's just another example of the rise of mediocrity in every aspect of public life. Ed Sheeran smashing the charts. Harry Maguire and Paul Pogba earning a kings ransom at Man United. Boris Johnson sitting in 10 Downing St. We live in a post ability/talent world it seems.

funkey_monkey · 20-12-2021 7:45pm

The disappointment, rage and WTF? at a country wedding when the dj says he's going to play Galway Girl and then plays Ed sheeran's version let's you know he'll never be the greatest.

elperello · 20-12-2021 7:56pm

I admire your enthusiasm OP but he's probably not the greatest of all time.

There are quite a few artistes who would lay a stronger claim to that accolade.

He is pretty good at what he does though so don't lose heart.

GLaDOS · 20-12-2021 7:56pm

Minimum effort from the OP and still gets plenty of bites.

20-12-2021 7:58pm

No, that would be the DOD from Kincasslagh.

20-12-2021 8:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118353204#Comment_118353204

What are you talking about? He is the

AndyBoBandy · 20-12-2021 8:20pm

No, but these lads probably were;

mary 2021 · 20-12-2021 10:34pm

OP try listening to Gabriels love & hate in a different time or bloodline sublime music, then listen to sheeran compare.

riclad · 20-12-2021 11:47pm

Thats like saying is mcdonalds the best food of all time, or is spider gwen or harley quinn the greatest super hero of all time, nick cave or neil young is a better singer, and their songs adress a wide range of subjects, like grief or growing old ,

Ed sheeran sings sentimental love songs ,the ones i heard or mostly about women, i find you sexy, i love you , id like to have sex with you ,

eg basic songwriting 101 subject love and .

ed sheeran is probably not even in the top 50 songrighters even if you limit the scale to male pop singers from the last 30 years.

its like the xfactor ,in 30 years time will anyone remember the xfactor tv show ? , except as part of a trend for reality tv talent show

billyhead · 21-12-2021 12:00am

Your having a laugh OP. Better then Elvis,Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Michael Jackson, Prince to name a few. I don't think so.

Arghus · 21-12-2021 12:02am

Definitely in the top 99.999%

Rothko · 21-12-2021 12:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118353204#Comment_118353204

Boards has to be on of the easiest places to troll online. It takes no effort at all.

Montage of Feck · 21-12-2021 12:14am

I don't like to criticise Ed as he seems like an unpretentious decent type but he's not exactly Neil Young.

Apothic_Red · 21-12-2021 12:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118353307#Comment_118353307

I watched the 8 hour Peter Jackson documentary about the making of the Let It Be album.

Sheeran has a formula, it works, his live loop pedal skill is impressive.

Genius however exists in the group above.

21-12-2021 12:30am

I like Ed but his Galway Girl is even worse than Sharon Shannon's.

Two of the worst songs ever recorded.

cuttingtimber22 · 21-12-2021 1:09am

What Ed did with Galway girl was nothing short of extraordinary. He deserves to be on a list alright.

21-12-2021 1:31am

Girlfriend had him on yesterday and I like him. Obviously not greatest ever, but if you enjoy it, then it's good, catchy, often uplifting music.

I'm way past my days of caring about specific artists or what they represent. I'm as likely to put on Dua Lipa now as I am to put on Led Zeppelin.

I think a lot of it is about modern production quality. Regardless of the song, modern music just uses more of the range or something and is more pleasing to the ear. A lot of the older stuff sounds compressed in comparison. At least old old music can be remastered but a lot of music during the transition to digital can't be. Well as effectively anyway. Same with movies.

Larbre34 · 21-12-2021 1:38am

There's a good clip on YouTube, filmed at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo a few years back.

Its of Simple Minds performing 'Dont You Forget About Me', on the anniversary of the Movie 'The Breakfast Club', for which it was the theme song, in front of some of the original cast.

Theres a whole load of current day music stars dancing in the audience, like Lady Gaga and Harry Styles, lapping it up for the classic it is and then the camera pans past a motionless Ed Sheeran looking sick as a proverbial parrot. Ive always suspected he realised what a real music act looked like that day.

21-12-2021 2:03am

I think eminem is probably better. He is better than Ed

21-12-2021 2:11am

His views on his videos show otherwise, billions of views while some of your artists have barely 10 million

An example here: 5,556,452,997 which equals to 5 billion 556 million 452 thousand 997

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGwWNGJdvx8

Now compared to a rolling stones classic with 5 milion views. Ed has an extra 1000 views for every view from the rolling stones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef9QnZVpVd8

21-12-2021 2:28am

^ Ach, that's a bit harsh @Larbre34 . Personally, I think he is too safe, too by the numbers, and ultimately boring, chocolate-boxy drivel... but 'real music' as you use it is just a euphemism for 'music I like'.

I wouldn't cross the road to see Lady Gaga eat a hedgehog from the neighbour's garden or whatever she does and I wouldn't go into the kitchen to hear Harry Styles sing. If Simple Minds showed up at my front door, I'd just shake my head sadly and close it without saying a word. But that doesn't mean they are not creating real music that people like.

Anyway, just out of morbid curiosity, I did some quick googling and discovered that Sheeran has sold just over twice as many records (22 million) as Daniel O'Donnell (10 million), so he must be taken seriously.

However Dolly Parton, who I would walk to the end of the road to see despite not being a fan of her music, has sold 100 million records. And given away 130 million books to schoolkids. The likes of Sheeran has a lot of catching up to do! :D

bnt · 21-12-2021 2:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118352454#Comment_118352454

I’m not exaggerating how badly I dislike buskers. You didn’t say what guitar experience you have, so EADGCF might not mean anything to you, but it’s more internally consistent and doesn’t compromise to make a busker’s life easier. It really makes you think about your choices.

BorneTobyWilde · 21-12-2021 2:48am

I thought Michael Jackson was the best, seemed to change on the back of a fictional documentary though. Then those two guys when back to court, again, and got laughed out of court, again.

So I think it's unfair not to include Michael Jackson, to dismiss a whole career on the back of a 90 min butcher job is silly.

https://youtu.be/nlnqu2W7S18?t=111

21-12-2021 3:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354659#Comment_118354659

How many records do you buy? It's a dead metric when the world uses YT and Spotify.

21-12-2021 3:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354663#Comment_118354663

I get that using an alternative tuning forces you think about your choices, or at least to see things afresh/refocus and that is good. EADGCF isn't that uncommon.. and isn't part of the reason all 4ths is sometimes favoured over standard tuning because it enables more symmetrical and consistent shapes to be played than standard tuning? i.e. in some ways it requires less thought for certain patterns?

Anyway, you can always think about your choices.. even in standard tuning. What's stopping you, except yourself and your hatred of buskers? Does this just apply to guitar-based buskers? I can't stand those Peruvian fellas with their little pipes.. they deserve some flak too :)

21-12-2021 3:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354687#Comment_118354687

True dat. Sales is no measure anyway. Conversations like these are just demoralizing for young musicians, IMO. The fact of the matter is that there is an audience for every type of music.. all that matters is that the musicians enjoy playing and the audience enjoy listening.

Anyway I'm back off to the dancing about architecture thread... :D

Eduard Khil · 21-12-2021 3:48am

Robbed Tom Petty to write a song with another shill Sam Smith

he is a classless manufactured hack unleashed on the mindless masses

Strumms · 21-12-2021 4:38am

He’s not even the best ginger artist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYuUHUS3J5A

Strumms · 21-12-2021 4:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118352405#Comment_118352405

It’s a great image, the inoffensive boy next door…nothing controversial, nothing unsightly

dogbert27 · 21-12-2021 5:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118352623#Comment_118352623

Take a bit of "Summer of 69" sprinkle a lot of Bruce Springsteenesque imagery to an English childhood and hey presto! "Castle on the Hill".

I've heard his songs and as others have said, he's a play by numbers artist. Everything is formulaic.

His image is basically the Boris Johnson of pop. Rogueish, dishevelled, "one of us" types that the English love. He's basically the "Robbie Williams / David Gray" of now.

I'm not saying his music is bad but it's not great and he's certainly not the greatest in terms of a musician or a song writer.

21-12-2021 5:53am

I think what is obvious when he's talked about is a lot of people don't know what songs are his.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJSJGHjBLI

Like that song is not "busker" or by the numbers. It's been on in the background in my apartment for the last few weeks and I only found out yesterday it's him. I think it's excellent.

Hangdogroad · 21-12-2021 9:31am

Daniel O Donnell is the sexiest man alive.

Crocodile Booze · 21-12-2021 9:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354937#Comment_118354937

No. Twink is the sexiest man alive.

Shilock · 21-12-2021 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118353204#Comment_118353204

Sometimes it's easier to throw out a stick float and breadcrumbs in a pond full of Rudd, rather than drop a blue winged olive under a hawthorn...

Wanderer78 · 21-12-2021 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058223618/is-ed-sheeran-the-greatest-music-artist-of-all-time

....maybe you need to broaden your musical horizons!

Faolchu · 21-12-2021 10:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118349671#Comment_118349671

technically teh second biggest behind The BEatles and after Elvis in record sales

AckwelFoley · 21-12-2021 10:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354680#Comment_118354680

Nobody is judging the man based on the lies of 2 creepy little fcukers that have a history of telling porkies.

Except the woke media of course. They tripped over themselves

Gregor Samsa · 21-12-2021 11:44am

It's funny seeing so many people mention The Beatles as the best band ever. I could understand this if they were around when the so-called Fab Foursome were on the go, but I doubt that most of the people saying it here are in their 80s.

If you listen back on their stuff objectively, there's no way you'd say they were the best band in the world if countless hipsters hadn't been telling you that they were the best band in the world over and over again. Take "Twist And Shout". Talk about formulaic, and by the numbers. Is anyone seriously claiming that this is better than Chubby Checker? It's not even better than Chubby Checker And The Fat Boys.

And as for lyrical integrity - Imagine if Taylor Swift repeated "Oompah, oompah, stick it up your jumpah" at the end of what was supposed to be one of her classics. She's be rightly laughed out of it by the very denizens of musical taste that laud the Beatles for it.

Ed Sheeran at least writes about real things. That "Castle on the hill" is a real castle, on a real hill. I've seen pictures of it, it's a fine castle - well worthy of a hit song. The Beatles spent most of their time whacked out on goofballs singing total non-sense about nothing. Ok, Penny Lane is a real lane. But in the song it's got blue skies - yet the fireman "rushes from the pouring rain". They're pretty much writing anything that rhymes.

And comparing Steve Earl's Galway Girl to Ed's song. Is anyone seriously believing that old, balding, bearded Steve Earl just happened across a beautiful young woman out on the street in the rain, she invites him back to her house for shelter and they have a mad, wild one-night stand? I'll take "things that didn't happen" for ten bazillion, Alex. Ed's song could actually happen.

AndyBoBandy · 21-12-2021 12:05pm

The Beatles need to be taken as a whole though.

They started out with the likes of Twist & Shout, and ended up at Let it Be & Abbey Road 8-9 years later. Their output was absolutely phenomenal, and it all happened over a 10 year period. in 10 years they released 22 studio albums!!!!! Twenty Two!!!!

I'm not even entertaining the likes of Ed Sheehan or Taylor Swift in a conversation that contains The Beatles. Ed & Tay Tay are existing in a digital online world, billions of streams on Spotify doesn't mean billions of people listen to their music.....

If you watch a video on Youtube 100 times, it doesn't equate to 100 people have watched it despite it saying it's had 100 views...

The Beatles have influenced thousands of bands that came after them and a lot of those bands that could be considered top 100 of all time., TayTay & Ed have influenced thousands of kids who just want to be famous.

Swift's & Sheeran's record companies could only dream about the levels of output The Beatles had.

whisky_galore · 21-12-2021 12:12pm

No.

Easy listening busker music that there's a market for.

irishguitarlad · 21-12-2021 12:22pm

He's definitely not the greatest, I don't like the guys music but he has some bit of talent. If you want to listen to music that has zero musical talent listen to reggaeton, my god what a load of shít. My own top 5 is the stones, beatles, prince, nirvana and bowie.

xzanti · 21-12-2021 12:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118349760#Comment_118349760

Are you talking about the light hailers?

Gregor Samsa · 21-12-2021 12:31pm

Their output was absolutely phenomenal, and it all happened over a 10 year period. in 10 years they released 22 studio albums!!!!!

Merzbow have released over 400 albums in 40 years, that's an average of 100 a decade. By your reasoning, they should be almost 5 times better than The Beatles. But I bet if you listened to them, you'd be going on about "quality, not quantity". Double standards are always applied to The Beatles. It's like a cult.

Actually, Merzbow and Ed Sheeran would be a phenomenal collaboration.

21-12-2021 12:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118354758#Comment_118354758

I closed my eyes --videos are just distractions in a conversation like this-- and got through 1m30s of the song. The arrangement is moderately interesting as it slips into the dancy bass, but yes from the opening woah woah woh the vocal lines are standard stuff. His breathless vocal technique is designed to evoke sincerity and vulnerability and is quite lady-like, IMO. That stood out. Maybe that is part of his appeal, but he's no Jimmy Somerville :D

Is Ed Sheeran the greatest music artist of all time?

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