Who are the best contemporary musical artists and the best musical artists of all time? - Ebony Music Poll

Ebony, April, 2002

THE following poll is designed to find out what African-Americans think about the vibrant and ever-changing musical landscape. Do most Blacks prefer soul or rap or gospel? What do they think about the controversy over rap lyrics, and how do they rate the great Black musical artists of today and yesterday? EBONY readers have always been on the cutting edge of the musical scene, and we want to know what you think. Please take a few moments to give us your opinions on these and other issues. Please circle your responses and mail to EBONY MUSIC POLL, 820 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60605. To be considered, questionnaires must be received by March 31, 2002. EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE INDICATED, CIRCLE ONLY ONE LETTER.

THE BEST MALE SINGER OF ALL
TIME IS

a. Harry Belafonte
b. James Brown
c. Nat King Cole
d. Sam Cooke
e. Billy Eckstine
f. Marvin Gaye
g. Johnny Hartman
h. Smokey Robinson
i. Luther Vandross
j. Joe Williams
k. Stevie Wonder

Other:

THE BEST FEMALE POP/SOUL
SINGER OF ALL TIME IS

a. Ella Fitzgerald
b. Aretha Franklin
c. Billie Holiday
d. Gladys Knight
e. Bessie Smith
f. Sarah Vaughan
g. Dinah Washington
h. Ethel Waters

Other:

THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT BLACK
MUSIC PERSONALITIES OF ALL
TIME IN ALL GENRES ARE
(vote for 10)

a. Marian Anderson
b. Louis Armstrong
c. Count Basie
d. Chuck Berry
d. John Coltrane
e. Miles Davis
f. Sammy Davis Jr.
g. Thomas Dorsey
h. Duke Ellington
i. Ella Fitzgerald
j. Dizzy Gillespie
k. Berry Gordy Jr.
l. W.C. Handy
m. Jimi Hendrix
n. Billie Holiday
o. Mahalia Jackson
p. Michael Jackson
q. Quincy Jones
r. B.B. King
s. Bob Marley
t. Wynton Marsalis
u. Charlie Parker
v. Leontyne Price
w. Prince
x. Paul Robeson
y. Tupac Shakur
z. Bessie Smith
aa. Sarah Vaughan
bb. Stevie Wonder

Other:

MY FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY
MALE SINGER IS

a. Babyface
b. Eric Benet
c. Michael Jackson
d. R. Kelly
e. Lenny Kravitz
f. Maxwell
g. Prince
h. Luther Vandross
i. Barry White

Other:

MY FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY
FEMALE SINGER IS

a. India.Arie
b. Erykah Badu
c. Anita Baker
d. Mary J. Blige
e. Toni Braxton
f. Lauryn Hill
g. Whitney Houston
h. Janet Jackson
i. Alicia Keys
j. Gladys Knight
k. Patti LaBelle
l. Jill Scott
m. Dionne Warwick
n. Cassandra Wilson

Other:

MY FAVORITE TYPE OF
MUSIC IS (vote for one)

a. Blues
b. Easy Listening
c. Gospel
d. Hip-Hop
e. Jazz
f. Rap
g. Rhythm & Blues
h. Rock

Other:

MY FAVORITE MALE
RAP/HIP-HOP ACT IS

a. Sean (P. Diddy) Combs
b. Snoop Dogg
c. Dr. Dre
d. Jay-Z
e. II Cool J
h. Master P
i. Public Enemy
j. Run-DMC
k. Tupac Shakur

Other:

MY FAVORITE FEMALE
RAP/HIP-HOP ACT IS

a. Mary J. Blige
b. Da Brat
c. Eve
d. Foxy Brown
e. Missy Elliott
f. Lauryn Hill
g. Lil' Kim
h. Salt n' Pepa
i. Queen Latifah

Other:

THE BEST RAPPER OF All TIME IS

a. Ice Cube
b. LL Cool J
c. Nas
d. Notorious B. I. G.
e. Snoop Dogg
f. Tupac Shakur
g. Will Smith
h. Jay-Z

Other:

MY FAVORITE OPERA STAR IS

a. Kathleen Battle
b. Denyce Graves
c. Barbara Hendricks
d. Jessye Norman

Other:

THE BEST MALE GROUP OF ALL TIME IS

a. Boyz II Men
b. The Commodores
c. Earth, Wind & Fire
d. The Ink Spots
e. The Jackson 5
f. The Mills Brothers
g. The O'Jays
h. The Temptations

Other:

THE BEST FEMALE GROUP
OF ALL TIME IS

a. Destiny's Child
b. En Vogue
c. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
d. The Supremes

Other:

MY FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY
MALE GROUP IS

a. 112
b. Boyz II Men
c. Jagged Edge

Other:

MY FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY
FEMALE GROUP IS

a. Destiny's Child
b. En Vogue
c. TLC

Other:

MY FAVORITE FEMALE GOSPEL
ARTIST IS

a. Yolanda Adams
b. Shirley Caesar
c. Albertina Walker
d. Cece Winans

Other:

MY FAVORITE MALE GOSPEL
ARTIST IS

a. Kirk Franklin
b. Fred Hammond
c. Donnie McClurkin
d. Hezekiah Walker
e. Bebe Winans

Other:

MY FAVORITE LOVE SONG IS

a. "For Once In My Life"
b. "You Send Me"
c. "Here and Now"
d. "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good"
e. "I'll Be There"
f. "I Just Called To Soy I Love You"
g. "Let's Stay Together"
h. "Lovin' You"
h. "Midnight Train To Georgia"
i. "Neither One of Us"
j. "My Girl"
k. "Three Times A Lady"

Other:

MY FAVORITE JAZZ COMPOSITION IS

a. "A Train"
b. "A Love Supreme"
c. "Kind of Blue"
d. "One O'Clock Jump"
e. "'Round Midnight"
f. "Solitude"

Other:

THE GREATEST POP/R&B SONG
OF ALL TIME IS

a. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
b. "Billie Jean"
c. "The Greatest Love of All"
d. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
e. "In the Midnight Hour"
f. "Maybelline"
g. "Purple Rain"
h. "Respect"
i. "Stop! In The Name of Love"
j. "Tutti Frutti"
k. "What's Goin' On?"

Other:

THE GREATEST GOSPEL SONG IS

a. "How I Got Over"
b. "O Happy Day"
c. "Precious Lord"
d. "We Fall Down"

Other:

THE BEST BLACK-ORIENTED
COMPOSITION OF ALL TIME IS

a. "A Train"
b. "Every Day I Have The Blues"
c. "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing"
d. "Strange Fruit"

Other:

I OWN A (CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY)

a. CD player
b. DVD player
c. Big-screen TV

IN THE LAST YEAR, I BOUGHT

a. 0-4 CDs
b. 5 or more CDs
c. 10 or more CDs

IN THE PAST YEAR, I ATTENDED

a. 0-2 concerts
b. 3-9 concerts
c. 10 or more concerts

I BUY MOST OF MY CDS AT

a. Book stores
b. Neighborhood record shops
c. Retail stores
d. Online
e. Super music stores

I THINK RAP LYRICS

a. Reflect the crises of our times
b. Are too vulgar
c. Are too loud
d. Are right on target

I AM

a. Male
b. Female

I AM BETWEEN

a. 15 and 20 years of age
b. 21 and 34
c. 35 to 50
d. 50 and older

I LIVE IN THE

a. East
b. North
c. South
d. West