(26 Dec 2016, 12:09 am)Jimmi wrote Wonder how many more 'big name' artists (musicians) where their deaths (not necessarily in 2016) would cause such a great deal of upset from their fans on such a wide scale. About the biggest name I can come up with is Madonna. Anyone remember when Michael Jackson went, you could not escape from hearing about his demise and hearing his music and tributes, that was probably the biggest death of a musician in the 21st century so far.

The one that got to me this year was the passing of Bowie, listen to his songs now and I still can't quite believe that he's gone, especially as it came completely out of nowhere. Prince was another sad loss this year.

I normally pick favourite quotes from an artist's work, but with Bowie it's impossible. I love the references made in Life on Mars, the tone to Modern Love and the concept behind Starman. There's so much to appreciate with the music on any and every level.
I love a few of Princes songs, too. "I would die 4 u", "when doves cry", "purple rain" etc. With Michael, Careless Whisper has always been a classic.
I'm guilty of only noticing how good an artist was after they've passed, such as the fact I'd forgotten all about Modern Love, most of Prince's work and attitude, and the lower-lying work by Michael. It's sad that we're only forced good art down our throats once the leading figures have passed. It was the same with Gerry Rafferty, with 'Night owl'.. A song that had slipped me until his passing back in 2011. I don't look back with sadness at their work, it just provokes me to think about the lyrical content a bit more, especially with albums like Blackstar. Most songs tell a story that most overlook.

It's important to embrace and appreciate an artist's work, for they created work to last. Sometimes the less preferable content got the heavy MTV rotation, but I don't think any single one of the artists would want people to fuss over their disappearance, more just focus on their work and message.


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