Another Survey....Top Ten Artists From New Jersey

[daviddesper]

Those creative folks at AXS TV are at it again, as they broadcast an episode in which they counted down the Top Ten recording artists from New Jersey. It was somewhat tongue in cheek because the commentator mentioned how the state gets a bad rap in other ways, so the idea was to instead show a positive side by highlighting all the great music that has come from the state. So I will be interested to see what you guys think of it. [[Who was in the wrong position? Who was left off altogether, etc.?)

I assume by the way that this was a one-time thing just for New Jersey. After all with some states [[CA, TX, NY, LA, MI for example) you could do a Top 50 and not scratch the surface. On the opposite end, I doubt seriously if we will ever see a Top 10 artists list for Montana, Wyoming, Delaware, etc.!

Anyway, here is the top 10 for NJ........

10) Paul Simon
9) Dionne Warwick
8) Queen Latifah
7) Sugarhill Gang
6) The Fugees
5) Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
4) Frank Sinatra
3) Whitney Houston
2) Bon Jovi
1) Bruce Springsteen

[milven]

It is a good list, but has one big omission. Connie Francis is not there, but by now, she is probably used to being ignored. She is a Jersey Girl and deserves to be somewhere on the list

Connie Francis sold more than 100 million records worldwide and starred in a few popular films like WHERE THE BOYS ARE

She was the first woman in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had at least fifty hits over her career.

She never got a Grammy, was not elected to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and now she didn't even get on the list of Top Ten Recording Artists from NJ

She retired from singing at age eighty. But at 86, she is still here. Still time to give her something like a Lifetime Grammy Award, or entrance into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [[which she should have been among the first to get one) and she can keep it AMONG HER SOUVENIRS

[Motown Eddie]

Here's another big omission from that list, Kool & The Gang. The group was formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.

[imnokid]

Paul Simon may have been born in NJ, but his family moved to Queens when he was 4 or 5. That is where he made his bones as a singer/songwriter. I would not consider him a Jersey artist.

I agree on Connie Francis and Kool & The Gang. If it was "my" ten, I'd eliminate Simon & The Fugees and add Connie & Kool.

[daviddesper]

When they were discussing Paul on the show, they clarified that he was primarily considered a New Yorker.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Connie surely deserves it. In addition to her beautiful voice, MGM let her select her own material and produce her own recording sessions [[although she wasn't given producer credit). Why the R&R Hall Of Fame has ignored her so is beyond me, but after all the years of being ignored, her feeling on that is, "It's too late. They can keep it." Can't blame her -- not one iota. At this point in time, it doesn't matter, though. Connie has her own Facebook page with tons of fans who still appreciate her outstanding talent and her countless MGM recordings, including yours truly.

Another favorite recording artist from New Jersey is Lesley Gore from Tenafly, NJ. After several successful Mercury albums produced by Quincy Jones, she was a popular, successful staple of the Girl Group Era. One of my favorites, for sure.

[lucky2012]

Connie surely deserves it. In addition to her beautiful voice, MGM let her select her own material and produce her own recording sessions [[although she wasn't given producer credit). Why the R&R Hall Of Fame has ignored her so is beyond me, but after all the years of being ignored, her feeling on that is, "It's too late. They can keep it." Can't blame her -- not one iota. At this point in time, it doesn't matter, though. Connie has her own Facebook page with tons of fans who still appreciate her outstanding talent and her countless MGM recordings, including yours truly.

Another favorite recording artist from New Jersey is Lesley Gore from Tenafly, NJ. After several successful Mercury albums produced by Quincy Jones, she was a popular, successful staple of the Girl Group Era. One of my favorites, for sure.

Thank you for acknowledging Leslie & Connie. My list of favorite NJ artists would be [[in order) Dionne, Lesley, Four Seasons, Sinatra. After those four, my age & musical biases show. I was too young at Connie's peak [but I love her voice] and too old for Whitney [though I admire her talent]. Never really got into Springsteen, Bon Jovi or Kool & the Gang [though I liked some hits here & there]. I love Paul Simon's music but he's definitely a New York artist.

[daviddesper]

Thanks guys for the input. When my partner and I were watching this survey and Dionne only came in at number 9, we thought "Uh oh, here we go again." [[We didn't have much of an opinion one way or another on Paul Simon and where he was born, where he grew up, etc.)

So we started immediately to speculate on the rest of them. We fully expected to see Bon Jovi and Bruce in the top two spots, and it was no surprise to see Frank in there, but some of the others were totally unexpected.

As some of you have already stated, Connie Francis certainly deserved to be in there. But we were also disappointed to see The Shirelles ignored.

Last but not least, and this is of course the old school fan in me talking, but I had a REAL hard time seeing Queen Latifah and The Fugees each coming in higher than Dionne. But what can I say.......you can't please all the people all the time!

[motony]

The Shirelles should be on top of this list!!

[milven]

The Shirelles should be on top of this list!!

OMG. How could I forget them. They are a local group from Passaic and about fifteen years ago Passaic renamed part of Paulison Street after them in their honor. They belong near the top

[lucky2012]

OMG. How could I forget them. They are a local group from Passaic and about fifteen years ago Passaic renamed part of Paulison Street after them in their honor. They belong near the top

DOH! Me, too. They belong on top of my list, just after Dionne.

[woodward]

I guess I am the dumb one, but honestly I have never heard of the Fugees and the Sugarhill Gang. If I heard a song by them it would have me confused.

Two other candidates: Essex [Easier Said than Done] and Ronnie & the HiLites [I Wish that We Were Married]. Both more know than the Fugees and Sugarhill Gang.

[robb_k]

My list, off the top of my head is [[in no particular order):
Clyde McPhatter
Sarah Vaughn
George Kerr[[The Serenaders)
Dionne Warwick
DeeDee Warwick
Ben E. King
George Clinton[[Pre-1966 Parliaments)
Cissy Houston
Lesley Gore
Whitney Houston

But it's a weird list, probably missing lots of better singers [[or singers I like better) than a few of these, because I was never an East Coaster, so, I have little idea of which New York label singers lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Hoboken, Jersey City, Queens, The Bronx, Long Island or Connecticut or North New Jersey Suburbs, or even Philadelphia, Hartford or Providence. The Shirellkes were okay, but I didn't like Shirley Alston's singing as much as the singers on this list. Timothy Wilson would be next.

Now, IF you asked for Chicago/Northwest Indiana singers, I could make a stronger list.

[sansradio]

Let's hear it for The Moments and Linda Jones, somebody!

[Motown Eddie]

Here's yet other one: The Manhattans who were formed in Jersey City, NJ in 1962. Also a shout out to those who others previously mentioned: The Shirelles, Linda Jones, The Moments, Connie Francis & Lesley Gore.

[Motown Eddie]

And speaking of Artists from New Jersey, Here's a documentary that may be interesting. This info is from Goldmine.com-

Documentary film pays tribute to the music from the Garden State

The Jersey Sound film highlights the music and musicians from New Jersey and includes interviews with many of them.

Documentary film pays tribute to the music from the Garden State - Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia

[milven]

Thank you for this article. Nice mention of the Capital Theater in Passaic and how acts were forbidden to appear there until after the Fillmore East closed in 1971. But it flourished after the 75 mile ban was removed, and New Yorkers came to Passaic by the busload and carload to see some terrific acts. Passaic had about five theatres with history going back to vaudeville and they are all gone now.

Thank you for also providing the link in the article to watch the documentary on You Tube. I will watch it later. Can you tell that i am from NJ ?