Out of this World A little look at some of the most phenomenal and unworldly musicians of all time Created and illustrated by Harley Young
What you’re in for… Within these pages you will find a cluster of some of the most influential music artists of all time. The beings shown within this zine are, or were, indisputably at the top of their game and have been injected with a little extra(terrestrial) imagination to convey just how ‘out of this World’ they’ve proven to be.
Who you’ll find 1…………Amy WineHouse 2………………The Beatles 3……………………………Prince 4………………David Bowie 5……………Dolly Parton 6………………………………Elvis 7……Michael Jackson 8………………………………Queen
Amy Winehouse [1983-2011]
Winehouse’s fame skyrocketed after the release of her second studio album ‘Back to black’. The jazz infused album received high praise in the 50th Grammy award’s ceremony in 2007 and the infamous Beehive exhibiting Londoner went home with the ‘Best pop album’ award. Not to mention she set the record that same year for most wins for a British female artist with 5 under her belt… An incredible achievement in her regrettably short career. ‘Back to black’ was unfortunately her last studio album, the endearingly unfiltered singer sadly passed of alcohol poisoning in 2011. Amy, seemingly, resurrected Jazz and will continue to be a staple artist on my playlist. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 3 *UK Top 10 Albums - 5 *UK weeks in Top 40 - 241
The Beatles [Active 1962-1970)
Rolling stone magazine, among millions of other enthusiasts of this wonderful quartet, have coined The Beatles as “The greatest band of all time”. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are the 4 vital ingredients for the worlds best rock band. Only being active (as a band) for just shy of 8 years, this foursome completely reigned over the musical charts. To this day The Beatles are the record holders of the act with the most number 1 albums in official chart history. The Beatles revolutionised rock back in the 60’s and are still considered to be one of the greats… if not the greatest, music group there ever was. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 16 *UK No. 1 Singles - 17 *UK weeks in Top 10 - 477
Prince [1958-2016] Prince not only dared to be different within his musical pioneering, but also when it came to his on (and off) stage presence. He had a wonderfully large personality and the looks and confidence to go with it. He wasn’t afraid to question and twist gender norms when it came to his wardrobe and is a huge inspiration for practicing and encouraging self-love. He was most certainly iconic. Much like his music. Owen Husney (producer)has in fact spoken of when Chris Moon of ‘Moon sound’ and himself first listened to Prince’s demo back in 1976, Husney questioned who the band were. But it was no band. It was unthinkable to believe one 18 year old kid had produced such a quality of music. His talent and innovation was second to none, instrumentally as well as vocally. It was up from there! Prince continued to make music throughout his life and passed away in 2016, a week after his death, 3 of hits made it into the official top 10 once again. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 5 *UK Top 10 Albums - 20 *UK weeks in Top 40 - 301
David Bowie (1947-2016)
David Bowie is often referred to as a musical chameleon. He reinvented himself and his sound countless times, along with the name he went by on a few occasions. Bowie helped create and promote the Glam Rock scene, a magical and sometimes uncomfortable twist of rock, pop and a whole lot of glitter. David Bowie considered himself an Alien of sorts, often nodding to extraterrestrial themes within his music and film career such as; “Life on Mars?’ and “The man who fell to Earth”. He was the act you loved and your parents hated (blasphemy!) Him and his multiple personas did not-surprisingly well in regard to recognition and he is still, considered an iconic figure to date with Rolling stone magazine appointing him as “The greatest rockstar ever”. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 11 *UK Top 10 Albums - 34 *UK weeks in Top 40 - 774
Dolly Parton [1946-present]
The wonderful Dolly. Big hair, big boobs, big dreams, big success! Ms. Parton is yet another pioneer, this time introducing us to the combination of the two worlds that are Country music and pop. Country music, (I would say) is probably considered within most social circles as a lesser genre of music. At least in the UK. However, Dolly certainly wouldn’t have us believing that. Although she never quite reached the number 1 spot in the UK charts, she certainly gave a new charm to the genre and came superbly close to number one with her classic ‘9 to 5’, made for the movie of the same name. Dolly continues to educate and inspire us with her sound, much like she’s done with her famous Goddaughter, Miley Cyrus. Official chart achievements: *UK Top 10 Albums - 4 *UK Top 40 Albums - 13 *UK weeks in Top 40 - 75
Elvis Presley [1935-1977]
Elvis, other wise known as ‘The King’ is one of the most influential and iconic figures in modern day culture. He is still highly commended for his Rock and Roll classics and was one of the biggest heart throbs of all time, which I’m sure helped with his record sales… not that he needed it. Although his earlier music was not regarded as revolutionary, once Elvis found his feet, he got extremely comfortable at the top and finally made it to music royalty. It is said that imitation is one of the highest forms of flattery, so I’m sure ‘The King’ would be very pleased to know that he is one of the most imitated artists of all time and aspiring musicians are still following his footsteps in hopes of success. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 13 *UK No. 1 Singles - 21 *UK weeks at No. 1 - 80
Michael Jackson [1958-2009]
Here we have another royal, appropriately dubbed as ‘The King of pop’ Michael Jackson is without a doubt the greatest entertainer in the history of music. Although there was a lot of controversy surrounding Jackson and his private life, he was unarguably a remarkable talent and incomparable to any other artist. Jackson is known world wide for his phenomenal dance moves and diverse vocals. In the 80’s he was at the peak of his career and the colossal amount of success and fame has yet to be topped. Jackson still performed and made music right up to his death in 2009. His passing devastated a sea of fans anticipating to attend his ‘This is it’ tour just a week or so away when the news broke. The dedication and passion he had for his profession is most certainly conveyed through his endless musical triumphs. Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 10 *UK No. 1 Singles - 7 *UK weeks in Top 40 - 760
Queen [1970-1991] Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon make up the infamous group ’Queen’. Another musical genius that is incomparable. Queen’s sound was so out there, that when they first came about, there was a lot of speculation whether they would make it big. It’s not everyday you consider listening to rock and opera at the same time, but that’s what they gave us, and we loved it. They quickly became the most polar band in the 70’s. Not only were they the inventors of an extraordinary new sound, but they also helped raise awareness for AIDS. Freddie Mercury was one of the biggest names to contract, and unfortunately pass from the disease. Years after his passing, in the 2000’s Adam Lambert was introduced as new lead singer “alongside” Queen. They’ve made it apparent he has not replaced Freddie… after all, who could? Official chart achievements: *UK No. 1 Albums - 9 *UK No.1 Singles *UK weeks in Top 40 - 854
That concludes my little tribute to some of the most fabulous musicians to walk the Earth. Thanks for reading. Now‌ go listen to some music!
Harley Young