THE 50 GREATEST TEXAS MUSICIANS EVER
BY ANDREW DANSBY, JOEY GUERRA, CARY DARLING, SYD KEARNEY, CHRIS GRAY AND ROBERT MORAST
Few states have as rich a musical history as Texas — hell, many countries can’t compare.
We didn’t invent country music, but we damn well perfected it. Tejano sounds evolved into border-crossing anthems inside our state. Ragtime was refined by a Lone Star State hero. Blues grew into a cultural force in our cities. And if you don’t think Houston’s hip-hop scene influenced the rest of our nation’s sound, you’re fooling yourself.
Oh, and unlike California or New York, the bulk of our musical heroes are homegrown. That counts for something.
From the proto-rock of Buddy Holly to Ornette Coleman’s jazz adventures, Texas’ musical output is so vast, across so many genres and styles that trying to pin down the state’s place in the pop-music spectrum isn’t difficult — we’re at or near the top. But trying to determine the greatest musical acts to have called Texas home? That’s much more difficult. Of course, we like a challenge.
So we locked a collection of our culture vultures in a soundproof bunker for several hours to craft a list of the Greatest Texas Musical Acts ever. The pack — Chronicle culture writers Andrew Dansby, Joey Guerra and Cary Darling; Chronicle A&E editor Robert Morast; former Houston Press music editor Chris Gray; and Chronicle copy editor Syd Kearney, who has intimate connections to several people on this list — emerged with a top 50 we’re proud to call definitive.
Are their squabbles to be had? Of course. But considering our criteria of quality musical output, cultural impact, “Texasness” and having strong ties to our state, we’re confident about what we have. So, with that, here’s our list. Enjoy, and send us your thoughts. Just don’t talk to us about somebody being ahead of Willie.