I’m reading all of this with interest and agreeing that our generation can bridge and appreciate anyone from Elvis to Taylor Swift. My 23 year old D came home tonight and told me that she just bought tickets to see Drake…okay, I’ve heard of him, but that’s it. D says he’s incredibly talented and “close” to a musical genius – what am I missing?
“I will have to read the lyrics of Lady Madonna to see why that song affects him so. He would play it repeatedly.”
Here’s the song itself as you/your dad would have heard it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LJp39-lDE
It’s about a (presumably single) overworked young mother doing all the things to keep her family going, inspired by the working class Catholic women of Liverpool. Kind of like the old lady in the shoe with so many children she doesn’t know what to do. So it definitely would fit the narrative of your relative going through a rough time.
Musically, it’s a “descendant” of this jazz/blues song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5odaPQ0eVo
Lyrically, it’s the “descendant” of Blue Monday by Fats Domino - the everyday working-class man’s repetitive life just working for the paycheck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3e_y9Bc7hs
More than you ever needed to know 
Probably nothing. I’m closer in age to your D, and I agree that he is incredibly talented. That said, I am not a big rap fan, so I have none of his works loaded on my iPhone. You are ahead of the curve considering that you’ve heard of him. 
I’ve only heard of him because he was on SNL. Isn’t he the one from Canada?
I don’t typically care for country music, jazz or blues, and I rarely listen to show tunes, but I can appreciate the musicality and artistry behind many of those songs / artists. When I was watching the Dylan documentary yesterday, they were showing some of the banjo-driven folk music that Dylan drew inspiration from - again music I was unfamiliar with and wouldn’t choose to listen to on my own, but I can listen to it and appreciate the musical talent.
I know I sound like Middle-Aged Suburban White Woman here, but it’s harder for me to do that with rap and hip-hop music (and to a lesser extent electronic dance music), when there is so much one-note droning going on, little melody and no harmonies, and the singers aren’t the ones playing the instruments, arranging or producing. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some of it I enjoy, but it’s just harder for me to find beauty and emotion in it the way I can with other genres.
As for Drake - Started From the Bottom is ear-wormy enough, that’s for sure. Hotline Bling always struck me like it was written by an older record executive relying on a focus group to figure out what was cool. “What do the young kids use these days? They use cell phones. I’ve got it. Why don’t you call me on my cell phone? That’ll show how relevant we are!”
However - based on this and the Beyonce thread, I am revising my Beyonce opinion. I think there’s a lot more substance there than I previously thought, @abasket. 
I think legends are artists who influence later artists. In my opinion, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, and Billie Holiday would all qualify.
My tastes are fairly middle of the road, though, so I don’t know if I could pick out which recent artists may become legends. I like Dylan and the Dead, Cher, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen (especially the “Seeger Sessions”), Levon Helm, the Bee Gees, Johnny Cash, Sinatra, pre-70’s Elvis, Keb’ Mo, Eric Clapton, Jennifer Hudson, the Beatles and their post-Beatles incarnations, Steve Winwood, Rihanna, the Traveling Wilburys, and Bonnie Raitt.
I don’t care for hip hop or rap, and I’m probably not familiar with a lot of current artists except those my daughter plays. My son likes artists like Jim Croce and John Denver, but my daughter likes Panic at the Disco (which has some 40’s era sounds that I like), Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Sia. Obviously, the longer and more prominent the career, the greater the likelihood that an artist can influence a new generation of artists.
Yes, from Toronto.
@Pizzagirl Whatever you do, don’t post any negative opinions on Twitter or people will think you’re “Becky with the good hair.”
I don’t have a twitter account so I’m safe!
I am going to go with Lukas Graham. I know I am a little early, but I love his song “7 years”. I love his voice. I love the lyrics. So I am going with him.
I agree with the vote for Lukas Graham! However, they are actually [a band](Lukas Graham - Wikipedia), not a person. the more you know
Was just talking to a friend about this and we both agreed that if you had asked us this question 15 years ago – what current artist will have legendary status in 20 years – we would have said Moby. The album Play was such a fabulous album; every track was phenomenal; and because of licensing deals, you heard his music everywhere, all the time. But, perhaps from overexposure, I haven’t heard much about him in recent years. Maybe he’s still releasing records right and left (I don’t know), but people don’t seem to be talking about him that much anymore.
Re: Moby. Lol, Notteling. I need to do some Youtubing, apparently!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Ambients_1:_Calm._Sleep.
Okey dokey then. current events are not my specialty.
You are fine! I had to google to find that. I have not heard his name mentioned on the radio in a while:. you would think C89.5 would have picked it up… Nope.
@elliebham, I am shocked that Lukas Graham is a band. I had no idea.
Ok. I love the band. I love the singing. I love the lyrics. I am going with the band.
Side note: The line “I hope my children come and visit once or twice a month” just kills me every time I hear it.
I absolutely cannot stand that whiny song. Sorry to disagree. Also, I cannot stand pretty much anything recorded by Train.
We need an “artists you can’t stand” thread. I nominate Jimmy Buffett. I hate that jangly steel drum sound and I could be fine if I never heard Margaritaville again in my life!
@surfcity, me too.
I am going to be 60 this year.
I have a son who lives 4,000 miles away. I see him twice a year. That line is tough.
Your kids live far away?