3. Don Van Vliet, Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band (Est. 1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY4yFctCKSc When asked why he didnt need sleep, Don Van Vliet said, Fruit. Asked why he painted when he wasnt doing music, Don Van Vliet said painting was good exercise. He claimed to have taught all his band mates how to play their instruments. Legendarily, he imprisoned his band in a house for recording, gave them nicknames (like Mascara Snake), beat them with broomsticks, and threw them into dumpsters. Don Van Vliet, with his robust goatee and scary eccentricity, haunted the musical output of the seventies. As Captain Beefheart of C.B. & The Magic Band, his 1969 album Trout Mask Replica influenced hordes of punk/punkish bands to come. (Though the 1970 release Lick My Decals Off, Baby would be an easier entry into Beefheart, if youre curious.) You cant deny the compelling nature of his wild mans growl. His voice is full of blues, which probably came in handy when he had to talk down a crossbow-wielding band mate.