Music's Best Producers Cover Many Genres






by Lance Bratten


While they might be behind the scenes, the job of a music producer cannot be under appreciated. It is their vision and style that can take a good artist and make them truly outstanding. If you are considering music production as a career or just want to create your own music, take a moment to reflect on the careers of these great producers.

The Beatles are arguably the greatest band in the history of rock and roll. They not only had great musicians and songwriters, their producer was remarkable as well. George Martin, often known as the "fifth Beatle," was a classically trained musician. His pivotal work with The Beatles includes musical arrangements on "Eleanor Rigby" and "In My Life." He also has composed several film scores and worked with musicians such as America and Jeff Beck.

While lately Phil Spector has been more infamous than famous, his skills as a producer are unlikely to ever be contested. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and created the famous "Wall of Sound" production technique. He produced hits for everyone from The Ronettes to The Righteous Brothers and pulled together The Beatles song "Let It Be," after the band members had gone their separate ways.

For more than four decades, Brian Eno has produced hits for many influential acts, including David Bowie, Paul Simon, Genesis, Coldplay, Talking Heads and U2. In addition to production credits for albums such as "The Joshua Tree," he invented the term "ambient music," which is a genre of music, often used for soundtracks, to evoke a specific moods or tone.

In the early 1980s, a young producer named Rick Rubin founded a small studio named Def Jam. From there, and with the help of partner Russell Simmons, the business grew into one of music's most influential and powerful production businesses. Among the acts Rubin has worked with are Run-D.MC. and Aerosmith, most notably on their collaboration of "Walk This Way." In addition, Rubin has produced for Linkin Park, Mick Jagger, Metallica, The Cult, Black Sabbath and even acts such as Adele and Neil Diamond.

These are just a few of the greats, there are plenty more amazing and influential producers to consider studying include Motown's team of Holland, Dozier, Holland or perhaps Dr. Dre or Timbaland. Other greats include Lee Perry, Mutt Lange and Jay Z. Take a look at the producer credits on your favorite albums and study up on what techniques they use to produce a polished, finished product.




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