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55 Most Influential Music Producers of All Time

Producers are the backbone of any music endeavor. The singer can sing and even write well, but without the musical arrangements and the beats that carry the whole song, it is useless. Think about your favourite song. The reason why you love it so much (apart maybe from its powerful lyrics), is the fact that the instrumental bit of it is just so amazing and makes you want to dance and generally vibe to it. However, producers are often the most overlooked people in the whole recording process. They make the idea of what a perfect song is and bring it to life. With that said, here are the most influential music producers of all time.

1. DJ Shadow

Dj Shadow is the master in remix works. He did amazing work with Mo’ Records and the hip-hop album of 1996, taking a sample culture to its natural conclusion. He pieced together the whole record from snippets of jazz and psychedelic tunes that he had picked from record stores. He was a master of the whole thing because he Managed to come up with a sound that hadn’t really been heard of before. This along with cuts from interviews and many other hip-hop records, he pieced these together with his AKAI MPC60, and voila! A masterpiece was made. DJ Shadow’sname is still a household name being celebrated in the hip hop world.

2. Paul Epworth

Paul Epworth is a Grammy Award winner who is well known for his classy albums and mixing desks that are just out of this world. Among the classics he has made include ‘Silent Alarm,’ from the album Bloc Party, ‘Lungs,’ from the album Florence and the Machine, and also ‘Schizoid Double.’ He has also been helping Azealia Banks with her forthcoming debut album, ‘Broke With Expensive Taste.’ His work has always defined him as having an edge of modernity and a bit of old school that ends up producing something worthwhile, classic, and unforgettable.

3. George Clinton

As much as George Clinton is known best for the production of his own work, some of the most notable works linked to his name include Parliament and Funkadelic which he managed to create P-funk like never heard before. This sound is pretty unique and not so common and so far, George is the only producer able to nail it so well without even much struggle. Artists who are onto this kind of sound always find their way to him. Moreover, Clinton has also been called behind the sounds for Bootsy Collins and Red Hot Chili Peppers for their exciting album,’ Freaky Styley.’

4. Pete Rock

Pete Rock was one of the movers and shakers of the jazz style mashed up by hip-hop. This was the kind of sound that was popularly practiced by Stetsasonic, A Tribe Called Quest, and also the very popular Guru and Gang Starr. His name was also mentioned with CL Smooth and their ’92 hit, ‘They Reminisce Over You.’ Thanks to his hard work and self-made attitude, Rock ended up becoming one of the most influential producers of his era and field. He was credited for Lil Nas’s album, Illmatic and Jay-Z, and Kanye West’s album, Watch the Throne. This was no small deal and thanks to this, his name has been mentioned among the big boys of hip hop music. Additionally, he has also shown off his remixing skills on tracks and singles done by the likes of Black Eyed Peas and Scritti Politti.

5. RZA

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, popularly known as RZA secured his place and title in the hip hop producers list of farmers when  he produced his group, Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut, ‘Enter The Wu-Tang.’ Through this sound, he introduced the world to a new, fluid, and menacing style of rap production that hadn’t really been heard of before. Unarguably, Wu Tang’s albums have been popular and culture-changing and the collective solo efforts of RZA have acted as precursors for the likes of Cypress Hill and much more recently, Kanye West’s album, ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.’ RZA has also enjoyed a nice sideline as Bobby Digital, even managing to release three unhinged albums in the 2000s.  He continues to make a name for himself in the hip-hop world.

6. Roy Thomas Baker

When you think of, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ the one person that pops in your head is the legendary Roy Thomas Baker. Regardless of whether or not you eventually get sick of it, 50 years down the line, we’ll still have to celebrate and acknowledge an amazing production job thanks to this guy. He was behind most of the Queen albums and also Classical blues rock, ‘Fire and Water.’ Still, he managed to evolve his style into an even better sound and ended up producing a clutch of cars and Devo albums in the 80s. Then in 2005, he returned back to the scene after working for the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Chinese Democracy with their ‘Fold with the Darknesses,’ and ‘One Way Ticket To Hell and Back’ respectively.

7. Jerry Wexler

Starting off as a music journalist, Jerry upped his name and proceeded to become one of the most revered record industry executives. He even co-headed Atlantic Records and got his hands busy in the production booth when he stretched Aretha Franklin from gospel to soul. Jerry worked a lot with Ray Charles and the highlight of his career is when he managed to steer the legendary Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack into stardom. This made him be recognized as one of the true visionaries of classic R &B; even managing to get out of Bob Dylan, a gospel album. That is, ‘1979’sSlow Train Coming.’

8. Jimmy Miller

A popular producer in the 60s. Jimmy Miller started off by forging a relationship with Steve Winwood and never looking back. He had worked on records by the Spencer Davis Group and many other Winwood projects like Traffic and Blind Faith. Later on, Jimmy’s name started being mentioned together with Rock n Roll folklore after his production on Rolling Stones albums, ‘Let It Bleed,’ ‘Sticky Fingers,’ ‘Exile On Main Street,’ and many more. This actually became his ultimate acquaintance with more rock groups and led to the highlight of Miller’s career, 1991’s ‘Screamadelica.’

9. Steve Albini

Steve Albini managed to create waves and noise if you may, when he secured his place with the uncompromising hard rock, punk, and even grunge sound mashed up with his own noise, back in the 80s. Since then, Steve has continued to record with Shellac but his fame, came about thanks to his production talents especially when he boosted pixies along the path to that legendary status that is not so easy to attain. You can hear his sound in Nirvana’s ‘In Utero,’ for example and that’s when you get to understand that you are dealing with one very talented master here.

10. Trevor Horn

Hoen is another legendary producer who established himself as an 80s producer with his pop efforts in ABC’s 1982 debut album, ‘The Lexicon Of Love.’ He moved on to make Malcolm McLaren, who became an unexpected hip hop pioneer on ‘Duck Rock,’ and even set the chart’s goalposts on fire with the 80s phenomenon piece, ‘Frankie Goes To Hollywood.’

11. Steve Lillywhite

Steve’s major breakthrough came about with the 1978 top hit song, ‘Hong Kong Garden,’ which remained on the charts for several weeks to come. This is the piece that revolutionized the post-punk band’s sounds with that innovative edge and approach of laying down the drums. In other words, his unique sound changed the game and even captured U2’s stadium echo on their early recordings then later overseeing Morrissey’s trio of the mid-90s albums. Moreover, he was on the chair for La’s sole album which also made waves in its own right and every time you look up the late 70s and 80s sensational music, his name will for sure pop up.

12. Trent Reznor

Trent has been making a lot of noise in his industrial squall over the US alternative scenes for the best part of these past 30 years. He worked mostly with NIN and most notably, with shock-rock misfit, Marilyn Manson. The 1989 debut by NIN was a grunge shot in the face of hard rock that mostly fused and mashed up cranium-caving industrial noise with samples from all over, in order to form this very unlikely and new transatlantic hit. His greater success was followed when Reznor made such a huge difference in the pop culture world.

13. Prince Rogers

Officially known as Prince Rogers Nelson, he was just a teenager when he released his 1978 debut album, ‘For You.’ Through this album, he displayed amazing skills and talent in writing, production, and performance of the whole record, all on his own. He’d take on projects and discard additional musicians over the years and continued to produce pop-funk himself. Through that, he delved more into psychedelia on his major projects like the 1985’s ‘Around The World In A Day.’ This took care of almost every element of the 1987 tour that became a global phenomenon.

14. Mark Ronson

London-based Mark Ronson became popular and emerged into fame with his 2003 debut, ‘Here Comes The Fuzz.’ He was soon lined up for production work with the iconic Christina Aguilera and Lily Allen. His championship and adamant fame however came about with Amy Winehouse’s 2006 classic album, ‘Back To Black,’ where his old school energy came back into play and managed to produce one of the most celebrated works to date. His skills and ideas provided the perfect bed for Winehouse’s retro soul obsessions and he even set a template for adult pop for the next decade. To date, you hear the name Mark Ronson and what comes to mind is the smoky voice of Amy Whinehouse backed up with some well-arranged sounds and instruments that just blow your mind.

15. Max Martin

Martin is a Swedish pop producer who has had an almost unfailing Midas touch; a game he started in the ’90s. He has presided over very successful projects by R&B boybands like Backstreet Boys and N’Sync. He then sprinkled over to popular hits by the likes of Pink and even well-known Kelly Clarkson’s song, ‘Since U Been Gone.’ After a while, Max started specializing in pop with the punchy dynamics of rock music and he even co-edited for Britney Spears’ globe-smashing projects and singles like, ‘Baby One More Time,’ and ‘Oops! I Did It Again.’ He then worked on the chart-topper project done by Katy Perry, ‘Teenage Dream.’ Thus when you hear these very catchy and popular sounds, it is the brain of Max Martin behind it; something you cannot help but just have your mind blown.

16. Jeff Lynne

With Jeff Lynne, what we learn is that sometimes being a staunch fan can pay off. From a Beatles fandom to drenching the Electric Light Orchestra in classic pop sounds of the 70s, and also masterminding George Harrison’s solo renaissance at the end of the 80s, Lynne has always worn his love for the Beatles on his sleeve. Thanks to his projects, it led to some of the MOR hits for ELO and stints with supergroups like The Travelling. Lynne cornered the market with warm and plush production that effortlessly spoke to the baby boomers of the time. Something that still happens to date.

17. Biddu

Biddu Appaiah left Bangalore for England in 1967 just so he would make a name for himself as a singer. He is actually the disco genius behind Carl Douglas’ immortal, ‘Kung Fu Fighting.’ The Background soon claimed him and he was recognized on the Northern Soul scene as a success with Douglas before he even found himself scoring disco softcore sound. His commercial disco touch sound also did wonders for Tina Charles’ UK No. 1 ‘I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance.’ However, he transitioned later to Bollywood soundtracks and eclectic work, with his own platform known as Biddu Orchestra.

18. Brian Burton (Danger Mouse)

Of course, this is just his stage name which works perfectly for him anyway. Officially named Brian Burton, Danger Mouse managed to cement his reputation very fast with ‘The Grey Album,’ a 2004 mash-up of Jay Z’s album, ‘The Black Album, and The Beatles,’ White Album. His skills became quite in demand with his dusty, organic sound that attracted even the likes of Damon Albarn with projects like, ‘Demon Days,’ ‘The Good, The Bad & The Queen,’ which skyrocketed Black Keys for a chart assault. His snatching high points have played a huge role in the hip-hop soul of Gnarls Barkley. Moreover, Burton has been working with U2 and Daft Punk in pursuit of greater glory.

19. Jimmy Iovine

Jimmy Iovine has been a music industry mogul who started off as an engineer on albums by the legendary Bruce Springsteen and John Lennon. This was before breaking through as Patti Smith’s producer on ’ Easter,’ which contained the song by Springsteen, ‘Because of The Night.’ He did so well in the 80s and even went ahead to corner the accomplished US AOR market with work for Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks. Jimmy’s story is one of hard work and resilience and he even managed to become U-2’s live producer for ‘Blood Red Sky’ and ‘Rattle And Hum.’ His name is still one of the recognized household names that continue to make waves. It just depends on where you are looking.

20. Tom Dowd

Dowd was an in-house engineer at Atlantic Records for a period of 25 years where he worked around for legendary artists like John Coltrane, Charlie Mingus, and Ornette Coleman. This was before stepping up on the major projects he did with Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. Then in the 1970s, he stepped into the rock sphere, which actually shaped the blues boogie of The Allman Brothers while regularly teaming up with Eric Clapton and putting them together in Derek And The Dominos. Moreover, he is the man responsible for making Rod Stewart a global force, even blending rock and soul on the 1975’s Atlantic Crossing

21. Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips might not be the person behind the dramatic change of Rock n Roll, but most probably rock n roll wouldn’t be the same without Phillips. He started out in the blues world by setting up Sun Records and had a hand in the early careers of the iconic Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. Actually, Phillips considered Howlin’ Wolf as his greatest discovery and second, Elvis Presley who he fiercely discouraged from releasing a ballad and hence changing the course of history where Presley was concerned. That’s right! This is the guy behind Presley; and remembering how good and talented Presley was, that says quite a lot.

22. Berry Gordy

Berry is not only the guy who made Motown great, but also the vision and brain behind Motown. He was such a brilliant producer responsible for forging the Tamla sound trademark first with The Miracles, The Supremes, and the unforgettable, The Jackson 5. He coupled his melodic and technical skills as a manager and record executive in order to create a foundation that would forever define the shape and angle black American music would take.

23. J Dilla

J Dilla produced sounds and projects for the likes of ‘A Tribe Called Quest,’ De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, and Common, and also James Dewitt Yancey. His sound became one of the most known and celebrated in the world of hip-hop. He is actually recognized as one of the best hip-hop producers of his generation and has worked with the underground crew Slum Village and was also growing in stature by the early 2000s. He was on his way to the top when unfortunately he passed on in 2006 when his music was just starting to hit the top charts. He was only 32 years old at the time.

24. Mutt Lange

Mutt Lange is one of the brains and architects behind Arena Rock. This is the guy behind AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell,’ and ‘Back To Black’ and even got credited with a large part of the success of Foreigner and Def Leppard. He further co-wrote the very famous and well-loved song by Bryan Adams, ‘Everything I Do (I Do It For You). He became the most powerful music force and even when he was last heard in Lady Gaga’s ‘You And I,’ he proved that he still got it. This was one of Gaga’s most celebrated songs from the album ‘Born This Way,’ and this says a lot.

25. Teo Macero

Teo Macero was one of the giants of the Jazz world where he served as an in-house producer at Columbia. While there, he produced seminal records by Miles Davis, even including ‘Kind Of Blue’ and ‘Bitches Brew.’ He has always been applauded for mastery of the records in whatever project he’d be included in and working alongside Dave Brubeck’s, ‘Time Out,’ meant that he was the man behind three of the most famous jazz records in the world. That says quite a lot if we are being honest. He was just plainly talented and skilled and always gave a hundred in his projects.

26. John Leckie

John Leckie was an apprentice of the greats at Abbey Road and he would stand in the background trying to get as much knowledge and information as he could in order to also be good in the game. He ended up making two iconic records for consecutive decades which was considered Godlike by anyone’s standard and rightfully so. For instance, the project, ‘The Stone Roses,’ provided a watermark for the end of the 80s moving into an age of something way grander. Five years later, Leckie achieved the same recognition and acknowledgment as Radiohead and The Bends.

27. DJ Premier

DJ Premier is a hip-hop guru and a lot of works in the industry with this genre can be attributed to him. In fact, for most of the 90s and beyond genre, he was hip-hop’s most distinguished track master, who represented the New York sound way more authentically compared to anyone else in the industry at the time. Actually, Dr.Dre (the biggest name in hip-hop production) may have been bigger, but DJ Premier’s mastery and mashing up of jazz and funk while throwing in fierce loops and heavy scratching made him the go-to guy in his generation. Moreover, his encyclopedic memory for rhymes meant that he could blend in lines from different songs and create an entirely new sound while managing the original. That’s super cool, to put it simply.

28. Jim Steinman

Jim Steinman made rock so melodramatic, drenched in piano and an edge that had never been heard before. This doesn’t really come as a surprise given how he has a background in musical theatre and literally brings whatever he learned in class, to the forefront of creating a sound so unique and authentic that you cannot help but notice right away. Some of his greatest works and effects can be heard in Wheelbarrow to Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell,’ and its sequel too. He was also the brain behind ‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart,’ by Bonnie Tyler.

29. Babyface

Apart from impressing us with his angelic voice, Babyface is also a big-time producer who has had some iconic and life-changing projects. He is known popularly as the founding father of all the best bits and pieces of modern American R&B. He was the pioneer of New Jack Swing in the 80s before even setting LaFace up with Antonia Reid in order to provide with some of the most legendary R& B artists, like TLC, Usher and also Toni Braxton. Actually, to be fair, in the world of American R&B, there’s no artist out there of this genre who hasn’t worked with Babyface. As a result, he has managed to pull up a total of 26 R& B number ones.

30. Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas is appreciated as one of the geniuses in the music industry. Why? Because it takes a genius to work on punk and progression at the same time and manage to do justice for both of them. He had the Midas touch where he not only mixed ‘Dark Side Of The Moon,’ but also helmed The Sex Pistols’ debut single project, ‘Anarchy In The UK.’ This particular one managed to create waves and even go ahead to give the band more transparency and fame. FYI: Chris Thomas produced so many key Roxy music albums, including ‘For Your Pleasure.’

31. Andrew Weatherall

As much as Andrew Weatherall is more a remixer than a producer, he has to be on our list because of his genius when it comes to anything music. He has for instance played a very key role in the development of indie music and particularly its blend with dance sensibilities. In fact, it was the re-editing he did on ‘I’m Losing More Than I’ll Ever Have,’ and his overall work on Screamadelica, that made the Primal Scream so famous and popular in the 90s. His mixes of Bloody Valentine,’ and ‘New Order,’ are also as important for his portfolio as this was all him. He created change in sound especially sounds that end up being used as score.

32. Daniel Lanois

Lanois was once referred to as the most important producer of the 80s, by Rolling Stone. When you think about it, they actually have a point. This is because as much as more credit will be given to Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois was right next to him on so many occasions, even during the making of U2’s ‘The Joshua Tree.’ He has even managed to work his magic on so many albums for the likes of Bob Dylan, Bono, Peter Gabriel, and Willie Nelson. Because of the variety of sounds he produced, he has coaxed a unique and genuine widescreen sonic template from the studio.

33. Todd Rundgren

Whenever you think of ‘Bat Out Of Hell,’ you absolutely have to remember Todd Rundgren and give his due credit.  In fact, these two names appear synonymously. Todd is one talented guy and it is really not a surprise that this album by Meat Loaf sat on the charts for nearly 500 weeks. Now that is no small feat because we are talking of a number of years here. His production was one that was sought after by many artists of the 70s, making him the go-to producer of the decade. Even more impressive, he had a successful solo career and was a pioneer of music video and internet-based music services. As many artists summarize him, he was way ahead of his time.

34. Stephen Street

Stephen Street also contributed so much in the live room as he did behind the desk. He was more of a musician than a producer but that doesn’t mean he didn’t do a marvelous job when it came to production. He is best known for his work and contribution with The Smiths when he only stepped up from the engineer guy to producer for their song, ‘Strangeways, Here We Come.’ This made him hit his creative stride with other albums that followed thereafter for the likes of Morrissey, Blur, and even The Cranberries.

35. The Neptunes

The Neptunes include Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo and in all transparency, very few producers have managed to own such a distinctive sound like them. For example, their 90’s future funk was recognized across all sorts of top artists like Justine Timberlake to Britney Spears, Kelis and even Jay Z. The sound by The Neptunes is so unique that once you hear it you’ll just know that’s a very Neptunesy sound. It’s original and unmistakable.

36. T Bone Burnett

This Multi-Grammy Award winner has worked behind the scenes for all sorts of artists like Elvis Costello and Spinal Tap. He even played guitar for the legendary Bob Dylan on the Rolling Thunder Revue. His genius however lies in the typical all-American soundtracks that he is popularly known for. These include The Big Lebowski to O Brother Where Art Thou and Walk The Line. It is really not a surprise that he is the recipient of all these accolades because his work always speaks for him.

37. Nigel Godrich

Nigel Godrich is the sixth member of Radiohead and has been the driving force of the band’s constantly evolving sound since the mid-90s. As much as he can take credit for some of their earliest work, he is also the guy who engineered ‘The Bends’ and co-produced ‘Black Star,’ which was one of the all-time greatest tracks. Since then, these tracks have been an inseparable friend to Nigel and even used synonymously. That’s how good this guy was.

38. Timbaland

Of course, Timbaland has to appear on this list. He is hands down one of the most talented producers having produced minor R&B acts for so many years. He first hit the ground running and managed to make people pause for a minute and ask themselves who exactly he was when he produced iconic pieces for the likes of Ginuwine, Aaliyah, and even Missy. Then he went ahead to forge a fine line between hip-hop and R&B tracks. With this, he blurred the formerly sharp distinctions between the two and produced a sound that is hands-down so beautifully done. It is not even a surprise that it has been imitated by so many producers who came after him. More impressively, Timbaland has been continuously diverse and prolific in maintaining his sound and producing amazing projects for Justin Beiber currently, which makes it even more worthwhile listening to him.

39. Arif Mardin

Arif Mardin is part of the trio credited for creating the Atlantic Record’s popular sound. This was alongside Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler. Arif managed to hone his craft on an endless string of hits from legendaries like Phil Collins, Hall & Oates, Culture Club, and The Bee Gees. You know those popular sounds of the 80s that are always remembered whenever 80s music is mentioned, this is the guy responsible for such iconic works.

40. Lee Scratch Perry

Lee Perry was considered a pioneer and one of reggae’s early adopters. He began his journey by innovating right from the start of his career where he would sample baby cries for ‘People Funny Boy.’ He then went ahead to push the mixing skills beyond its limits, from his Black Ark studio. In the process, he ended up inventing dub, hence becoming a master of sparse and minimal atmospheric production.

41. Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre is an iconic name. In fact, you cannot mention hip-hop and fail to insert his name somewhere too. He started his production career from scratch, in his mother’s garage and now, he is multi Grammy award winner, and rightfully so. He is the guy behind N.W.A and the Grammy-winning debut, ‘The Chronic.’ Other iconic songs like The Real Slim Shady’ and ‘In Da Club’ are just but the tip of the iceberg of what this guy has achieved over the course of his career.

42. Butch Vig

If you ever thought ‘Nevermind,’ is a good one, then you have Butch Vig to thank for that. He was the drummer of the band Garbage and was the driving force behind the best grunge and alternative rock albums of the early 90s. This is inclusive of The Pumpkins’ song, ‘Gish,’ and Sonic Youth’s song, ‘Dirty.’

43. Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson’s studio techniques were something completely out of this world and this was in the 60s. Meaning that the guy was just so talented and skilled that he was actually way ahead of his time. Just think about works like, ‘Good Vibrations’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’, and ‘God Only Knows’ among others and you’ll have an idea of how good and amazing he actually was. Together with handwritten notations, multi-track experimentation, and flirtations with echoes and reverb, the concept of the studio itself as an instrument joined forces in order to produce several masterpieces that can be attributed to this legend.

44. Brian Eno

Eno has always been referred to as ‘sonic landscaper’ by his management which kind of fits because after all it is him we are talking about. Previously known as Roxy’s keyboardist, he is responsible for all the popular sounds we got to receive thanks to Roxy. Additionally, the outlying territories of the sound started to theme to U2’s most epic work as well as most of Coldplay’s pieces.

45. Rick Rubin

The greatest strength of Rick Rubin as a producer is his way of mixing. Well, aside from his technical know-how, this is one of his greatest strengths and one that cannot be taken for granted. His ability to just get on with anyone and manage to coax the best out of them regardless of the genre, should be considered a superpower. Furthermore, his seven Grammy wins and so many nominations, stretching across all types of music (including rap, metal, and even country), speaks for itself.

46. Phil Spector

Phil Spector is just talented, plainly put. I mean, managing to write, sing, and produce a chart-topping hit record before hitting 20, is not an easy thing to do. But with Phil, this is how he announced himself to the world after working with the Teddy Bears and producing the masterpiece, ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’.

47. Nile Rodgers

During the decade of the 80s, Nile Rodgers’ name could not fail to be mentioned. He was an icon after all. This is the guy that resuscitated disco with Chic’s raft of hi-NRG hits and with surprisingly good works like ‘I Want Your Love’ and ‘Good Times,’ managed to define hip hop through the Sugahill samples. Thanks to his talent and immeasurable skills, he also ended up producing a massive array of wealth as far as music production is concerned.

48. Quincy Jones

QunicyJones, simply put is legendary. The guy has been in the business for 55 years, has won 79 Grammy nominations, and 110 million record sales( and that is just for thrillers), and has managed to have so many projects and works that have his name attached to them. He is responsible for ‘Billie Jean’ too and has 33 film scores attributed to his name. Further, he is the guy who wrote ‘The Italian Job’ and produced John Williams’ work on the E.T. soundtrack. In other words, he is just a legend.

49. George Martin

George Martin’s ability to successfully commit a band’s ideas and put it to tape is what has always set him apart as one of the most influential producers of all time. His knack for listening to what the artist wants and actualizing it, even going ahead to do far more creative things with it is what will always have George Martin as a respectable music producer.

50. Joe Meek

In order to appreciate Joe Meek’s genius, you need to go back to Matt Bellamy’s dad and his popular band that was known as The Tornados. Their earliest hit, ‘Telstar,’ was actually the very first single to be done by a British ban, it reached the top spot on the Billboard 100. The genius behind all that was Joe Meek and hence why he is such a big deal in the music scene.

51. Susan Rogers

Susan is an American producer and sound engineer who after a couple of years, of having learned so much in the industry, decided to share her knowledge by becoming a professor at Berklee College of Music. She is popularly and well known for her role as Prince’s staff engineer throughout the course of his career. Apart from that, she has also produced for acts like Barenaked Ladies, David Byrne, and Robben Ford.

52. Rick Hall

Otherwise known as the Father of Muscle Shoals Music, Rick Hall was an American producer, songwriter, and musician who was well known for being the owner of FAME Studios, Alabama. He was quite influential in music and this was as a result of his development, promotion, and recording of major acts like Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Duane Allman. Before he died in 2018, Hall was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985. Additionally, in 2014, he was the recipient of the John Herbert Orr Pioneer Award.

53. Martin Harnett

Martin Hannett was originally a musician himself and he was a key part of Manchester’s scene in the 70s. His eccentric methods when it came to production created a world of unique sounds for an icon like Joy Division and their two albums: Unkown Pleasures in 1979 and Closer in 1980. His best production has been attributed to Joy Division’s New Dawn Fades.

54. Tony Visconti

Tony is best known and appreciated for his works and collaboration with David Bowie from Man Who Sold The World, through the Berlin trilogy of Low.  He has also worked with the likes of Marc Bolan, Thin Lizzy, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Good The Bad and The Queens’s album of 2018. It was known as Merrie Land. His best works have been considered to be David Bowie’s ‘Heroes.’

55. Aphex Twin

Officially known as Richard James but professionally as Aphex Twin, he is most famous for his collaborations with many other artists and for the electronic body of work released under his name. He is actually the grandfather, father, and prodigal son of IDM music and has been producing records since the early 90s. Times have changed and Aphex Twins continues to go along with it seeing as his massive talent never ever fades.

These music producers have managed to bring some change to the music industry. We currently are able to appreciate good music and celebrate it, thanks to them.

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