Many music industry figures have a huge impact without being in the spotlight, but Nile Rodgers is my favorite “behind the scenes” guy.
He’s had an incredibly long career, worked with the biggest names across multiple decades, and has had a shockingly high bar of quality.
He seems like a down to earth, passionate, interesting person in interviews, and he wrote, produced and played on some of the most incredible, and incredibly popular, music of the 20th century. He’s one of the most sampled artists out there, including arguably the first mainstream hit rap song.
His constant collaborator until his death, Bernard Edwards, is one of slickest bassists ever. Just listened to that slap.
No one makes hits all the time, but looking at them collected is staggering. Take a peek.
With Chic
With Sister Sledge
With Diana Ross
With INXS
With Duran Duran
With David Bowie
With Madonna
With Daft Punk
His Tiny Desk Concert is great as well.
I’m not always compelled to write fanboy posts, but when I do, they are firmly out of the zeitgeist.