i would have to say nirvana by far

You haven't asked WHO? Because you can't ask who. You've asked people to tell you who their favourites are. All Is Opinion For gods sake... some said USHER!! I mean, I just don't even know what to say Sure, they may like Usher, but to even attempt to say he's the best in 20 years? Come on... If you want to talk talent we must revert back to Pink Floyd, they've undoubtedly released some of the most aweinspiring and influentual albums of well, all time! Don't even respond to me if you haven't heard The Dark Side Of The Moon through headphones... Take it back a bit further than 20 years and you've got Zeppelin, The Doors, Janis, Hendrix... etc etc Nirvana rate highly, VERY highly. Due to originality and influence. PORTISHEAD, some of the most overwhelming music you can possibly hear, with Beth Gibbons wailing poetic emotion and grief upon the airwaves... There really can be no true winner. Those were examples that one cannot be defined, music spans generations, emotions, moods, and most of all, opinion. And in the end, where music and it's listeners are concerned, opinion is all that matters. Even if Zeppelin and Floyd are the best... *cough cough*

Which they are!

Hurray for opinion!

20 years? lol!

David Bowie, David Bowie, Charlie Conway, David Bowie...

no, seriously, 20 years is hard. The first half of that is 80s and well the 90s has such a wide variety of great bands...

I guess I'll say Green Day or My Chemical Romance.

Queen, Bob Marley, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Simply put, Garbage. I would say Evanescence but they haven't been around long enough...Garbage is just all-around inspiring to me and there is not one song that I do not enjoy by them.

-30-

To pick one single "best artist" would be to degrade music into nothing but jelly bean flavors.

Rock=korn alternative=rancid sublime metal=nin

I would say hummmm... there so many ... I think Usher and michael Jackson because I really love usher and his music deeply and Michael Jackson Solo Career was like no other with hit after hit with 'Dirty Diana', 'Remember the time', 'Thiller', 'Bille Jean' and so on...

Tupac Shakur is without a doubt in my eyes the best musical influence in the past 20 years. Why? Tupac wasnt about what the stereotypical rap artist was about, he wrote his poetry and evolved it into song. Some of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring poetry I've heard has been from this man. If you haven't read any of his work I highly recommend checking it out, even if you dont listen to his music.

I don't think you will ever have a correct answer on this one since music is just a matter of taste... I can name 'Quadran' for example, probably completely strange sounding name to you, but to me not... it's a trance DJ... so yeah

Leonard Cohen, and Fiona Apple..the best lyrics in my opinion..

You just can't ask a ? like that... But if I had to answer I would say.... Pink Floyd, The Used, Hopesfall, Poison The Well, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, A Perfect Circle, 3rd Eye Blind...

Second, I think opinion rules in this ?

Jewel, Foo Fighters, Matchbox 20 and Our Lady Peace are good to me. But I could keep on naming bands that are great to me. Some of my poetry has been inspired by their songs.

oops guess those arent all last 20 years

Kurt Cobain as far as a person and Nirvana as a band. Kurt Cobain was deffinatly an inspiration, and continues to live on in his music even 11 years after his death. Pretty amazing for a guy most people just see as some heroin addict who "killed himself" Nirvana just has this total vibe to them that I can't describe.

Dream Theater have so far been the most impressive band to me within the past 20 years (and im only a kid) the range and the talent are immense, and JP is the best damn guitarist i have ever seen, all of the band are creative and unique, and every album is different. But of course, music is oppinion, on a basis of talent i would put DT there, but to others, there are different bands more fitting.

No. Devo. No. THe Clash. No. GG Allin. Yes.

Sheryl Crow, Sting, Counting Crows

Nirvana sucks it big time. Seriously. If I can look at this through one person's (mine) point of view...I say that Nirvana is overrated. I'm not trying to bash on 'em, but I just don't think they were great. They were quite influencial though in the mainstream scene. Same goes for Metallica. But I think that John Lennon had to be one of, if not THE best and most influencial artists of all time. Green Day can keel over and die, for all I care. They were good until they explioted themselves and turned against everything they said they stood for. But their old-school material's good. But yeah...John Lennon or Tool...definitley! But yeah...It's ALL just a matter of opinion.