A to Z Music Challenge - D is for Def Leppard, Die Antwoord, Destiny's Child, Depeche Mode, Dr. Dre, The Divinyls, David Bowie, The Doors, Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond

These lists seem to get longer and longer every day.  Off we go.


Def Leppard
My most favorite of the hair band era, at one time I owned all the cassette tapes they had ever released.  Sign of the times, yo.

I love them, and have written about them before.  They have literally been around, playing and touring, for my entire life, and Rick Allen inspires my son to be a kickass drummer.  If he can do that with one arm, the boy surely can do it too.


Die Antwoord
They made the list because they are the weirdest, most disturbing thing I've seen in a long time. All I know is that whatever it is, it's the kind of thing that you can't stop watching then want to show other people. I'm not even sure what to do with them, so I'm just going to leave this here.


Destiny's Child
The group from whence Beyonce came, I had to add them in here because I left her out in the B's, and because Kelly Rowland arguably has a better voice even if she hasn't seen the same level of success as Beyonce in the post DC years.


Depeche Mode
I almost forgot to add them to the list!  What was I thinking????  I love them so so so much, and they helped bring electronica to pop music.

This song always makes me giggle a bit because my oldest asked me if the pocket Jesus action figure we saw in a novelty store once was what they were singing about.  True story.



Dr. Dre
One of the most important figures in the development of rap and hip hop music as we know it today, he's touched the careers of too many other artists to name.  He took a huge step back from performing over a decade ago, and has focused on producing.  I get as giddy as a school girl these days when he gets on a stage again.


Divinyls
If a band is going to be a one hit wonder, that song has better be a memorable one.  This one was.  For sure.  Even after all these years, I still hear this one more than occasionally on the radio here.


David Bowie
He is, without question, one of the most interesting people in the music business.  The glam rocker who made people uncomfortable with his occasionally androgynous self, he pushed limits and challenged stereotypes.  Perhaps his biggest contribution to the world isn't even just music, it's him as a package, as an entirety.  A message to the world that not everyone fits into the preconceived notions of society, and that he can be fabulous regardless of whether anyone understands him or not.


The Doors
Deep, dark, mysterious.  Haunting lyrics, and a body that wouldn't quit.  Jim Morrison personified the over-sexed, drug-induced culture of music in the late 60's and early 70's.  I wrote about them last year too.  Then I took a cold shower.


Bob Dylan
Folk singer turned cultural icon, he is one of the most identifiable voices in American music.  He doesn't just use his music to entertain people, he uses it as a social platform to express his opinions about politics and peace.  A prolific talent, he writes and performs music and creates art in physical mediums too.  He's still touring to this day.


Neil Diamond
You knew this letter would end with him.  Be honest.

He's all about cheese and stage presence and charming the crowd, but that is exactly what has endeared him to people all around the world for over 50 years.  I'm not ashamed to admit that my children know all the words to this song, and that we crank it up in the car, roll the windows down and sing at the tops of our lungs when it's on.