A salute to the record producer, who frequently goes unnoticed by the public, and who is often the primary creative force behind a record (along with the engineer, but that's a separate article).
I tried to find a list on the internet of greatest producers, a top-10 or top-100 and found none; top guitarist lists are a dime a dozen.
But think of some of rock's most well-known records; Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pet Sounds, "Be My Baby", Nevermind, Remain In Light, Licensed to Ill, Dark Side of the Moon, et. al. In each case, the production is as much of the story as the performance, in some cases a lot more so.
In the nutshell, a producer's job is to get the best performances out of his musicians as possible, to oversee the mixing and ensure integrity of sound, to augment the recording with additional musicians, sound effects, special effects, and vocals as needed. Many good producers were also good musicians, and could serve as an additional bandmember, as Brian Eno did with Talking Heads, or Jim O'Rourke with Sonic Youth. Others, like Phil Spector, Jimmy Miller, Rick Rubin, and Chris Thomas have generally stayed behind the controls instead of in front of them.
Sometimes, examining the roster of talent a producer works with can be enlightening about the music. This playlist will attempt to credit the 20 most important/influential/interesting producers in rock history, and recommend a sample tune from their portfolio.
Some of the most important/influential producers of the rock era include (in no strict order):
1. Sam Phillips
![Jackie brenston & His Delta cats: Delta 88 [45] (1951)](http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/5163/jackiebrenstonrocket88451cw.jpg)
Credits: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison
Song: Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats: Rocket 88
Before we begin, we have to acknowledge Sam Phillips' role in all this, as first rock 'n' roll producer ever. Without Sam Phillips, there would have probably been no rock 'n' roll, at least as we know it. Phillips opened Sun Studio in 1950; "Rocket 88", recorded at Sun and released on Chess in 1951, is generally considered by most musicologists as the very first rock 'n' roll song ever (featuring the pounding jump-blues piano of Ike Turner, then Chuck Berry's chief hometown rival, and ahead of Berry at this point in history). What makes it rock 'n' roll was an idea by Phillips. Guitarist Willie Kizart's amp was smashed when it fell off the roof of a car, breaking the speaker cone. It made Kizart's guitar sound like a saxophone. Phillips decided to use the amp, overamplify it, and use it as a rhythm track; the song had transformed itself from raunchy jump blues to rock 'n' roll. His work with Presley, Perkins, and the others was the very invention of rock too. He was equally at home with blues, r&b, and country; the central ingredients of rock 'n' roll.
Article comments
1 - uao
Honorary mentions: Marty Thau, Alan Parsons, Phil Ramone, Bob Ezrin, Jack Douglas, Peter Asher, Moby, Joe Meeks, Glyn Johns, Linda Perry, Trent Reznor, Todd Rundgren, Tony Visconti.
2 - gonzo marx
nice Thoughts here...definately on the "not been done bafore" category...
since you covered Todd Rungren..i only have one that need to be on the list
Terry Brown - he was the original Producer for Rush, helped create their trademark sound and approach, both in the studio....and worked the soundboard while they were on stage
they did part ways quite a few years ago, as any listener can tell simply by how the sound/mix changed
Excelsior!
3 - Triniman
Bob Rock is a very popular producer.
Ditto for Prince.
Mutt Lange has struck gold withdifferent genres, from rock to pop to country.
Jimmy Page did a terrific job with Led Zeppelin.
Who could forget Qunicy Jones?
4 - Triniman
Bill Laswell. Not a household name, but always involed with interesting projects.
5 - Sean
I'd include Nick Lowe (produced a bunch of Elvis Costello albums) and Guy Stevens (Mott the Hoople, the Clash) on the list.
6 - GoHah
Perhaps Jon Brion--Eels, Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple (his production on "When the Pawn" is amazing. Perhaps too few credits and too recent for an historical perspective at this point.
7 - godoggo
Teo Macero.
8 - uao
gonzo marx-- Funny, I was trying to remember the name of the Rush guy, and it wasn't coming to me, and then I forgot all about it.
A lot of the names suggested surely deserve credit too; Mutt Lange, Nick Lowe, Bill Laswell, Guy Stevens.
Good ole Teo Macero is great, but more jazz than rock; I didn't think of Jon Brion at all, and wanted to include a younger name, I'll have to give him a closer listen.
This was a little harder to cobble together than the other Sunday playlists I've done; I appreciate the suggestions and feedback. Like a lot of these, someday (if only days were 48 hours long) I want to expand the list to a top-50.
Thanks for the names; a lot of knowledgeable music listeners here at BC!
;-)
9 - GoHah
oh, and Jon Brion also, oddly enough, produced the new 50 Cent release.
10 - Aaman
The Ramones and the Talking Heads - I guess Eno and Spector are tops
11 - godoggo
You said "Rock Era", and how many rockers do you have listed under, say, Jerry Wexler? Anyway, that's what I'd been thinking.
12 - uao
Okay, godoggo, Teo Macero is in. I was thinking of him, and then I remembered all the people who posted saying Miles Davis isn't rock and shouldn't be in the rock Hall, so I wussied out of the argument by slighting him.
He definitely belongs here.
13 - JR
I don't know that Tom Werman was particularly influencial or interesting, but his name is on more of my favorite albums than just about anyone else.
14 - sjbyrne
What about Tom Dowd....Allmam Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Derek and the Dominoes, STAX Records,etc,etc,etc....invented the 8 track recorder...nuff said
15 - Leonardo Landini
I really like Howard Benson:
Hobastank
My Chemical Romance
P.O.D
Papa Roach
Trust Company
Cold
All American Rejects
16 - John
Where is the heck is the greatest producer of alltime, MUTT LANGE. He is in the top 3 producers of alltime on anyones list. He created new sounds for multiple genres and produced 7 of the top 100 biggest albums of alltime and wrote the biggest songs too.
From ACDC,def leppard,foreigner,the carrs,bryan adams,Shania TWain and so many more. HE created all the sounds and is a musical genius.
Seriously, why would you leave him off your list.He should be top 2.
17 - John
Just another comment. Some of those you listed aren't even that great or big producers and had very little impact.
I do find it really funny how you left off Mutt Lange, who is in the top 2 most successful and biggest producers of alltime that everyone in the business aknowledges as the richest and most successful producer of the last 30 years.
18 - The Beast
The top songwriters and producers has to be the Bee Gees, they have written some massive selling albums and singles for various Artists
19 - Zaphod
I agree that Mutt Lange is a glaring omission ... as is another wildly successful and innovative producer Jeff Lynne.
20 - President4Life
No Quincy Jones???
Only the most celebrated and successful music producer of all-time???
That's like having a list of basketball players without Michael Jordan on it.