Most Influential Rock Artist Ever
 

Ok who do you consider is the most influential rock artist? Their influence can extend into other genres just not rock music.

No "other" option?

an other would be appropriate
i went with VU

I went with the real appropriate answer the Beatles. Even though I am huge fan of VU and the Who.

From this all I see are subjective fights about where each respective artist lies in relation to genre (ie Bob Dylan = folk...) Are we talking influence on rock from anywhere or just influential Rockers?

Other - Robert Johnson :p:

But ignoring that, Beatles...

My criteria is but hey it's only my criteria.

Direct Influence- Influence on musicians directly
Enduring influence- Musicians from a previous era that are still influencing musicians directly.
Immediate Influence- Musicians when they came out changed the genre.
Varied Influenced- did their influence spill over to other genres like Pop or Folk. The best example is the Byrds and partly Dylan going electric because of the Beatles chord progressions.

Ah Radiohead90...I came in here as an EXTREME Beatles fanboy...don't worry you'll change (I somewhat did).

i find it hard to pick against the beatles in this argument... they're not my favorite but still

VU comes in second for me

I actually hated the Beatles until I got Abbey Road.
 

Yeah, I love the Beatles but that was not the case 5 years ago. It's only starting to play the guitar and learning the chord progressions of songs like "You Never Give Me Your Money' that made me start to realize there is a lot of elements in their music that you don't hear in say the Stones or Dylan. I was going to put Radiohead on my list but I don't think any support on them here. The Velvet Underground is another good choice that my friends pound it my head also but do they translate into pop music?

Radiohead is adored here too, I believe. :)