Iggy Pop: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Iggy Pop's map runs from Chicago blues and Detroit factory noise through Michigan garage rock, Berlin synthesizer exile, and a second life as a character actor and radio broadcaster. These eight slots trace the sources he has named, the scene that raised him, and the generations of punk and grunge bands that took the Stooges' template as scripture.

The Kynda mix for Iggy Pop

• Key Influence · The Doors (1967). Iggy has repeatedly described seeing the Doors play the University of Michigan in 1967, watching a visibly impaired Jim Morrison antagonize a hostile crowd, and realizing that a frontman could be confrontational rather than entertaining. He later recorded with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and has credited Morrison's baritone and provocation as the permission slip for his own stage persona and vocal approach.
• Influencia Obscura · The Soupy Sales Show by Soupy Sales (1955). Iggy has told the story many times: Soupy Sales asked his young TV audience to send him twenty-five words or less, and the lesson stuck. Stooges lyrics — "No Fun," "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "1970" — are built on that compressed, repeated, childlike directness. A kids' slapstick show from Detroit television became the unlikely grammar of punk songwriting, a source far stranger than any record in the collection.
• Local Roots · Kick Out the Jams by MC5 (1969). The MC5 were the Stooges' older brothers in the Ann Arbor/Detroit axis: both bands were managed within John Sinclair's White Panther orbit, both signed to Elektra after being scouted at the same shows, and the MC5 recommended the Stooges to the label. Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith's twin-guitar assault and the band's politicized volume defined the local standard Iggy had to answer.
• Beyond the Medium · The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1776). Iggy read Gibbon during his drifting post-Stooges years and has written and lectured publicly on it, including a widely noted BBC address drawing parallels between Rome's decadence and the modern music industry. The book shaped his self-presentation as a wry chronicler of collapse rather than a mere wild man, and it informs the ironic distance of lyrics from New Values onward.
• Peer · Transformer by Lou Reed (1972). Reed and Iggy were both Bowie projects in 1972: Bowie and Mick Ronson produced Transformer while Bowie mixed Raw Power, and the three circulated together through London's Dorchester and the Mainman management stable. Reed's deadpan narration of street life ran parallel to Iggy's bodily approach, and the two remained lifelong, often prickly contemporaries in the same downtown mythology.
• From the Canon · The Idiot by Iggy Pop (1977). Written and recorded in France and Berlin with Bowie, The Idiot abandoned garage attack for drum-machine drag, buried vocals, and European dread. "Nightclubbing" and "China Girl" reinvented Iggy as a crooner and lyricist rather than a projectile, and the album was famously on Ian Curtis's turntable the night he died — the clearest single explanation of how Iggy's influence reached post-punk.
• Key Collaborator · Low by David Bowie (1977). Bowie rescued Iggy from Los Angeles, brought him to Château d'Hérouville and Berlin, and produced, co-wrote, and played on both 1977 solo albums; Iggy toured as Bowie's singer with Bowie on keyboards. Low was made in the same rooms during the same months with Tony Visconti and Brian Eno, making it the essential companion document of the most productive partnership in either man's life.
• Legacy · Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols (1977). Raw Power was a fixture at Malcolm McLaren's SEX shop and in the Pistols' rehearsal repertoire — they covered "No Fun" and played it as the closing song of their final 1978 San Francisco show. Johnny Rotten's sneer and Steve Jones's guitar tone descend directly from Iggy and James Williamson, and Jones has said Raw Power was the record that taught him how to play.

What influenced Iggy Pop

• The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1776). The article says reading Gibbon inspired Pop's soliloquy; it identifies Gibbon's work as Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. “I am inspired by the will and erudition which enabled Gibbon to complete a work of twenty-odd years. The guy stuck with things .” (classicsireland.com)
• Mick Jagger. Jagger is identified as an influence on Pop's vocals and persona. “From Mick Jagger, it would be his moving around while he performs the song. Also, the voice as an irritant. When he sang, it was the opposite of nice.” (rollingstone.com)
• William S. Burroughs. Burroughs is identified as an influence on Pop's writing. “It’s William Burroughs, from The Ticket That Exploded and The Soft Machine . I loved that Dr. Benway line: “Love, what is it anyway? It’s just like when you hypnotize a chicken.”” (rollingstone.com)
• James Brown (1933). Brown is identified as an influence on Pop's vocals and persona. “I also had a series of hand signals - like James Brown - so we could switch from one riff to another, so the music never stopped.” (rollingstone.com)
• Jim Morrison. Morrison's performances inspired Pop's stage behavior. “From Morrison, it was the way to stand at the mike - the stance and the grab. He hung on the stand. Nobody else did that.” (rollingstone.com)
• Harry Partch. Pop includes Partch among the music the Stooges listened to as influences. “The Stooges went farther afield in our influences. We listened to [the acid-folk band] Pearls Before Swine and [avant-garde composer] Harry Partch.” (rollingstone.com)
• Bob Dylan. Pop names Dylan’s album among the records he listened to as he began playing rock music. “And I was listening to two albums - Bringing It All Back Home , by Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones Now! And maybe Out of Our Heads , by the Stones too.” (rollingstone.com)
• Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs (1959). Naked Lunch (William S. Burroughs) — culture for Iggy Pop “Burroughs audio documentary narrated by Iggy Pop [3] William S.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground (1967). The Velvet Underground & Nico (The Velvet Underground) — titan for Iggy Pop “Vincent, Jasper Patrick Leach, and Iggy Pop.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Doors by The Doors (1967). The Doors (The Doors) — titan for Iggy Pop “Inspired by Chicago blues as well as bands like the Sonics, MC5 and the Doors, he formed the Psychedelic Stooges.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Doors by Oliver Stone (1991). Pop directly identifies a Doors concert as an influence. “I attended two concerts by the Doors. The first one I attended was early on and they had not gotten their shit together yet. That show was a big, big, big influence on me.” (Wikipedia)
• The Theatre and Its Double by Antonin Artaud (1938). The Theatre and Its Double (Antonin Artaud) — culture for Iggy Pop (wikidata.org)
• The Soupy Sales Show by Soupy Sales (1955). The Soupy Sales Show (Soupy Sales) — ghost for Iggy Pop “Lust for Life featured another team of brothers, Hunt and Tony Fox Sales, sons of comedian Soupy Sales.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Howlin' Wolf Sings the Blues by Howlin' Wolf (1962). Howlin' Wolf Sings the Blues (Howlin' Wolf) — titan for Iggy Pop
• Delusion of the Fury by Harry Partch (1969). Delusion of the Fury (Harry Partch) — ghost for Iggy Pop

Peers and kindred spirits

• David Bowie (1947). Pop describes Bowie writing and arranging for his projects. (also via The Idiot, China Girl, Sister Midnight) “For three years, I was a guinea pig. If he had a new idea and wasn’t sure how to approach it, he would write or arrange something in a similar manner for one of my projects.” (rollingstone.com)
• Johnny Depp. Depp featured on songs by Iggy Pop. (also via The Idiot) “In addition, Depp has worked as a musician and has collaborated with Iggy Pop, Oasis and many others.” (Far Out Magazine)
• Siouxsie Sioux. Pop recorded a duet with Siouxsie Sioux. “Her version of the song was already special, but what happened here, singing together, is really unique. Like Volare, the orchestral treatment and marriage of voices flies free, in a spirit of joy.” (mojo4music.com)
• The Stooges by The Stooges. Pop was the Stooges' lead vocalist. “I don’t think there was anything wired or weird about the Stooges when we started. We were just creative.” (rollingstone.com)
• Josh Homme. Pop and Homme recorded Post Pop Depression together. “There was a unique set of skills that I heard in his stuff. He can compose, which is different than songwriting, but he can also write a song.” (northcountrypublicradio.org)
• The Iguanas. Pop played drums in the Iguanas. “You got the nickname Iggy from your first band, the Iguanas. Where did you get the surname Pop?” (rollingstone.com)
• The Wild One by Johnny O'Keefe. Pop's Real Wild Child is identified as a cover of The Wild One. “While Iggy Pop ‘s 1986 rendition is widely recognised, ‘Real Wild Child’ originated from the creative prowess of Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe and The Deejays in 1958. Initially titled ‘Wild One’” (faroutmagazine.co.uk)
• Grace Jones. Jones covered “Nightclubbing,” credited here to Iggy Pop and David Bowie. (also via The Idiot) “The 1981 release of Nightclubbing included Jones's covers of songs by Flash and the Pan (" Walking in the Rain "), Bill Withers (" Use Me "), Iggy Pop / David Bowie (" Nightclubbing ") and Ástor Piazzolla (" I've Seen That Face Before ").” (Wikipedia)
• Low by David Bowie. Low (David Bowie) — collaborator for Iggy Pop “He had a long collaborative relationship and friendship with David Bowie over the course of his career, beginning with the Stooges' album Raw Power in 1973.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Transformer by Lou Reed. Transformer (Lou Reed) — peer for Iggy Pop “Also in 1985, Pop and Lou Reed contributed their singing voices to the animated film Rock & Rule.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Gimme Danger by Jim Jarmusch (2016). Gimme Danger (Jim Jarmusch) — collaborator for Iggy Pop “In the 2016 Jim Jarmusch documentary film about the Stooges, Gimme Danger, Pop tells of guitarist Ron Asheton calling Moe Howard to see if it was all right to call the band "The Stooges", to which Howard responded by merely saying "I don…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. The page identifies Iggy Pop among the musicians Bourdain interviewed on his shows. “On No Reservations and Parts Unknown , he dined with and interviewed many musicians, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, with a special focus on glam and various rockers such as Alice Cooper , David Johansen , Marky Ramone , and Iggy Pop .” (Wikipedia)
• The Prime Movers. Pop joined the Prime Movers at 18. “He then began exploring local blues -style bands such as the Prime Movers (with brothers Dan and Michael Erlewine ), which he joined at 18 years old.” (Wikipedia)
• Kick Out the Jams by MC5. Kick Out the Jams (MC5) — geography for Iggy Pop “Inspired by Chicago blues as well as bands like the Sonics, MC5 and the Doors, he formed the Psychedelic Stooges.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age (2002). Songs for the Deaf (Queens of the Stone Age) — collaborator for Iggy Pop “Josh Homme and Dean Fertita contributed to Iggy Pop's 2016 album Post Pop Depression and subsequent tour, while Troy van Leeuwen joined the rock supergroup Gone Is Gone with plans to release an EP and a studio album.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tony Sales (1951). Tony and Hunt Sales played with Bowie on Iggy Pop's Lust for Life before joining Tin Machine. (via Lust for Life) “bassist and drummer Tony and Hunt Sales , who had played with Bowie on Iggy Pop's Lust for Life in 1977.” (Wikipedia)
• Maggot Brain by Funkadelic (1971). Maggot Brain (Funkadelic) — geography for Iggy Pop (musicbrainz.org)
• Devil with a Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (1966). Devil with a Blue Dress On & Good Golly Miss Molly (Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels) — geography for Iggy Pop (musicbrainz.org)
• New York Dolls by New York Dolls (1973). New York Dolls (New York Dolls) — peer for Iggy Pop (musicbrainz.org)
• Horses by Patti Smith (1975). Horses (Patti Smith) — peer for Iggy Pop (musicbrainz.org)

Who Iggy Pop influenced

• Nevermind by Nirvana (1991). Nevermind (Nirvana) — legacy for Iggy Pop “The Stooges' album Raw Power has proved an influence on artists such as Sex Pistols, the Smiths, and Nirvana.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Black Francis. Francis says he listened to Iggy Pop when he began writing Pixies songs. “When he first started writing songs for the Pixies, Francis says he was listening to nothing but Hüsker Dü , Captain Beefheart , and Iggy Pop ;” (Wikipedia)
• Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976). Iggy Pop is named among the band’s first influences. “The band cited the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Beatles, Iggy Pop and the Stooges amongst their first influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Depeche Mode (1980). The Idiot is named as an influence on Depeche Mode. (via The Idiot) “His solo album The Idiot has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk , electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode , Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division” (Wikipedia)
• Nine Inch Nails. The Idiot is named as an influence on Nine Inch Nails. (via The Idiot) “His solo album The Idiot has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk , electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode , Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division” (Wikipedia)
• Joy Division (1976). The Idiot is named as an influence on Joy Division. (via The Idiot) “His solo album The Idiot has been cited as a major influence on a number of post-punk , electronic and industrial artists including Depeche Mode , Nine Inch Nails and Joy Division” (Wikipedia)
• Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols by Sex Pistols (1977). Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (Sex Pistols) — legacy for Iggy Pop “The Stooges' album Raw Power has proved an influence on artists such as Sex Pistols, the Smiths, and Nirvana.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Damaged by Black Flag (1981). Damaged (Black Flag) — legacy for Iggy Pop (musicbrainz.org)