Sunday Music: Gang Of Four (And The Importance Of Influence)
September 28, 2025·0 comments·zg
Kurt Cobain explained early Nirvana as “A Gang of Four and Scratch Acid ripoff.”
Flea heard the Gang of Four song, “Not Great Men” and immediately wanted to start a band.*
Michael Stipe called Gang of Four one of R.E.M.’s chief influences when they formed.
These aren't casual name-drops - these are artists crediting a fundamental influence.
Great art has a way of standing out, always at some fundamental level. What provides the floor for the new level - sometimes requires construction, and other times it requires deconstruction. To that effect, Gang of Four were a wrecking ball of an artist.
For starters - Gang of Four had next level reach across music. Especially rock music. I’m scratching the surface with these three I cherry picked out of one Brooklyn Vegan article giving example after example of just how influential they were.
I’ve been on a kick after my essay, “The Compression of America: Why Live Experience Is All That's Left” got shared this week.
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