Talking Heads and David Byrne have influenced countless musicians and bands since they first came to be in 1975. They were America\u2019s most well-known new wave outfit for quite a while. They remain one of the most beloved avant-funk and post-punk outfits of all time. Remain In Light is a classic that keeps on giving. And the following musicians were clearly inspired by the band in major ways.<\/p>\n
Beck<\/p>\n
Beck could easily be seen as the David Byrne of his era in the 90s, a weirdo with a creative ability to put together addictive, catchy, pop-leaning music that resonated with audiophiles and casual listeners without alienating either. In 2017, specifically, Talking Heads\u2019 influence was pretty obvious with the release of Beck\u2019s dance-rock album Colors. Particularly, the song \u201cNo Distraction\u201d has a very Talking Heads vibe. Even Rolling Stone<\/a> felt the same way, describing the song as a \u201cdance-y, Talking Heads-like stomp.\u201d I definitely agree.<\/p>\n St. Vincent<\/p>\n They say never meet your heroes, but art rock icon St. Vincent did exactly that and then went on to collaborate on an entire album (Love This Giant) with David Byrne in 2012. But she\u2019s not just the luckiest fan in the world; St. Vincent\u2019s music has always been in the same vein as Talking Heads to a degree, with out-there, artistic elements that can only be described as Byrne-esque, particularly on records like Strange Mercy from 2011. There\u2019s no one quite like St. Vincent in indie pop and rock, but her influences make themselves known in her work to anyone who\u2019s paying attention.<\/p>\n Radiohead<\/p>\n This one\u2019s a shoo-in, but minor fans of Radiohead might not know how much Talking Heads influenced the band from their early beginnings in 1985. The band got their name from the Talking Heads song \u201cRadio Head\u201d from the 1986 album True Stories. Their music doesn\u2019t sound enormously like Talking Heads, but Radiohead certainly thought outside of the box in a similar fashion.<\/p>\n