Under the influence

British weekly music bible NME has put the cat well and truly among the pigeons by polling a highly selective group of musical movers and shakers to see who merits the title of The Most Influential Artists Of All Time. Beethoven Frank Sinatra Bob Marley Madonna The Muppets Not one of these got a mention! The honour of first place goes to David Bowie.

Be honest, you're either cheering loudly in agreement, or foaming at the mouth because (insert your own pet legend from an endless list here) isn't The Chosen One.

NME is a wind-up merchant of long experience, and nothing froths pop's coffee quite as easily as a sparky debate about who is actualy any good in the wide world of music.

The results of NME's poll make interesting reading. The Beatles only make third place, and would need to climb over Radiohead to move towards ousting Mr Bowie from pole position. Rapper Mos Def steams in at number seventeen, breathing down the neck of living legend Bob Dylan, but leaving The Velvet Underground standing.

So what exactly is 'influence' anyway Who has it, and why do they have it As Bob Mackowycz pointed out in the Toronto Star, virtually the entire rap genre was spawned by The Sugar Hill Gang sampling the bass line of Chic's 'Good Times', ready to be re-worked by Queen - and where are any of those in the poll results

Who should the 'most influential' musician(s) be, and why do he, she or they deserve such status Can influence be measured and calculated in anything but the broadest terms, or is it something different for anyone who ever listened to music

By now, your opinion will be shouting to make itself heard, so send it in to us, and share it with everyone.

Say who, say why, say here and say now.