What affects your choice of favourite musician?

[Vincent, Thunder God]

So tell me - what aspect of playing a musical instrument most affects your choice of favourite musician? Obviously all of the aspects I listed contribute, and a musician with little or no talent in all areas can't be seen as a good musician, but of them all, which will most affect your enjoyment of that musician?

[Rengori]

I would enjoy the musician to be good in all areas, but generally if a song gets my attention with an awesome riff and don't go in a downward spiral from there (I'm looking at you, Cannibal Corpse), I usually can dig it.

[Venom]

I dunno, I guess I base it off of what sounds good. It doesnt need to be real technical for me to think its awesome.

[daggertrepe]

It's all about style, but technique second.

Great poll!

[Slothy]

All of the above.

They need to have good technique and be innovative, but not at the expense of playing stuff that's musical and serves the song. At the same time, they shouldn't think that serving the music means abandoning technique and innovation and playing something simple. Occasionaly the situation calls for it, but most of the time it's just laziness and a lack of creativity.

[Vermachtnis]

Your poll is way deeper than I expected, bravo. I like all the options, but I LOVE solos.

[Proxy]

Style & Technique.
Though I usually sample bands first that I've never heard of.
Vocals play a HUGE part for me.
Technicality is nice every now & then.

This is a really good thread. I don't know how to reply to this properly haha.

[Shattered Dreamer]

Can't really narrow it down I'd find it easier to say why I disliked a musician than why I liked one.

[Yamaneko]

All of them.

[El Bandito]

While Style and Technique are no doubt important to have, I'd say the biggest thing that sets certain musicians above all else for me is innovation.

For example, it's a huge compliment for someone to tell me "he sounds just like Clapton", but it's hard for me to get into that music when I could just go and listen to Clapton's stuff. As it becomes harder and harder to be truly innovative, when someone comes out with a new sound it's hard for me to ignore them.

[Rocket Edge]

This is about rock i'm sure. 4th option.

[blim]

I think this poll is focusing too much on the technical side of music. Although my favourite musician (Jaco Pastorius) was technically fantastic, my current favourite band (Crass) are almost the polar opposite and my reasons for liking them are also different, Jaco combined great skill and technique (using your definitions, which are questionable) he also almost single handedly changed the way people approached the bass, in terms of skill/technique it could be argued that the likes of Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, Flea etc have surpassed him none have had the same kind of influence.

Crass i admire for their integrity and the message behind their music (and they are IMO the greatest punk band ever)

[Discord]

The end result of the above.