History Main / OutsiderMusic

* [[Music/MyTeenageDreamEnded Farrah Abraham]]

* Farrah Abraham

The "outsider music" concept was codified in TheNineties by Irwin Chusid, a longtime DJ on New Jersey-based non-commercial radio station WFMU and aficionado of non-mainstream music. Chusid began featuring outsider artists on his regular radio show, and even started a spinoff show devoted entirely to them, called ''Incorrect Music'', which ran from 1997 to 2002. In 2000 Chusid published ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe of Outsider Music'', where he devoted several chapters to artists deemed outsider musicians. Some of them are [[CloudCuckooLander mentally unstable]], some plain eccentric, others merely [[SkilledButNaive naïve and innocent]], some very social like Tiny Tim, [[ReclusiveArtist others don't want to see anyone]], like Jandek, but they all share an adventurous, authentic and unusual style of music. Chusid also went to great lengths to differentiate between self-consciously odd professional artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/VelvetUnderground and/or Music/TheSexPistols and musicians who are clearly not aware how eccentric and unique they sound, like Music/TinyTim, Music/DanielJohnston and Music/WesleyWillis. The latter category are the real "outsiders". Chusid notes that the line between those two groupings can sometimes be quite thin, and he included Music/SydBarrett and Music/CaptainBeefheart in the book, even though they're famous CultClassic musicians; Barrett in fact started in the "self-consciously odd" category (being the original frontman of Music/PinkFloyd) before his declining mental health thrust him into outsider status.

The "outsider music" concept was codified in TheNineties by Irwin Chusid, a longtime DJ on New Jersey-based non-commercial radio station WFMU and aficionado of non-mainstream music. Chusid began featuring outsider artists on his regular radio show, and even started a spinoff show devoted entirely to them, called ''Incorrect Music'', which ran from 1997 to 2002. In 2000 Chusid published ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe of Outsider Music'', where he devoted several chapters to artists deemed outsider musicians. Some of them are [[CloudCuckooLander mentally unstable]], some plain eccentric, others merely [[SkilledButNaive naïve and innocent]], some very social like Tiny Tim, [[ReclusiveArtist others don't want to see anyone]], like Jandek, but they all share an adventurous, authentic and unusual style of music. Chusid also went to great lengths to differentiate between self-consciously odd professional artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/VelvetUnderground and/or Music/TheSexPistols and musicians who are clearly not aware how eccentric and unique they sound, like Music/TinyTim, Music/DanielJohnston and Music/WesleyWillis. The latter category are the real "outsiders". Chusid notes that the line between those two groupings can sometimes be quite thin, and he included Music/SydBarrett and Music/CaptainBeefheart in the book, even though they're famous CultClassic musicians; Barrett in fact started in the "self-consciously odd" category (being the main songwriter and guitarist for Music/PinkFloyd at the start of their careers) before his declining mental health thrust him into outsider status.

The "outsider music" concept was codified in TheNineties by Irwin Chusid, a longtime DJ on New Jersey-based non-commercial radio station WFMU and aficionado of non-mainstream music. Chusid began featuring outsider artists on his regular radio show, and even started a spinoff show devoted entirely to them, called ''Incorrect Music'', which ran from 1997 to 2002. In 2000 Chusid published ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe of Outsider Music'', where he devoted several chapters to artists deemed outsider musicians. Some of them are [[CloudCuckooLander mentally unstable]], some plain eccentric, others merely [[SkilledButNaive naïve and innocent]], some very social like Tiny Tim, [[ReclusiveArtist others don't want to see anyone]], like Jandek, but they all share an adventurous, authentic and unusual style of music. Chusid also went to great lengths to differentiate between self-consciously odd professional artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/VelvetUnderground and/or Music/TheSexPistols and musicians who are clearly not aware how eccentric and unique they sound, like Music/TinyTim, Music/DanielJohnston and Music/WesleyWillis. The latter category are the real "outsiders". Chusid notes that the line between those two groupings can sometimes be quite thin, and he included Music/SydBarrett and Music/CaptainBeefheart in the book, even though they're famous CultClassic musicians.

* Music/TinyTim: Still the most famous of these musicians; a OneHitWonder for "Tip-Toe Through The Tulips."

** ''Music/TheMadcapLaughs'' (1970)
** ''Music/{{Barrett}}'' (1970)

* Music/DavidTanny
* Music/EmilyPukisAndTheVagrants [[note]]They are/began as a GG Allin cover band, so it's only natural they would be Outsider as well.[[/note]]

** ''[[Music/TheBigProblem The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be]]''

** ''Music/HiHowAreYou'' (1983)
** ''Music/YipJumpMusic'' (1983)

* Music/ArielPink

** ''Music/SidSings'' (1979)

* Tonetta

The "outsider music" concept was codified in TheNineties by Irwin Chusid, a longtime DJ on New Jersey-based non-commercial radio station WFMU and aficionado of non-mainstream music. Chusid began featuring outsider artists on his regular radio show, and even started a spinoff show devoted entirely to them, called ''Incorrect Music'', which ran from 1997 to 2002. In 2000 Chusid published ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe of Outsider Music'', where he devoted several chapters to artists deemed outsider musicians. Some of them are [[CloudCuckooLander mentally unstable]], some plain eccentric, others merely [[SkilledButNaive naïve and innocent]], some very social like Tiny Tim, [[ReclusiveArtist others don't want to see anyone]], like Jandek, but they all share an adventurous, authentic and unusual style of music. Chusid also went to great lengths to differentiate between self-consciously odd professional artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/VelvetUnderground and/or Music/TheSexPistols and musicians who are clearly not aware how eccentric and unique they sound, like Music/TinyTim and Music/DanielJohnston. The latter category are the real "outsiders". Chusid notes that the line between those two groupings can sometimes be quite thin, and he included Music/SydBarrett and Music/CaptainBeefheart in the book, even though they're famous CultClassic musicians.

Outsider music is music "sung" and "played" by amateurs who obviously are far removed from being professional talents. They sing off-key, can't carry a tune, can't play their instruments, are unable to read music or write bizarre, sometimes PainfulRhyme lyrics without any sense of song structure. To most people these musicians are basically something to laugh at, but fans of outsider music look beyond the cheap and easy laugh. As it so happens many of these ''bad'' musicians have a [[AccidentalArt refreshing unconventional sound]], far removed from the monotone, sterile and corporate controlled hits you hear in the Top 40. If they were musicians who consciously wrote cacophonic or otherwise bizarre music they would probably be hailed as innovators. The thing however is that these amateur musicians are actually more genuine and heartfelt in making creative and original music than professional musicians who try to sound different, but consciously never go so far that they would alienate their audience completely. Author Irwin Chusid of ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe Of Outsider Music'' makes a clear distinction between these so-called consciously odd professional artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/VelvetUnderground and/or Music/TheSexPistols and musicians who are clearly not aware how eccentric and unique they sound, like Music/TinyTim, Music/SydBarrett and Music/DanielJohnston. The latter category are the real "outsiders".

"Outsider music" has a long history with predecessors such as The Cherry Sisters and Florence Foster Jenkins, but as a genre it only started to get audience interest from the end of the 1960s on, with examples like Wild Man Fischer, Music/TheShaggs and the only one who ever managed to get a hit in the charts: Tiny Tim. By the 1990s it practically became its own genre, with author Irwin Chusid writing an interesting analysis about it in the book ''Songs in the Key of Z'', where he devoted several chapters to artists deemed outsider musicians. Some of them are [[CloudCuckooLander mentally unstable]], some plain eccentric, others merely [[SkilledButNaive naïve and innocent]], some very social like Tiny Tim, [[ReclusiveArtist others don't want to see anyone]], like Jandek, but they all share an adventurous, authentic and unusual style of music.

For more information check out Irwin Chusid's book ''Songs In The Key Of "Z": The Curious Universe of Outsider Music''. Chusid also has a [[GreatestHitsAlbum Compilation Album]] with music by all these artists than can be ordered online.

* Wild Man Fischer

* Creator/CrispinGlover: Released exactly one album, ''[[Music/TheBigProblem The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be]]'', in 1988.

* Creator/CrispinGlover: Released exactly one album in 1989 entitled ''The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be'' and contains everything from a [[PissTakeRap rap parody]] about [[ADateWithRosiePalms masturbation]] ("Auto Manipulator") to CreepyCircusMusic ("Clowny Clown Clown," which even got [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtOXxH6KVX4 a music video]]) to readings from two of his books ''Rat Catching'' and ''Oak Mot'' to a [[StylisticSuck deliberately awful]] {{cover version}} of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'."

* Creator/CrispinGlover: Released exactly one album in 1989 entitled ''The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be'' and contains everything from a [[PissTakeRap rap parody]] about [[ADateWithRoseyPalms masturbation]] ("Auto Manipulator") to CreepyCircusMusic ("Clowny Clown Clown," which even got [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtOXxH6KVX4 a music video]]) to readings from two of his books ''Rat Catching'' and ''Oak Mot'' to a [[StylisticSuck deliberately awful]] {{cover version}} of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'."

* Creator/CrispinGlover: Released exactly one album in 1989 entitled ''The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be'' and contains everything from a [[PissTakeRap rap parody]] about [[ADateWithRosyPalms masturbation]] ("Auto Manipulator") to CreepyCircusMusic ("Clowny Clown Clown," which even got [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtOXxH6KVX4 a music video]]) to readings from two of his books ''Rat Catching'' and ''Oak Mot'' to a [[StylisticSuck deliberately awful]] {{cover version}} of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'."

* Creator/CrispinGlover: Released exactly one album in 1989 entitled ''The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be'' and contains everything from a rap parody about masturbation ("Auto Manipulator") to CreepyCircusMusic ("Clowny Clown Clown," which even got a music video) to readings from two of his books ''Rat Catching'' and ''Oak Mot'' to a [[StylisticSuck deliberately awful]] {{cover version}} of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'."

* Florence Foster Jenkins

* Music/TheShaggs

* Music/TinyTim

* Music/SidVicious

* Moondog

* Zoogz Rift

*

* Music/CaptainBeefheart
** ''Music/SafeAsMilk'' (1967)
** ''Music/StrictlyPersonal'' (1968)
** ''Music/TroutMaskReplica'' (1969)
** ''Music/LickMyDecalsOffBaby'' (1970)
** ''Music/BongoFury'' (1975) (with [[/index]]Music/FrankZappa[[index]])
** ''Music/ShinyBeast'' (1978)
** ''Music/DocAtTheRadarStation'' (1980)
** ''Music/IceCreamForCrow'' (1982)

* TheMostEverCompany