3 of The Most Pleasantly Bizarre Underground Singer/Songwriters 

The music industry is riddled with musicians and bands who are very much copies of one another. Outside of those types of acts are musicians and bands who are truly unique, yet not totally on the outskirts of popular taste. Now, outside of those musicians exists a world of music that is totally and utterly unique and arguably not all relative to the music you hear on a frequent basis. This world is the pleasantly bizarre underground music scene.

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More often than not, the names of the musicians who reside in this world don’t make it out into the light of day. However, in the field, they are highly celebrated figures, and sometimes, but not often, they garner popular attention, just not on an enormous level. So, to pay credit where credit is due, here are three of the most pleasantly bizarre underground singer/songwriters.

Daniel Johnston

Daniel Johnston is arguably the most famous singer/songwriter to come out of the underground music scene, and that is thanks to Kurt Cobain. Specifically, Cobain wore a t-shirt showcasing Johnston’s artwork. Nevertheless, Johnston was a singer/songwriter and artist who toiled in the Austin, Texas underground arts world in the 80s.

Johnston, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, acquired a cult following thanks to his niche artwork and phenomenally sentimental songs. Some of his more notable songs include “True Love Will Find You In The End” and “Walking The Cow”.

Wesley Willis

Like Johnston, Wesley Willis also battled schizophrenia and utilized his artwork and music to express the happenings in his mind. As somber a story as that previous sentence tells, Wesley met his condition with humor, as the man’s music is downright hilarious.

In addition to being a talented artist, Willis wrote joke songs that often entail obscene language and humor. The Wesley Willis songs highlighting that fact are “I Wupped Batman’s A—”, “
Rock N Roll McDonalds”, and “Cut The Mullet”.

Tiny Tim

Have you ever seen the 2010 horror film, Insidious? If so, then you likely remember the horrifying song, “Tiptoe Through The Tulips”. Well, that song belongs to the ever-so-peculiar underground singer/songwriter Tiny Tim. The ukulele-playing and falsetto-singing Tiny Tim was most prominent in the 60s.

Despite being an underground artist, Tim landed a major appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. This was at the height of his popularity, and would go on to become the most popular achievement of his career. Though something tells us this guy didn’t care all that much about popularity and mass appeal.

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