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Comment by actually_a_dog | Hacker News Reader

    A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I'm still doing it.
    -- On being called a "legend." Miles Davis, 1991.

IIRC, only the tiniest handful of people could have unironically said that at any time in the 90's besides him. Off the top of my head, the only one really coming to mind is Michael Jordan (the NBA player, not the actor).

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I think David Bowie is in that league. Even into the 2000’s was still pushing himself and I love his final album. I think Beastie Boys, too. Their last album, they were still looking for new sounds.

Bowie was absolutely in that league. It took me several years to appreciate his final album because of the circumstances but it is sublime.

I had kind of written him off after his "Let's Dance" sellout period I regret it. The second half of his career compliments the first half.

Let's Dance is actually a track that gave young Stevie Ray Vaughan a chance to shine with his guitar.

Of course, these examples are shadows of what Miles Davis accomplished. He’s in a league of his own. He fundamentally changed Jazz at least 3 times if not more. Influential in Bebop (he claimed to have written Donna Lee), Cool, Modal, Fusion, maybe some Third Stream. Guy was an incredible musician.

Prince.

This is a really strange comment and it makes no sense.

The prince comment may be a reference to the musician Prince, who was also highly influential (not at Mile's level) and who changed styles several times.

Prince I agree with, and there's many others. It's really weird to suggest Miles Davis and Michael Jordan were the only "GOAT"-level figures alive and thriving in the 90's.

There were millions of legends in the 1990s, surely.

Knuth :)

Nobody who ever said:

    Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it. 
    -- Donald Knuth, 1977.

would ever dare to call himself the GOAT.

Fair enough, good lore :)

Ali

Ali's last bout was in 81, and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 84. Sadly, he did spend most the 90's as a legend.

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