In our Bullshit On thread involving Linda McCartney, Townsman Oats made the follow wisecrack (I think) that got me thinking about something else:

I always thought Linda helped invent the two-fingered style of playing Minimoog that has since popped up in all kinds of settings, from The Cars to Dr. Dre to assorted indie rockers.

The “something else” I thought about was John Lennon‘s subtle claims in his final interviews that Yoko must have been a big influence on New Wave bands they were hearing, like The B-52s. Perhaps Yoko was the influence for the singing style of those women, but what this really got me thinking about were suspect claims of influence in rock ‘n roll.

These suspect claims of influence often come long after the fact. They sometimes seem orchestrated to add relevance to the comebacking career of a veteran artist, such as Neil Young‘s Godfather of Grunge campaign. There may be merit to these claims, but they can just as easily be as whacked out as the now-commonly accepted notion that Buddy Holly ripped off his entire act from Bo Diddley.

What claims of influence in rock ‘n roll do you find especially suspect?