Editing Serj Tankian (section)

==Influences==
[[File:Patton FNM 2009 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Mike Patton]] (pictured) was a major influence on Tankian.]]

Tankian grew up listening to traditional [[Armenian music]] in his exiled community in Lebanon and sang it with his father Khatchadour Tankian.<ref name=hammer/><ref name=spin/> He discovered pop music only once his family moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s via the [[Bee Gees]]' soundtrack to ''[[Saturday Night Fever]]'', that led him to delve into it. In his 20s, he bought every record by [[the Beatles]], whom he has called the most "universal" artists he is aware of.<ref name=spin>{{cite web|access-date=January 20, 2021|url=https://www.spin.com/2003/06/my-life-music-serj-tankian/|date=June 23, 2003 |title=My Life in Music: Serj Tankian |website= [[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208191611/https://www.spin.com/2003/06/my-life-music-serj-tankian/|archive-date=February 8, 2020}}</ref> Tankian said that the first hard rock album that left an impact on him was 1992's ''[[Angel Dust (Faith No More album)|Angel Dust]]'' by [[Faith No More]].<ref name=spin/> When System of a Down toured with Faith No More singer [[Mike Patton]], who at the time fronted his other band [[Mr. Bungle]] on the 2000 [[SnoCore Tour]], Tankian said that both vocalists "had some of the most interesting conversations" of his life.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=January 20, 2021|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2018/08/08/part-2-incubus-brandon-boyd-and-system-of-a-downs-serj-tankian-on-life-on-the-road/|publication-date=August 8, 2018 |title=Part 2: Incubus' Brandon Boyd And System Of A Down's Serj Tankian On Life On The Road|first=Steve |last=Baltin |website=[[Forbes.com]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032838/https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2018/08/08/part-2-incubus-brandon-boyd-and-system-of-a-downs-serj-tankian-on-life-on-the-road/|archive-date=November 9, 2020}}</ref> Besides the experimental vocals of Patton, Tankian is greatly influenced by [[Frank Zappa]], especially by his albums ''[[Sheik Yerbouti]]'' and ''[[Joe's Garage]]''.<ref name=metalist>{{cite web|access-date=January 20, 2021|url=http://www.metalist.co.il/interviewprivate.asp?id=270&lang=eng|publication-date=November 2, 2007|title=Serj Tankian - Elects The Dead |last=Miasnikov |first=Alon |website=Metalist.co.il|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105073939/http://www.metalist.co.il/InterviewPrivate.asp?id=270&lang=eng|archive-date=November 5, 2007}}</ref><ref name=spin/>

Tankian holds in high regard the soundtrack of ''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly]]'' by [[Ennio Morricone]], and the albums ''[[Decoy (album)|Decoy]]'' by [[Miles Davis]] and ''[[...And Justice for All (album)|…And Justice for All]]'' by [[Metallica]]. He also much admires the reinvention that the British band [[Radiohead]] went through in their 2000 record ''[[Kid A]]'', saying that it serves as an example to other artists.<ref name=hammer>{{cite web|access-date=January 20, 2021|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/system-of-a-down-serj-tankian-the-10-albums-that-changed-my-life |publication-date=September 4, 2016 |title=Serj Tankian: 10 albums that changed my life|first=Merlin |last=Alderslade |publisher=Louder Sound|magazine=[[Metal Hammer]]|date=September 4, 2016 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729200620/https://www.loudersound.com/features/system-of-a-down-serj-tankian-the-10-albums-that-changed-my-life|archive-date=July 29, 2018 }}</ref>