Music producer Nile Rodgers, the BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz and Prof. Michael Spitzer, the Head of the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool, have all likened Bowie as a musician to the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, who had a far-reaching and enduring impact on the art world in the 20th century similar to the impact Bowie had on popular music during his lifetime, which has earned him the alliterative nickname "The Picasso of Pop". Gompertz said that Bowie was, like Picasso, "an innovative, visionary, restless artist who synthesized complex avant-garde concepts into beautifully coherent works that touched the hearts and minds of millions". Bono said: "I like Bowie when he's evenly pulled in the direction of being a pop star and Picasso, where he's right down the middle. That's usually my favorite when the songwriting is disciplined but the recording is not. I love when he's pulled equally in the directions of art and populism".
