The music industry is one of the biggest markets in entertainment today.
Creators like Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, and the Weeknd are making bank, and selling out arenas. They generate billions in revenue every year, and that is just from ticket sales and concert attendance alone.
However, where would these people be without their antecedents who paved the way for innovation and change in the world of popular music.
In this article, we would like to take a look at some of the most successful innovators in modern, popular, music.
Guns N Roses
Perhaps no band in hard rock or heavy metal has influenced the genre as much as Guns N’ Roses, with the exception of one we will discuss further in the article. Axl Rose is one of the most iconic frontmen of the 80s, and Slash remains a legend in the guitar world to this day.
The band’s influence extends beyond just music. They’ve been featured in video games like Guitar Hero, their likeness has inspired characters for Chrono Trigger, and there is even an incredibly popular GUNS N ROSES slot game that any gambler will enjoy. However, their influence is primarily musical.
Axl Rose brought a sort of swagger that few frontmen before him have matched (Mick Jagger for example), and nary a one after him has been able to replicate, no matter how many have tried. Slash’s guitar skills have inspired many to hone their own craft and pick up a guitar. For that reason alone, they deserve to be on this list.
Michael Jackson
If Elvis Presley is the King of Rock’n’Roll, then Michael Jackson stands atop the Pop music empire. The young man began his career as a member of the Jackson 5. However, he outshone his family very soon, and went solo.
Throughout his career, Michael Jackson recorded ten incredible albums, dipping his toe in various musical genres, from R&B, to pop, rock’n’roll, and even heavy metal. Throughout it all, it was his presence, voice, dancing skills, and superstar persona that shone through.
Jackson may have passed away, but his music still manages to create a buzz. Supposedly, the first-ever MJ recording is going to drop soon, and fans are eager to experience the legend’s first foray into a solo career. Truly, he is a legendary singer and performer.
David Bowie
The iconic, fantastic, and bizarre David Bowie is, beyond a doubt, one of the most influential forces in the history of popular music. The man has been on the forefront of musical innovation since the start of his career. Though he began in glam rock, Mr. Bowie explored a variety of musical genres, including pop, punk, metal, industrial, techno, and much more.
Today, he is widely associated with the art rock movement, and for good reason. However, if we thoroughly and honestly explore his discography, we will find a whole host of genres, some of which he perfected.
Rarely are there any music critics who wouldn’t count Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars among the most influential records of the era. Of course, the song Space Oddity is now a staple of the radio, and widely associated with space flight and science fiction in general.
The Beatles
When discussing any subgenre of modern rock, the ultimate conclusion is that it all stems from the Beatles. Largely, rock’n’roll can be divided into pre-Beatles, and post-Beatles era. Most bands that came after the Beatles took heavy inspiration from the British group.
Their music has touched on various genres, from soft rock to folk to hard rock, and even punk and heavy metal. Indeed, most early metal bands will say that “Helter Skelter” is the first-ever heavy metal song. But, of course, the band’s influence extends beyond just the musical.
Their songs touched on political, environmental, and counter-cultural themes. Their songs have inspired women’s liberation, civil rights, and LGBT rights groups to fight for their rights. Perhaps no other band in music history has had such a massive influence on the world as the Beatles.
