I got together with Just Joel and we hashed out who we think the most influential artists of each decade were. This was tough, as we went with most influential, not necessarily the most popular or iconic, but who we really think helped to shape the music that came after it. Obviously picking just one is out of the question, so we settled on the top three for each decade.
The 1950’s – Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald
The 1960’s – The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix
The 1970’s – Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder
The 1980’s – Michael Jackson, Prince, Talking Heads
The 1990’s – Nirvana, blink-182, Dr. Dre*
The 2000’s – Radiohead, Keith Urban, Lady Gaga
The 2010’s – Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, Beyoncé
I already know this is going to be a controversial topic, so I anticipate your critique.
*update credit to Stepha Murphy, 12.11.2020