Long ago, musicians like Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Adam Lambert would not have been easily accepted into society. However, there have been musicians throughout our history that have made an impact on the industry and paved the way for the artists of today.
Just like there are famous scientists that have provided a progression towards new discoveries, there are famous musicians that have done the same for music. Big artists such as the Rolling Stones and David Bowie have proved essential in expanding the sound of rock and roll music. Bowie made it okay to be a little bit different than the crowd with his eccentric style while the Stones made the ideal image of what a rock and roll band should be like all the while making music that people loved.
The sixties and late seventies gave way to these artists as well as numerous others including the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Thin Lizzy and Janis Joplin. Well known artists like Kings of Leon, Our Lady Peace and Katy Perry draw inspiration from these early bands. Famous musicians are not the only ones who have been inspired by these artists, though.
“My whole family loves Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin and both inspired the music I make today,” senior and musician Ben Euhus said.
The 80s’ and 90s’ also came with its fair share of budding new artists. Nirvana and Pearl Jam appeared in the late 80s’, drawing attention to the growing grunge style of music that formed in Seattle, Washington. Boy bands were everywhere too – N’SYNC, Boyz II Men and the Backstreet Boys became prominent, but women were also establishing their name in the industry once Britney Spears and the Spice Girls came upon the scene.
The 90s’ brought to light rappers such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and Tupac. With rap being one of the most commonly heard forms of music today, there is no denying that these musicians perfected and made popular a genre of music that many people quickly embraced.
“They basically started the entire genre of hip-hop. Not just rap but also R&B so all together hip hop. People weren’t used to the genre so it probably would take a while to catch on now days,” junior and former aspiring rapper Anthony Brown said.
All these artists have greatly affected what musicians are played in households and radio stations across the globe today. Lady Gaga, for instance, has been compared to Madonna who is also an inspiration for Gaga’s music. She also draws inspiration from Freddie Mercury, former front man of Queen, attributing some of her music style to the music he made.
What was once played on the radio back in the 60s’ is not the same as what is played today, but artists today owe it to the musicians of the past for making the music they create now acceptable to listeners. They are true pioneers who have worked to make music in a world that might not have accepted them with open arms, but their efforts paid off as shown by the many artists, famous and unknown, that respect and look up to them for their contributions to the music industry.
