Willie Nelson (b. 1933):

Born in Texas, Nelson was one of the most influential figures in the progressive country movement. Nelson’s rise to national fame came in the mid-1970s, through his association with a group of musicians collectively known as “the Outlaws.”

Waylon Jennings (1937–2002):

The centerpiece of “the Outlaws” and a member of Buddy Holly’s rock ’n’ roll group, the Crickets. Jennings cultivated an image as a rebel, and in 1972 recorded an album called Ladies Love Outlaws.

Townes Van Zandt (1944–97):

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Van Zandt was a singer-songwriter who became a cult hero of the progressive country movement. Although Van Zandt never placed a record on the country Top 40 charts, his fifteen LPs became underground classics, and his songs were covered by prominent country musicians.

Josiah Marcus Garvey (1887–1940):

Jamaican writer and political leader who inspired a “Back to Africa” repatriation movement among black Americans in the 1920s. He founded Rastafarianism, a prominent theme of Reggae music.

Rude Boys:

An informal and unruly Jamaican youth movement that included anyone against “the system.” They were the main patrons of rock steady.

Jimmy Cliff (b. 1948):

Jamaican musician who popularized reggae music in the United States in the 1970s through his starring role in the Jamaican film The Harder they Come and its soundtrack.

Bob Marley (1945–81):

The leader of the Wailers and a national hero in his native Jamaica, Marley was reggae’s most effective international ambassador. His songs of determination, rebellion, and faith, rooted in the Rastafarian belief system, found a worldwide audience that reached from America to Japan and from Europe to Africa.

The Velvet Underground:

A New York group promoted by the pop art superstar Andy Warhol. Their music was rough-edged and chaotic, extremely loud, and deliberately anticommercial. The lyrics of their songs focused on topics such as sexual deviancy, drug addiction, violence, and social alienation.

The Stooges:

Formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967, the Stooges were the working-class, motorcycle-riding, leather-jacketed ancestors of punk rock. The lead singer of the Stooges, Iggy Stooge (a.k.a. Iggy Pop, James Osterburg), was famous for his outrageous stage performances, which included flinging himself into the crowd, cutting himself with beer bottles, and rubbing himself with raw meat.

The New York Dolls:

Formed in New York City in 1971, they dressed in fishnet stockings, bright red lipstick, cellophane tutus, ostrich feathers, and army boots. The all-male Dolls were an American response to the English glam rock movement.

Patti Smith (b. 1946):

The first rock musician to perform regularly at CBGBs. She was a New York–based poet, journalist, and singer who had been experimenting with combining the spoken word with rock. 

CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, Blues & Other Music for Urban Gourmandizers):

Converted folk music club in the Bowery area of Manhattan. It became the home to many pioneers of punk music, including Patti Smith, the Talking Heads, and the Ramones. 

The Ramones:

The first punk rock band. Formed in 1974 in New York City, the Ramones’ high-speed, energetic, and extremely loud sound influenced English punk groups such as the Sex Pistols and the Clash and also became a blueprint for 1980s L.A. hardcore bands. Although they projected a street-tough image, all of the band’s members were from middle-class families in the New York City borough of Queens.

The Sex Pistols:

The most outrageous—and therefore famous—punk band, formed in 1975 in London. They were the creation of Malcolm McAllen, owner of a London boutique called Sex, which specialized in leather and rubber clothing.

David Byrne (b. 1952):

Born in Scotland, Byrne was the leader of the new wave band the Talking Heads. He is known for his trembling, high-pitched voice and his eclectic songwriting.

Sly Stone (Sylvester Stewart) (b. 1944):

Born in Dallas, moved to San Francisco with his family in the 1950s. Stone gradually developed a style that reflected his own diverse musical experience, a blend of jazz, soul music, San Francisco psychedelia, and the socially engaged lyrics of folk rock.

George Clinton (a.k.a. Dr. Funkenstein; b. 1940):

The leader of two groups, Parliament and Funkadelic. Clinton’s style of funk music included a mixture of compelling polyrhythms, psychedelic guitar solos, jazz-influenced horn arrangements, and R&B vocal harmonies.

Kool Herc (Clive Campbell; b. 1955):

Born in Jamaica, immigrated to New York City at age twelve. Herc was one of the pioneering celebrities of hip-hop in the 1970s. 

Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler; b. 1958 in Barbados):

DJ and leader of the furious five, he developed many of the turntable techniques that characterized early hip-hop music.

Afrika Bambaataa (Kevin Donovan; b. 1960):

Pioneering hip-hop DJ from the Bronx; his song “Planet Rock” was Number Four R&B and Number Forty-eight pop in 1982.

Sugarhill Gang:

Harlem-based crew who recorded the first rap hit, “Rapper’s Delight.” The record reached Number Four on the R&B charts and Number Thirty-six on the pop charts and introduced hip-hop to millions of people throughout the United States and abroad. The unexpected success of “Rapper’s Delight” ushered in a series of million-selling twelve-inch singles by New York rappers.