Five Popular Artists Who Defined 20th and 21st Century Music

This essay takes a look at five popular artists who have defined 20th and 21st century music, based on their style and uniqueness. The artists chosen in this essay have been picked based on the uniqueness of their sounds, their compositions, and also their contributions and accomplishments in the music industry which make them so popular in the world.

Running head: MUSIC
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Music has a history so deep and vast that we haven't been able to properly
comprehend its origins and roots. There have been several time periods of music, particularly
marked by the style, composition, lyrics and sounds of the music of those eras, which have
been often predominantly defined by popular and best musicians of those eras. This could be
tough however for a critic to pick a defining artist of a specific music era, since there have
been numerous musicians in every one of them, each differentiated by their own unique style.
This essay takes a look at five popular artists who have defined 20th and 21st century music,
based on their style and uniqueness.
Talking of 20th century music, no one could possibly think of a list of the most
popular artists, without mentioning The Beatles. Often reckoned as the first popular rock
band in America, they revolutionized the music industry with their joyful style of
composition and Melody. They produced a sound that defined progressive pop and rock and
roll in the 60’s, and became synonymous with the band itself (Na 117-30). Hey Jude by The
Beatles remains to be one of their most amazing records, for the extreme lengths and the
unique 40 piece orchestral, followed by a mix of pop and country rock melody of the song.
In this context, one cannot rule out Queen either. This is because of how sensational
they have been in 20th century music. They defined rock music in their era, which was in the
70’s and 80’s, coming up with masterpieces like Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock
You, each of which happen to be of progressive rock genre. Kicks and drums predominantly
distinguished the sound of the band for most of the part, which is why the band has been so
successful in the genre of rock (Braae 118-19). We will Rock You remains to be one of their
best pieces, with drums and beats progressively backing up a steady rock and roll melody.
Moving on from bands and groups, one has to take a look at a lone artist who is still
perceived to be an icon of 21st century music. Integrating country western, African blues and

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popular style, Elvis Presley largely reinvented rock and roll in his own style, which he
named, the Rockabilly. This is why he is considered to be the king of rock and roll
(Chadwick 129). The three styles mentioned above could be exhibited in most of his works, if
not all. His works consisted of both slow and fast paced rhythms, while arguably his best
work being Can’t Help Falling In Love, characterized by a bluish sound, slow pace and
Western instrumentation.
Coming to the 21st century, one has to consider Linkin Park in the list for a number of
reasons. Firstly, they revolutionized alternative rock to make it what it is today. They were
one of the first bands in history to successfully integrate hip hop and nu metal. Starting off as
a nu metal band, the band slowly evolved into alternate rock, and then eventually pop,
towards their last days. They are heavily characterized by progressive rock sounds with
electronic sounds and raps over screams, which is still considered to be unique to this date as
no other bands have been able to successfully pull it off (Garrat, Muggleton and Weinzierl
242). In The End is one of their most recognizable works, characterized by progressive nu
metal, hip hop, and electronic sound effects.
Last but not the least, a modern music history list could not possibly end without
mentioning Michael Jackson. He is considered to be the King of Pop. His music has always
been incorporating progressive rock with progressive popular style, to create a unique sound.
His high pitch vocals backed by the progressive beats, have always been a treat to the ears of
billions (Jefferson). Perhaps his most notable work has been Smooth Criminal, which shows
each of the unique traits mentioned above.
Choosing five of the best artists from such a long period of history could never have
been easy. The artists chosen in this essay have been picked based on the uniqueness of their
sounds, their compositions, and also their contributions and accomplishments in the music

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industry which make them so popular in the world. The music industry must have been very
different from what it is today if these artists or groups had not existed. Each of these
musicians have exhibited a unique style in the sound that they produced, which defined music
of that genre in that era.

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References
Chadwick, Vernon. In search of Elvis: music, race, art, religion (2018): 129.
Garratt, S., D. Muggleton, and R. Weinzierl. "NORTHERN SOUL." Popular Music: The Key
Concepts (2017): 242.
NA, NA. The Beatles, popular music and society: a thousand voices. Springer, 2016: 117-
130
Braae, Nick. "Queen’s classical music references, 1973-76; or, was Queen a progressive rock
band?." (2016): 117-130.
Jefferson, Margo. On Michael Jackson. Granta Books, 2018.