Top Ten Artists that Created Their Own Genre

Vote for your favorite artist(s) that made their own genre!
The Top Ten
1 Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy. ...read more.

He have mixed black rhythm and blues with white country which gave Rockabilly ( the primitive form of Rock and Roll ) while he was at SUN records. No sound like that was heard before ( there were rhythm and blues songs that almost sounded like Rock and Roll and even country songs [ hillbilly boogie, Western swing etc...] that sounded close to Rock and Roll ). It's the mix of these two cultures ( who were still separated on radio, juke-boxes...in the fifties ) that opened the doors to what would become popular Rock and Roll. He created Rockabilly ( a mix of two existing genres ) and made Rock and Roll popular worldwide.

Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Little Richard, he did not create rock and roll. He stole it from black artists. Great. Vocalist though.

Almost all of the artists here create a genre. They just popularized it. They are not creators.

You couldn't be more disrespectful.

2 Michael Jackson Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael is also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under the initials MJ. Dubbed the King of Pop, he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. ...read more.

Please do some research. Chuck Berry invented Rock. All of these artist just popularizing their genre.

Edit: actually both didn't invent it.

Pop means popular, you can't create popular music.

Genre Created: Mix of Pop and Rock

Soul Pop Jazz, I think?

3 Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo that is originally from Columbus, Ohio, who are best known for their songs "Stressed Out", "Heathens" and "Ride". Currently there are two members, Tyler Joseph (lead vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, ukulele, bass and guitar) and Josh Dun (drums and percussion). Former members include Nick Thomas (guitar, bass, piano and keyboards) and Chris Salih (drums and percussions). The band was formed in 2009 with Joseph, Thomas and Salih. ...read more.

Genre Created: Mix of Rap, Rock, and Pop, Almost Like Poetry With a Beat Behind it.

What is the genre?

4 The Beatles The Beatles were an English pop rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The members consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They were soon known as the foremost and most influential act of rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. ...read more.

The Beatles more than any other artist or band were innovators. There's no way you could classify them as rock or pop in their mid-to-late recording years; they were simply the Beatles.

They just like Elvis ripped off every black artist they could think of.

5 Kurt Cobain Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his ...read more.

Whoever made this list clearly has very little understanding of the history of music. Nirvana did not invent grunge, they popularized it.

He and his band popularized grunge, but they did not invent it.

Genre Created: Mix of Grunge and Alt. Rock

Nirvana created grunge.

6 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin was an English hard rock band formed in London in 1968 as the New Yardbirds. The group consisted of Robert Plant (Vocal), Jimmy Page (Guitar), John Paul Jones (Bass, Keyboard) and John Bonham (Drums) and was very much the child of Jimmy Page who even financed their first tour. He had tasted some previous success with The [original] Yardbirds and was friendly with some big names in rock. Page states it was Keith Moon of The Who that claimed the band could only go down, like a lead balloon -- thus prompting the iconic name of Led Zeppelin. The band's heavy, guitar-driven sound, rooted in blues and psychedelia on their early albums, has earned them recognition as one of the progenitors ...read more.
7 Babymetal Babymetal is a Japanese metal idol band. Their line-up consists of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Yui Mizuno as "Yuimetal", and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal".

They mixed metal and pop (j-pop to be more precise), their music is really catchy and awesome, quite original I must say

8 Prince Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 - April 21st, 2016) was an American musician, best known for being one of the most popular and influential artists from the 80s, with songs such as "Purple Rain", "Little Red Corvette", "1999", and "When Doves Cry" .

Genre Created: Mix of Hip Hop, Pop, and Awesome Guitar Solos

Prince did not create Funk, Rock or soul.

9 Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara, 5th September 1946 - 24th November 1991) was a Zanzibari-born British singer of Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, known as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen. He also became known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave ...read more.

Genre Created: Thrash Metal. He wrote the song "Stone Cold Crazy" when he even wasn't in Queen but it was released later with Queen in 1974.

I know how dumb this sounds. But the nile song by pink Floyd is like 5 years older and kinda sounds like thrash metal

Now this I know. Queen created thrash metal!

Genre Created: Mix of Pop and Rockabilly

10 Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American alternative rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The current members include Mike Shinoda (vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar), Brad Delson (guitar), Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (DJ), and Rob Bourdon (drums). Linkin Park is associated with a mixture of alternative rock, hip hop, and techno. Some of their influences include Nine Inch Nails, Deftones,... read more

Wow. Run DMC created rap rock.

The Contenders
11 Frank Sinatra Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

Genre Created: Swing With a Little Bit of Jazz

12 Bob Dylan Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, author, and artist who has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades.

Genre Created: More like a full-on movement created with the headline "Dylan Goes Electric! "

13 Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical approach changed over the years. Originally formed as a progressive rock band, the band shifted to a heavier sound in 1970. Deep Purple, together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, have been referred to as the "unholy trinity of British hard rock and heavy metal in the early to mid-seventies". They were listed in the 1975 Guinness Book of World Records as "the globe's loudest band" for a 1972 concert at London's Rainbow Theatre, and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. ...read more.

They created heavy metal

14 Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. ...read more.
15 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were a Heavy Metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.

The band became mainstream after improving after their debut album got panned. In 1978, Osbourne was fired and replaced with former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Who went to release 2 albums before leaving in 1983, only for Osbourne to return in 1992. ...read more.

Here is the first band added so far that actually created their own genre. They were the sole creators of heavy metal. We're not talking about mixing genres here, this is a band who created a completely original genre. And man, are they good at heavy metal.

WHY IS THIS NOT IN THE TOP 10?! THEY CREATED METAL! WITH OZZY'S VOCALS AND IOMMI'S GUITAR PLAYING, THEY GAVE BIRTH TO METAL!

16 Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of hits, earning him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul". ...read more.

Genre Created: Mix of Doo-Wop and Rock

17 King Crimson King Crimson were a British progressive rock band that was formed in 1969. While the band has had numerous lineup changes, the head of the band has always been Robert Fripp (guitar). However, the most notable lineup is between 1972-75, consisting of Fripp, John Wetton (bass/vocals), Bill Bruford (drums), and David Cross (strings/keyboard). The band is most well-known for their debut album "In the Court of The Crimson King", with which they made a large impact on the progressive rock genre.

Progressive rock

And I know a lot of you probably think it was Pink Floyd, just because they came first, but they were space rock at the time King Crimson debuted.

Pink Floyd wasn't even progressive until years after In the Court of the Crimson King was released.

18 Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English progressive rock band formed in 1965 in London, England. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. The band consisted of 5 members - David Gilmour (Vocals and Guitar), Syd Barrett (Vocals and Guitar), Nick Mason (Drums), Roger Waters (Vocals and Bass), and Richard Wright (Vocals and Keyboard). Barrett was replaced by Gilmour in 1968. ...read more.
19 David Bowie David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016) was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress. He is credited for his experimental and creative musical discography which has won praise and accolades for many critics and fans. The man who the world knew as David Bowie was an actor, a painter, a philosopher, and many other things. But first and foremost, and what he was known for most, he was a rock star, covering every genre from psychedelic folk to industrial. His influence on fashion, music, and pop culture in general remains as his legacy--along, of course, with his unforgettable music.

Most of his works were just amazing glam versions of the genres of their time, but I believe David Bowie did create a new and very unique sound with Blackstar.

Genre Created: Mix of Rock and Electronic

20 The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band formed in London in 1963 that had a string of hits during the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul" and "Over Under Sideways Down".

Butterfield's East-West [released July 1966] was NOT the original psychedelic record, both the Byrd's 8 Miles High and the Yardbirds Heart Full of Soul predated it, though Butterfield can be credited with the practice of aimless psychedelic noodling, from back when LSD was actually legal.

Genre created: Psychedelic Rock

21 Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. The band consists of four animated members: 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs.
22 The Weeknd Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally by his stage name The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was born on 16 February 1990 in Toronto, Ontario. He used to upload songs on YouTube in 2010, now he has 3 studio albums Kiss Land, Beauty Behind The Madness and Starboy. He has won 3 Grammy awards and 9 Juno Awards
23 Metallica Metallica is an American Heavy/Thrash Metal band formed in 1981. The original lineup was James Hetfield (Vocalist and Rhythm guitarist), Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar), Lars Ulrich (Drums), Ron McGovney (Bassist). The group came into mainstream from their Self-Titled album and the hit single "Enter Sandman".

With their first two albums, Kill 'Em All and Ride The Lightning reaching underground success, their third effort, Master of Puppets has since become one of the most important heavy metal albums ever, as it became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. The title track has since become the band's most played song live. ...read more.

Metallica didn't create anything. They made Trash Metal populair

24 Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is an English singer, pianist and composer. Collaborating with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967 on more than 30 albums, John has sold over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits in the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number ones in the UK and nine in the US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", rewritten in dedication to Diana, Princess of Wales, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. According to Billboard ...read more.

Genre Created: Rock, Pop, and the Ability to Rock out With a Piano

25 Adele

She's literally singing in 50s/60s soul style so how in the world did she create something before she was born?

Genre Created: Mix of Soul and Pop

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