Sneer

im vclueless as to whether this has been done- im not asking for your favourite bands/soloists of each deacade, im asking for in your view- the most important, innovative and inspirational- whos affected music that we here today? please explain why.

ok, mine:
50s- chuck berry: for literally taking the basis of blues and adding electric guitars- creating the rock'n'roll sound.

60s- jimmy hendrix: not only did he invent the left-handed guitar, he created new sounds with the guitar that are commonplace today- yet back then it was completely original.

70s- Led Zeppelin: this was a toss up between them and black sabbath, but zeppelin because before its release there was nothing like led zeppelin I, after its release, rock music changed forever.

..have to think of the other decades, anyway, go for it.

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sleepy jack

90s nirvana

thats all i can think of right now.

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sexy_drug

80s Slayer deffinatly
90s Rage Against The Machine propbly the best one from that decade i can think of for now and for the 2000s (so far) a toss up between the berzerker and the mars volta

RockMan

70's - The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart

80's - Genesis, Bruce Springsteen, Tears For Fears, John Mellancamp, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, The Police, Sting

90's - Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Sevendust, Matchbox Twenty, Sting, Dave Matthews Band, Phil Collins

2000's - Velvet Revolver, Alter Bridge, Evanescence, Creed, Seether, Linkin Park, 3 Doors Down, Eminem, Hoobastank

Electric Ocean

For the 70's, I'd say that Black Sabbath were more important than Led Zepplin, they basically kick started heavy music and inspired more bands than Zepplin ever did. Also, I believe that The Sex Pistols were pretty important. They may not have made the most original music and were considered sell outs by some, but they got loads of people into punk music who may otherwise have never heard it, much like Nirvana in the 90's with grunge/rock-in-genreal, but overall I'd say The Clash were a more important band in shaping the punk genre.

As far as the 80's goes, I'm not sure who would be considered the most important "mainstream" rock band, but as far as more underground music goes, I'd choose stuff like Bad Brains, Black Flag and Minor Threat for basically shaping the hardcore genre. Also alot of the early emo bands such as Rites Of Spring and Husker Du originated around that time and are influential today.

Electric Ocean

I think that you got most of this right up until the 00's. I don't know why you think bands like Velvet Revolver and Evanesance are very important, the only reason they may become influential is as "gateway" bands to better music. The only really person in that section, in my opinion is Eminem, who will probably end up changing music in some way.

I don't know who'd I'd personally choose for the most important artists yet as we're only half way through the deacade, but I'm sure time will tell who will be the most influential.

MetalGod

how can you forget metallica? they rocked the eighties and a very brief time in the 90s.

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Tam

70's Ramomes or misfits
80's Slayer or Metalica (the were gd bak then)
90's Nirvana (over rated but meh...)
00's Slipknot

pastor of muppets

noone mentioned the beatles?

Metal_maniaC

what about "The Who"?

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