A Victorious Chord

I get tired of running into 'fan-boys' of this band or that band. Doesn't anyone appreciate music as a whole anymore? I am not saying that you have to like everything, only that you appreciate the significance of specific bands and what they accomplished. There are several bands/artists that have contributed so much to music, and although I am not necessarily a fan of their music, I recognize what they have brought to the table. This is not a comprehensive list, however I do believe it covers a broad swath so that you get the general idea.

The Beatles
One of the biggest pop groups of all time. They just pumped hit after hit, and even those that did not top at #1 were still classic and revolutionary in music. Not only did The Beatles have an influence on music of the time, the individual band members went on to further that with their own future projects.

Earl Scruggs
Revolutionary banjo player who was part of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. He perfected the three finger banjo picking using the thumb, index, and middle fingers. This allowed future acts to increase speed and expand freedom.

Grateful Dead
A band who mixed many genres together into a unique sound. One thing that separates from other bands is that The Grateful Dead focused on improvisation rather than defined sets when performing live. Not only did they create wonderful and influential sounds, they were also advocates of music itself. They are known for having more free concerts than any other band as well as allowing fans to tape their sets provided that the fan did not profit from the recordings.

Michael Jackson
Ignore that he is completely loony. It is a fact though that he not only produced good music, but was an excellent showman. Enough said.

Pink Floyd
Not only did Pink Floyd create songs that had never been heard before, but they took those sounds and put it to a movie, hence: The Wall. A revolutionary piece of music/video has not been seen until 'Across the Universe.'

Garth Brooks
A mixture of country and rock lead to a reprise of country music and brought it back into the popularity with a broad range of songs. Furthermore, I cannot think of another country music artist that has had a true world tour.

Alabama
Country music band that has been influential as a band, as opposed to many country music artists which have acts that are solo. With extensive touring, they have incorporated many different styles of music and styles of showmanship.

Now, I would also like to add some rap, R&B, and a few more genres here. However, I am not as familiar with them and would rather not embarrass myself.