I heartily endorse these suggestions. The Sex Pistols are well known not so much for their contributions to the genre as for their off-stage antics and tragedies.
If we’re breaking down rock music, I think we should add these.
Progressive: Pink Floyd
Glam: David Bowie
Morna/coladeira: Cesaria Evora
This is debateable. (thankfully)
Ozzy Osborne is probably more famous than Metallica, for Black Sabbath and his solo career.
Outside of North America, Iron Maiden is by far the most famous metal act and have had a huge revival with a new generation of fans.
In terms of sales, Elvis is apparently the biggest seller of all time. His house is the second most visited house in the United States and he’s still freakishly big in Asia. So Elvis for the rock/pop crown. They call him the King for a reason.
What about Gospel? Who is the biggest composer? Mozart for the win?
Anonymous.
Amen
Actually, that was Anonymous’s first cousin, Trad. He also wrote some of the best folk music.
New Wave is definitely too broad of a term really, it has been used to describe everything from punk, ska, reggae, art rock, up to and including some of the new romantic bands.
When I think New Wave, I think, The Knack, The (English) Beat, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Blondie, The Cars, Cheap Trick.
Still having problems getting the joke, I see.
Good god. Surely (hopefully) he’s forgotten about now?
Kraftwerk is the obvious choice.
Black Flag was a punk band; the Ramones were punk in name only. They were a power pop band imo.
Based on chart success, I believe most famous in R&B would be Mariah Carey.
The Specials and Madness have been tossed out there for ska. The Specials ate the most pure and influential of the ska bands but Madness beats them on popularity and longevity.
But if someone asked me “what does ska sound like?” I’d definitely present The Specials.
burp
I don’t know what genre to put them in but, in terms of being famous and popular, ABBA has to fit in somewhere.
Skiffle - Lonnie Donegan.
Or Beyounce.
In the USA, that’s definitely true, but we’re only a small part of the world’s population.
To look at it another way, I don’t know who the most popular singer in India is, but who ever he/she is, in nations of over a billion people, that person would have to be IMMENSELY popular, right? But chances are, no one outside India knows who India’s biggest musical act is, right? (Replace India with China, and the point remains.)
Mariah Carey in her prime was HUGE here in the USA. Was she equally huge around the world? I don’t know.
I mean, Queen and Abba were both fairly successful in the USA, but neither was ever huge. It would be pretty easy for an American to underestimate their popularity elsewhere.