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From the blues roots of the 1930s to the stadium-filling spectacles of today, rock music has always had its icons. Join us as we look at the most important and impressive rock star of every decade, spanning nearly a century of legendary music! Our picks include Robert Johnson, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, Kurt Cobain, and more! Do you agree with our picks? Let us know below!
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00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most important and impressive rock star of every decade from the
00:111930s to the present day.
00:201930s, Robert Johnson.
00:30It's true that Robert Johnson achieved virtually no commercial success during his lifetime, and yet his position as our 1930s
00:38pick is a very well-deserved honorable mention.
00:41In the 30s, rock stars simply didn't exist as we know them today, but in Johnson, the blues tradition would
00:47receive an almighty upgrade.
00:49The fruits of this young singer and guitarist's talents would not fully be realized until decades later, but his skills
00:55on the guitar was a major influence on so many musicians that followed him.
00:59He never played a stadium show or sold a million albums, but even though he passed away at just 27
01:04years old, Robert Johnson's legacy is as important as any figure in 20th century music.
01:10I believe Robert Johnson's association with Hoodoo and using the references in his lyrics empowered him.
01:19It was, yeah, if you mess with me, something bad's gonna happen to you.
01:251940s, Muddy Waters.
01:36Although his best work would follow the 1940s, Muddy Waters must be given a mention here for his role in
01:42electrifying the blues.
01:44Leaving Mississippi for Chicago, he put a real spark in the Delta blues, replacing acoustic intimacy with louder guitars, amplified
01:51bands, and driving rhythms suited to crowded clubs.
01:54It wasn't just that innovation either.
01:57Waters himself sang with commanding authority, balancing grit, swagger, and vulnerability, while creating a style that would become a direct
02:04ancestor of rock and roll.
02:06He didn't achieve a major level of commercial success in this decade, but like Robert Johnson before him, his influence
02:12on what followed cannot be overstated.
02:14Mm-hmm, and I was born, you got a boy, a child's coming, he's gonna be, gonna be a rolling
02:25stone.
02:291950s, Elvis Presley.
02:31Warden threw a party in the county jail, the prison band was there, they began to wave, the band was
02:37jumping and the joint began to swing, you should have heard your knocked out jailbird sing that rock.
02:43You can't have a discussion about 1950s rock stars without giving a mention to Chuck Berry, but there's only one
02:50king of rock and roll.
02:51Elvis Presley popularized entire branches of music, dance, and performance that the mainstream world had simply never encountered before.
03:00You ain't nothing more to hunt on the ground all the time, you ain't nothing more to hunt on the
03:07ground all the time, you ain't nothing more to hunt on the ground all the time, you ain't nothing more
03:12to hunt on the ground all the time.
03:12He didn't invent a lot of it himself, but he sure knew how to package it in a way that
03:17would sell.
03:18Elvis had the voice, the look, and the moves to be a true force of nature in the 1950s, a
03:23symbol of a cultural shift that would change music forever.
03:26Everything that followed does, in some way, owe a debt to the king.
03:30Whenever I feel those pretty arms reaching around and bow, that feeling goes through my toes and all the lights
03:38go out, go out.
03:411960s, Jimi Hendrix.
03:52While John Lennon's status at the helm of the Beatles earns him an honorable mention, no musician of this era
03:58did as much for their instrument as the great Jimi Hendrix.
04:01It's actually hard to pin down one reason for Hendrix's immense talent and presence.
04:06He was the most explosive guitarist of his time, bar none, an underrated singer, a wild performer, and a very
04:12strong songwriter and interpreter.
04:14I'm not happy for him to read, whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me.
04:24Alongside his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, he established himself as a guitar god of the 1960s, putting out three
04:31beloved albums.
04:33Unfortunately, he would implode by the end of the decade, passing away at just 27 years old, leaving us all
04:39wondering where his genius may have led him next.
04:541970s, Robert Plant.
04:56I worked and I worked and I worked, I worked for my pay.
05:02Sweet little baby, then you push me away.
05:06Some of you might be surprised to see someone like Elton John get passed over, or some might even go
05:12with the dynamic David Bowie.
05:13However, for our money, Robert Plant is almost exactly what you think of when you imagine a rock star.
05:19The long golden hair, the fashion, the powerful voice.
05:23This was the blueprint for how a rock star ought to look in the 1970s.
05:37It would all be for nothing, though, if he didn't have the material to back it up.
05:41And boy, did he.
05:42Led Zeppelin, to this day, are regarded as perhaps the most important classic rock band of all time, capable of
05:48pivoting wildly between heavy blues and light, airy folk without losing their essence.
05:53And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
06:091980s, Freddie Mercury.
06:20Trust us, Bruce Springsteen was in the running for our 1980s pick, but when it comes to the raw power
06:26of his stage presence and overall body of work, Freddie Mercury cannot be denied.
06:31Sure, most of us would agree that Queen released their best music in the 1970s, but in the 80s, Mercury
06:38truly hit his peak as a performer.
06:47Plus, the hits never truly dried up during this period.
06:50As an arena rock entertainer, Mercury was on a different level.
06:54Look no further than their legendary performance at Live Aid for proof of his showmanship.
06:58His tragic death was a major loss for music as a whole, but Mercury left us with some real gems.
07:05All we hear is radio gaga, radio woo-woo, radio gaga.
07:141990s, Kurt Cobain.
07:16I love you, I'm not gonna cry.
07:20I killed you, I'm not gonna cry.
07:26After the excessive glitz and glamour of the 1980s, the world of music was primed for something different, something grittier.
07:33Enter Kurt Cobain and Nirvana.
07:35The band that brought the ongoing grunge movement to the mainstream.
07:38It was rock music without the eyeliner and all the frills.
07:42Cobain was the perfect spokesman.
07:44Totally unassuming, unapologetically real, and unfortunately, quite uncomfortable with all the attention.
07:50I found it hard.
07:52It's hard to find the way.
07:55Whatever, whatever, whatever.
07:58In the end, his flame burned quite brightly, but for far too short a time.
08:03Cobain, of course, took his own life while in the prime of his artistic career, leaving us at just 27
08:09years old.
08:10To this day, Nirvana remains as culturally relevant as ever.
08:14A testament to their immense impact.
08:262000s, Chester Bennington.
08:29Oh, I've become so numb.
08:32I can't feel you there.
08:35For as much as we could have gone with Jack White here, our 2000s pick had to be given to
08:40the late, great Chester Bennington.
08:42Bennington became one of the defining voices of the 2000s through Linkin Park's unique fusion of alternative rock, metal, electronic
08:49music, and hip-hop.
08:59His remarkable ability to shift from fragile melodies to explosive screams captured the emotional extremes that resonated with millions of
09:07young listeners navigating anxiety, isolation, and personal struggle.
09:11He was a singer-singer, a truly powerful vocalist who made a massive impact consistently throughout his career.
09:18I bleed it out, dig in deeper, just to throw it away, just to throw it away, just to throw
09:24it away.
09:25I bleed it out, dig in deeper, just to throw it away.
09:292010s, Alex Turner.
09:32It's much less picturesque without a catch in the light.
09:37The horizon tries, but it's just not as kind on the eye.
09:41Despite the fact that the Arctic Monkeys burst onto the scene as British indie darlings in the mid-2000s, they
09:47truly took off globally with the sleeker sound they developed in the 2010s.
09:51The album AM represented a real turning point for their stature, especially in the U.S.
10:05Alex Turner also became a far more confident and expressive frontman, channeling the rock star energy of his influences to
10:12create something entirely fresh.
10:14The Arctic Monkeys were as radio-ready as any rock band of this decade, bringing forth a sound that was
10:20clearly still rock and roll, while also touching on R&B, lounge pop, and psychedelic pop.
10:26So who you gonna call?
10:30Over my table, you believe.
10:36Ooh.
10:402020s, Harry Styles.
10:43It's best you know, what you don't, aperture lets the light in.
10:50Although most people would agree that rock and roll is nowhere near its cultural peak these days,
10:55there are still those who fly the flag for the type of spectacle that keeps rock alive.
11:00When it comes to showmen, few people are bringing us entertainment quite like Harry Styles.
11:05Upon leaving One Direction, Harry seemed to have some major potential for solo success.
11:20While it took him a few years to really take off, once the 2020s hit, Styles was unavoidable.
11:26He also challenged traditional expectations surrounding masculinity and celebrity through his clothing, public image, and willingness to blur cultural boundaries
11:35without relying on controversy alone.
11:37The only question now is, how far can he truly push his legacy?
11:42In this world, it's just us.
11:48You know, it's not the same as it was.
11:53But do you agree with our picks, decade by decade?
11:56Let us know in the comments below.
11:58Let us know in the comments below.
11:58Check it out in the comments below.
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