The 12 Most Revolutionary Musicians

There are an endless number of brilliant musicians we will admire forever. And then there are those one-of-a-kind artists who redefined what’s possible on their instrument and inspired entire generations. Here are twelve heroes who couldn’t have been more influential.

1. Jimi Hendrix – Electric Guitar Wizard

Jimi Hendrix is often described as the greatest guitarist in the history of rock. When he entered the scene in the 1960s, fellow musicians and fans could hardly believe their ears and eyes. Hendrix gave the electric guitar a new sound with unprecedented sonic power. He used amps, effects, feedback, and sounds in innovative ways previously unheard of. On his instrument, he could tell entire stories and also make political statements. Hendrix took the guitar to a whole new level of expressiveness. As a true pioneer, he changed guitar playing forever.

Jimi Hendrix – “The Star-Spangled Banner” – Woodstock 1969

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2. Eddie Van Halen – Rethinking the Electric Guitar

Guitar hero Eddie Van Halen is associated with the two-handed tapping technique like no other guitarist. When the band released the groundbreaking album “Van Halen” in 1978, guitarists around the world were stunned. Everyone wanted to play like Eddie and master these rapid, flowing runs, arpeggios, and legato licks in sometimes adventurous time signatures. In every rehearsal room, in every shop, and on every stage, people were suddenly working the fretboard with both hands. The speed at which Eddie left his mark on the scene was truly mind-boggling. With his tapping and dive bombs, he rethought the electric guitar.

Eddie Van Halen Eruption Guitar Solo

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3. Tim Henson / Polyphia – the young wild one

As a founding member of the American progressive rock instrumental band Polyphia, Tim Henson is turning the guitar world upside down. He does not hide behind thick walls of distortion, but manages to create new styles in a world where everything already exists, delivering clean performances with astonishing precision. Henson is a pioneer of modern guitar sounds and breathes fresh air into the old-fashioned guitar world through his mesmerizing virtuosity. His artistic identity is defined by his unwavering pursuit of his own aesthetic. Tim has long been a social media star, with his YouTube channel boasting more than 1.2 million followers. His video ‘Playing God Unplugged’ has been viewed more than 21 million times. And the fact that he continues to enjoy such success with an instrumental band speaks for itself.

Tim Henson – Playing God Unplugged

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4. Django Reinhardt – Pioneer of European Jazz

No other Roma musician was as revered during his lifetime as the French guitarist, composer, and band leader Django (Jean Baptiste) Reinhardt. Although he could only use three fingers of his left hand due to burn injuries, he established the guitar in jazz and has since been regarded as a pioneer of European jazz. Reinhardt played at a breathtaking speed. Together with Stephane Grappelli on violin, he revolutionised music. Moreover, Django Reinhardt pioneered lightning-fast glissandi and octave double stops on the jazz guitar.

Django Reinhardt – Minor Swing

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5. Keith Moon – the Driving Force on the Drums

The drummer of “The Who” was a force of nature. With his energetic and almost explosive playing, Keith Moon took the drums to a new level in rock. He combined rapid rolls with sudden, often unpredictable embellishments – and he did all that with tremendous power. Unlike some other drummers, he did not see himself mainly as a timekeeper, but as a driver. He literally propelled the band through the songs. He was the pulse – and it was usually at 180. Moon was not just a machine with wild antics on stage, always on the lookout for extraordinary inspiration. His legacy is that he transformed the drums from a background timekeeper into a leading instrument.

Keith Moon Drum Solo

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6. Cliff Burton – Energetic Heavy Metal Bass

As Metallica’s bassist, Cliff Burton redefined the role of the bass guitar in heavy metal. With his aggressive style and complex solos, the instrument suddenly took on a completely different, far more prominent role. Before him, the bass mostly remained in the background as support. Burton changed that forever. He favoured a distorted sound and wah pedals, often playing the bass like a lead guitar. His solos were not just small fragments, but main components of the songs. Tragically, Burton died at the age of 24 in a tour bus accident. His metal bass playing lives on to this day.

Metallica – “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

Morley Cliff Burton Power Fuzz Wah

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7. Charlie Parker – Saxophone Revolutionary

Charlie Parker is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz. In fact, he managed to catapult jazz into a new era in the middle of the 20th century. With his rapid improvisation and sometimes hyper-complex sequences, he was the defining figure of bebop. Thanks to his unrivalled technical skills and harmonic knowledge, Parker was able to solo over the most complicated chord structures at breakneck speed. In doing so, he left his mark on music far beyond jazz. The saxophone grandmaster not only revolutionised saxophone playing, but also jazz composition. He broke boundaries and inspired several generations.

Charlie Parker – Donna Lee

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8. Robert Johnson – Redefining the Blues with a Bottleneck

The influence of Robert Johnson on blues music cannot be overstated. Before he entered the scene, blues musicians had mainly focused on singing and storytelling. Johnson first revolutionised the delta blues and then various other sub-genres. His technique was unlike anything that had been heard before. While he didn’t invent the bottleneck technique, he elevated it to a central element of his style. With his innovative rhythms and phrasing, he also transformed the guitar from an accompanying instrument into a powerful lead. Johnson’s style was groundbreaking and was subsequently adopted by countless blues and rock guitarists.

Robert Johnson – Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues

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9. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider – Pioneers of Electronic Pop Music

In 1969, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider founded Kraftwerk. The band used electronic gear to create sonic collages, weave synthetic sounds into complex compositions, and produce cool yet futuristic soundscapes. Even beyond their music, Kraftwerk is an overarching work of art that is still unique today. They were by no means the first to make music on synths. But their albums such as “Autobahn”, “Radioaktivität”, “Trans Europa Express”, “Die Mensch Maschine” and “Computerwelt” already told the stories of the digital world of the future. As such, Kraftwerk created the template for modern electronic pop. No other German band is cited as a source of inspiration more frequently – by musicians across all genres. The co-founder and sonic pioneer Florian Schneider-Esleben sadly passed away in 2020 at the age of 73. Ralf Hütter is now the sole guardian of the legacy of the groundbreaking band, which was described by the New York Times in 1977 as the “Beatles of electronic dance music”.

Kraftwerk – Autobahn – Single version 1974

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10. Suzi Quatro – the Female Trailblazer

When Suzi Quatro entered the stage, there had hardly been any successful female rock musicians, especially not on bass. With her career and stage presence, she paved the way for women in this field. While she didn’t reinvent bass playing, she certainly changed the way female musicians are perceived by the public. It was about time. As a result, many others looked up to the energetic bassist and singer as a role model. She inspired other female artists such as Joan Jett and many more. As Suzi puts it in an interview: “Before I did what I did, we had no place in rock’n’roll. (…) I was the first to be taken seriously as a rock’n’roll musician.”

Suzi Quatro – Can The Can

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11. Ichika Nito – internet guitar sensation

Ichika Nito is a prominent representative of the so-called ‘internet guitar revolution’. He is considered Japan’s best guitarist and a child prodigy on his instrument. UK-based Total Guitar Magazine voted him ‘(…) currently the hottest guitarist in the world’ and ranked him the 8th best guitarist overall. Ichika’s intricate technique amazes millions of people.

His path to fame was simple: he uploaded videos of his music, including cover versions, to his YouTube channel, gave them captivating titles, and paid close attention to their visual design. Within a very short time, he had over a million followers. Why does he fascinate so many people? His style is unique and often described as ‘not playable by humans’. Combining hybrid and fingerstyle, he uses both hands to weave tappings, pull-offs and hammer-ons into flowing melodies, chord progressions and harmonically highly complex instrumentals. By the way, his personal hero is Eddie van Halen.

Ichika Nito – ‘Awakening’ on Signature Guitar – Ibanez ICHI10

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12. Steve Vai – unlimited freedom on the instrument

Steve Vai is one of the most influential rock musicians of all time. He became world-famous for his virtuosity as a guitarist, his speed and technique, his expressive slides and his distinctive use of vibrato. At the tender age of 20, he was taken on board by none other than Frank Zappa, who described him as a stunt guitarist responsible for ‘Strat abuse’ and ‘impossible guitar parts’.

He is the inventor of several innovative electric guitar models developed in collaboration with Ibanez. One of his best-known models is the 7-string Universe, which was presented in 1989 and features an additional low B string. With this, he transferred a concept that had previously been used mainly by jazz guitarist George Van Eps to modern rock guitar. Vai has influenced entire generations of musicians and was nominated for a Grammy seven times, winning his first in 1993. In 2000, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.

Steve Vai – ‘For The Love Of God’

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Who has inspired you and your playing technique the most? Let us know which musicians were and are your role models!

Simon's passion for music generated a long time ago, and led him to become a guitarist and self-produce his music with the band Onyria.

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