A company called Marquis Who’s Who, founded in 1898, publishes annual lists of the most important people in every major field — from politics to religion to entertainment. This year, in honor of its 125th anniversary, Marquis has come out with a list of the Most Influential People Over 125 Years — and many top musicians are on it.
The list is broken down by decade, starting in the 1890s with people like Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. Famous musicians start appearing in the ’50s and ’60s, including Aretha Franklin and Sonny & Cher. Moving on to the ’70s, Stevie Wonder makes an appearance.
In the ’80s, things really start getting musical: Madonna, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and Dolly Parton are all named among the Most Influential. The ’90s brings us Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Nirvana. But in the 2000s, there’s only one musician: Lady Gaga.
Apparently there were no influential musicians in the 2010s, but in the 2020s, there are plenty: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Rihanna. The fact that Justin appears in the 2020s, considering the height of his career was in the 2010s, is somewhat confusing, but whatever.
The list also includes John Travolta, Ron Howard, Marilyn Monroe, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, George Lucas, RuPaul, Halle Berry, Spike Lee, Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah Winfrey.
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