7 Musicians Who Have Stood the Test of Time ...

1. Johnny Cash

I think he belongs on the list of musicians who have stood the test of time because the Man In Black didn't just do country - he did “covers” of several recent-ish rock songs as well. Check out his version of U2's “One”, Depeche Mode's “Personal Jesus” and Nine Inch Nails' “Hurt”. His voice fits these songs perfectly, especially the last one.

2. Metallica

I'm pretty familiar with 80s heavy metal, so it doesn't surprise me to hear that Metallica has been one of the most influential metal bands of the 80s and 90s. Their earlier stuff was in the extreme style of “speed metal” or “thrash metal” (defined below), but they toned down their sound in the 90s to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Don't get me wrong; there's definitely still some “rage” there (i.e. “Sad But True”), but some of the more mellow songs (“The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”) are a lot easier on the ears than their early stuff. I like it better, anyway.
spirit-of-metal.com

3. Freddie Mercury/Queen

I know I mentioned him on an earlier post about celebrities who died too young, but I'm mentioning him here too because, even if he's no longer with us, his music certainly is. You can't go to any kind of sporting event without hearing at least one chorus of “We Will Rock You” or “We Are The Champions”. I've even heard college bands play, “Another One Bites The Dust” as a good-natured ribbing between two rival schools. He's everywhere, and for good reason; he was insanely talented. That, and my friend thinks he's sex incarnate.

4. Madonna

Love her or hate her, she's not going anywhere. She's definitely made her share of waves in the music industry (her book “Sex”, risque outfits and performances etc), but she has had a major influence on pop culture. It might not seem so given her use of sex appeal in the past, but she's a big fan of women speaking up and taking charge of their own lives as opposed to allowing someone else to define them. It's been said that she kicked in the door for other female pop stars (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pink), which I can completely see. Say what you want, she's bold.

5. Billy Joel

The Piano Man has been a fixture in music since 1972. IMDb tells us that he played his first professional gig when he was 15 and loved it so much that he dropped out of high school two years later to pursue music full time. I wouldn't normally say dropping out of school is a good thing, but apparently it worked for him - according to his website billyjoel.com, he's sold over 150 million records and had 33 hits in the Top 40! Not surprising at all.

6. Elton John

He's toured with Billy Joel several times, a show I would love to see. According to his website eltonjohn.com, this man is just amazing - he's sold over 250 million records worldwide, earned 25 platinum albums and 35 gold, given a knighthood in 1998...I could go on forever. His first US hit was “Your Song”, which is still one of the best love songs I've ever heard.

7. Tina Turner

As anyone who's heard her music or seen her perform knows, this woman can sing and dance circles around...well, anyone. It's been said that she's sold about 100 million records (singles and albums) worldwide, and “Rolling Stone” tells us she has sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history. To top it all off, she's 74(!) and still looks awesome. She might have had work done on her face (I don't know) but her body is better than mine has ever been, and I'm half her age. I hope I look as good as she does when I get there.

I know I've left some great musical acts off, but there's no way I'd be able to list all of the awesome musical acts that have spanned decades and still get anything else done. They can be found on allmusic.com if you'd like to learn more. How about you? Who would you add to my list? Can you think of any of today's musicians that could be popular for as long as these have? Can you think of any who didn't last but should have (or vice versa)? Discuss!