1. Ma Rainey
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: Bessie Smith (who was her pupil), Janis Joplin
2. Bessie Smith
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin
3. Sister Rosetta Tharpe
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley
4. Fats Domino
View this video on YouTube
Future Influence: Big Al Downing
5. Big Al Downing
View this video on YouTube
While he was too little known to have much influence, he would go on to have hits in multiple genres. Early in his career, he worked with rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson and they recorded the rockabilly song "Let's Have A Party".
6. Chuck Berry
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences:The Rolling Stones, The Beatles
7. Little Richard
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: David Bowie, Paul McCartney
8. Jimi Hendrix
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: Vernon Reid of the band Living Colour, Stevie Ray Vaughan
9. Poly Styrene and her band X-Ray Spex
View this video on YouTube
Future Influence: Tamar-Kali, Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth, Noisettes
10. Bad Brains
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: The Beastie Boys, The Foo Fighters
11. Living Colour
View this video on YouTube
Future Influences: Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit
12. Death
View this video on YouTube
Future Influence: Rough Francis, whose band members are the sons and nephews of Death's original lead singer David Hackney. For more info, check out the documentary A Band Called Death (it's on Netflix).
13. Tamar-Kali
View this video on YouTube
Influenced by: Poly Styrene, Betty Davis, Bad Brains, P. J. Harvey
14. Divinity Roxx
View this video on YouTube
Influences: Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, Foo Fighters
