In this article, we celebrate Black artists and groups who were influential in shaping both Rock and popular music. These artists and bands started their careers in the early 60s through the late 60s, beginning with Bob Marley and ending with Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy.

In this spotlight article, we celebrate Black artists and individuals who were influential in shaping Rock music and popular music more broadly. These particular individuals started their careers in the mid 50s through the early 60s, starting with Diana Ross and The Supremes and ending with Larry Graham.

In this article, we acknowledge rock and popular music’s 11 most influential and significant Black artists and figures who started their music careers from the late 1940s through the mid-50s. We begin with Little Richard and take you up to Aretha Franklin.

In this article, we will celebrate some of rock music’s earliest artists and influencers. Many of these artists were inspired by musicians that came from other genres, such as blues, folk, jazz, and gospel. You will find these inspirations in most of the artists listed below. In addition to their biographies, be sure to check out their notable songs and what popular artists or bands they are known to have directly influenced.