Who Are The New Music Legends?

Over the years, we have lost some great musical legends like Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and more recently, Aretha Franklin. The music they created set a high standard for what a great song should be. So who will be considered a legend now? Whose music will we still be bumping decades from now?

To answer those questions poses another: WHAT is the criteria of a legend?

According to the Crow’s Nest, there is criteria for legendary musicians. Some of the rules I really think apply are:

Is the artist known throughout multiple outlets? I definitely think this is important because an artist can easily be known in a portion or specific genre, BUT are they known outside of their target audience? Popularity might not always be key.
Have other artists been influenced by them? Or, why do you think upcoming artists will be influenced by them? Influence is the main criteria for legends, but just because someone influences another does not mean they automatically become a legend.
Is the number of albums sold or played important? YES. Yes. Yes. If no one listens to the artist, supports the artist, or is influenced by the artist the slightest bit then they are not legendary. They are not reaching the crowd of desire.

There are way more criteria that is all based off opinion but these are definitely key.

Okay, so first on my list of legends, I have… (Drum roll please) … Madonna! She HAS to be on this list. Sorry, not sorry. She is after all called the “Queen of Pop.” Our generation didn’t get a chance to get the full gist of her musical career, but I bet we all have at least heard of her. According to Billboard, Madonna holds the record for the most No. 2 hits in Hot 100 history. She has influenced many artists and became viral before viral was even a thing for real. She’s on charts for country songs, R&B, and dance club songs. Like, shall I say more?

Next on the list is K-dot, aka, Kendrick Lamar. Now Kendrick is the GOAT. My favorite song by him is “LOVE,” even though that entire album was hot. Lamar’s accolades include 12 Grammy awards, but 107 awards in total. He is literally called The New King of Hip Hop. I think that’s pretty legendary. He is only 31 years old and has won a Pulitzer Prize for music. I honestly feel that many people would disagree with me on this, but in a few years I know he will have an impact on new music.

Chris. Brown. So honestly, we all know the C. Breezy is a legend. He was influenced by late legends, as we know, like Michael Jackson. He appeals to many different crowds, which I feel like is the most difficult part about being a musician. Brown has put out a lot of music and 50 years from now, we all will still be listening along with the newest generation. I would be incredibly surprised if at least ONE of his trillion songs isn’t considered as legendary.

And then there’s Beyonce! I know some people will not agree with me on this, but Beyonce has done a lot of things that others haven’t. She has paved a way for new musicians in light of the musicians who have paved the way for her. World tours and all, she does her thang. Her influences are listed as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Whitney Houston. Queen B has received the Legend Award in 2008 at the World Music Awards and is the most awarded artists of BET, winning 29 awards. She is also the most nominated and the second-most awarded woman in Grammy history.

We should not be waiting until an artist has passed in order to consider them a legend. We know way before a musician’s death if they are legendary, but it’s always controversial to name a living person a legend. Well that’s it. Leave a comment about who you think the modern day legends are. I would love to know if you agree or disagree with my list and who you think should not be overlooked.

By Destini Lindsey, Sophomore, Western Michigan University

Instagram: @destinilindsey