Alt: American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, notable contributions to the genre and high significance in popular music. Cooke was born in Mississippi and later relocated to Chicago with his family at a young age, where he began singing as a child and joined the Soul Stirrers as lead singer in the 1950s. Going solo in 1957, Cooke released a string of hit songs, including "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Cupid", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Bring It On Home to Me", and "Good Times". During his eight-year career, Cooke released 29 singles that charted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Pop Singles chart, as well as 20 singles in the Top Ten of Billboard's Black Singles chart. In 1964, Cooke was shot and killed by the manager of a motel in Los Angeles. After an inquest and investigation, the courts ruled Cooke's death to be a justifiable homicide; his family has since questioned the circumstances of his death. Cooke's pioneering contributions to soul music contributed to the rise of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Billy Preston, and popularized the work of Otis Redding and James Brown. AllMusic biographer Bruce Eder wrote that Cooke was "the inventor of soul music", and possessed "an incredible natural singing voice and a smooth, effortless delivery that has never been surpassed". Cooke was also a central part of the Civil Rights Movement, using his influence and popularity with the white and black population to fight for the cause. He was good friends with boxer Muhammad Ali, activist Malcolm X and football player Jim Brown, who together campaigned for racial equality.

Alt: American drummer and occasional singer known for her work with Jack White in the Detroit rock duo The White Stripes. On an impulse, she played on Jack's drums in 1997. The two decided to form a band and began performing two months later, calling themselves The White Stripes because of their last name and Meg's fondness for peppermint candy. The band quickly became a Detroit underground favorite before reaching national, then international fame. White has been nominated for various awards as a part of the White Stripes, and has received four Grammy Awards.

Alt: American guitarist, singer and songwriter Brian Bell. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Weezer, with whom he has recorded thirteen studio albums. Bell also fronts the rock band The Relationship, and was previously the lead vocalist and guitarist of the indie rock band Space Twins.

Alt: Shuhada' Sadaqat[a] (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor; /ʃɪˈneɪd/ ⓘ shin-AYD, Irish Gaelic: [ˈʃɪnʲed̪ˠ]; 8 December 1966 – 26 July 2023) was an Irish singer-songwriter, record producer and activist. During her musical career, which encompassed several hit records and artist collaborations, O'Connor drew attention to issues such as child abuse, human rights, racism, and women's rights. She was also known for her outspoken public image, openly discussing her spiritual journey, activism, socio-political viewpoints, and her experiences with trauma and struggles with mental health. O'Connor's debut studio album, The Lion and the Cobra, was released in 1987 and achieved international chart success. Her 1990 album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, was her biggest commercial success, selling over seven million copies worldwide. Its lead single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", became her signature song and was named the top world single of the year at the Billboard Music Awards. During a Saturday Night Live performance in 1992, nearly a decade before the world became fully aware of the prolific sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, O'Connor tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II to protest against the abuse, sparking controversy. O'Connor's next albums Am I Not Your Girl? (1992) and Universal Mother (1994) were both certified gold in the UK, while Faith and Courage (2000) was certified gold in Australia, and Throw Down Your Arms (2005) was certified gold in Ireland. Having converted to Islam in 2018, she adopted the name Shuhada' Sadaqat while continuing to perform and record under her birth name. Her memoir, Rememberings, was released in 2021 and became a bestseller. In 2024, O'Connor was posthumously nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

YouTube video by Kurtis Blow - Topic

Alt: Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. Jay-Z co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 to release his first two studio albums Reasonable Doubt (1996) and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), both of which were met with critical acclaim. Each of his eleven subsequent albums, including The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017), debuted atop the Billboard 200; Jay-Z holds the record for the most number-one albums (14) of any solo artist on the chart. Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019. In 1999, he co-founded the clothing retailer Rocawear and later founded the 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain, in 2003. As both grew into multi-million-dollar businesses, he launched Roc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the technology company Aspiro and led the expansion of Tidal, the company's media streaming service. As of 2025, he is the wealthiest musical artist in the world with a net worth of US$2.5 billion. Jay-Z has won 25 Grammy Awards, the tenth-most of all time and most awarded for any hip hop artist, breaking a long lasting tie with Kanye West. He has been awarded the NAACP's President's Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Sports Emmy Award, and been nominated for a Tony Award. Ranked by Billboard and Rolling Stone as one of the 100 greatest artists of all time, Jay-Z was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the first solo living rapper inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

Alt: American singer, songwriter, actress, comedian, and film producer. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Midler began her professional career in several Off-Off-Broadway plays, prior to her engagements in Fiddler on the Roof and Salvation on Broadway in the late 1960s. She came to prominence in 1970 when she began singing in the Continental Baths, a local gay bathhouse where she managed to build up a core following. Since 1970, Midler has released 14 studio albums as a solo artist. Throughout her career, many of her songs became hits on the record charts, including her renditions of "The Rose", "Wind Beneath My Wings", "Do You Want to Dance", "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", and "From a Distance".

Alt: English musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He first achieved fame in the 1970s emerging from the London punk rock scene as a member of Generation X. Subsequently, he embarked on a solo career which led to international recognition and made Idol a lead artist during the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" in the United States. The name "Billy Idol" was inspired by a schoolteacher's description of him as "idle".

YouTube video by OutkastVEVO

YouTube video by RyanAdamsVEVO

YouTube video by justintimberlakeVEVO

YouTube video by The Beatles - Topic

Alt: Karen O rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose hit singles include "Maps" and "Heads Will Roll". In her solo career, she has released two albums and composed several film soundtracks, often working with Spike Jonze, which netted her nominations at the Academy Awards and Grammy Awards.

YouTube video by EminemVEVO

YouTube video by Nancy Sinatra - Topic

YouTube video by NirvanaVEVO

YouTube video by SlyATFamilyStoneVEVO