John Coltrane
Derek Bailey
John Cage
Wolfgang Amadaus Mozart
Igor Stravinsky













My list sucks...

I have found it to come in handy as many have come to notice. If only I could copyright it.

Oh yea, one Louis Armstrong. The greatest musician of the last century!! I will think about the others. But odds are that it will include Elvis, Coltrane and Hendrix.

Buddy Holly goes on my list

leonin and perotin

Stravinsky's an excellent choice!

Would Steve Reich be a terrible choice? I know he probably wasn't the most revolutionary guy, but he did create something that was quite different, don't you think? And what about Franz Liszt? His massive hands made it harder for others to keep up...

schoenberg
ornette coleman
john coltrane
edgar varese
louis armstrong

honorary mention:
aphex twin
grandmaster flash
mr bungle
hector berlioz
jessica simpson

I don't know if I'd put Reich in the top of the top, but he was certainly an innovator in many fields. Feel free to add him to your list though, as this is open to anyone really, given the number of musical innovators out there. It pretty much depends on your perspective and who you respect more.

As for Liszt, he was probably one of the first revolutionary pianists, but not really so much so in his composing, but I suppose if you wanted to comment on the former, it could work.

I think Leonard Bernstein would go on my list for West Side Story alone which raised the bar to a new level for musical theatre.