Here's a list thread which I hope you'll find an interesting variation on the "top ten" threads. Take each decade from the 1920's to the 00's and rank them in order of preference. Then pick your two favorite names from each decade. If you don't know a particular decade well enough, just pick one name or leave it blank. It could be an interesting overview of the history of popular music.

Here's mine:

1. The '60s (The Beach Boys, Phil Spector)
2. The '70s (The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye)
3. The '50s (Elvis Presley, Ray Charles)
4. The '40s (Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday)
5. The '80s (Prince, Pet Shop Boys)
6. The '90s (Nirvana, Oasis)
7. The '30s (The Carter Family, Robert Johnson)
8. The '20s (Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton)
9. The '00s (John Legend, ? )

80s-Echo & Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs
70s-Thin Lizzy, Rush
90s-Placebo, Alice In Chains
00s-Strokes, Bloc Party
60s-Rolling Stones, The Who
50s-Buddy Holly, Miles Davis
20s, 30s, 40s-I'm too young for these decades!

70s - Pink Floyd, Steely Dan
80s - The Stranglers, Level 42
60s - Sly And The Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix
90s - Beastie Boys, Elastica
00s - Scissor Sisters, Madonna
50s - Bobby Darin, Dean Martin

70's--Paul McCartney & Jimmy Buffett
60's--The Beatles & Johnny Cash
80's--REM & Joe Jackson
50's--Elvis & Chuck Berry
90's--The Jayhawks & Collective Soul
00's--Ryan Adams & Rodney Crowell (his last three CD's since '01 have been his absolute best; a total reinvention)
40's & below--who cares

60's-Beatles, Kinks
50's-Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf
70's-Led Zeppelin, Steeleye Span
30's-Son House, Robert Johnson
90's-Oasis, Manic Street Preachers
80's-Replacements, Husker Du
00's-Coldplay, Bob Dylan
40's-Glen Miller,Tommy McClennan
20's-Charley Patton,Blind Lemon Jefferson

sheesh only 2 per decade? Ok!

60's Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones
70's Neil Young, Led Zeppelin
80's Replacements, Sonic Youth
90's Pixies, The Bevis Frond
00's Wilco, ...Trail of Dead
50's Miles Davis, John Coltrane
40's Charlie Parker
30's Duke Ellington
20's Louis Armstrong

I love these threads too. It's a good way to learn more about the other people here.

60s--Beatles, John Coltrane
70s--Allman Brothers Band, Jimmy Buffett
80s--Bruce Cockburn, Dire Straits
50s--Ray Charles, Dinah Washington
00s--Tim Easton, Trey Anastasio
90s--Lloyd Cole, Derek Trucks Band
40s--Big Bill Broonzy, Louis Jordan
30s--Robert Johnson

Of course this is subject to my mood at any given moment

Good idea, this one. I am going to have to base my choices on what springs immediately to mind as most representative of what I liked in each half of these decades. I'm bullshitting once I get past the 50s, though!

00s - MF Doom, Sean Price
90s - The Breeders, Biggie Smalls
80s - Public Enemy, Prince
60s - Sly and the Family Stone, The Beatles
70s - The Fall, Led Zeppelin
50s - Little Richard, Elvis Presley
40s - I'm struggling here. Slim Gaillard?

70's Elton John, The Who
60's Rolling Stones, The Doors
80's Depeche Mode, The Police
90's Alice In Chains, Soundgarden
00's Coldplay, Porcupine Tree
50's Elvis, Chuck Berry
40's Glenn Miller, Sinatra

20 Charley Patton, Tommy Johnson
30 Blind Willie Johnson, Golden Gate Quartet
40 Louis Jordan, Hank Williams
50 Gene Vincent, Blind Boys of Mississippi
60 Hendrix, Love
70 Sabbath, Suicide
80 Sinead O'Connor, Screaming Blue Messiahs
90 Steve Roach, Massive Attack
00 Black Keys, Tv on Radio