Marilyn Manson

Much like his idol, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson possesses cultural influence that’s far-reaching and always evolving. The artist born Brian Warner in 1969 assumed his outrageous persona—the name is a portmanteau of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson—in the early ’90s and formed a band, which also came to be called Marilyn Manson. A deal with Nothing Records, the label founded by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, soon followed, as did their first hit: an ominous, slowed-down cover of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”. Soon after, Manson grew into one of the most polarising figures of the decade, thanks to controversial songs about power and religion (as heard on 1996’s Antichrist Superstar) and over-the-top live concerts. Musically, he proved himself a Bowie-like sonic chameleon: the band’s two U.S. No. 1 albums, 1998’s Mechanical Animals and 2003’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, touched on stomping glam, groove-heavy metal, jagged hard rock and beat-driven synth-pop. Over the years, Manson also continued his creative journey by surrounding himself with unexpected collaborators, such as composer Tyler Bates and longtime friend Shooter Jennings. Both men have helped keep his music fresh and forward-thinking, which is one reason Manson has inspired modern hip-hop—Kanye West evoked Manson’s hit “The Beautiful People” on “Black Skinhead”, while rappers such as Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert are avowed super-fans—and echoes of his electro-industrial hard rock reverberate through contemporary heavy bands like Motionless In White.