Just thinking.
About an article/series of.
For the summer.
Getting the ball rolling here to see if there's scope.
For moving the goalposts, slightly.

No Beatles; possibly no Stones (since 1980, what have they done?); probably no Bowie (Labyrinth?).
Dylan, sure; Young, ok.

But also: Beck, Albini, Vig, Cobain, Chuck, MCA, Omar and Cedric, Bjork, Buckley, Elliott Smith, 'E', Yoni Wolf, Matt Bayles, Aaron Turner, Guy Chambers, FLEA? Et cetera.

Who has been absolutely influential/brilliant/essential in music since 1980 (the year of my birth)? In your opinion.