History FollowTheLeader / Music

** Music/BritneySpears lead the wave of "teen pop starlets" into the new millennium (thank you very much, ''Total Request Live''). She continued to pick what sounds came along before they hit the big time till right now.

* The late Nineties and early 2000s saw a huge success of bubblegum dance music, especially thanks to Danish group Music/{{Aqua}}. The most blatant Aqua clones were [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy-Box Toy-Box]], another Danish project that followed their example to a T: the SopranoAndGravel dynamic of a chirpy tiny female singer and deep-voiced male singer, childish lyrics full of sexual innuendos, super colorful and intentionally cheesy videoclips, etc. The videos for their first successes "Tarzan and Jane" and "Best Friend" were obviously modeled after Aqua's "Doctor Jones" and "Barbie Girl" respectively.

** There's also the Music/{{Deftones}} who came shortly after. They introduced the addition of the (normally HipHop-exclusive) turntables as an instrument, which later bands (most famously Music/LimpBizkit)replicated. While the Deftones used turntables to subtly integrate samples into their music, the bands that followed them usually incorporated tricks like beat-juggling and scratching that were popular with rock-friendly hip-hop acts like Music/CypressHill and Music/HouseOfPain.

** There's also the Music/{{Deftones}} who came shortly after. They introduced the addition of the (normally HipHop-exclusive) turntables as an instrument, which later bands replicated. While the Deftones used turntables to subtly integrate samples into their music, the bands that followed them usually incorporated tricks like beat-juggling and scratching that were popular with rock-friendly hip-hop acts like Music/CypressHill and Music/HouseOfPain.

* Music/DukeEllington: The first jazz band leader with a serious image, much like a composer of classical music. He inspired Music/CountBasie, ''Thelonious Monk,'' Music/MilesDavis, among others.

* Music/JamesBrown's combination of catchy tunes, endless grooves, energetic performances, Afro-American pride, cool dance moves and sexual innuendo have been imitated by many singers, especially Music/IggyPop, Music/MichaelJackson, Music/GeorgeClinton, Music/{{Prince}}, Music/LeeScratchPerry, Music/FelaKuti... and EVERY other rap artist ever since.

** The film ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' also became the blueprint for every "good" teenage rock movie ever since. A lot of music videos owe a lot to the way director RichardLester set the Beatles' music to exciting images.

** The release of ''Music/SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand'' kicked off a craze of lushly-orchestrated psychedelic music and [[ConceptAlbum concept albums]] (like ''Music/{{Tommy}}'' by Music/TheWho and ''[[ThePrettyThings S.F Sorrow]]''). A few years later, there was a deliberate "back to basics" movement away from such bloated production... that just happened to start up after the less-elaborate ''Music/TheWhiteAlbum'' was released.

** The Beatles have the distinction of being so Beatles as to having Followers for different eras of their music. The Beatlemania era? See BritPop. Sgt. Pepper and Yellow Submarine? Check out the PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock scenes (which bred Acid Rock and HeavyMetal).

** The Mickey Mouse Club is to blame for many pop artists of the late nineties, most notably Spears, Anguilera, and several members of *Music/{{NSYNC}} and the Music/BackstreetBoys.
** The boy band trend spilled over into country music. Rascal Flatts was a boy band with a steel guitar on their early albums.
** The success of Music/{{Hanson}}, an at-the-time pre-teen {{Bishounen}} boy band (they were, however, truly a band, as all sang, wrote or co-wrote their own material, played their own instruments and had input into their material and image from the start) and their major label debut ''Middle Of Nowhere'', and infectious Jackson Five-like number one single, "[=MMMBop=]", released in 1997 at the height of grunge and nu-metal, was also very influential in the popularity of teen-pop in the late '90s.
** Music/JustinBieber is said to have ushered ([[{{pun}} no pun]] [[Music/{{Usher}} intended]]) in a new wave of teen pop artists. However, due to the large backlash against Bieber, these acts have been largely unsuccessful; the only act who was able to replicate the teen phenomenon that he created was UK boy band Music/OneDirection.

** {{Grunge}} rock is arguably one of the most famous and most far-reaching examples. Following the success of Music/{{Nirvana}}, anyone who had a remotely similar look or sound (''veeeeery'' remotely similar sound) was signed, including several other Northeast bands. Thus came the age of AlternativeRock. While diverse at first, then came PostGrunge and NuMetal and the rest is history.
** When Nirvana was the most successful "grunge" act, most PostGrunge bands looked and sounded like them. When Pearl Jam outsold them, you started seeing [[{{Yarling}} yarling]] and bands like Music/{{Creed}} and Days Of The New.
* Back in TheEighties, UsefulNotes/{{Europe}} was all about the Music/NewWave, synthpop, hi-NRG, italo disco or whatever other type of dance pop music was popular at the time. Once the German duet Music/ModernTalking started making tracks that were like an eclectic mix of synthpop & italo disco, everyone wanted to follow their style of music, like C.C. Catch (produced by Dieter Bohlen who was still one half of Music/ModernTalking), Blue System (formed by post Music/ModernTalking Dieter Bohlen), Bad Boys Blue (who tried their hardest to sound like they were produced by Dieter Bohlen) etc..

** This may sound bizarre, but a lot of the HairMetal acts didn't initially try copying Music/MotleyCrue, but actually began as record labels' attempt to create a "new Music/LedZeppelin." One proof of this? Though it's blasphemous to say anyone but Sabbath created metal nowadays, in the '80s, it was universally accepted amongst glammers that Zeppelin kickstarted the genre.
* Music/{{KoRn}} released their SelfTitledAlbum in 1994 to unexpected success. Naturally, many bands looked to replicate that success by copying their style of murky down-tuned guitars, "funky" slap-style bass technique, angsty lyrics, and complete removal of guitar solos. This eventually led to the creation of the NuMetal genre. Naturally, [=KoRn=] took note of this and later released an album called ''FollowTheLeader'' in [[TakeThat reference to it]].
** And depending on where you go, you may hear people say that Music/{{KoRn}} was mostly just following Music/AliceInChains' and Music/FaithNoMore's lead.

* After Music/JeffersonAirplane, Music/JimiHendrix and Music/TheDoors hit big in the late 60's, major labels signed every psychedelic act they could find. Some found genuine talent: The jazz label Verve Records signed Music/VelvetUnderground and Frank Zappa. Warner signed the Music/TheGratefulDead, although they used their contract to make three wildly uncommercial albums before making their two classic records in 1970 (after which, they promptly split from the label). And EMI, looking for a band that sounded similar to the Beatles' new psychedelic sound, signed a small psychedelic band called Music/PinkFloyd. Other labels weren't so lucky and were stuck with multi-million dollar contracts with one hit wonders like The Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Ultimate Spinach, Bubble Puppy and The Electric Prunes.

* Emo music first started in the 80's and has changed a lot since then, but more recently the enormous mainstream success of angsty hardcore-influenced bands such as The Used, Music/MyChemicalRomance and Taking Back Sunday seems to have proven that emo teenagers are a good audience to target. Thus every cookie-cutter pop punk act now has to over-straighten their hair, have the odd tattoo or piercing and wear eyeliner and overly tight jeans. See Metro Station, Boys Like Girls, etc.
* In the early to mid [[TheNineties 90's]] R&B acts followed 2 archetypes. One type was the 4 to 5 member group type with gospel-inspired harmonies ala En Vogue and Boyz II Men. The second type followed the 2 to 3 group member formula that was based on a [[DarkerAndEdgier edgy]], [[HotterAndSexier sexually explicit]] street/Hip-Hop look and sound ala Music/{{TLC}} and SWV (the latter soften their hard edge look though, to a more soft feminine style). Some were terrible rehashes and copycats, while others were good in their own right.

* Composer Music/AntonBruckner's huge, massive, overwrought symphonies directly influenced Music/GustavMahler's even bigger works, as Mahler was a student at the Conservatory and attended concerts at the Vienna Philharmonic that premiered Bruckner's works.

* Music/ChristinaAguilera's critics like to point out how she seems to be hopelessly behind every trend in pop, the standard 90's pop at the start of her career, the Rnb/Rock/Pop/Jazz second album, the 40's 50's 60's sounds which were popular only 5 years before and Bionic, it's electronic pop sound which happened four years prior never exactly hitting the trend when it's at its trendiest. "Bionic" was a big blow to her image and her way of working and took the sheen off her for a lot of people.

* Music/TheSexPistols launched punk in the U.K. and inspired countless people to start their own band solely based on attitude and less on skills.

* Equally rap and hiphop music went through its share of shameless imitators as well. Let's see:
** Joyful rap music based on a sample was popularized by Music/TheSugarHillGang
** Rap songs about social and political themes were vivid in the 1980s, mostly inspired by Music/GrandMasterFlashAndTheFuriousFive and Music/{{RunDMC}}.

* Composer Anton Bruckner's huge, massive, overwrought symphonies directly influenced Music/{{Gustav Mahler}}'s even bigger works, as Mahler was a student at the Conservatory and attended concerts at the Vienna Philharmonic that premiered Bruckner's works.

** And depending on where you go, you may hear people say that Music/{{Korn}} was mostly just following Music/AliceInChains' and Music/FaithNoMore's lead.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et63XsMZJas As pointed out by]] Series/{{MADtv}}, The Calling and Music/{{Creed}} were accused of ripping off Music/PearlJam (particularly Eddie Vedder's {{Yarling}} - which the video says it's a style OlderThanTheyThink).

* In the same vein, much of the late-90s to mid-2000s Top 40 alternative/rock music is essentially knocking off the previous "alternative band", and those surrounding them, which are all knocked off of the basic chords of Canon in D. While you can blame Music/KurtCobain for the phenomenon, it was almost definitely started earlier. Still continues to this day, as much of the radio and Top 40 is virtually indistinguishable from each other. Parodied hilariously by Rob Paravonian's "Pachelbel Rant" (easily found on Youtube).

** Afro-American rap itself inspired a lot of white folks copying the style, such as Music/TheBeastieBoys, Music/VanillaIce and Music/{{Eminem}}.

** Series/BigTimeRush was responsible in the resurgence of the boy band movement. Afterwards, bands like Music/{{JLS}}, Music/TheWanted, and Music/OneDirection came onto the scene. The lattermost band eventually got to open for BTR on their 2012 tour -- and would go on to become astronomically more successful than BTR themselves.

* Ever since Ed Sheeran's success countless other English folk singers like James Bay, James Arthur, Passenger, George Ezra and even Niall Horan (despite being Irish) have started popping up on the American charts.

** There's also the Music/{{Deftones}} who came shortly after. They introduced the addition of the (normally HipHop-exclusive) turntables as an instrument, which later bands replicated.

** The Beatles have the distinction of being so Beatles as to having Followers for different eras of their music. The Revolver era? See BritPop. Sgt. Pepper and Yellow Submarine? Check out the PsychedelicRock and ProgressiveRock scenes (which bred Acid Rock and HeavyMetal).

* Similarly, after Music/BuddyHolly died in a plane crash in 1959, many singers attempted to imitate Holly's distinct vocal style, including Bobby Vee, Tommy Roe, Del Shannon, and the Fireballs.

* Back in TheEighties, UsefulNotes/{{Europe}} was all about the Music/NewWave, synthpop, hi-NRG, italo disco or whatever other type of dance pop music was popular at the time. Once the German duet Music/ModernTalking started making tracks that were like an eclectic mix of synthpop & italo disco, everyone wanted to follow their style of music, like Bad Boys Blue, C.C. Catch, Blue System (formed by one of the founders of Modern Talking after he quit), etc..

* The smash success of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito" remix (with Justin Bieber) in summer 2017 led to several other reggaeton songs getting remixes with mainstream pop artists, such as J Balvin's "Mi Gente" with Music/{{Beyonce}}, "Subeme La Radio" by Enrique Iglesias and Sean Paul, and "Bailemos" by CNCO featuring Little Mix.

* Similarly, after Music/BuddyHolly and Music/RitchieValens were killed in a plane crash in 1959, American record companies scrambled to find teen rockers to fill the gap. Many were signed, but none had the talent or innovation of these two, and the evolution of rock music was stalled until the British Invasion. This time in rock history may also qualify as a DorkAge.

* Music/FrankSinatra: Started of as a teen idol, admired by countless women and hated by equally many men. His success paved the way for, of course, countless good looking male and thus bankable male singers, from Music/ElvisPresley, Music/CliffRichard, Music/TheBeatles, all those boys bands, Music/MichaelJackson (in his early days) to Music/JustinBieber.

** Music/FloridaGeorgiaLine's "Cruise" and Music/LukeBryan's "That's My Kind of Night" spawned the widespread "bro-country" movement of 2013 and 2014. Many country songs in this timespan have a strong hip-hop influence to them, and are usually about hot girls, beer, and trucks. Their success has also rubbed off on collaborators, such as "Cruise" co-writer Chase Rice and former Luke Bryan merchandise vendor Cole Swindell, both of whom draw heavily from FGL and Luke in their own material — although they're far from the only new acts to do so. "Bro-country" became so big that in the second half of 2014, Maddie & Tae mocked it with "Girl in a Country Song".

** Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" and to a lesser extent, Music/JasonAldean's "Hicktown" both seem to have started the long-lasting trend of hard-rock country songs in which the singers assert that yes, they are country singers because they listen to Music/MerleHaggard and Music/GeorgeJones, they wear boots and worn-out jeans, they're bad boys/girls who love their mamas, etc. Most singers were brought to this by way of John Rich of Big & Rich, who wrote the aforementioned songs but has mostly backed off from songwriting.

* In the early to mid [[TheNineties 90's]] R&B acts followed 2 archetypes. One type was the 4 to 5 member group type with gospel-inspired harmonies ala En Vogue and Boyz II Men. The second type followed the 2 to 3 group member formula that was based on a [[DarkerAndEdgier edgy]], [[HotterAndSexier sexually explicit]] street/Hip-Hop look and sound ala Music/{{TLC}} and SWV (the latter toned down their look though). Some were terrible rehashes and copycats, while others were good in their own right.

* Once Music/BoneThugsNHarmony became popular a lot of other rappers emerged with a melodic R&B styled rap delivery (minus the speed).

* Another trend that begin at the turn of the millennium. The "Latin Boom." It started with Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez, and then there was a long string of people singing in both English and Spanish (Shakira, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Paulina Rubio). Even Music/ChristinaAguilera got in on the game.

* Back in TheNineties, after Music/{{Nirvana}} really blew up, record labels scrambled to sign any act that was even remotely grunge-y. The absurdity reached a fever pitch when Sony Records went all the way to Australia to sign Silverchair, whose members weren't even old enough to shave. [[CrazyEnoughToWork It worked.]]

* Parodied in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0U38Nv3uXQ this]] ''Series/{{MADtv}}'' sketch.

* MitchBenn's "Everything Sounds Like Music/{{Coldplay}} Now" satirises the fact that, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin everything sounds like Coldplay now]]. Whether he was aware that two of the bands that he name-checks in the song [[OlderThanTheyThink did it first]] is unknown. Either way, the song is hilarious.

*** In turn, an alternate scene dubbed by the media as the "anti-[[Music/BritneySpears Britney]]" movement made headway after the success of AvrilLavigne, a teenage star who countered the trend of teenage pop performers by [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth writing (or co-writing) their own material and performing with musical instruments]], adopting a more "rock" image and sound, downplaying the sexualized, slick, choreographed IdolSinger image Britney and her fellow pop stars adopted, and by asserting (or giving the impression of asserting) control of their musical input, often with a feministic "Girl Power" message attached to it. Artists like Music/MichelleBranch, Music/VanessaCarlton, Skye Sweetnam, and Music/SaraBareilles followed Avril, while Music/DemiLovato and Music/TaylorSwift took strong cues from that scene within more commercial styles. Music/MandyMoore, who began as a Britney-like teen pop starlet (with dyed blonde hair), even tried to re-emerge in the movement after her reinvention with her album ''Wild Hope''.