Sort of a stupid article, really.
If I were to guess, I'd say it would probably be the band's associated with "proto" anything. Elvis for "proto-rock." The Beatles for "proto- pop rock." Iggy Pop for "proto-punk." Etc. The other would be outstanding musicians, such as Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. People that just melted your brain with how skilled they were.
There is a fine line between genius and insanity. Both necessarily think different than normal people. Neil Young and Bob Dylan sing and play guitar and harmonica at the same time. Strap some cymbals on their knees and they are insane. :)
A bunch of the 27 club. The more famous artist who 'make' the list the better remembered these folks will be down the line. Jim Morrison Jimi Hendrix Brian Jones Janis Joplin Kurt Cobain Amy Winehouse Also because of either their talent, influence or their impact on counter culture- The Beatles The Stones and The Doors, both with 27 club members The Beach Boys Led Zeppelin The Who Jefferson Airplane Buddy Holly Bo Diddly Chuck Berry Grateful Dead Eric Clapton (maybe Cream but probably not) Impossible to say who on the list will actually be remembered at what level of granularity but it will probably be from this list. Don't know if R&B artist will be lumped in but if they were Otis Redding Sam Cooke James Brown Micheal Jackson Marvin Gaye Aretha Franklin Curtis Mayfield? Prince
Frank Zappa maybe. Smart guy, very prolific, very influential.
Floyd, Zeppelin or Sabbath. More likely the Beatles, but that's a depressing thought so I choose to suppress it. The thing that's distinctive about rock is that it's deliberately weird, it's people with a place in the mainstream saying I want out. The comparison of punk and disco isn't at all apt, disco seen as gay culture's entrance into the mainstream is people on the outside saying I want in.