Most powerful and influential celebrity of the past 30 years?

[The Ghost of RubangB]

David Bowie.

For redefining the music video format with his videos from 1979 to 1983, proving that videos could be art, tell stories, and not just be hot musicians dancing in front of crowds and looking good (like the early videos that got Duran Duran and Billy Idol famous).

Case in point: "Ashes to Ashes" - 1980.

For having 3 of the most successful concert tours ever, back to back, with his Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983, the Glass Spider Tour of 1987, and the Sound+Vision Tour of 1990 (which had 108 performances in 27 countries, lasting just under 7 months straight).

For starting Bowie Bonds, in which he gave up royalties to his own music for 10 years for $55 million up front, so that he could buy back the rest of his songs that he didn't own. This changed the way musicians secure their intellectual property, and inspired similar deals for James Brown and others.

For influencing New Wave and everything from New Order, U2, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode to films like Velvet Goldmine, and co-producing plays like Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

For being the only rock star to have a whole muppet movie to himself.

For being a villain on Venture Bros.



For being in a Flight of the Conchords song and episode.

I could go on and on, but it's too bad you said "last 30 years" instead of "last 32 years" because then this would've been 10 times longer.

And for this:




Other than Him, Bill Gates and Oprah. But neither of them could pull off a red mullet and actually make that a viable fashion trend. That's raw power.