#4: Berry Gordy
Gordy changed music not only by producing and writing, but by building a system. Motown was more than a record company. It was an organized, disciplined engine for songs, images, performance, and crossover appeal. Gordy helped create the conditions in which artists such as the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and Stevie Wonder could reach enormous audiences. He understood talent, but he also understood presentation, sequencing, and consistency.
