Shags, pompadours, afros and bouffants may have been created by hairstylists, but they became popular due to the musicians who rocked them. Many music icons have become just as known for the songs they sang as the images they projected, and many of the hair cuts, colors and styles they wore have entered the public consciousness and inspired trendsetters for generations. From runways to magazine covers to the new crop of artists climbing the charts, references to these iconic looks are everywhere.

“What makes a hairstyle on a musician amazing is its ability to become emblematic of the musician, the music he or she makes, and the era of pop culture social change he or she represents,” says renowned editorial hairdresser Peter Gray, whose work has appeared in Vogue (U.S., Italian and British editions), Harper’s Bazaar and AnOther Magazine, along with ad campaigns for Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Lanvin and runways ranging from Hermes and Badgley Mischka to Betsey Johnson and DSquared. “The style becomes iconic when it enters our visual vocabulary and becomes a perennial source of inspiration to hairdressers and the public alike.”

With Peter’s help, we’ve created a slideshow of some of the musicians whose hairstyles have truly come to define an era...