10 Amazing Musicians We Lost In The 2010s

True musicians tend to display a piece of themselves in their work that their audience can really identify with. As such, it's a strange predicament for music fans when an artist dies.

At the best of times, the world seems to shine a bit brighter after hearing their music. Once they have departed from this plain of existence, that vicarious feeling between fan and artist seems to be a bit stifled as a result.

While the music will live for generations to come, let's take a look back at the artists that we have lost this decade. These artists not only pushed the boundaries of what music could be, but showed their fans unique songwriting approaches that helped inspire modern music as we know them.

And though there are many tragic deaths from artists who did not make this list, it does not cheapen their contribution to music. These are just a few example of artists that have left their stamp on the music world as a whole.

May their lights continue to shine for many more decades.

We kick this list off with the undisputed godfather of rock and roll. It's safe to say that without Check Berry, rock as we know it may never have existed. His style of guitar playing became the blueprint for rock guitarists the world over.

Berry also had the distinction of being an artist who performed as well as wrote his own material. From "Rock and Roll Music" to "Johnny B Goode," Berry possessed a natural gift for storytelling and turning mindless rock and roll songs into bite-sized teenage vignettes. This had a huge impact on young rock proteges like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, both of whom covered Berry's material frequently.

Berry also carried on his tradition as a legacy act, performing into his 80's and even releasing his last album Chuck a few months after he passed away. Even though Elvis may be known as the King of Rock n' Roll, Chuck Berry was the initial trailblazer who helped paved the way for all rock music that would come later.