Marilyn

Much like his idol, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson possesses cultural influence that’s far-reaching and always evolving.

The artist born Brian Warner in 1969 assumed his outrageous persona—the name is a portmanteau of Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson—in the early ’90s and formed a band, which also came to be called Marilyn Manson.

A deal with Nothing Records, the label founded by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, soon followed, as did their first hit: an ominous, slowed-down cover of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Soon after, Manson grew into one of the most polarizing figures of the decade, thanks to controversial songs about power and religion (as heard on 1996’s Antichrist Superstar) and over-the-top live concerts.