When athletic height jumping was considered done and perfected, there was the Fosbury flop which opened new possibilities. Do you think there was such a moment in the music history? When someone showed how things can be done and from there everyone is using his/her technique?
Van Halen finger tapping the fretboard. Didn’t last as a trend, but every guitar player tried it at the time.
Les Claypool from Primus playing lead bass. That was so unique, I don’t think anyone really copied it. A watershed moment anyway.
Neil Pert YYZ or the solo from Tom Sawyer. Same reaction from drummers as guitarists for Van Halen. Blew everyone’s mind as to what was possible by one drummer.
Obviously there was nothing like Jimmy Hendrix either, but there was so much new and experimental music at the time he unfortunately gets lumped into “60’s music” IMO.
The MC5’s performance at the Chicago DNC in 1968 (and by extension Punk Rock). “Kick out the Jams, MOTHERFUCKERS!”
Math rock enthusiasts enter the room
All great single acts, but none of them changed the game for everyone else