I know I'm a day late, but I have to mention Bo Diddley. His influence on modern rock music is so great that his style is called "the Bo Diddley beat." It was imitated from the beginning by contemporaries like Buddy Holly ("Not Fade Away"), Don Gibson ("Oh Lonesome Me") and Johnny Otis ("Willie and the Hand Jive" and "Casting My Spell"). Other clones sprang up such as "Roslyn" by the Pretty Things, "Hey Little Girl" by Dee Clark, "Hey Gyp" by the Animals (written by Donovan), "I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves/Bow Wow Wow and "Faith" by George Michael. George Thorogood even remade Diddley's "Who Do You Love" using tune of "Bo Diddley."
Here is the CNN story.
Here is the CNN story.