“His success opened the gates for hundreds of artists of color in the years and decades to come. His elevated status bothered the sensibilities of white rock critics, who almost universally demoted him as the decade wore on in favor of “serious” artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bono and even Madonna. As shown in the breakdown below, his appearances on the front cover of Rolling Stone, the United States' most visible music publication, are far fewer than those of white artists: