Lucian Grainge and David Joseph | No 2

Label executives: Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group, and chairman and CEO, Universal Music UK These two distinctly different ­characters have helped make Universal the ­biggest and most successful music company in the world. Grainge , now based in LA as head of the group's global arm, is praised by his employees as an "­inspirational" character. Known for being incredibly incisive and ­blisteringly direct (his predecessor, Doug ­Morris, once described him as "a killer shark"), he began as an A&R scout for Warner/Chappell Music – first ­signing: the ­Psychedelic Furs – and retains a real respect for his artists. Joseph, who runs the UK division (and currently heads up the Brit awards ), is a brilliant problem-solver who can visualise any situation in 3D and quickly unpick the knots. He sees the future of the industry in streaming services such as YouTube and Spotify, but wants Universal to ­provide a home for heritage artists such as Queen and the Rolling Stones, both of whom have been tempted away from EMI. Together, they are the UK music ­industry's most powerful and influential pair.