Bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, whose repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal style were influential on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from his own.
A. were influential on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from
B. influenced generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from
C. was influential to generations of bluegrass artists, was also inspirational to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music was different significantly in comparison to
D. was influential to generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, who included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, the music of whom differed significantly when compared to
E. were an influence on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music was significantly different from that of
In-depth Explanation and Correct Answer Below (so you don’t see it while reviewing the question)
Bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, whose repertory… Explanation
Bluegrass musician Bill Monroe, whose repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal style were influential on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from his own.
(A) were influential on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from
“Many musicians that included Elvis and Jerry.” Makes no sense. That doesn’t convey the correct meaning that there was a group and that Elvis and Jerry were a part of that group. Also, you can’t have a comma before “that” as it’s almost always used to introduce an essential modifier. It’s rare that you see a “that” or “which” non-essential/essential modifier issue. But this is a good example of one. Beyond that, compared to (B) this sentence is a clunker.
(B) influenced generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music differed significantly from
(C) was influential to generations of bluegrass artists, was also inspirational to many musicians, that included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music was different significantly in comparison to
Subject verb agreement: repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal style WERE. “Different significantly in comparison to” is redundant.
(D) was influential to generations of bluegrass artists, also inspired many musicians, who included Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, the music of whom differed significantly when compared to
Subject verb agreement: repertory, views on musical collaboration, and vocal style WERE. “Differed significantly when compared to” is redundant.
(E) were an influence on generations of bluegrass artists, was also an inspiration to many musicians, including Elvis Presley and Jerry Garcia, whose music was significantly different from that of
“Whose music was significantly different from the music of his own.” Replace “that of” with “music” and you’ll notice the issue at the end.
Correct Answer: B
For some SC guidance, here’s a link to a breakdown of GMAT sentence correction.