Peculiar People Day in America got us thinking of some wonderfully individualistic celebrities including Lady Gaga, David Bowie and Madonna

Why on earth would you want to be branded 'normal'? These days it is particularly galling to have the word 'normal' or 'average' or anything sounding like a neuro-typical and status-quo way of being.

The people who have, typically, changed the landscape of fashion, music, politics or any other arena have been those who have pushed boundaries.

The people not afraid to showcase their peculiar side. Which is why the national day in America on January 10 is a stroke of genius. Peculiar People Day is an American construct, which is designed to celebrate those who think or behave in a different way to the standard and culturally-accepted mode of 'norm'. These people laugh in the face of 'norm'.

There are many prime examples of this celebration of peculiarity in music. The whole point of the world of singing and song writing is to make people feel something. How will you make them emote if they're seeing and hearing something they've already experienced again and again?

And thus music has been the fertile soil for many an artist to flourish.

We have David Bowie, a master at reinvention. Boundary pushing? Yes. Viewed as peculiar by some? Of course. He made the first of many successful 'comebacks' in 1972 with 'Ziggy Stardust', a concept album about a space-age rock star. This album was followed by others in a similar vein, rock albums built around a central character and concerned with futuristic themes of Armageddon, gender dysfunction/confusion, as well as more contemporary themes such as the destructiveness of success and fame, and the dangers inherent in star worship.

And then we have swan-loving Björk. The Icelandic singer has pushed the mindset of many a music executive, you can tell.

She famously attended the 73rd Annual Academy Awards in 2001 wearing a swan dress, complete with a swan's neck wrapped round her own neck. Wonderful.

In 1999, Björk was asked to write and produce the musical score for the film Dancer in the Dark, a musical drama about an immigrant named Selma who is struggling to pay for an operation to prevent her son from going blind. Director Lars von Trier eventually asked her to consider playing the role of Selma, convincing her that the only true way to capture the character of Selma was to have the composer of the music play the character. Eventually, she accepted. Filming began in early 1999, and the film debuted in 2000 at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival. The film received the Palme d'Or, and Björk received the Best Actress Award for her role.

The soundtrack Björk created for the film was released with the title Selmasongs. The album features a duet with Thom Yorke of Radiohead titled "I've Seen It All", which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song and was performed at the 2001 Oscars (without Yorke), while Björk was wearing her celebrated swan dress.

Designed by Marjan Pejoski, a Debenhams poll published in The Daily Telegraph in 2008 voted it the ninth-most iconic red-carpet dress of all time.

It was certainly not a swan-song for the artist who has gone on to create more albums, although she has avoided more acting - despite her critical acclaim.

There are many more examples, including Elvis - dubbed the 'King of Rock and Roll' - who caused outrage for his gyrating hips, and leading teenagers and adults into a frenzy. He also brought black music into the mainstream and ensured he gave credit for his influences, not an easy thing to do at the time in a very racist and segregated America.

Jim Carrey, an actor who has managed the wacky and the serious with equal aplomb is one of the most talented actors not to have received an Academy nomination. Why might he have been overlooked? Maybe as he's a tad peculiar and does not seem to seek approval from those who would dish out such coveted awards. His earlier comedic work may have led to a certain snobbish attitude towards Carrey's growing legacy.

Lady Gaga is another fine example of saying 'who cares?' to the cultural conditioning that most of us abide by. The singer, songwriter and actress has worn many a wacky outfit and ensured her persona is one of devil-may-care. Her real name is Stefani Germanotta and she's shown a versatility that will prove she's in the music and film world for the long-game.

Reinvention is very important to stay current, especially in music and film.

The queen of this must be... Madonna, a singer, songwriter and actress, who has always pushed what is the acceptable form of expression. The woman takes no prisoners and has used religious, political and cultural imagery for her lyrics and music videos - ensuring conservative members of society are apoplectic with rage. Job done. If someone is not upset with you as a performer then you're not doing your job properly.

These artists all show that a bit of peculiar goes a long way to ensuring a successful career.