The first documented shoulder arthroplasty was performed in 1893. Since that time, the field of shoulder arthroplasty has experienced multiple stages of growth. In the 1950s, Dr. Charles S. Neer catapulted the field forward with his work in hemiarthroplasty and anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA), creating the gold standard aTSA template upon which future iterations would occur. While early reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) designs were not successful, the Grammont-style rTSA, introduced in the 1980s, turned rTSA into a viable treatment option. Since their initial conception, the original Neer-style aTSA and Grammont-style rTSA designs have been subject to multiple modifications in attempts to solve residual imperfections, such as glenoid loosening and failure in aTSA and scapular notching and external rotation deficits in rTSA, among others. The future of shoulder arthroplasty is exciting, with the potential to integrate multiple advanced technologies that could improve preoperative planning, intraoperative execution, and, ultimately, patient outcomes.