Soft Cell　

Art students Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed Soft Cell, a synth pop duo famed for its uniquely sleazy electronic sound, in Leeds, England in 1980. Originally, vocalist Almond and synth pl ..more

Yngwie Malmsteen　

Yngwie Malmsteen is arguably the most technically accomplished hard rock guitarist to emerge during the ’80s. Combining a dazzling technique honed over years of obsessive practice with a love fo ..more

Daft Punk　

Even as they evolved from French house pioneers in the ’90s to dance tastemakers in the 2000s to mainstream heroes in the 2010s, Daft Punk remained one of dance music’s most influential and iconic ..more

Quincy Jones　

In a musical career that has spanned seven decades, Quincy Jones has earned his reputation as a renaissance man of American music. Jones has distinguished himself as a bandleader, a solo artist, ..more

The Charlatans (UK)　

For many years, the Charlatans UK were perceived as the also-rans of Madchester, the group that didn’t capture the Zeitgeist like the Stone Roses, or that failed to match the mad genre-bending o ..more

Cream　

Although Cream were only together for a little more than two years, their influence was immense, both during their late-’60s peak and in the years following their breakup. Cream were the first t ..more

Richard Ashcroft　

As the frontman for the epic British drone-pop band the Verve, Richard Ashcroft proved himself the spiritual descendant of rock ＆ roll icons like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison -- rive ..more

Maximum The Hormone　

Shinji Tanimura　

Sky Ferreira　

Precocious synth pop singer/songwriter Sky Ferreira had built up a huge online following, worked with Britney Spears’ producers, and become friends with Michael Jackson, all before the age of ..more

Gorillaz　

Conceived as the first virtual hip-hop group, Gorillaz blended the musical talents of Dan The Automator Nakamura, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Clu ..more

Hank Mobley　

One of the Blue Note label’s definitive hard bop artists, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley remains somewhat underappreciated for his straightforward, swinging style. Any characterization of Mo ..more

Van Morrison　

Equal parts blue-eyed soul shouter and wild-eyed poet-sorcerer, Van Morrison is among popular music’s true innovators, a restless seeker whose incantatory vocals and alchemical fusion of R＆B, jazz, ..more

Lee Morgan　

A cornerstone of the Blue Note label roster prior to his tragic demise, Lee Morgan was one of hard bop’s greatest trumpeters, and indeed one of the finest of the ’60s. An all-around master of ..more

Randy Newman　

An anomaly among early-’70s singer/songwriters, Randy Newman may have been slightly influenced by Bob Dylan, but his music owed more to New Orleans R＆B and traditional pop than folk. Newman d ..more

The Smiths　

The Smiths were the definitive British indie rock band of the ’80s, marking the end of synth-driven new wave and the beginning of the guitar rock that dominated English rock into the ’9 ..more

Jamiroquai　

Active since the early ’90s, Jamiroquai have amassed a steady stream of hits in their native U.K. and experienced chart success in just about every other area of the world, with an irresistible ble ..more

Whitney Houston　

Whitney Houston was inarguably one of the biggest female pop stars of all time. Her accomplishments as a hitmaker were extraordinary; just to scratch the surface, she became the first artist ever t ..more

Keisuke Kuwata　

Marvin Gaye　

One of the most gifted, visionary, and enduring talents ever launched into orbit by the Motown hit machine, Marvin Gaye blazed the trail for the continued evolution of popular black music. Movin ..more