THE MODS　

≒JOY　

XTC　

XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late ’70s. From the tense, jerky riffs of their early singles to the ..more

She Her Her Hers　

Novelbright　

The Band　

For roughly half a decade, from 1968 through 1975, the Band was one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world, their music embraced by critics (and, to a somewhat lesser degre ..more

Root　

Wham　

Wham! sparked something of a pop revival in the mid-’80s and could arguably be held responsible for sparking off the boy band trend of the ’90s. They were unashamedly pop, to the point of ..more

Geese　

Ichiko Aoba　

Kanye West　

In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, ..more

THE BLACK CROWES　

At the time of their 1990 debut, the kind of rock ＆ roll the Black Crowes specialized in was sorely out of style. Only Guns N’ Roses came close to approximating a vintage Stones-style raunch, ..more

SHOW-YA　

Foo Fighters　

When Foo Fighters released a debut album written and recorded entirely by leader Dave Grohl -- at that point known only as the powerhouse drummer for Nirvana -- in the summer of 1995, few wou ..more

Donald Byrd　

Donald Byrd was considered one of the finest hard bop trumpeters of the post-Clifford Brown era. He recorded prolifically as both a leader and sideman from the mid-’50s into the mid-’60s, most o ..more

Francoise Hardy　

Usually thought of as a middle-of-the-road popular singer, Francoise Hardy -- at the beginning of her career, at least -- covered more stylistic ground and owed more debts to pop/rock than she’s gi ..more

Clammbon　

Sarah McLachlan　

Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan debuted in 1988 with her piano-based folk-pop, which went on to gain her a devoted following, a number of Juno and Grammy Awards, and placement in the Can ..more

AZKi　

Graham Bonnet　

In the 1980s, hard rock and heavy metal were all about the way you looked. If you didn’t have long hair and dress in studs, spikes, leather, or spandex, you stuck out like a sore thumb. Singer { ..more