Joni Mitchell

Blue, along with Jackson Browne, established the template for the modern singer-songwriter. On the surface, this music is sparse and simple. But as with any successful exercise in minimalism, repeated spins reveal entire worlds existing inside Mitchell's cleverly constructed melodies and vocal flights. Plus, the title track contains some of pop's best lyrics: "Acid, booze, and ass/ Needles, guns, and grass/ Lots of laughs, lots of laughs/ Everybody's saying that hell's the hippest way to go."