The 50 Wisconsin musicians with the biggest impact over the past 100 years
Piet Levy
Editor's Note: This is a revised version of a previous story.
Surrounded by Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota — states that are home to scores of legendary artists — Wisconsin's musical contributions are often overshadowed.
But the influence Wisconsin natives have made on popular music is far greater than even people from the Dairy State might realize.
Looking back at the last 100 years, these 50 Wisconsinites had the greatest impact on popular music.
The list, and its rankings, are up for debate. And note: It focuses exclusively on people and bands born in Wisconsin — leaving out, for instance, former Madison resident and "Funky Drummer" Clyde Stubblefield, or longtime Milwaukee soul man and "Disco Lady" writer Harvey Scales, who was born in Arkansas.
But their collective legacy shows the mark Wisconsin has made on the music we listened to, and still listen to. Check out the listening suggestions for refreshers on why they matter.
50. Ava Max
It's true that Ava Max's career is just getting started; she released her debut full-length album, "Heaven & Hell," last fall. But the budding pop star has already earned gold, platinum and diamond certifications for her singles in several countries around the world, and is the first Milwaukee native since Steve Miller to have a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Listen to: "Sweet But Psycho," that aforementioned Hot 100 smash that recalled prime Lady Gaga, and helped usher in the current upbeat pop music era.
49. James “Curley” Cooke
When Steve Miller formed his band in 1966 in San Francisco, friend and fellow Wisconsin native James "Curley" Cooke was part of the original lineup on guitar. The Wausau native only lasted a year in that band, but he continued to work with Miller on stage and in the studio, and with Miller's Chicago-born, Racine-raised keyboardist Ben Sidran. He also established the Pacific Northwest Blues in the Schools program in the Seattle area.
Listen to: The dreamy "Sacrifice" on Miller's platinum-selling 1977 "Book of Dreams" album, which Cooke co-wrote. He also plays acoustic guitar on the recording.
48. Bill Miller
Born on the Stockbridge-Munsee reservation in northern Wisconsin, Miller's big break came when Tori Amos selected him as the opening act for her "Under the Pink" tour in 1994. The following year, he was playing Native American flute on Vanessa Williams' version of the Oscar-winning "Colors of the Wind" for the Disney film "Pocahontas." He's collected three Grammys since then, toured with Eddie Vedder and Arlo Guthrie, and has a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native American Music Awards and Association.
Listen to: The quietly epic instrumental "Wind Spirit," led by Miller's majestic flute, from his 2006 album "The Spirit of Survival."
47. Paul Cebar
There's good reason Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos and Nick Lowe are such big fans of Cebar — and have been known to jam with him when they come to Milwaukee. With the R&B Cadets, Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans and Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound, Cebar specializes in a style all his own that draws inspiration from around the world, from New Orleans and Memphis, to Jamaica and Cuba.
Listen to: The delightfully funky "Didn't Leave Me No Ladder" hasn't lost a single drop of its swagger a quarter-century after its release.
RELATED:Paul Cebar talks about his career and his latest band Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound
46. Greg Koch
Joe Bonamassa once proclaimed the Wauwatosa native to be "the best guitar player in the world today." Koch has lived up to that high praise, with a dazzling blend of blues, country, jazz and funk across 17 albums, four DVDs and multiple bands and other recordings. And he's been gracious enough to share some of his tricks in instruction books and lessons; Guitar World proclaimed Koch one of the greatest guitar teachers of all time.
Listen to: Koch's instrumental group with his son Dylan on drums, the Koch Marshall Trio, is one of his most popular bands, and the band's "Sin Repent Repeat" is one of the outfit's most intoxicating songs.
RELATED:Guitar World names Milwaukee's Greg Koch one of the world's greatest guitar teachers
45. Joe Schermie
Three Dog Night had 14 top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and six gold and one platinum album, from 1968 to 1972, when Madison-born bassist Schermie was part of the band.
Listen to: Three Dog Night's cover of the Randy Newman-penned "Mama Told Me Not To Come" — their first Hot 100 chart-topper — is better known today than the original recording, with Schermie's bass lending a funky vibe to this trippy tale of debauchery.
44. Spanic Boys
When Sinead O'Connor scrapped plans to be a musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" with just three days' notice in 1990, the show's then-bandleader G.E. Smith reached out to this little-known Milwaukee father-and-son-led rock band to fill the slot. Interview requests and orders for their album came pouring in, and together Tom Spanic and his son Ian were able to make eight albums and tour across the United States and Europe several times.
Listen to: "Meant to Be," from the Spanic Boys' 1991 album "Strange World." After Tom died in 2016, Ian told the Journal Sentinel it was one of his father's favorite songs to sing together.
RELATED:Tom Spanic remembered for music career with his son
43. Jidenna
The son of noted scientist and professor Oliver Mobisson, singer and rapper Jidenna was born in Wisconsin Rapids and lived all over the United States (and spent some years in his father's native Nigeria) before Janelle Monáe discovered him, signing him to her Wondaland Records label in 2015 — the same year he helped Monáe crack the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with their collaboration "Yoga."
Listen to: "Classic Man," Jidenna's sharp debut single, which lured Kendrick Lamar for a popular remix version.
42. Korey Cooper
Christian rock act Skillet was founded by John Cooper in his native Memphis, but Cooper and his wife and bandmate Korey Cooper ultimately settled in Korey's native Kenosha around 2005. Their popularity among Christian music fans and hard-rock lovers continues to grow; four albums released between 2006 and 2016 have either been certified gold, platinum or double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Listen to: The anthemic "Hero," from 2009 album "Awake," Skillet's first single to go double platinum, includes a Korey Cooper songwriting credit (in addition to her rhythm guitar and keyboard work).
RELATED:Wisconsin's Skillet has quietly become one of the most successful rock bands in the world
41. Danny Gokey
There have been plenty of singing-show competitors from Wisconsin, but none as successful as Milwaukee-born Gokey. A fan favorite beginning with his audition at the end of the "American Idol" Season 8 premiere in 2009, Gokey ended up in third place, and attempted a country career before becoming an award-winning Christian pop artist with four Christian airplay chart-topping singles so far.
Listen to: "Hope in Front of Me," the title track of his first Christian album that proved the genre change would be a good fit for the former church music director.
RELATED:A decade after 'American Idol,' Danny Gokey thrives with first headline tour, record deal
40. Dan Nimmer
Learning to play piano by ear before honing his chops at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, the Milwaukee native was recruited to the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis, in 2005, just a year after moving to New York. Beyond his orchestra work, he has recorded on several Marsalis projects and is the leader of his own trio.
Listen to: "Hallelujah I Love Her So," the opening track on a live Marsalis and Willie Nelson tribute album to Ray Charles, with Nimmer's swinging piano a standout.
39. Killdozer
Like their Touch and Go Records label mates Die Kreuzen, Madison-based post-hardcore band Killdozer recorded with Butch Vig at Smart Studios in Madison, and their 1989 album "Twelve Point Buck" was a turning point, influencing the likes of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, who ended up working with Vig as well.
Listen to: "Buck" opener "New Pants and Shirt" showcases Killdozer pleasingly punishing style, with Michael Gerald growling menacingly over the Hobson brothers Bill and Dan's sludgy guitar and sluggish drums.
38. Die Kreuzen
"They just missed that window where they could have been massive," Butch Vig once said of the Milwaukee band, who broke up in 1992 before they were offered a deal with Atlantic Records. Nevertheless, the band's innovative, explosive blend of hardcore punk, metal, glam, gothic rock shoegaze and psychedelia is recognized today as being ahead of its time, finding passionate admirers like Steve Albini and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
Listen to: Die Kreuzen had several intense minute-long thrash rockers, but "Black Song," the final track of their last album "Cement," is an epic 7-minute sendoff.
RELATED:A look back at Die Kreuzen's pioneering career
37. Lynne Arriale
Getting first place at the International Great American Jazz Piano Competition in 1993 was just the beginning for the Milwaukee native. Arriale has gone on to tour in 28 countries and play some of the most prestigious venues, including the Kennedy Center, and has consistently earned praise for her albums, frequently ending up on critics' annual best jazz album lists.
Listen to: Arriale's body of work is so vast it's hard to recommend an entry point, but a soulful piano rendition of "Feeling Good" with the Lynne Arriale Trio is a sublime introduction.
36. Trixie Mattel
After winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” in 2018, Mattel (developed in Milwaukee’s drag scene by Silver Cliff native Brian Firkus) has become the show’s greatest success story. But credit extends beyond Mattel's filthy and dark humor and Barbie-meets-Dolly look; she really stood out with original, tender and funny country songs, helping to spark a growing queer country movement.
Listen to: The comical “Mama Don’t Make Me Put on the Dress Again” is a swell showcase for Mattel’s smart songwriting chops.
RELATED:Trixie Mattel is one of the most popular drag queens in the world. And it all started in Milwaukee.
35. Josh Thompson
The Cedarburg native launched a successful country career in 2009, but beyond his own songs and albums, his greatest achievements have been as a hit songwriter for several superstars, including four Billboard Country Airplay chart-toppers for Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan.
Listen to: “Drowns the Whiskey,” one of two No. 1 songs Thompson co-wrote for Aldean, a remorseful, brokenhearted tune sweetened by Miranda Lambert’s vocals.
34. Glenn Yarbrough
The Milwaukee native always had an angelic voice; he helped his mother pay the bills as a paid boy soprano at Grace Church in New York City. But following a private concert with Woody Guthrie in his college dorm room, he was inspired to pick up guitar. By 1960, he formed the popular folk trio the Limeliters, and by the middle of the decade, went solo, achieving his greatest chart success with 1965’s “Baby the Rain Must Fall,” which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Listen to: “Take My True Love by the Hand,” used to darkly comic effect in arguably the best episode of “Breaking Bad,” “Ozymandias,” from the show’s final season.
33. Kevn Kinney
The Atlanta-born Drivin N Cryin may embody the sound and swagger of Southern rock, but its frontman is a Midwesterner. The Milwaukee-born Kinney has led the group for 36 years and nine full-length original studio albums, including the Gold-certified 1991 release “Fly Me Courageous.”
Listen to: Drivin N Cryin’s devilish “Straight to Hell,” covered in 2017 by Darius Rucker with fellow country stars Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and Charles Kelley of Lady A.
32. Daryl Stuermer
A gig with his jazz-rock band Sweetbottom in his native Milwaukee launched Stuermer’s career; then-Frank Zappa keyboardist George Duke was at the show, leading to Stuermer’s work with jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty in the mid-'70s. Stuermer replaced Steve Hackett as Genesis’ touring lead guitarist in 1977, a job he holds to this day, and has been by Phil Collins’ side for his solo career, both in the studio and on tour, in addition to fronting his own band.
Listen to: “Something Happened on the Way to Heaven,” Collins’ final Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1990. In addition to playing guitar on the track, Stuermer is credited as co-writer.
31. Skylar Grey
Like Justin Vernon, Skylar Grey (born Holly Brook Hafermann in Mazomanie) had her own life-changing musical retreat to a cabin, where she wrote what would become the chorus for “Love the Way You Lie,” the biggest hit in Eminem’s blockbuster career. Grey has been a go-to songwriter and singer for the rapper ever since, has released her own solo albums, and has been featured on several singles with Macklemore, Nicki Minaj and other stars.
Listen to: While Rihanna ended up singing Grey’s chorus on “Love the Way You Lie,” Grey’s piano ballad “I Know You” is a fine showcase for her equally anguished and angelic voice.
RELATED:Wisconsin-born singer-songwriter Skylar Grey ready to soar
30. Andy Hurley
When he was a sixth-grader in Menomonee Falls, Hurley wrote for a school assignment that he would be in a band when he grew up. His wish came true as the drummer for Fall Out Boy, still filling arenas around the globe, a testament to a catalog that includes a double-platinum album, three other platinum albums, and two other gold albums, all in the United States alone.
Listen to: The band’s first Top 10 hit, “Sugar We’re Goin’ Down,” which kicks off with the sound of Hurley’s heavy drum work.
RELATED:For Fall Out Boy drummer Andy Hurley, Milwaukee has always been home
29. Viola Smith
Billed as “the world’s fastest girl drummer” in the 1930s, the Mount Calvary native was one of the first professional female drummers in the world. Her self-described “charmed life” included gracing the cover of Billboard, performing in an Abbott & Costello movie and on “Ed Sullivan” five times, playing Harry Truman’s inauguration, and performing in the original Broadway production of “Cabaret.”
Listen to: Her show-stopping drum work for “Snake Charmer,” immortalized in a 1939 TV performance with the Coquettes that you can find on YouTube.
RELATED:Viola Smith, trailblazing female drummer from Wisconsin, dies at 107
28. Eric Benét
First finding success with the groups Gerard and Benét in the '80s and '90s, the Milwaukee native really came into his own as a solo R&B artist, beginning with 1996 album "True to Myself," receiving four Grammy nominations across the subsequent two decades.
Listen to: R&B chart-topping single "Spend My Life With You" from his 1999 platinum-certified album "A Day in the Life."
27. Herbert Stothart
The Milwaukee-born composer (who studied music at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and was eventually an instructor there) received a dozen Academy Award nominations for best original score from 1935 to 1945, for such films as “Mutiny on the Bounty” and “Madame Curie.” But it was his most enduring score that earned him an Oscar, for “The Wizard of Oz.”
Listen to: His theme for Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most recognizable compositions in cinema history.
26. Jane Wiedlin
As co-founder and rhythm guitarist of the pioneering Go-Go’s, the Oconomowoc native was part of the first all-female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts, with debut album “Beauty and the Beat” in 1981.
Listen to: “Our Lips Are Sealed,” a delicious piece of bubblegum pop, and the Go-Go’s first American single, co-written by Wiedlin and Terry Hall of the Specials and Fun Boy Three.
25. Bunny Berigan
Only 33 when he died in 1942 from cirrhosis, the Hilbert-born trumpeter still found fame in his lifetime when swing music was on the upswing, collaborating with Bing Crosby, Billie Holliday, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and many more.
Listen to: Berigan's version of "I Can't Get Started," inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1975.
24. The Promise Ring
The emergence of emo turned acts like Dashboard Confessional (featuring Milwaukee native Scott Schoenbeck on bass) and Fall Out Boy (with Menomonee Falls native Andy Hurley on drums) into huge bands by the late '90s and early aughts, and the sound's influence continues today in hip-hop. Among the most revered, and influential, emo bands was the Promise Ring from Milwaukee, whose 1997 album "Nothing Feels Good" was proclaimed the third greatest emo album of all time by Rolling Stone.
Listen to: "Good" single "Why Did We Ever Meet" illustrates the band's ability to disguise ennui with toe-tapping cheer.
RELATED:The Promise Ring comes full circle
23. Lyle Mays
It may be called the Pat Metheny Group, but the jazz fusion band's 10 Grammys across three decades wouldn't have been possible without co-founder, composer and keyboardist Mays from Wausaukee.
Listen to: "This Is Not America," Pat Metheny Group's 1985 collaboration with David Bowie.
RELATED:Lyle Mays, Wisconsin native and 11-time Grammy winner with Pat Metheny Group, has died
22. BoDeans
Working with future legend T Bone Burnett on debut album "Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams" in 1986, the roots rock group was proclaimed "Best New American Band" in Rolling Stone the following year.
Listen to: "Closer to Free," the theme song for "Party of Five" and BoDeans' biggest hit.
RELATED:BoDeans look back 30 years after their debut album
21. Greg Graffin
The 40-year-old punk band Bad Religion is linked to Los Angeles, but frontman Greg Graffin, the group's only consistent member, was born in Madison. Inspired by punk greats like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, Bad Religion went on to influence the Offspring, NOFX and others.
Listen to: "21st Century (Digital Boy)" is classic Bad Religion, offering damning social commentary set to catchy, deceitfully upbeat music.
20. Tank
Born Durrell Babbs in Milwaukee, Tank was part of an R&B wave in the early aughts, and was part of the supergroup TGT with Tyrese and Ginuwine. But when Tank's signature falsetto fell out of commercial flavor, he adapted his sound to modern times, dialing back the vocal pyrotechnics to match slick, sparse production flourishes, and achieved the biggest hits of his career in his 40s.
Listen to: "When We," the sensual platinum single from 2017 album "Savage."
19. Nick Hexum
Led by Madison-born Hexum, 311 went triple-platinum with their self-titled album in 1995, thanks in large part to rap rock hit "Down." After that, the Omaha-originated band's subsequent 10 albums all cracked the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart (with four albums going gold, and another platinum).
Listen to: "Amber," the band's glowing reggae rock ballad that triggered a resurgence in the early aughts.
18. Pee Wee King
Born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski in Abrams, Pee Wee King grew up playing polka on accordion before pivoting to country, and joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1938 with his band the Golden West Cowboys. He was the first musician to bring drums and electric guitar to the Opry stage and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Listen to: "Tennessee Waltz" from 1948, which became a hit for Patti Page in 1950 and was later recorded by King's fellow Wisconsinite Les Paul.
17. Todd 'Speech' Thomas
As the leader for Atlanta's Arrested Development (which featured longtime Milwaukee resident Baba Oje as a "spiritual adviser"), rapper and producer Speech, a Milwaukee native, brought a new level of critical respect to hip-hop in the early '90s. Thanks to their socially conscious debut album "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of … ," Arrested Development was the first hip-hop act to win best new artist at the Grammys in 1993.
Listen to: "3 Years" single "Tennessee," which also earned the group a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group.
RELATED:In documentary '16 Bars,' Arrested Development rapper Speech helps prisoners through music
16. Leland Sklar
As the bassist for the revered group the Section, the Milwaukee native is best associated with the soft-rock surge of the '70s, backing up the biggest hits and albums for James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Carole King. But as a session musician, Sklar has contributed to more than 2,500 albums.
Listen to: James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face," which kicks off with Sklar's sweetly funky bass pops.
15. The Chordettes
Synonymous with the 1950s, the Sheboygan-born all-female doo wop group performed on the first nationally televised episode of Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" in 1957, and was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. When all-female a cappella group Citizen Queen — featuring Richfield native Hannah Mrozak — paid tribute to the "History of Girl Groups" in a viral YouTube video, they kicked off their medley with the Chordettes.
Listen to: "Mr. Sandman," a go-to signifier for Eisenhower-era charm in movies and TV shows across the decades.
14. Howie Epstein
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as the bassist and backing vocalist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Milwaukee-born Epstein also recorded with Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Warren Zevon, and produced albums for Del Shannon, Carlene Carter and John Prine — winning a Grammy for Prine's 1991 comeback album "The Missing Years."
Listen to: "Learning to Fly," with Epstein's bass giving Petty's classic its bounce, before his backing vocals really make it soar.
RELATED:Late Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein's early songs emerge on new album
13. Bobby Hatfield
Born in Beaver Dam, Hatfield sang tenor to Bill Medley's baritone in the '60s soul-pop group the Righteous Brothers, finding a huge audience with the Phil Spector-produced chart-topper "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."
Listen to: "Unchained Melody," one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' most recognized songs, which Hatfield sings solo.
12. Garbage
After the phenomenal success of "Nevermind," produced by Viroqua native Butch Vig, major labels kept sending singles to Vig and his Smart Studios co-founder Steve Marker for remixes. It inspired the creation of Garbage in 1993, which ushered in a genre-blending era of rock by splicing together techno, trip-hop and other styles.
Listen to: The blissfully miserable "Only Happy When It Rains."
RELATED:Garbage on the beginning of the band, the break-up and getting back together
11. Hildegarde
Popular enough to be known only by her first name, a novelty in the 1930s, the Adell-born singer and pianist brought elegant style to her cabaret performances, earning the nickname "First Lady of the Supper Clubs" from Eleanor Roosevelt, and gracing the cover of Life magazine in 1939. She was also an inspiration for another influential Wisconsin-born entertainer, Liberace.
Listen to: Her signature song "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup."
10. Jerry Harrison
As a co-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist, Milwaukee native Harrison was a crucial factor behind Talking Heads' influential eccentricity and electricity, that led to its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2002. But Harrison has had other accomplishments, from being an original member of Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, to his production work for the likes of No Doubt, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Wisconsin's own BoDeans and Violent Femmes.
Listen to: Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime," Harrison's brightest moment in the classic 1984 concert film "Stop Making Sense," where his weird and funky synth lines inspire his bandmates' jubilant jogging.
9. Woody Herman
The Milwaukee-born big band leader stayed active from the 1930s through the '80s, recording more than 60 albums across his career with his various groups. In 1987, the year he died, Herman received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
Listen to: The band's gold-certified "Woodchopper's Ball" from 1939.
8. Butch Vig
The embodiment of big dreams manifested through DIY determination, the Viroqua-born Vig helped other rock bands realize their own dreams — including Wisconsin's own Killdozer and Die Kreuzen — by co-founding Smart Studios in Madison in 1982 with future Garbage bandmate Steve Marker. He helped change the world, producing Nirvana's groundbreaking "Nevermind" in 1991, which made Vig one of rock's most respected producers and earned him Grammys producing Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown" and Foo Fighters' "Wasting Light."
Listen to: "Lithium," illustrating Nirvana at the peak of its powers, with Dave Grohl's drums, thanks to Vig's coaching and coaxing, recorded in a single take.
RELATED:New documentary shines light on Butch Vig's career and Madison's Smart Studios
7. Liberace
Flashy performers from Elvis Presley to Lady Gaga owe some debt to the groundbreaking glitz the West Allis-born classical pianist brought to his shows — allowing him to become the country's highest-paid entertainer in 1955. It also popularized the classical crossover, with artists like Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling today finding success adapting opera and classical string music for pop-loving audiences.
Listen to: "I'll Be Seeing You," which Liberace used as the closing song for each episode of his TV show in the 1950s.
RELATED:11 reasons why Milwaukee's own Liberace is a bigger deal than you think
6. Felice Bryant
Born Matilda Scaduto, Felice Bryant was working as an elevator operator at Milwaukee's Schroeder Hotel in 1945 when she met violinist Boudeleaux Bryant, who was performing in the hotel. They eloped two days later, and beginning with "Country Boy" for Little Jimmy Dickens in 1948, wrote a staggering number of hits, including the Everly Brothers' most influential songs.
Listen to: The Everly Brothers' classic "Bye Bye Love," covered by the Beatles, George Harrison, Ray Charles, Simon & Garfunkel and others.
5. Bon Iver
Following a breakup and a falling out with the band DeYarmond Edison, Justin Vernon largely isolated himself in his father's cabin outside Eau Claire in winter 2006, where he wrote and recorded the songs that ended up on "For Emma, Forever Ago." Vernon's vulnerable songwriting, and novel vocal manipulation for heightened emotional effect, inspired some of music's biggest stars, including Kanye West and Ed Sheeran, and Bon Iver continues to earn raves for adventurous, one-of-a-kind albums, and to play arenas and headline festivals, including Vernon's own Eaux Claires.
Listen to: "Holocene," nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy, and chosen by NPR Music listeners as the best song of the last decade.
RELATED:How Bon Iver's 'For Emma, Forever Ago' changed Justin Vernon's life, Wisconsin and the world
4. Al Jarreau
The "Acrobat of Scat" was born in Milwaukee and formed his first vocal group at Ripon College before launching his career with his debut album (and a performance on the inaugural season of "Saturday Night Live") in 1975. He recorded 20 more albums and earned seven Grammys in four separate decades, and remains the the only vocalist in Grammy history to win in the jazz, pop and R&B categories.
Listen to: His signature song "We're In This Love Together" from the bestselling album of his career, 1981's "Breakin' Away."
RELATED:Al Jarreau, celebrated vocalist, Milwaukee native, dies at 76
3. Violent Femmes
Finding their first fans busking on Milwaukee street corners — which famously led to an on-the-spot opening gig for the Pretenders at the Oriental Theatre in 1981 — Violent Femmes found an international audience with their self-titled debut album in 1983, a classic collection of acoustic punk tunes led by Gordon Gano's unhinged vocals, informed by coming-of-age anxieties.
Listen to: "Blister in the Sun," the boisterous kick-off to one of the most exciting and influential debut albums ever made.
RELATED:An oral history of the Violent Femmes' first three decades
2. Steve Miller
Miller was touched by musical greatness growing up in his native Milwaukee — Les Paul was his godfather, and taught Miller his first guitar chords when he was 4 — before he established the Steve Miller Band in 1966 in San Francisco. It became one of rock's most celebrated acts the following decade with immortal hits like "Fly Like An Eagle" and "Abracadabra."
Listen to: The funky and playful stoner-rock jam "The Joker," infectious and quotable as ever 47 year after its release.
1. Les Paul
With his wife Mary Ford, the "Wizard of Waukesha" had 25 Top 40 hits and hosted the TV show "Les Paul and Mary Ford at Home" from 1953 to 1960. But his greatest legacy are his innovations that shaped modern music, from creating multitrack recording to his development of the solid-body electric guitar. Consequently, he is the only person to have been inducted in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Listen to: The dizzying instrumental jazz ditty "Lover," recorded in 1948, the first song that used Paul's multi-tracking techniques.
RELATED:70 facts about Les Paul
Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @pietlevy or Facebook at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
Piet also talks concerts, local music and more on "TAP'd In" with Jordan Lee. Hear it at 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9), or wherever you get your podcasts.