Nice list. I'm with you on the Sting. Props for the Sade and Eric Clapton.

Oh Jules! What a badass list. All musical rule breakers. Love it. Can't think about that Counting Crows guy without thinking about Shrek though. hahahahahah :) Glad you played along. It was super fun, right? xoxo

Dammitdammitdammit. Every time I read one of these, I think "Why don't I have these people on MY list?" Paul Simon. Tracy Chapman. Counting Crows. Eric (Slow Hand) Clapton. Check, check, check and check again. At least four more.

Thanks Kathy!
Ann, it was fun :D so much good emotional baggage comes attached to these.
Boanerges, I wish we could have a digital music free for all on here, I would love to get some of yours!

You might not see me as an Ani DiFranco fan, but I am since I took my daughter to see her perform in Central Park several years ago. (BTW, the opening act that day, Hamell On Trial, lives right around the corner from where my daughter lives now.)

This list gave me some new artists to explore. I don't know Michael Nyman or the Afro/Celt song machine. I will find them because I anything you enjoy would have to be good. I am on it....

LOVE this list. I was amazed that Sting didn't show up more often...

Glad to see Tori made someone's list.

I like your list! Heavier on the women than most -- which I like! Given your list, you might like Patty Griffin's Living with Ghosts. It's a classic.

Nine Inch Nails? Really? We had our CD player on shuffle once while we were having sex... NIN ruined my orgasm, I tell you what.

I love Tracy Chapman. Lots of great women on this list!

Annie, Indigo, Michael, Tracey - and the others - who did you leave out ?

@ surly : shuffle sex sucks.

Padraig yes, He is awesome! I will have to get that album when I find a job. http://realworldrecords.com/artists/iarla-o-lionaird

Kim, hopefully no one :) but I'm sure I missed a few of my favorites.

Green, Tracy has one of those voices- those omg voices that when you hear it it goes right into you. That and she's in my range- I think her, Amy Ray and Karen Carpenter are some of the few women who I can sing with (as long as I turn it up loudly so I don't actually have to hear myself) I don't actually hit any of the notes, but I don't have to go into falsetto to sing badly at least.

Surly- whine, whine, whine- I take it the song wasn't Closer? :D

Bellweather, I will have to get her! She sounds good.

Bonnie, Sting is an easy guy to like. You know, as an artist, as a person it's probably another story.

Fetlock, that is one of the few albums I liked first running. Usually it takes me some time to ease into an album before it is mine. That one *splash* right in there.

O'Really, me too! I would have thought he was more universal?

Spud :) I vouch for anyone on this list. Michael Nyman is instrumental. (we had The Piano and Somewhere in Time, and American Beauty ....not all him, but all moody instrumentals playing at our wedding) I would have liked to include all of them in the list, but there wasn't room. Rush is also mostly instrumental except for one song. I'm not sure why it's my favorite Clapton, but it just fits. Probably because it's him at his most depressive. :p
Afro Celt is hyper, hyper :) Get them first. They completely fill your head with wonder and movement. My favorite song is Big Cat. I think you might also like Rusted Root if you like that style.

Cranky, I can totally see you as an Ani fan!