Suzanne Vega

In between the eras of Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morrisette, Suzanne Vega was the most important influence on blooming female singer-songwriters. Her cool, vibrato-less vocal style was decidedly forward-looking, and her lyrics owed more to modern poetry than singer-songwriter cliches. In the '80s, she helped rescue troubadourism from the clutches of sentimentality with her artful, intellectual work.

• rock
• pop