Suzanne Vega August 25, 2009

Suzanne Vega was the first major figure in the bumper crop of female singer/songwriters who rose to prominence during the late '80s and '90s. Her hushed, restrained folk-pop and highly literate lyrics laid the initial musical groundwork for what later became the trademark sound of Lilith Fair (a tour on which she was a regular). Moreover, her left-field hits 'Luka' and 'Tom's Diner' helped convince record companies that folk-styled singer/songwriters were not a thing of the past after all.