110 artist(e)s that helped shape my musical taste

29.
Comsat Angels, The - Dark Parade

With this particular album they became one of only three groups that had the ability to take me right down into the depths of myself and it's a crutch I still use to this day - I honestly don't know what would have become of me otherwise.

30.
Crass - Do They Owe Us A Living

More a collective than a band really, I might not have always agreed with their politics/message but their music was on the button for me and whilst I may have matured into a good middle-class citizen there will forever be a small part of me that hasn't.

31.
Cream - Spoonful

Blues transitioning into rock was always a delight for me and whilst the powerhouse of Bruce/Clapton/Baker were by no means the only exponents of this imo they were most definitely one of the best.

32.
Cure, The - Faith

From the opening bars of both Killing An Arab and Boys Don't Cry I knew The Cure would be a band that would stay with me all my life. This is another album into which I can fully immerse myself and eventually come out the other side in a somewhat better frame of mind.

33.
David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things

A born entertainer, another hugely theatrical performer and one that nearly always managed to correctly gauge what his listening public might want next rather than just resting on his laurels and playing the safe game. I like to think he is thoroughly entertaining a different crowd now.

34.
Dean Martin - Canadian Sunset

Of the 'Rat Pack' artists my mothers' favourite was always Ole Blue Eyes whilst my father leaned toward SDJ so youth being youth I naturally had to toe a different line and prefer Mr. Crocetti. Why? - I simply adore his laid back delivery, almost sounding as if he's singing whilst ever so slightly under the influence yet it's so soothing and carries me away on the song.

35.
Desmond Dekker - Why Fight?

I know there isn't a lot of love for Jamaican beats on here but that's really of no concern to me as I've always loved the spring they put in my step. Ska, rocksteady and most of the various forms of reggae have long been a part of my life and Mr. Dacres has been an ever present part of that.

36.
Dion & The Belmonts - That's My Desire

The advent of rock and roll must have been such a vibrant time and doo-wop has always hit the mark with me as it's harmony based and an evolution from barber shop quartets. Dion & The Belmonts are probably best remembered now for their more upbeat numbers but they produced plenty of fine slower numbers too.

37.
Dire Straits - Follow Me Home

With a low-key fusion of styles Dire Straits were a band that I sadly mainly ignored early in their career as they coincided with my 'wilder' days but as I began to mature I got to really enjoy the single Private Investigations and then was force-fed Brothers In Arms literally nonstop one weekend on one of our regular drives to/from Austria for weekend skiing. Such a brutal and harrowing indoctrination led me to check out their back catalogue and discover they were a band I quite liked to just chill out to.

38.
Dolly Parton - False Eyelashes

There wasn't much access to C&W in my youth but one of my uncles was a lover and had a meagre collection he had scraped together somehow and my favourites were generally those with female vocals (surprise, surprise). Imo Dolly is rightly one of the superstars of country music, a songwriter of no mean ability with a voice that may not be perfect but perfectly suits both country and bluegrass styles.

39.
Doors, The - People Are Strange

There have been a number of charismatic characters throughout the history of music but imo none more so than Jim Morrison who simply commanded attention. Add that personality to a group of musicians who were extremely skilled yet coming from different musical backgrounds and the end result is a sort of entrancing other-worldliness.

40.
Dr. John - Right Place Wrong Time

Another theatrical performer and perhaps unsurprisingly another that fused music from various styles creating a little magic here and there along the way.