Laurie Anderson (1947) -- Aphex Twin (1971) -- Syd Barrett (1946-2006) -- Kat Bjelland (1963) -- Björk (1965) -- Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) -- John Cage (1912-1992) -- Captain Beefheart (1941-2010) -- Nick Cave (1957) -- Manu Chao (1961) -- Alex Chilton (1950-2010) -- Alice Coltrane (1937-2007) -- Betty Davis (1945) -- Sandy Denny (1947-1978) -- Delia Derbyshire (1937-2001) -- Nick Drake (1948-1974) -- Brian Eno (1948) -- Roky Erickson (1947-2019) -- Marianne Faithfull (1946) -- Brigitte Fontaine (1939) -- Serge Gainsbourg (1928-1991) -- Bobbie Gentry (1942) -- PJ Harvey (1969) -- Mark Hollis (1955-2019) -- J Dilla (1974-2006) -- Kool Keith (1963) -- Fela Kuti (1938-1997) -- Arthur Lee (1945-2006) -- Lydia Lunch (1959) -- Moondog (1916-1999) -- Nico (1938-1988) -- Yoko Ono (1933) -- Peaches (1966) -- Lee 'Scratch' Perry (1936) -- Édith Piaf (1915-1963) -- Iggy Pop (1947) -- Sixto 'Sugar Man' Rodriguez (1942) -- Arthur Russell (1951-1992) -- Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952) -- Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011) -- The Slits (1976-1982; 2005-2010) -- Mark E. Smith (1957-2018) -- Patti Smith (1946) -- Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007) -- Sun Ra (1914-1993) -- Tom Waits (1949) -- Scott Walker (1943-2019) -- Wiley (1979) -- Robert Wyatt (1945) -- Frank Zappa (1940-1993).
"What makes a cult musician? Whether pioneering in their artistry, passionately experimental or politically divisive, cult musicians are nothing if not unique. Some gain instant fame, others instant notoriety. More still remain anonymous until a chance change in fashion propels them into the limelight. Cult Musicians handpicks 50 notable figures from the world of modern music, exploring their creative genius and celebrating the songs that made their names. From idolised masters Gil Scott-Heron and Nick Cave to avant-garde nonconformists Björk and Frank Zappa from little knowns with small devout followings to superstars headlining the world's biggest festivals, each stands out in their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight"--Page 4 of cover.