Donald Fagen/Walter Becker (Steely Dan) 4

Wildly admired, these two never seem to get the accolades they deserve, and there's a sad reason behind it: they're just not commercial enough. It's a short list of folks who enjoy smart music (and it's getting shorter daily). Steely Dan was as big as it could get back in the late 70s, and despite retaining its fan base 35 years later (this is where you stand and applaud), they're relegated to afterthought status by an industry that only has bedroom eyes for the green. Dig around and find Fagen's KAMAKIRIAD (produced by Becker), play it through, and tell me they don't deserve to be on this list. I'll hoist a frosty one for this pair, regardless of the stares and snickers.