This alphabetical list of the 300 most important and influential musical artists in Detroit's history, as compiled by WDET-FM, Detroit, is by no means a definitive list. It serves as a starting point for you to explore Detroit's diverse musical heritage. 1. Aaliyah — Contemporary R&B vocalist 2. Alberta Adams — Blues vocalist 3. Pepper Adams — Jazz saxophonist 4. Joseph Reed Alden — Co-wrote Sleepy Time Gal 5. Geri Allen — Jazz pianist 6. Pistol Allen — Jazz drummer 7. Howard Armstrong (Louie Bluie) — Blues vocalist 8. Ralphe Armstrong — Jazz bassist 9. Dorothy Ashby — Jazz harpist 10. Juan Atkins — Techno pioneer 11. Anita Baker — R&B vocalist 12. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters — '50s R&B group 13. Spencer Barefield — Jazz guitarist 14. Johnnie Bassett and the Blues Insurgents — Blues guitarist/group 15. Marcus Belgrave — Jazz trumpeter 16. Benny Benjamin — Motown Funk Brothers drummer 17. George Bennard — Wrote Old Rugged Cross 18. George Benson — Jazz saxophonist 19. Big Chief/Thornetta Davis — Rock/blues band/vocalist 20. Big Maceo (Maceo Merriweather) — Blues vocalist/pianist 21. Rayse Biggs — Jazz trumpeter 22. Emmanuelle Boisvert — DSO concertmaster 23. William Bolcom and Joan Morris — Classical pianist and vocalist 24. Bess Bonnier — Jazz pianist 25. Sonny Bono — Pop songwriter/vocalist 26. Thomas "Beans" Bowles — Motown saxophonist 27. Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise — Blues/rock band 28. Johnny Bristol — Motown producer/vocalist/songwriter 29. Jack Brokensha — Jazz and Motown vibraphonist and percussionist 30. Roy Brooks — Jazz drummer 31. Shelton Brooks — Wrote Darktown Strutters Ball 32. Ray Brown — Jazz bassist 33. Eddie Burns — Blues guitarist 34. Kenny Burrell — Jazz guitarist 35. Donald Byrd & The Blackbyrds — Jazz trumpeter/group 36. Choker Campbell & His Orchestra — R&B saxophonist 37. Hughie Cannon — Wrote Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 38. The Capitols — '60s R&B group 39. Carl Carlton — Funk, soul vocalist 40. Betty Carter — Jazz vocalist 41. James Carter — Jazz saxophonist 42. Regina Carter — Jazz violinist 43. Ron Carter — Jazz bassist 44. Dennis Chambers — Jazz drummer 45. Paul Chambers — Jazz bassist 46. Chairmen of the Board — '70s soul group 47. Chenille Sisters — Folk group 48. Mattie Moss Clark —Gospel singer, member of Clark Sisters 49. Clark Sisters — Gospel group 50. Rev. James Cleveland — Gospel vocalist, trombonist and pianist 51. George Clinton — Funk vocalist, producer and songwriter 52. Dennis Coffey — Motown session guitarist 53. Alice Coltrane — Jazz pianist and harpist 54. Contemporary Jazz Quartet (jazz group)/Kenny Cox (pianist)/Charles Moore (trumpet, flugelhorn) 55. The Contours — '60s Motown group 56. Alice Cooper — Rock vocalist 57. Dave "Baby" Cortez — Organist who recorded #1 Billboard single The Happy Organ 58. The Counts — R&B band 59. A. Couse — Wrote mid-1800s hit song The Detroit Schottische 60. Carl Craig — Techno pioneer 61. Marshall Crenshaw — Rock singer/songwriter 62. Dana Cupp — Bluegrass banjoist 63. Michael Daugherty — Contemporary classical composer 64. Destroy All Monsters — Experimental rock/punk band 65. Detroit Emeralds — '70s soul group 66. Detroit Symphony Orchestra 67. Antal Dorati — DSO conductor 68. The Dramatics — '70s soul group 69. Gene Dunlap — Jazz drummer 70. The Dynamics —'70s soul group 71. Jack Earls —Rockabilly vocalist 72. Teddy Edwards — Jazz saxophonist 73. Raymond B. Egan — Co-wrote Till Me Meet Again 74. Sixten Ehrling — DSO Conductor 75. Louis Elbel — Wrote University of Michigan fight song The Victors 76. Eminem — Rapper 77. Maria Ewing — Soprano 78. The Falcons/Eddie Floyd — '50s/'60s soul group/vocalist 79. Fantastic Four — R&B and soul group 80. Ernie Farrow — Jazz bassist 81. Doris Fisher — Wrote You Always Hurt The One You Love 82. Tommy Flanagan — Jazz pianist 83. Frank Foster — Jazz saxophonist and arranger 84. Four Tops — Motown group 85. T.J. Fowler & His Orchestra — Jazz and jump blues band 86. Aretha Franklin — Soul vocalist 87. Calvin Frazier & Sampson Pittman — Blues guitarists 88. Glenn Frey — Rock guitarist/vocalist, member of The Eagles 89. Frijid Pink — Psychedelic rock band 90. Frost — '60s/'70s rock band 91. Curtis Fuller — Jazz trombonist 92. The Funk Brothers — Motown studio band 93. Harvey Fuqua — Motown/R&B writer, producer and vocalist 94. Ossip Gabrilowitsch — DSO conductor 95. Slim Gaillard — Jazz vocalist, pianist and guitarist 96. Kenny Garrett — Jazz saxophonist 97. Marvin Gaye — Motown/R&B vocalist 98. Pete Goble — Bluegrass songwriter 99. Berry Gordy — Motown songwriter/founder 100. Jay Gorney — Wrote Brother Can You Spare A Dime 101. Grand Funk Railroad — '70s rock band 102. Wardell Gray — Jazz saxophonist 103. Grant Green — Jazz guitarist 104. Griot Galaxy —Free jazz group 105. Emma Azalia Hackley — Mid -1800s singer and choral director 106. Bill Haley — Rock vocalist/guitarist 107. Fred Hammond — Gospel vocalist, bassist and producer 108. Sir Roland Hanna — Jazz pianist 109. Barry Harris — Jazz pianist 110. Charles Kassell Harris — Wrote late-800s hit After The Ball 111. Teddy Harris, Jr. — Jazz pianist and composer 112. Vernon Harrison (Boogie Woogie Red) — Blues pianist 113. Wendell Harrison — Jazz saxophonist and clarinetist 114. Richie Hawtin — Techno producer, arranger, composer 115. Louis Hayes — Jazz drummer 116. J. C. Heard — Jazz drummer 117. Bill Heid — Blues and jazz pianist 118. Joe Henderson — Jazz saxophonist 119. Michael Henderson — Jazz and rock bassist 120. William P. Hensley (Washboard Willie) — Blues "Washboardist" 121. His Name Is Alive — Indie rock band 122. Holland, Dozier, Holland —Motown songwriters and producers 123. Major Holley, Jr. — Jazz bassist 124. Brenda Holloway — Motown vocalist 125. John Lee Hooker — Blues vocalist, guitarist and composer 126. Harlan Howard — Wrote Busted and I Fall To Pieces 127. Bob Hurst — Jazz bassist 128. Insane Clown Posse — Rappers 129. Ali Jackson — Jazz drummer 130. Deon Jackson — Soul vocalist 131. Eddie Jackson — Rockabilly vocalist 132. Fred Jackson — Jazz saxophonist 133. Milt Jackson — Jazz vibraphonist and composer 134. Oliver Jackson, Jr. (Bops Jr.) — Jazz drummer 135. James Jamerson — Motown Funk Brothers bassist 136. Neeme Järvi — DSO conductor 137. John (Bobo) Jenkins — Blues guitarist, vocalist and producer 138. Johnny & The Hurricanes — 60s instrumental rock band 139. Marv Johnson — '50s and '60s R&B singer 140. Elvin Jones — Jazz drummer 141. Hank Jones — Jazz pianist 142. Isham Jones — '20sand '30s jazz bandleader, wrote It Had To Be You 143. Thad Jones — Jazz bandleader, trumpeter, composer ampersand arranger 144. Uriel Jones — Motown Funk Brothers drummer 145. Sheila Jordan — Jazz vocalist 146. Ana and Ida Kavafian — Classical violinists 147. Eddie Kendricks — R&B vocalist and member of The Temptations 148. Kid Rock — Rap and rock singer 149. Eddie Kirkland — Blues vocalist, harmonica player and guitarist 150. Earl Klugh — Jazz guitarist 151. Gladys Knight & The Pips — R&B/Motown group 152. Terry Knight & The Pack — '60s rock group 153. Cub Koda & Brownsville Station — '70s,'80s and'90s rock vocalist/band 154. Ruth Laredo — Classical pianist 155. Yusef Lateef — Jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer 156. Bettye Lavette — Blues vocalist 157. Hugh Lawson — Jazz pianist 158. Samuel M. (Sammy) Lerner — Wrote I'm Popeye The Sailor Man 159. Barbara Lewis — '60s pop-soul vocalist 160. Kirk Lightsey — Jazz pianist 161. Little Sonny — Longtime blues vocalist and harmonica player 162. Little Willie John — '50s and '60s R&B vocalist 163. Joe LoDuca — Jazz guitarist and film score composer 164. Shorty Long — '60s Motown vocalist and pianist 165. Angelo Lorenzo — Co-wrote Sleepy Time Gal 166. Lene Lovich — New Wave vocalist 167. Madonna — Pop icon 168. Rick Margitza — Post-bop jazz tenor saxophonist 169. Gerald Marks — Wrote All of Me 170. Kenny Martin — Soul vocalist 171. Marvellettes — '60s Motown girl group 172. Bennie Maupin — Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and flutist. 173. Derrick May — Techno pioneer 174. Nathaniel Mayer — Fortune Records R&B vocalist 175. Cecil McBee — Jazz bassist 176. MC5 — '60s, '70s rock band 177. Howard McGhee — Jazz trumpeter 178. Harold McKinney & Family — Jazz pianist, composer, educator/multi-instrumentalists 179. McKinney's Cotton Pickers — Jazz big band 180. Charles McPherson — Jazz saxophonist 181. Roger Miller (of Mission of Burma) — Rock vocalist and guitarist 182. Frederick Allen Mills — Wrote Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis 183. Jeff Mills (The Wizard) — Techno DJ, producer 184. Mischa Mischakoff — DSO concertmaster 185. Mr. B — Blues and boogie woogie pianist 186. Mr. Bo (Louis Collins) — Blues guitarist and vocalist 187. Billy Mitchell — Jazz saxophonist 188. Francisco Mora — Jazz percussionist 189. Chubby Newsome — Jump blues vocalist 190. Larry Nozero — Jazz saxophonist and flutist 191. Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes — Rock guitarist and vocalist/band 192. Paul Paray — DSO conductor 193. Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio — R&B/Pop vocalist and guitarist/band 194. Terrence Parker — Techno DJ and producer 195. Parliament-Funkadelic — Funk band 196. Freda Payne — Soul, jazz and pop vocalist 197. Greg Phillinganes — Pop/soul keyboardist and songwriter. 198. Wilson Pickett — Soul vocalist 199. Iggy Pop — Rock icon 200. King Porter — Jazz and blues trumpeter 201. Johnny Powers — Rockabilly vocalist and guitarist 202. The Precisions — '60s R&B group 203. Suzi Quatro — '70s and '80s vocalist, songwriter and bassist 204. ? & The Mysterians — '60s rock band 205. Barbara Randolph — Soul vocalist 206. Phil Ranelin & Tribe — Free jazz group 207. Rare Earth — '60s and '70s psychedelic soul group 208. The Rationals — '60s rock band 209. Johnny Ray — '50s pop vocalist 210. Della Reese — Jazz, blues, R&B, gospel and pop vocalist 211. Dianne Reeves — Jazz vocalist 212. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas — Motown vocalist/group 213. The Reflections — '70s R&B group 214. William Revelli — University of Michigan band director 215. Todd Rhodes — Jazz pianist and arranger 216. Sir Mack Rice — R&B vocalist and composer 217. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles —Motown vocalist/group 218. Sugar Chile Robinson — R&B vocalist 219. Rockets — '70s and '80s rock band 220. Rodriguez (Jesus Rodriguez) — Rock vocalist and guitarist 221. Romantics — '80s rock group 222. Frank Rosolino — Jazz trombonist 223. Diana Ross & The Supremes — Motown vocalist/group 224. Dr. Ross — Blues vocalist, harmonica player and guitarist 225. Dennis Rowland — Jazz vocalist 226. Royal Jokers — Doo-wop group 227. David Ruffin — R&B vocalist, member of The Temptations 228. Jimmy Ruffin — R&B vocalist, member of The Temptations 229. Danny Russo — Wrote Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye 230. Peter "Madcat" Ruth — Blues harmonica player 231. Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels — Rock vocalist/group 232. Kevin Saunderson/Inner City — Techno DJ and producer/band 233. Savage Grace — Progressive rock band 234. Jack Scott — Rockabilly guitarist and vocalist 235. Bob Seeley — Boogie woogie pianist 236. Bob Seger — Rock icon 237. Jaribu Shahid — Jazz bassist 238. James Royce Shannon — Wrote The Missouri Waltz 239. Dick Siegel — Folk singer/songwriter 240. John Sinclair — Vocalist, poet, blues and jazz historian, manager of the MC5 241. Louis Smith — Jazz trumpeter 242. Patti Smith — Rock singer/songwriter, poet 243. Son House — Delta blues slide guitarist and vocalist 244. Sonic's Rendezvous Band — Rock group 245. R. J. Spangler — Blues drummer 246. Skip Spence — Singer/songwriter, member of Moby Grape and Jefferson Airplane 247. Spinners — '70s soul group 248. SRC — 60s and '70s rock band 249. Gordon Staples — DSO concertmaster and Motown string arranger 250. Edwin Starr — R&B/Motown vocalist 251. Sonny Stitt — Jazz saxophonist 252. Byron Douglas Stokes — Co-wrote Sweetheart of Sigma Chi 253. The Stooges — '60s/'70s rock band 254. Straight Ahead — All-female jazz group 255. Barrett Strong — Motown vocalist/composer 256. Nolan Strong and The Diablos — Blues/R&B vocalist/group 257. Tani Tabbal — Jazz drummer 258. Craig Taborn — Jazz keyboardist 259. R. Dean Taylor — Motown songwriter/vocalist 260. Temptations — Motown group 261. Tammi Terrell — Motown vocalist 262. Harvey Thompson — Jazz vocalist 263. Lucky Thompson — Jazz saxophonist 264. James Tocco — Classical pianist 265. Johnny Trudell — Bid band leader and Motown trumpeter 266. Undisputed Truth — '70s Motown funk group 267. Unrelated Segments — '60s garage rock band 268. Earl Van Dyke — Keyboardist/bandleader for The Funk Brothers 269. Earl Van Riper — Jazz pianist 270. Velvellettes — Motown group 271. Frank Dudleigh Vernor — Co-wrote Sweetheart of Sigma Chi 272. Albert Von Tilzer — Wrote Take Me Out To The Ballgame 273. Harry Von Tilzer — Wrote A Bird In A Gilded Cage 274. Donald Walden — Jazz saxophonist 275. Jr. Walker & The Allstars — Motown saxophonist and vocalist/band 276. Beulan "Sippie" Wallace — Blues vocalist 277. Leon Ware — Motown songwriter/singer/producer/arranger 278. Gino Washington — '60s R&B vocalist 279. Was (Not Was) — Contemporary R&B dance group 280. Don Was (Don Fagenson) — Producer and bassist 281. Julius Watkins — Jazz French horn player 282. Joe Weaver — Blues pianist and vocalist 283. Ben Weisman — Wrote many million selling songs for Elvis Presley 284. Mary Wells — Motown vocalist 285. Kim Weston — Motown vocalist 286. Rodney Whitaker — Jazz bassist 287. Norman Whitfield — Motown producer and songwriter 288. Richard Whiting — Wrote On The Good Ship Lollipop 289. Popcorn Wylie — R&B/Motown vocalist/songwriter 290. Jimmy Wilkins' Big Band — Trombonist/bandleader 291. Andre Williams & The Five Dollars — '50s/'60s R&B group 292. Richard Storrs Willis — Wrote It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 293. Gerald Wilson — Jazz leader, composer, arranger and trumpeter 294. Jackie Wilson — R&B vocalist 295. Winans — Contemporary gospel group 296. Stevie Wonder — Soul and pop icon 297. Lyman Woodard — Jazz organist 298. Syreeta Wright — Soul vocalist 299. York Brothers — Country duo 300. Alexander Zonjic — Jazz flutist |